If Republicans keep squandering opportunities like budget reconciliation and other must-pass bills, they still have one more tool to cut spending without facing a Senate filibuster: the rescissions process.To make it work, though, Trump must wield his influence more effectively. He needs to pressure establishment Republicans to support spending cuts with the same intensity he uses to push Freedom Caucus members into backing bloated budgets and debt-ceiling hikes.If the rescissions process is going to matter, Trump must treat it like a weapon — not a bargaining chip.Under sections 1012 and 1017 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, the president may submit a request to Congress to rescind budget authority from specific accounts he deems unnecessary. That request triggers expedited consideration in Congress, with debate protected from filibuster once the proposal hits the calendar.In the meantime, the president can freeze spending in the targeted account for up to 45 days while Congress considers the request.Administration officials have begun dangling the rescissions process in front of conservatives as a consolation prize — hoping to win support for bloated budget bills, a record debt-ceiling hike, and a likely toothless reconciliation package. Their pitch: Whatever passes now can be clawed back later through presidential rescission requests, coordinated with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and without Democratic input.On paper, the strategy has logic. Trump wants to avoid shutdowns and default drama but believes he can trim spending quietly on the back end. The problem? The same GOP establishment that resists spending cuts during appropriations will still stand in the way after the fact — unless Trump finally targets the left flank of his own party instead of the right.In early May, the House plans to vote on the Trump administration’s first rescissions package — $9.3 billion in cuts, mostly from foreign aid and defunding NPR and PBS. That’s a good start. It should be applauded.But let’s be honest: $9.3 billion is pocket change compared to what Congress plans to spend. The upcoming budget reconciliation bill could add $5 trillion in new debt. Even defense spending alone is set to grow by more than $150 billion.If the rescissions process is going to matter, Trump must treat it like a weapon — not a bargaining chip. And he must finally pressure the real problem in Washington: Republicans who talk like conservatives but vote like Democrats.Unless Trump applies real pressure on Republican holdouts — especially in the Senate — most of the rescissions package will stall. Cutting NPR and PBS may be a layup, but $8 billion of the proposed cuts target USAID and other foreign aid programs. Those enjoy bipartisan backing, including from Republicans like Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi.We’ve seen this dumb movie before. In 2018, Trump sent Congress a $15 billion rescissions package. Nineteen House Republicans defected, but the bill passed 210-206 thanks to a larger GOP majority. The Senate, however, killed it — 48-50 — after just two GOP defections.Trump tweeted about the bill two days before the House vote. But nowhere in the public record did he threaten consequences for Republican dissenters. He never punished the defectors, and he quickly abandoned the rescissions strategy. Debt piled up for the rest of his term. The moment passed. History rolled on.This time must be different.Trump must match the pressure he puts on conservatives — urging them to swallow bad front-end budget deals — with equal, if not greater, pressure on Republican incumbents who oppose back-end spending cuts. No more free passes.He should submit a rescissions package targeting climate slush funds and dare any Republican to oppose it. Then name names. If they side with green energy programs over fiscal responsibility, they should face the threat of a primary challenger. No exceptions.If Trump refuses to campaign forcefully for his own priorities, the rescissions process will yield nothing more than symbolic cuts — token reductions that don’t even come close to offsetting the deficit spending he’s already signed off on.Take the current request. It proposes clawbacks like $6 million for energy-efficiency programs in Mexico, $4 million for migrants in Colombia, $4 million for legume systems research, $3 million for Iraqi Sesame Street, nearly $1.2 million for LGBTQ initiatives, and $1 million for a voter ID program in Haiti.Sure, Republicans will hold press conferences, wave these absurd line items in front of cameras, and vote to rescind them. But let’s not kid ourselves: Shaving a few million dollars from programs no one knew existed doesn’t even approach the scale of the problem.When Congress passes trillion-dollar deficits and then touts million-dollar cuts, it’s not leadership. It’s performance.And the country can’t afford another act.

President Donald Trump is reportedly expected to sign a memorandum on Thursday directing the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the Democratic fundraising powerhouse ActBlue.A fact sheet on the memo was obtained by several news outlets, directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to "investigate and take appropriate action concerning allegations regarding the use of online fundraising platforms to make 'straw' or 'dummy' contributions and to make foreign contributions to U.S. political candidates and committees, all of which break the law."'The flow-on effect from the initial innuendo of the EO caused many in the ecosystem anxiety and distress.'The fact sheet reportedly highlighted a 30-day period last year when ActBlue received 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards."President Trump is taking action to address malign actors and foreign nationals who seek to illegally influence American elections, undermining the integrity of our electoral process," it reads. "ActBlue has become notorious for its lax standards that enable unverified and fraudulent donations."The House Judiciary Committee released a preliminary report on April 2 that outlined "potential illegal activity" on ActBlue, noting that it "made its fraud-prevention rules 'more lenient' twice in 2024—even though there is extensive fraud on the platform, including from foreign sources.""Internal documents show that ActBlue executives and staff are aware that both foreign and domestic fraudulent actors are exploiting the platform but do not take the threat seriously. In fact, they attempted to hide the changes to avoid sparking discussions about fraud on the platform," the committee wrote. "For example, ActBlue's training guide for new fraud-prevention employees instructed them to 'look for reasons to accept contributions,' rather than err on the side of flagging suspicious donations."Musk called for an investigation into the Democratic fundraising platform after House Republicans accused it of allowing "illegal election contributions." He has previously accused ActBlue of committing "massive fraud" and even funding leftist groups responsible for the wave of Tesla vandalism incidents."Something stinks about ActBlue," Musk stated.ActBlue has reportedly been preparing for Trump's actions "for days," according to the Wall Street Journal.ActBlue CEO and President Regina Wallace-Jones sent a letter to Democrats on Wednesday warning about the executive order rumors. "We are ready for whatever is next from the far right," Wallace-Jones wrote. "The current strategy of distraction and exhaustion is effective. We see this across the country and are not immune to this ourselves. The flow-on effect from the initial innuendo of the EO caused many in the ecosystem anxiety and distress," she continued."Nothing will deter or interrupt ActBlue's mission and work to enable millions of Americans to participate in our democracy," she added.Wallace-Jones' letter noted that over $400 million had been donated to Democratic candidates through ActBlue from January through March. ActBlue told Politico, "ActBlue plays a vital role in enabling all Americans to participate in our democracy, and the organization strictly abides by all federal and state laws governing its activities. We will always stand steadfast in defending the rights of all Americans to participate in our democracy, and ActBlue will continue its mission undeterred and uninterrupted, providing a safe, secure fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us."A DOJ spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Yesterday, Glenn Beck sat down for an exclusive interview with President Trump to review his first 100 days in office. Glenn is the first member of the media to conduct a 100-day retrospective interview, offering a unique window into the administration’s rapid progress. It should come as no surprise that the duo broached a wide range of topics. From his unprecedented number of executive orders — 130 in just three months! — to the equally unprecedented number of injunctions he’s faced from a rogue judicial system, tariffs, the DOGE, and the border, a lot has happened in a short window. But that’s what President Trump promised. He pledged to fix America quickly, and every day, he delivers on that promise more. The pace at which his administration is moving is indeed shocking and awe-inspiring. This exclusive interview captures the energy and determination driving these historic first 100 days, revealing key insights into Trump’s vision and leadership. Here are the top three moments from President Trump’s conversation with Glenn. EXCLUSIVE: President Trump on 'Judicial Insurrection,' Tariffs, and 100 Days in Office | Ep 429 youtu.be 1. Congress and codification When Glenn asked President Trump about his extensive executive orders, which have addressed immigration, government reform, the economy, national security, energy, and cultural issues, he said, “There were just so many things the country needed” after Biden’s destructive term. Isn’t that the truth? Yet there’s a growing angst about getting these executive orders codified by Congress. Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” aims to codify key policies, especially those related to border security, energy production, taxes, and deregulation, but its budget focus limits its scope, and GOP infighting between fiscal hawks and moderates has slowed the process. However, President Trump told Glenn not to worry and expressed faith in Republicans, especially considering their seven-seat majority in the House, which gives them enough votes to pass the bill if they stay united. “We’re going to codify, and we’re going to wait until after the bill has passed, and then we’re going to work on nothing but codifying,” he said. 2. Judicial insurrection Glenn reminded us that Bill Clinton deported 12.3 million people; George W. Bush deported 10.3 million people and had six injunctions against him; Barack Obama deported 5.5 million people and had 12 injunctions against him. But Trump, not even 100 days into his second term, faces more lawsuits than Clinton, Bush, and Obama combined. “You’re 100 days in, and you have 190 cases against you,” said Glenn. “It’s obstruction,” Trump agreed, condemning Democrats for trying to protect MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom they’ve painted as an innocent victim. Regardless of the unprecedented judicial pushback that’s making deportations “so much more difficult than it should be,” Trump expressed confidence. “We’re getting it done, and we’re winning.” 3. Powering the AI revolution “I think you’re going to be remembered as the AI president,” said Glenn. “You are the first one to really talk about, really take it on.” “AI is certainly very important, and we’re pressing it very hard. We have trillions of dollars being invested,” Trump said. However, AI takes “massive amounts of electricity,” more than “we have right now in our country.” Even though it’s an enormous obstacle, Trump says he’s got a plan. "We’re going to let them build their own electric plants,” he said, noting that “they can use nuclear [power] if they want.” “We’re going to get it done very quickly,” he added. “I call it a national emergency,” but “we’re going to be number one.” To hear the rest of Glenn and President Trump’s conversation, including their discussion on tariffs, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, justice and accountability for major incidents of fraud, and Elon Musk’s role in the DOGE, watch the full interview above. Want more from Glenn Beck? To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Professional football Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe announced that he was stepping down from his hosting duties after getting hit with a $50 million lawsuit over sexual assault accusations. On Wednesday, an attorney for Sharpe's accuser released an audio recording that captured Sharpe joking about choking her in public. She claims that Sharpe raped her twice, threatened her, and recorded their sexual interactions twice without her consent.'I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me.' Sharpe responded by claiming that the video was deceptively edited to misrepresent a consensual interaction with the accuser. On Thursday, he released a statement announcing his departure from ESPN. "My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual," he wrote. "At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties," he added. "I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason." Sharpe previously revealed that the accuser was OnlyFans model Gabriella “Gabbi” Zuniga and accused her attorney Tony Buzbee of "orchestrating" what he called a "shakedown." He said that he would file a defamation countersuit. “Tony Buzbee targets black men, and I believe he’s going to release a 30-second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty and play in to every stereotype you could possibly imagine,” he added. ESPN offered a brief statement after Sharpe's announcement. "This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away," the company said. The lawsuit said that Zuniga met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles when she was only 19 years old. She claimed that he became more violent as the relationship progressed and that he threatened to kill her in one alleged incident. "I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues," Sharpe concluded in the latest statement. Sharpe played for the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens as a tight end between 1990 and 2003. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

We’ve seen plenty of RPGs deliver great turn-based combat in recent times, but with its impressive cast, stunning cutscenes, and gripping narrative, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has all of the extra components it needs to go on and truly rival the likes of Final Fantasy and Persona. You’ve probably already heard about the sky-high review scores that have established it as a Game of the Year contender alongside the likes of Blue Prince, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, and Split Fiction. Now, it’s time for it to be put through its paces by players, and on Steam at least, things look extremely positive for Expedition 33. Continue reading GOTY contender Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has arrived, and it’s flying on Steam MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Expedition 33 review, Best turn-based RPGs, Best RPG games

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Thursday she is launching an investigation into the Trump administration's move to dismantle the Department of Education, citing concerns about the nationwide impact on public school students, The Hill reported.

The CEOs of Walmart, Target and Home Depot - the nation's largest retailers - warned President Donald Trump during a closed-door meeting Monday at the White House that his tariff policy could disrupt supply chains and lead to empty shelves in the near future.