Trump and Musk target government leases of commercial real estate
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have started to take action that has the potential for causing serious damage to the commercial real estate industry in the U.S. They’ve taken over the government’s General Services Administration, which is responsible for obtaining office space and other real estate for government use. The GSA leases about 7,500 properties around the U.S. for the government. Trump and Musk have ordered the agency to start cancelling leases, which could create enormous vacancies resulting in plunging office values. Published reports also say they want government workers to have to work in shabby offices so the workers will quit.
Trump pardons convicted former Illinois governor
In another move that pardons a convicted criminal, Donald Trump has pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He was caught on tape trying to sell an appointment to the U.S. Senate seat that had been vacated by Barack Obama when he became president. A jury convicted Blagojevich on 17 counts of a 20-count indictment for corruption. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and has served eight years of the sentence.
Trump DOJ orders charges against NYC mayor dropped
The Trump Administration’s Department of Justice has ordered its prosecutors to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The order came from Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who had served as a defense attorney for Donald Trump. Adams had recently met with Trump. Bove’s order said that a case proceeding against Adams could interfere with his ability to help the Trump Administration enforce its immigration policies.
American Bar Association president sees threats to the rule of law
William R. Bay, who is the president of the American Bar Association, has called upon the nation’s elected representatives to stand with the ABA and insist upon adherence to the rule of law and America’s legal processes and procedures. He said that since the Trump Administration came to power Jan. 20 there have been wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself, such as attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID and the attempts to criminalize those who support lawful programs to eliminate bias and enhance diversity. He says that Trump’s refusal to spend money that has been appropriated by Congress also violates the law. He also called for every attorney to join in the fight to preserve the rule of the law in the U.S.
Europeans vow response to new Trump tariffs
With Donald Trump imposing new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the U.S., the European Union today is vowing to take countermeasures. The EU has 27 member nations and it appears as if they will be imposing tariffs of their own on U.S. products. The head of the EU, Ursala von der Leyen, said tariffs are taxes that are bad for business and consumers. The new Trump tariffs on steel and aluminum are expected to force the prices of all products sold in the U.S. from cars to cans of soda that use those materials to go up.
Federal judge tells administration to stop violating his court order
Federal District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump Administration to stop violating his court order and immediately restore federal funding it has withheld. McConnell previously ordered the administration to reverse the halt in spending that Donald Trump ordered on Jan. 31. A lawsuit filed by attorneys general from 22 states resulted in the matter going in front of Judge McConnell. It is not clear how McConnell can enforce his order if the administration continues to defy it.
