Jack White Rips Donald Trump’s ‘Vulgar, Gold-Leafed and Gaudy’ White House Makeover, Comparing it To ‘Wrestler’s Dressing Room’

Gil Kaufman
Wed, August 20, 2025 
 Billboard


Jack White has some thoughts on the gilding of the White House. The rocker who opened a bespoke upholstery shop in Detroit in the mid 1990s before launching his music career — and who has long had a keen eye for visual aesthetics — went scorched earth on Donald Trump’s gold-plated makeover of the People’s House in a no-holds-barred Instagram post on Tuesday (Aug. 19).

“Look at how disgusting trump has transformed the historic White House. It’s now a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler’s dressing room,” White said of the makeover Trump has rolled out for the White House, which includes all-gold-everything in the Oval Office. “Can’t wait for the UFC match on the front lawn too, he’s almost fully achieved the movie Idiocracy,” White added in reference to Trump’s plans to hold a ultimate fighting match on the White House grounds next year and the beloved 2006 Mike Judge movie satire of a world in which anti-intellectual, lowest-common-denominator dolts inherit the Earth. “Look at his disgusting taste, would you even buy a used car from this conman, let alone give him the nuclear codes?” White asked.

In a clever side slam, White tagged Trump with a link to professional wrestling legend “Nature Boy” Ric Flair’s Instagram feed in the post, in which he also took aim a the many ways the president is abrogating norms by profiting from his second tenure in office. “A gold plated trump bible would look perfect up on that mantle with a pair of trump shoes on either side wouldn’t it?” White wrote. “What an embarrassment to American history. Also pictured in this photograph, a REAL leader of a nation in a black suit.” The post featured a photo of Trump meeting with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy this week in the dizzyingly filigreed Oval Office.

In keeping with the wrestling metaphor, White House communications director Steven Cheung attempted his own smack down of the 12-time Grammy-winning rocker who is slated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the White Stripes in November. “Jack White is a washed-up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career,” Cheung told The Daily Beast. “It’s apparent he’s been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of ‘The People’s House.'” At press time it appeared White had not responded to Cheung’s comments.

In May, photo editor and creative consultant Emily Keegin wrote an essay in The New York Times entitled “Trump’s Oval Office is a Gilded Rococo Nightmare. Help,” in which she noted that in 2017 journalist Peter York referred to Trump’s shiny aesthetic as “dictator chic,” likening the former reality TV star’s New York penthouse style to that of late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s opulent, garish mansions. In the commentary, Keegin described the 14K White House redesign as, “a parade of golden objects that march across the mantel, relegating the traditional Swedish ivy to a greenhouse. Gilded Rococo wall appliqués, nearly identical to the ones at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, are stuck to the fireplace and office walls with the same level of aesthetic consideration a child gives her doll’s face before covering it in nail polish.”

Check out White’s post here.

Jack White responds to White House calling him a 'has-been loser': 'Trump is masquerading as a human being'

"He's masquerading as a Christian, as a leader, as a person with actual empathy. He's been masquerading as a businessman for decades," the "Seven Nation Army" musician wrote.

Wesley Stenzel
Wed, August 20, 2025

Entertainment Weekly

Key points

A representative for the White House called Jack White a "washed-up, has-been loser" after he criticized the Oval Office's decor.


White responded by saying he believes President Trump is "masquerading as a human being."


White also opined that Trump is "masquerading as a Christian, as a leader, as a person with actual empathy."

Jack White has strong words for the Trump administration.

The former White Stripes frontman posted a lengthy statement in an Instagram gallery condemning Donald Trump's policies and past on Wednesday. The post came in response to White House communications director Steven Cheung calling him a "washed-up, has-been loser" in a statement to The Daily Beast following White's shorter criticism of the president on Tuesday.

John Nacion/Variety via GettyJack White at 'SNL50: The Homecoming Concert' in New York City on Feb. 14, 2025

"Here's my opinion, trump is masquerading as a human being," the "Icky Thump" musician wrote. "He's masquerading as a christian, as a leader, as a person with actual empathy. He's been masquerading as a businessman for decades as nothing he's involved in has prospered except by using other people's money to find loophole after loophole and grift after grift."

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the White House for further comment.

White previously called out the Oval Office's new gold decor, which was prominently visible during Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"Look at how disgusting trump has transformed the historic White House," the singer wrote on Instagram Tuesday. "It's now a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler's dressing room. Can't wait for the UFC match on the front lawn too, he's almost fully achieved the movie 'Idiocracy'."

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Christopher Furlong/Getty

Cheung responded on the White House's behalf in a comment to The Daily Beast.

"Jack White is a washed up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career," he said. "It's apparent he's been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of 'The People’s House.'"

In Wednesday's post, White responded to specific jabs from Cheung. "'Masquerading as a real artist'? Thank you for giving me my tombstone engraving!" the musician wrote. "I have 'ample time on (my) hands'? That orange grifter has spent more tax payer money cheating at golf than helping ANYONE in the country. Improve. Anything."

MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin/GC ImagesJack White in New York City on Aug. 20, 2024

This is far from the first time that White has criticized the president. The musician previously threatened Trump's 2024 campaign for using the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" in a video.

"Don't even think about using my music you fascists," he wrote on Instagram at the time. "Law suit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.)

White also called out celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Joe Rogan, Mel Gibson, and Guy Fieri for their participation in a 2023 meet-and-greet with Trump. "Anybody who 'normalizes' or treats this disgusting fascist, racist, con man, disgusting piece of s--- Trump with any level of respect is ALSO disgusting in my book," he opined on social media at the time.

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On Wednesday, White expressed his amusement at the fact that his Oval Office criticism marked the first time that the White House responded to his remarks despite his numerous other posts criticizing the president, including incidents when he called Trump a "Nazi," a "racist," and a "fascist."


"It wasn't me calling out any of that, it was the f---ing DECOR OF THE OVAL OFFICE remarks I made that got them to respond with insults," White wrote. "How petty and pathetic and thin skinned could this administration get?"

White House Spokesperson Totally Loses It Over Rock Star's Trump Takedown

Lee Moran
Wed, August 20, 2025 
HUFFPOST

Rock star Jack White’s blistering critique of Donald Trump and the president’s blinged-out Oval Office makeover has sparked a furious response from the White House.

Communications Director Steven Cheung lashed out after the White Stripes star described the Trump-era decor as “vulgar.”

“Jack White is a washed-up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career,” Cheung fumed about the 12-time Grammy winner to The Daily Beast.

“It’s apparent he’s been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of ‘The People’s House,’” Cheung added.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung slammed musician Jack White's criticism of Donald Trump. DREW ANGERER via Getty Images

White provoked Cheung’s wrath after posting on Instagram a photo of Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday.

In his caption, White blasted the Oval Office redesign as looking like “a professional wrestler’s dressing room.” In full, he wrote:

Look at how disgusting trump has transformed the historic White House. It’s now a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler’s dressing room. Can’t wait for the UFC match on the front lawn too, he’s almost fully achieved the movie ‘Idiocracy’. Look at his disgusting taste, would you even buy a used car from this conman, let alone give him the nuclear codes? A gold plated trump bible would look perfect up on that mantle with a pair of trump shoes on either side wouldn’t it? What an embarrassment to American history. Also pictured in this photograph, a REAL leader of a nation in a black suit.

Related: Rock Star Calls Trump 'A Danger' To 'The Entire World' In Fiery Instagram Post

White has not responded to Cheung’s slam.

Trump, who frequently attacks celebrities who criticize him, has remained silent on White’s comments and Cheung’s response.

The rocker has previously branded Trump “scum” and a “wannabe dictator,” and last year condemned the use of his band’s anthem “Seven Nation Army” in a pro-Trump video.

Pentagon attacks Washington Post over report on Hegseth’s security costs

THIN SKINED PETE

Ellen Mitchell
Wed, August 20, 2025

Pentagon attacks Washington Post over report on Hegseth’s security costs

The Pentagon is lashing out at The Washington Post over a report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unusually large personal security requirements are overburdening the Army agency that protects him and his family, claiming the scrutiny “puts lives at risk.”

The Post report found that the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) has had to pull agents from criminal investigations to protect Hegseth’s family residences in Minnesota, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. — a multi-million dollar effort that one CID official said is unlike any other in the agency’s recent history.

But chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on Tuesday said any action related to the security of Hegseth and his family “has been in response to the threat environment and at the full recommendation” of CID.

“In the wake of two assassinations attempts against President Trump, ICE agents facing a 1000% increase in assaults, and repeated threats of retaliation from Iran for striking their nuclear capabilities, it’s astonishing that the Washington Post is criticizing a high-ranking cabinet official for receiving appropriate security protection,” Parnell wrote in a post to X.

And while the Post said it withheld several sensitive details from the report, including the size of Hegseth’s protective details and the exact places where they are assigned, Parnell claimed the outlet was doxing the defense secretary, referring to the practice of publishing private or identifying information about an individual on the internet.

“When left-wing blogs like the Washington Post continue to dox cabinet secretaries’ security protocols and movements, it puts lives at risk,” he wrote.

The report comes as Army CID in recent years has struggled with staffing and budgetary shortfalls, with new security demands caused by Hegseth placing added pressure on the agency, officials told the Post.

“We have complete inability to achieve our most basic missions,” one person told the outlet.

CID, whose chief mission is to investigate serious crimes within the Army, including contracting fraud, sexual assault and other violent crimes, also is in charge of protecting the Pentagon chief and other current and former top defense officials, such as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Army secretary.

CID agents serve as advance teams, coordinating security ahead of public appearances. They also staff motorcades and provide security during travel at home and abroad.

About 150 of CID’s roughly 1,500 agents serve on personal protective duty, though that number has been beefed up to 400 to 500 since Hegseth started at the Pentagon in January, according to the Post.

The number is greatly inflated due to Hegseth’s large blended family, which includes multiple children across his current and ex-wife, as well as a rise in politically motivated violence.

To provide around-the-clock security, CID has had to move agents from investigations to send them for long-term assignments in Tennessee, or Minnesota, the latter of which is where Hegseth’s second wife lives, people familiar with the matter told the Post.

Agents are being taken off investigations, “doing what we are supposed to be doing,” to “sit on luggage” instead or “sit in the cars on the driveway,” one CID official frustrated with the situation said to the outlet.

To fill any staffing gaps, CID has had to activate military reservists.

In a statement to The Hill, a senior Army CID official acknowledged the agency “operates within existing resource constraints” and said it “proactively adjusts its efforts to address emerging threats and maintains a robust security posture in both the investigative and protective realms.”

CID also said Hegseth did not request the additional coverage and that he “has never effected CIDs recommended security posture.”


Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

India's federal investigator opens criminal case against Anil Ambani, his company

Anil Ambani, chairman of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, attends the company's annual general meeting in Mumbai · Reuters

Reuters
Sat, August 23, 2025 


MUMBAI (Reuters) -India's federal investigating agency said on Saturday it had opened a criminal case against industrialist Anil Ambani and his company Reliance Communications Ltd following a complaint by India's largest bank about alleged fraud.

State Bank of India alleged that Anil Ambani, the younger brother of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and Reliance Communications defrauded the bank, causing 30 billion Indian rupees ($344 million) of losses.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation conducted search operations in Mumbai at Anil Ambani's house and the offices of the now insolvent Reliance Communications, the agency said in a press statement.

A spokesperson for Ambani told Reuters that the searches at his residence concluded early this afternoon. "Mr. Ambani strongly denies all allegations and charges, and will duly defend himself," the spokesperson said.

The agency said Anil Ambani and his company misused and diverted bank funds for purposes other than what was agreed.

An email query to SBI was not answered immediately.

Last month, India's Enforcement Directorate also searched 35 locations linked to Reliance Group as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering and siphoning of public funds, a government source told Reuters.

Reliance Group did not respond to a request for comment at the time, but a source at the group denied the allegations.

($1 = 87.3260 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Jayshree P Upadhyay. Editing by Mark Potter)

Another major medical association breaks from CDC as ob/gyn group recommends Covid-19 vaccines during pregnancy

Deidre McPhillips, CNN
Fri, August 22, 2025 


The latest recommendations from ACOG say that any of the available Covid-19 vaccines can be delivered simultaneously with other vaccines recommended during pregnancy. - John Fedele/Tetra images RF/Getty Images

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on Friday reaffirmed support for Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy, becoming the second major professional medical association to break from current US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations this week.

“While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently removed its recommendation that pregnant and lactating individuals receive updated COVID-19 vaccines, ACOG’s recommendations have not changed,” according to the updated practice advisory. “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continues to recommend the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines in individuals contemplating pregnancy and in pregnant, recently pregnant, and lactating individuals.”

In May, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that Covid-19 vaccines will no longer be among the recommended vaccines for pregnant women and healthy children in CDC immunization schedules. The abrupt decision bypassed the government’s normal process for evaluating and recommending vaccines, and Kennedy did not offer scientific evidence to justify the change to the recommendations.

The latest recommendations from ACOG say that “all clinicians should provide a strong recommendation for updated COVID-19 vaccination to their pregnant and lactating patients.” Vaccinations can occur in any trimester, with an emphasis on the “earliest opportunity to maximize maternal and fetal health,” and any of the available Covid-19 vaccines can be delivered simultaneously with other vaccines recommended during pregnancy, includi ng those against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Dozens of references in ACOG’s advisory, including multiple CDC sources, emphasize the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy – and the increased risk that pregnant women and infants face from a Covid-19 infection.

On Tuesday, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its updated recommendations for vaccines with explicit support for Covid-19 vaccines for children and a direct criticism of a federal vaccine advisory committee, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, that AAP says is made up of “individuals who have a history of spreading vaccine misinformation” after it was recently overhauled by Kennedy.

There has also been tension between ACOG and those driving federal health policy.

The organization said it is no longer accepting federal funding due to recent changes that “significantly impact ACOG’s program goals, policy positions, and ability to provide timely and evidence-based guidance and recommendations for care.”

And ACOG announced in July that it was partnering with an independent group of experts called the Vaccine Integrity Project to develop maternal immunization guidance in the absence of “historically robust government-led annual review of data and subsequent evidence-based recommendations.”

“The meeting of the newly reconstructed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) demonstrated that the committee did not follow the longstanding tradition of robust, unbiased review of reputable scientific evidence by medical and public health experts,” ACOG President Dr. Steven Fleischman said in June. “The data presented to ACIP affirm why ACOG continues to recommend safe, effective maternal vaccination. If ACIP responded to the data as presented in a way that values medical evidence and public health, the government’s recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy would be restored and support for maternal vaccination would be unwavering.”

After the abrupt federal changes to the Covid-19 vaccination schedule, dozens of health and medical organizations – including ACOG and AAP – pushed for continued access and insurance coverage for the vaccines in an open letter.

Pregnant women who have Covid-19 are more likely to require care in the ICU or on a ventilator, or to die, the medical organizations’ letter said, and they’re at higher risk of complications such as cesarean birth, preeclampsia or eclampsia, and blood clots. Infants born after a Covid-19 infection also face increased risks.

“It is vital that we ensure that pregnant women continue to have access to this prevention tool so that they can protect themselves and their young infants, a vulnerable group who is not yet eligible for vaccination,” the letter said.

HHS did not respond directly on ACOG’s recommendations or the evidence behind them. Instead, an agency spokesperson said in a statement that “HHS and CDC will continue to be the official resource for any guidance.”

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RFK Jr. attacks pediatric group after vaccine recommendations

Nathaniel Weixel
Wed, August 20, 2025 

Hours after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) broke with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and recommended COVID-19 vaccines for all young children, Kennedy blasted the association as beholden to corporate interests.

The AAP on Tuesday recommended all infants and children 6 months through 23 months get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect against serious illness.

Kennedy responded in a post on social platform X, calling the group’s recommendations “corporate friendly” because the AAP receives donations to its Friends of Children Fund from vaccine companies like Pfizer and Moderna, among others.

The philanthropic fund backs projects supporting child health and equity.

The HHS secretary said the organization should disclose “its corporate entanglements … so that Americans may ask whether the AAP’s recommendations reflect public health interest, or are, perhaps, just a pay-to-play scheme to promote commercial ambitions of AAP’s Big Pharma benefactors.”

AAP President Susan Kressly said in a statement the group would welcome an opportunity to sit down with Kennedy to review the recommendations.

“This attack on the integrity of pediatricians is unfortunate, but it does not change the facts,” Kressly said. “We are transparent about our funders, follow rigorous conflict-of-interest disclosures and maintain safeguards to ensure the integrity and independence of our guidance.”

The AAP and HHS have been at odds for months, and tensions reached a head when Kennedy dismissed all the members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replaced them with his own handpicked representatives, including some outright vaccine skeptics.

The AAP chose not to participate in the reconstituted panel’s first meeting in June, calling it “illegitimate.” Kennedy later excluded the fund along with other top medical organizations from working with the panel to research and help influence vaccination recommendations.

Kennedy has long criticized the so-called medical establishment for conspiring to make Americans sick. His first “Make America Healthy Again” report accused doctors of being overly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry to overprescribe certain medications that don’t treat the root causes of disease.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


My Father Died Waiting for a Vaccine. Now We're Telling People They Do Not Need One?

Michael Haefele
Sat, August 23, 2025 

HUFFPOST




My father was not supposed to die in the spring of 2020. After more than 25 years of teaching high school students, he was finally enjoying his retirement — as an avid member of his community, the choir director at his church, and a regular participant at his local soup kitchen. This all changed in March 2020, after a significant family event likely became the superspreader that led to his demise.

When COVID-19 took over my father’s body, it squeezed his life away. He was forced to live on machines and life support for over four weeks before ultimately dying far too soon. Not only was this a time of uncertainty, but as a critical care nurse practitioner, I watched as science failed, as our medical tools and approaches did not work, and as options became increasingly limited. If March 2020 were only now, when we have vaccines proven effective in preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, maybe my father would have seen my wedding, celebrated my successes, and held his grandchild.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent guidance on COVID-19 vaccines, which eliminates the recommendation for vaccination among healthy children and pregnant women, undermines public health, scientific evidence, and the right to life. His practices may soon be a major contributor to innumerable preventable deaths. Can we, as a nation, support that? By failing to follow published, vetted evidence; expert opinion; advice of reputable health organizations; or prior standards in vaccine recommendations, the current Department of Health and Human Services leaders created mayhem that will only tear this country further apart, with death as a result.

Research has consistently demonstrated the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, with a two-dose series being 91% effective in preventing illness in children ages 5 to 11.Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children ages 12 to 18, not only preventing illness but also reducing the need for life support and the risk of death.

Studies have also proved the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant individuals, with no ties to miscarriage, preterm birth, or low birth weight.There is a known benefit of passive immunity, protecting the baby in the first few months of life. National organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists remain vigilant in promoting COVID-19 vaccination, confirming its safety and its public health importance.

How does my father relate to children or pregnant women, you may ask? He would, no doubt, be in a current “recommended” category for the vaccine. However, his being vaccinated is only one piece of a multilevel public health effort.

With major populations left unvaccinated, can we ever truly achieve and maintain herd immunity? Children with limited hygiene practices are more likely to carry the illness. They carry it home; they carry it to the grocery store; they carry it to the nursing home where their grandparents may live. Science has shown increased transmission rates within the home, with children as the primary vector, infecting those close to them. We also know that children can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus, continuing to spread it without anyone knowing. With a routine vaccine, we can prevent the virus from taking hold and reduce the overall public health risk.

I have witnessed, on the front lines, unvaccinated individuals begging for a vaccine on their deathbed — when it’s far too late. I have seen families shattered: husbands losing their wives, children losing their parents, and parents losing their children. Lives were taken before they could enjoy their best parts, before they could celebrate milestones, before they could say goodbye. I’ve seen the virus spread through families, claiming multiple lives. I have witnessed the reality and devastation that this virus can cause.

Will we be ready for the next COVID-19 pandemic? While we all relax now, while the virus has lost some of its strength, are we prepared for it to mutate and regain its vicious patterns? If these groups lose their immunity without vaccines, do we open ourselves up to the possibility of dangerous mutations? And when it’s too late, will the current vaccines still work, or will we have time to prepare, vaccinating all those who were previously unprotected?

RFK Jr. is putting his agenda before the needs of this country. His baseless recommendations are going to fuel death and destruction. Have we not learned from the past? Have we not learned the importance of science? Legislators and policymakers must act now. Health care workers must act now. And we, as a civilization, must act now. Follow the science. Trust the experts. Advocate for further research. But do not create an opportunity for the devastation we once saw.

Related: RFK Jr. Wants To Take COVID Shots Away From Pregnant People — But You Can Fight Back

My father died when COVID-19 wasn’t preventable. Will you be able to say the same?

Michael Haefele is a critical care nurse practitioner in the New York metropolitan area, board-certified in adult-gerontology acute care. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Nursing Practice and has firsthand experience caring for patients in ICU settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump says quiet part out loud on CBS’s new owner: ‘Great man’ who will ‘do the right thing’

Justin Baragona
Fri, August 22, 2025 


Donald Trump heaped praise on the new owner of CBS, saying Paramount chief executive David Ellison is a “great man” whom he knows “very well,” adding that Ellison is “going to do the right thing” with the network.

The president’s Friday remarks come a day after House Democrats launched an investigation into the politically fraught $8 billion merger between Paramount and Ellison’s Skydance, which was approved by the Trump administration shortly after the president extracted a $16 million settlement in his “meritless” lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.

Speaking to reporters on Friday morning following the FBI raiding the home of his former national security adviser-turned-critic John Bolton, which Trump insisted he knew “nothing about” beforehand, the president turned his attention to boasting about his federal takeover of Washington, D.C.

In typical Trumpian fashion, the president went on a tangent about the “fake news” not giving him credit for deploying military troops on the streets of the nation’s capital, which he falsely claimed had a 90 percent approval rating. In reality, the vast majority of D.C. residents oppose the move and feel it makes them less safe.

After mocking MSNBC’s upcoming name change, claiming it was “because they‘re ashamed of it and they‘re disassociating it from NBC, which is also fake news,” Trump then brought up CBS and Ellison – and had nothing but good things to say.

Donald Trump boasts that new CBS owner David Ellison ‘will do the right thing’ and is a ‘great man.’ (AFP/Getty)

“I think the news is getting better. They‘re learning that they have no credibility,” he declared. “CBS was just sold to a great person that I know very well.”

Trump continued: “A great man. He actually just bought CBS. And I think he‘s going to do the right thing with it.”

Ellison is the son of close Trump ally and megadonor Larry Ellison, the Oracle founder who invested billions of dollars in David Ellison’s Skydance merger with Paramount. Weeks before the Federal Communications Commission – led by Trump’s hand-picked chairman Brendan Carr – finally approved the Skydance-Paramount deal, Trump similarly sang the younger Ellison’s praises.

“Ellison’s great,” the president told reporters in mid-June. “He’ll do a great job with it.”

Earlier this week, the ranking members of the House Judiciary and Energy and Commerce committees sent Ellison a letter demanding documents and correspondence related to the administration’s approval process of the Paramount merger, which officially closed on August 7.

Specifically, the two Democratic congressmen are seeking answers surrounding not only the settlement of the Trump lawsuit, which has sparked accusations of bribery from lawmakers and free press organizations, but also the president’s claim that he reached a “side deal” with Ellison.

Shortly after the previous Paramount leadership announced it was paying Trump $16 million to settle the 60 Minutes complaint, Trump boasted that Ellison had agreed to air up to $20 million of pro-Trump advertisements and programming on CBS once the merger went through. While the old Paramount denied any knowledge of any secret agreement, Ellison has remained mum on the matter.

“This offer was necessarily contingent on the FCC approving the deal and does not appear to present any legitimate value to the public, only to President Trump,” Reps. Frank Pallone and Jamie Raskin wrote Ellison this week. “Therefore, this appears to be an offer of payment and benefits to a government official designed to achieve a specific outcome from the government — in other words, a bribe.”

Ellison is currently facing a congressional investigation over the circumstances surrounding the Trump administration’s approval process of the company’s merger with Skydance. (Paramount)

Additionally, the Democrats are inquiring about Paramount’s decision to cancel the top-rated late-night show hosted by outspoken Trump critic Stephen Colbert just days before the merger was approved, as well as Skydance’s assurance to the FCC that it would review “complaints of bias” at CBS News and eliminate all diversity hiring practices. Both Trump and Carr publicly celebrated Colbert’s cancellation.

On top of that, Raskin and Pallone noted that during the negotiations with Trump to settle the lawsuit, which CBS lawyers said was “without merit” and legal experts described as frivolous, the executive producer of 60 Minutes and CBS News chief Wendy McMahon both resigned in protest.

“Two wrongs do not make a right—illegitimate demands from the FCC or the Administration do not absolve your company from wrongdoing,” the letter to Ellison stated. “If Skydance offered a side deal of up to $20 million worth of advertisement or programming to President Trump in order to receive regulatory approval for the merger with Paramount, these actions would run afoul of federal and state anti-bribery statutes.”

The lawmakers added: “Similarly, if Paramount forced out CBS’s longtime leaders, spent $16 million to settle a sham lawsuit with President Trump, or cancelled a highly popular comedy show that President Trump dislikes in order to curry favor with the Administration and to receive regulatory approval for the merger with Skydance, these actions would likely further embolden President Trump to use lawsuits and regulatory authority to attack media organizations that he finds objectionable in order to silence them.”

In the meantime, it appears that Ellison and his senior leadership are preparing to enact painful cuts to the news network. Puck’s Dylan Byers reported this week that Paramount sources had told him CBS News was losing around $50 million a year, a claim a CBS News spokesperson pushed back hard against, saying the news division is “currently profitable.”

Still, based on the Byers item, it appears that Ellison and Paramount president Jeff Shell are laying the groundwork to make sweeping layoffs at CBS News – and soon. “The stage has been set for a round of painful cost-cutting,” Status News’ Oliver Darcy noted. “In other words, the disputed number may ultimately be less important than the larger narrative it helps justify: CBS News is about to face some painful budget cuts.”


House Dems push bribery inquiry into Paramount-Skydance after Trump deal

Ja'han Jones
Fri, August 22, 2025
MSNBC


House Dems push bribery inquiry into Paramount-Skydance after Trump deal

House Democrats are pressing forward with an inquiry into potential bribery by Paramount-Skydance as it pursued a multibillion-dollar merger approved by Trump’s Federal Communications Commission last month.

In a letter sent Thursday to Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison, Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Frank Pallone of New Jersey demand documents related to the Trump administration’s communications with company officials as the merger awaited approval by Project 2025 co-author and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. They write:

Four weeks ago, after months of delay, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved what on August 7, 2025, became an $8 billion merger between your company, Skydance Media, LLC (Skydance), and Paramount Global (Paramount). Alarmingly, the FCC’s decision came only after Skydance and Paramount agreed to provide millions of dollars in payments and free services to Donald Trump himself and millions to support his future presidential library respectively. Further, as a condition of the merger, it appears Skydance has agreed to install someone to police CBS’s editorial decisions, promising to conduct a ‘comprehensive review of CBS’ and to appoint an ‘ombudsman’ to root out ‘bias.’

Trump has claimed that the settlement of his lawsuit against CBS, over edits made to a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, included millions of dollars in free advertising, in addition to $16 million Paramount committed to funding his presidential library. Paramount officials have denied that there is any arrangement beyond the legal settlement, according to a recent New York Times report.

Paramount-Skydance did not respond immediately to MSNBC’s request for comment.

The Democrats also want information about the company’s decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “which President Trump openly dislikes, shortly after Mr. Colbert’s on-air criticism of Paramount’s settlement as a ‘big fat bribe.’”

Carr himself celebrated the “Late Show” cancellation after it was announced and avoided giving a straight answer when a Fox News host asked him whether Trump was involved in any way. Trump’s chairman has shown a willingness to politicize the merger review process with his vow to block mergers involving companies with policies that promote diversity. He’s also weaponized the commission against media outlets that Trump and other conservatives have criticized.

Later in their letter, Raskin and Pallone also sound the alarm on private conversations that Ellison, the Skydance CEO, reportedly had with Trump before the merger was announced. Specifically they demand Ellison and Paramount-Skydance turn over any documents — including communications company officials may have had with one another, with Trump Organization officials, with the FCC or with other members of the Trump administration — related to the settlement or the merger. They also seek clarification on whether Paramount-Skydance plans to offer any free services to Trump, as he’s alleged.

The Democrats say the allegations, if true, “would likely further embolden President Trump to use lawsuits and regulatory authority to attack media organizations that he finds objectionable in order to silence them,” and that “these actions by Paramount would also be illegal, running afoul of federal and state anti-bribery statutes.”

A separate probe into possible bribery has been launched by officials in California.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com

Paramount Job Cuts Coming In November, With Cost Savings To Exceed $2 Billion

Anthony D'Alessandro
Fri, August 22, 2025 


The Skydance-owned Paramount is expecting to begin pink-slipping around November, we understand.

Deadline has been told by myriad sources that it’s about the dollar figure amount as far as job cuts go, not necessarily the headcount, though the number of positions being eliminated across theatrical, streaming, linear and all other divisions is expected to be between 2,500-3,000.

While it’s been out there that the incoming Skydance team led by David Ellison has been working with Bain & Company to identify at least $2 billion in cost efficiencies, Ellison emphasized last week during Paramount’s post-merger press conference that cost-cutting is bound to “exceed” $2 billion.

Managers will be submitting their list of dismissals to HR between September and October.

“We do not want to be a company that has layoffs every quarter,” Paramount president Jeff Shell told the media at the new conglom’s presser last week. “So, it’s going to be painful. It’s always hard, but we don’t want to be a company that every quarter is laying people off.”

“So, it is important for us to get done what we’re doing in one big thing and then be done with it,” he added

Paramount counts 18,000 employees around the globe, while Skydance has a staff that’s under 2,000.

On Day of His Release, Trump Administration Threatens to Deport Ábrego García to Uganda

"Just spiteful evil for the sake of it," fumed one observer.

Kilmar Ábrego García celebrates his son's third birthday.
(Photo by David Seidenberg/Creative Commons)

Brett Wilkins
Aug 23, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

On the same day he was released from federal custody, the Trump administration on Friday informed Kilmar Ábrego García—a Maryland man wrongfully deported to a notorious Salvadoran prison rife with abuse—that it may deport him to the East African nation of Uganda.

Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national who entered the US without authorization when he was a teenager, was released Friday from a jail near Nashville, Tennessee, where he had been held since June following his errant deportation to El Salvador and imprisonment in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) super-maximum security prison.

According to a notice sent by a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official to Ábrego García's attorneys on Friday, "DHS may remove your client... to Uganda no earlier than 72 hours from now."

US District Judge Paula Xinis last month issued a ruling barring the Trump administration from immediately arresting Ábrego García upon his release and requiring the government to provide three business days' notice if US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intended to initiate deportation proceedings against him.

ICE directed Ábrego García to report to the agency's Baltimore field office on Monday morning.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that the Trump administration decide to pursue deportation of Ábrego García to Uganda after he declined an offer to be sent to Costa Rica if he pleaded guilty to human smuggling charges related to his alleged transportation of undocumented immigrants in Tennessee in 2022.

Uganda is one of four African nations—the others are Eswatini, Rwanda, and South Sudan—that have agreed to take third-country nationals deported from the US.

Noting that Ábrego García "has no connections to Uganda," Washington Monthly contributor David Atkins accused the Trump administration of "just spiteful evil for the sake of it."

Ábrego García was deported to CECOT in March after the Trump administration claimed without credible evidence that he was a gang member. He was one of more than 200 people deported to CECOT without due process. The father of three said he was subjected to beatings and "psychological torture" at the prison.

Although acknowledging wrongfully deporting Ábrego García, the Trump administration argued in court that it lacked jurisdiction to order his return to the United States. However, Xinis—who called Ábrego García's deportation "wholly lawless"—on April 4 ordered the administration to facilitate his stateside return.

As the administration balked, the US Supreme Court intervened, affirming Xinis' order in an April 10 ruling. Ábrego García was finally returned to the US in June, only to be arrested for alleged human smuggling. He pleaded not guilty and asked the court to dismiss the charges against him, contending they are retaliation for challenging his deportation to El Salvador.

In a court filing, Ábrego García's lawyers said their client is being subjected to "vindictive and selective prosecution" by the Trump administration.

"There can be only one interpretation of these events: the [Department of Justice], DHS, and ICE are using their collective powers to force Mr. Ábrego to choose between a guilty plea followed by relative safety, or rendition to Uganda, where his safety and liberty would be under threat," the attorneys wrote.

"It is difficult to imagine a path the government could have taken that would have better emphasized its vindictiveness," they added. "This case should be dismissed."

Uganda strikes deal with Washington over migrants deported from the US

Uganda – which has Africa's largest refugee population – has become the latest African country to agree to take in failed asylum seekers deported from the United States, under President Donald Trump's controversial deportation drive.


Issued on: 22/08/2025 - RFI

Venezuelan migrants deported from the US arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Venezuela, 20 February, 2025. AFP - PEDRO MATTEY

The announcement, made on Thursday by a senior Ugandan Foreign Ministry official, puts the country among a handful of African and Latin American countries cooperating with the Trump administration on resettlement arrangements.

The deal comes as the US seeks third-country destinations for migrants whose own governments are unwilling to take them back.

Similar arrangements with countries including El Salvador and Eswatini have sparked protests in the US and drawn criticism from rights groups, who argue that such transfers could expose vulnerable people to new risks.

Outcry mounts in Eswatini over ‘illegal aliens’ deported from US

'Progressive refugee policy'

According to the United Nations, Uganda already hosts approximately 1.8 million refugees – the largest number on the African continent.

Most come from neighbouring South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, although Sudan’s civil war has in the past year triggered a sharp spike in arrivals.

Uganda grants these new arrivals the right to work, freedom of movement and access to services. President Yoweri Museveni’s government has long been recognised for its open-door approach – which UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi called "the most progressive refugee policies in Africa, if not the world".

Regarding the deal agreed with Washington, Vincent Bagiire, permanent secretary at Uganda’s foreign ministry, said in a statement on social media: "The agreement is in respect of Third Country Nationals who may not be granted asylum in the United States, but are reluctant to or may have concerns about returning to their countries of origin."

He stressed that the deal was only a temporary arrangement, and added that: "Individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted."

Uganda also indicated it would prefer to receive migrants originally from Africa.

"The two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented," Bagiire added.

South Sudan turns US deportations to its diplomatic advantage

Humanitarian concerns

Uganda's agreement with the US follows Rwanda’s announcement of a similar deal earlier this month, under which it said it would accept up to 250 migrants deported from the US.

Kigali has yet to release details of this, and Washington has not confirmed the arrangement.

South Sudan too has entered into a deportation agreement with the US, taking in eight migrants earlier this year – only one of whom was South Sudanese. Their case was contested in US courts, but Juba confirmed in July that it had assumed responsibility for the men.

Trump’s administration has pushed to speed up the removal of undocumented migrants, sometimes deporting them to countries where they have no ties. In one controversial example, hundreds of Venezuelans alleged to have gang affiliations were first sent to El Salvador, where they were held in austere prison conditions, before being returned to Venezuela.

Rights organisations – including Amnesty International – are sceptical of the latest deals, warning that such transfers may contravene international law.

Deporting people to countries where they risk torture, abduction or persecution could violate the principle of "non-refoulement", a cornerstone of refugee protection.

Nigeria rejects US push to accept Venezuelan deportees

Critics argue that outsourcing deportations to fragile or unstable states – particularly in Africa – may compound rather than resolve humanitarian crises.

The UN's refugee agency UNHCR notes that: "Uganda’s refugee settlements are located in areas highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including extreme heat and seasonal flooding. These conditions have affected agricultural livelihoods and placed growing pressure on natural resources, occasionally fuelling tensions between refugee and host communities."

Pakistanis in US face uncertainty amid visa crackdown

Anwar Iqbal 

 August 23, 2025 

DAWN

WASHINGTON: Pakistani students and other visa holders in the United States are facing growing uncertainty, as even minor infractions, political activity, or incomplete documentation could put their stay at risk.

Recent cases indicate that traffic violations and campus protests may be reported to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), raising alarms among the Pakistani community.

Two Pakistani students in northern Virginia were shocked when a traffic court judge informed them that courts are now required to share records of traffic violations with DHS.

“We were planning to drive to Chicago, but we’ve been advised not to,” said Y*, a student from Baltimore, Maryland. “We are on visas and even a minor mistake could lead to revocation.”

US reviewing social media for anti-American or extremist content; Pakistani embassy says it’s monitoring the situation, advises caution in political activities

Students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, are even more anxious. “Some of us joined those demonstrations and now we don’t know if we can stay or might face deportation,” said S* from Baltimore.

M*, a student at George Mason University, said, “Most of us work part-time to pay tuition. Now we don’t know whether we can continue working.”

K*, who attends a community college in northern Virginia, added, “Almost all foreign students are scared. We don’t know whether we can work, drive, or even go out. This is not the America that we dreamed of.”

Those living in the US under political asylum face even greater concerns.

The Pakistani embassy in Washington estimates that between 700,000 to a million Pakistanis live in the United States, most as citizens or long-term residents. Many do not register officially, so exact numbers are unclear.

According to the latest Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education, the United States hosted 1,126,690 international students in 2024, up 7 per cent from the previous year.

Pakistan sent 10,988 students in 2024, compared to 17,099 from Bangladesh and 16,742 from Nepal. India topped the list with 331,602 students.

The Pakistani embassy estimates that the number of Pakistani students has risen to about 12,500 in 2025, still far below other South Asian countries.

As part of the broader vetting process, US authorities are reviewing social media activity for any signs of hostility toward US citizens, culture, government, or institutions.

Officials have also been instructed to monitor for support of designated foreign terrorists or engagement in antisemitic harassment or violence.

Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for US Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated, “America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies.”

In addition, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a pause in the issuance of worker visas for truck drivers, citing safety concerns and the impact on American livelihoods.

Visa holders from Malawi and Zambia are now required to pay a $15,000 deposit for tourist or business visas, while travel bans remain in effect for 12 countries, with partial restrictions on seven more.

The crackdown has left Pakistani students and visa holders anxious about their future.

Pakistani authorities in Washington continue to receive queries from students and other visa holders and forward them to the US State Department. Embassy officials are closely monitoring the situation, emphasising the importance of legal documentation, awareness of rights, and caution in political activity.

Names of students have been withdrawn to protect their privacy.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2025

Immigration to U.S. declines for first time in 50 years amid Trump crackdown, study show

Hannah Fry
Fri, August 22, 2025


A community coalition of labor, immigrant and civil rights groups rally at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on Aug. 12, 2025. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

For the first time in more than half a century, immigrants leaving the U.S. outnumber those arriving, a phenomenon that may signal President Trump's historic mass deportation efforts are having the intended effect.

An analysis of census data released by Pew Research Center on Thursday noted that between January and June, the United States' foreign-born population had declined by more than a million people.

Millions of people arrived at the border between 2021 and 2023 seeking refuge in America after the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, which ravaged many of their home countries. In 2023, California was home to 11.3 million immigrants, roughly 28.4% of the national total, according to Pew.

In January, 53.3 million immigrants lived in the U.S., the highest number recorded, but in the months that followed, those who left or were deported surpassed those arriving — the first drop since the 1960s. As of June, the number living in the U.S. had dropped to 51.9 million. Pew did not calculate how many immigrants are undocumented.

Trump and his supporters have applauded the exodus, with the president declaring "Promises Made. Promises Kept," in a social media post this month.

"Seven months into his second term, it’s clear that the president has done what he said he'd do by reestablishing law and order at our southern border and by removing violent illegal immigrants from our nation," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a USA Today column on Thursday. "Both actions were necessary for Americans' peace and prosperity."

But some experts caution that such declines will have negative economic effects on the United States if they continue, resulting in labor shortages as America's birth rate continues to drop.

Read more: Seeking the elusive path for immigrants to come to U.S. legally: 'People are dying in line'

"Looking ahead in the future, we're going to have to rely on immigrant workers to fulfill a lot of the jobs in this country," said Victor Narro, project director at UCLA Labor Center. "Like it or not, the demographics are going to be changing in this country. It's already changing, but it's going to be more pronounced in the future, especially with the decline in native-born workers."

The Pew analysis highlights several policy changes that have affected the number of immigrants in the country, beginning during then-President Biden's term.

In June 2024, Biden signed a proclamation that bars migrants from seeking asylum along the U.S. border with Mexico at times when crossings are high, a change that was designed to make it harder for those who enter the country without prior authorization.

Trump, who campaigned on hard-line immigration policies, signed an executive order on the first day of his second term, declaring an "invasion" at the southern border. The move severely restricted entry into the country by barring people who arrive between ports of entry from seeking asylum or invoking other protections that would allow them to temporarily remain in the U.S.

Widespread immigration enforcement operations across Southern California began in June, prompting pushback from advocates and local leaders. The federal government responded by deploying thousands of Marines and National Guard troops to L.A. after the raids sparked scattered protests.

Homeland Security agents have arrested 4,481 undocumented immigrants in the Los Angeles area since June 6, the agency said this month.

Narro said the decrease in immigrants outlined in the study may not be as severe as the numbers suggest because of a reduction in response rates amid heightened enforcement.

Read more: How the federal immigration raids could disrupt California's economy

"When you have the climate that you have today with fear of deportation, being arrested or detained by ICE — all the stuff that's coming out of the Trump administration — people are going to be less willing to participate in the survey and documentation that goes into these reports," Narro said.

Michael Capuano, research director at Federation for American Immigration Reform, a nonprofit that advocates for a reduction in immigration, said the numbers are trending in the right direction.

"We see it as a positive start," Capuano said. "Obviously enforcement at the border is now working. The population is beginning to decrease. We'd like to see that trend continue because, ultimately, we think the policy of the last four years has been proven to be unsustainable."

Capuano disagrees that the decrease in immigrants will cause problems for the country's workforce.

"We don't believe that ultimately there's going to be this huge disruption," he said. "There is no field that Americans won't work in. Pew notes in its own study that American-born workers are the majority in every job field."

In 2023, the last year with complete data, 33 million immigrants were part of the country's workforce, including about 10 million undocumented individuals. Roughly 19% of workers were immigrants in 2023, up from 15% two decades earlier, according to Pew.

"Immigrants are a huge part of American society," said Toby Higbie, a professor of history and labor studies at UCLA. "Those who are running the federal government right now imagine that they can remove all immigrants from this society, but it's just not going to happen. It's not going to happen because the children of immigrants will fight against it and because our country needs immigrant workers to make the economy work."

The United States experienced a negative net immigration in the 1930s during the Great Depression when at least 400,000 Mexicans and Mexican Americans left the country, often as a result of government pressure and repatriation programs. Not long after, the U.S. implemented the bracero program in 1942 in which the U.S. allowed millions of Mexican citizens to work in the country to address labor shortages during World War II.

Higbie predicts the decline in immigration won't last long, particularly if prices on goods rise amid labor shortages.

"You could say that there's a cycle here where we invite immigrants to work in our economy, and then there's a political reaction by some in our country, and they kick them out, and then we invite them back," he said. "I suspect that the Trump administration, after going through this process of brutally deporting people, will turn around and propose a guest worker program in order to maintain a docile immigrant workforce."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Federal workforce to lose 300,000 employees this year, Trump official says

Elizabeth Crisp
Fri, August 22, 2025 

Federal workforce to lose 300,000 employees this year, Trump official says

The Trump administration remains on track to shed about 300,000 employees by the end of the year, following layoffs and buyouts that were prompted by President Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor told The New York Times in a new interview that he doesn’t anticipate significant downsizing beyond efforts that have already been underway before the fiscal year ends next month, despite fears from some workers.

“There’s still some moving parts there,” he told the Times. “My gut is — I don’t think there’s going to be meaningful changes, kind of through Sept. 30, relative to at least what’s been forecast to date.”

The overall cut represents about 12.5 percent of the 4.4 million workers on the federal payroll when Trump took office in January, based on figures Kupor cited.

An OPM spokesperson confirmed to The Hill the contents of the Times story but did not provide further comment.

The figures also mirror what the director told Reuters earlier this month.

In both articles, Kupor maintained that reductions had largely come from voluntary buyouts — rather than firings, after the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began reviewing agencies.

“I think the agencies expected they would have fewer people in the, call it ‘voluntary bucket,’ and they would therefore have to do more in the ‘involuntary bucket,'” he told The Times this week.

However, the OPM director said he does not know what the White House plans to propose for the coming year or whether it would include further cuts.

“That’s a little bit of a TBD,” he said. “That’s the one I think that we don’t really have as much guidance on right now.”

Trump’s claim about a $600 billion ‘gift’ from the European Union quietly falls apart

Steve Benen
Fri, August 22, 2025 

Earlier this month, Donald Trump spoke with CNBC about his administration’s trade policies, and he became especially animated about a specific part of an agreement between the United States and the European Union: $600 billion the E.U. had agreed to give him as a “gift.”

“That’s a gift,” the Republican president claimed. “That’s not like, you know, a loan, by the way. That’s not a loan that, ‘Oh, gee, three years comes up. We have to pay it back.’ There’s nothing to pay back. They gave us $600 billion that we can invest in anything we want.” Asked about the details, Trump went on to argue: “There are no details. The details are $600 billion to invest in anything I want. Anything. I can do anything I want.”

At the time, the claim appeared bizarre, but since the White House hadn’t presented the public with any details about the trade deal, it was difficult to say with certainty exactly what he was talking about, and the degree to which it was true (or not).

Two weeks later, officials finally shared some substantive information about the agreement’s framework, and wouldn’t you know it, Trump’s boast isn’t holding up especially well. From the White House’s official summary:

The United States and the European Union share one of the world’s largest economic relationships, supported by mutual investment stocks exceeding $5 trillion, and intend to promote and facilitate mutual investments on both sides of the Atlantic. In this context, European companies are expected to invest an additional $600 billion across strategic sectors in the United States through 2028.

There’s a big gap between “expectations” about European companies’ future investments and a $600 billion “gift” that Trump “can do anything” he pleases with.

Asked about the obvious difference between Trump’s public description of the $600 billion and what the official document about the trade deal reflects, a White House spokesperson told CNN that this was “pointless nitpicking.”

I can appreciate the White House’s challenge. The president made an outlandish boast, and two weeks later the boast fall apart. But to care about reality isn’t just “pointless nitpicking,” especially when we’re talking about $600 billion.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com