Good morning. I’m Corinne Straight, and this is AlterNet America.
Trump called himself “not a pedophile” on national television. He also used a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to demand Congress let him build his ballroom. Meanwhile, every single Black Republican in the House is on the way out the door. And the president just fired all 24 scientists on the board that oversees the nation’s premier research agency.
Before we get into it: The news cycle is moving faster than most outlets can track, and most of those outlets are owned by people who’d prefer you didn’t read all of it. We don’t have that problem because we don’t have those people. AlterNet America is reader-funded, editorially independent, and not for sale. If this newsletter is how you stay informed, consider making it sustainable. Please upgrade to a paid subscription today.
Let’s dive in.
Trump Went on 60 Minutes to Say He’s Not a Pedophile
Donald Trump sat down for an interview with CBS‘s Norah O’Donnell on Sunday to proclaim he’s “not a pedophile.” Nobody had asked.
Trump was asked about the manifesto written by Cole Tomas Allen, the man who opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner the night before. Allen’s writings contained a line describing his alleged motive as no longer being willing to permit a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor” to stain his conscience.
Trump’s response: “I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would, because you’re horrible people. Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody. I’m not a pedophile. Excuse me. Excuse me. I’m not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated.”
O’Donnell followed up by asking, “Oh, do you think he was referring to you?”
For the record, Trump was not totally exonerated. A New York jury found in 2023 that Trump sexually abused journalist E. Jean Carroll, awarding her $83.3 million in damages for defamation on top of $5 million for the assault itself. His bid to overturn the verdict failed.
Also worth noting, no previous president in American history has found it necessary to clarify this particular thing on national television.
Trump Used a Shooting to Sell His Ballroom
A man nearly shot up a room full of journalists and cabinet officials on Saturday night, and by Sunday morning, the president decided the real lesson was that someone needs to stop blocking his construction project.
Two hours after a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump stood in the briefing room in his tuxedo and made his case. “It’s drone-proof, it’s bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom,” he said.
The next morning, he posted on Truth Social: “This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!”
There is one glaring problem with this argument. The White House Correspondents’ Association sponsors the dinner. Even if the ballroom were complete, the annual event would almost certainly not be held on White House grounds.
The president is an invitee, not the host. He would still have to leave to attend.
The Justice Department sent a letter to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is suing to stop the ballroom’s construction, demanding it drop its case. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate claimed without evidence that the lawsuit puts the lives of the president at risk.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, unmoved by the administration’s creative interpretation of what caused a shooting, said no.
Every Black Republican in the House Is Leaving
All four Black Republicans currently serving in the House are departing after this year. The GOP would like you to know it’s not what it looks like.
Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah is retiring. Reps. John James of Michigan, Byron Donalds of Florida, and Wesley Hunt of Texas are each pursuing statewide office. None of the leading candidates in line to replace them are Black.
Republican leaders who once focused on recruiting a more diverse congressional slate appear to have let those efforts lapse during Trump’s second term. The president has eliminated diversity programs, fired Black officials, and installed an overwhelmingly white senior team.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has noted that his party looks like the most restrictive country club in America, while Democrats actually look like the country they’re supposed to represent. He also pointed out that the current freshman class contains as many members named Mike as it does women.
There are three of each. There are no new Black members.
The party made gains with Black voters in 2024, particularly Black men. It now appears to be betting it can keep those voters without any Black faces in the room. History would suggest that is not how that works.
Trump Fired Every Single Scientist on the National Science Board
All 24 members of the National Science Board, the body that oversees the National Science Foundation and advises Congress and the president on science policy, received a brief email on Friday.
It read: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately.”
No explanation. No warning.
The NSF funds Antarctic research stations, telescopes, research vessels, and the basic science behind MRIs, cellphones, and LASIK eye surgery. The board was established by an act of Congress in 1950, meaning it can only be dissolved by Congress, not the president.
A report about the United States ceding scientific ground to China had been set for release at the board’s next meeting on May 5th. That meeting will presumably not be happening.
The White House has not responded to questions about whether it plans to appoint replacements. Instead, the administration has proposed cutting the NSF’s budget by 55 percent, eliminating NOAA’s research arm, and slashing NASA’s budget by 25 percent.
The golden age of science, everyone.
About Our Billionaire Owner (We Don’t Have One)
Every publication has someone at the top of the org chart whose portfolio, social circle, and net worth quietly shape what gets covered and how. Those pulls are rarely announced. They appear over time through which stories get buried and which ones get 3,000 words plus a photoshoot.
We don’t have that person. Our subscribers are the whole operation. That means the only thing we’re optimizing for is you, and giving you an honest account of what’s happening in the world.
If you’re already a paid subscriber, you’re the reason this newsletter lands in your inbox every day. We are grateful. If you’re not, and that sounds like something worth preserving, a paid subscription is the most direct way to make sure it keeps existing. Please upgrade today.
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you tonight.
POSITIVE STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
Virginia court refuses to throw out the voter-approved redistricting map. A Virginia circuit court declined to block the implementation of a new Democratic congressional map that voters approved in a statewide special election, rejecting a Republican National Committee lawsuit arguing the legislature had overstepped its authority. The new map could give Democrats up to four additional congressional seats. Republicans are appealing, because of course they are.
California’s billionaire tax is heading to the ballot. The healthcare union backing a proposed 5% one-time tax on California billionaires announced it has collected 1.5 million signatures. That’s nearly double the 875,000 required to qualify the initiative for the November ballot. The measure is aimed at funding healthcare and shoring up hospitals facing cuts from federal Medicaid reductions. Sergey Brin has personally contributed over $20 million to fight it. The clipboards are winning.
The FDA just approved a gene therapy that gives deaf children their hearing back. The FDA approved the first-ever gene therapy for inherited hearing loss, a one-time treatment targeting mutations in a gene called OTOF. It affects up to about 50 babies born in the US each year. The drug is made by Regeneron, which announced it will be providing the therapy at no cost to patients in the US. A two-year-old named Miles, who couldn’t sit still for a book before treatment, now jumps up to dance every time music plays.
Drag queens raised over $25,000 for the ACLU by performing as MAGA women. A crowd of more than 1,000 people packed a gay bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn for a fundraiser called “Turning Point U.S. Gay.” Drag performers impersonated Melania Trump, Erika Kirk, Pam Bondi, and others to raise money for the ACLU. It raised a total of over $25,000. The ACLU, which the Trump administration has called a thorn in its side, will be filing it under “operational funds.”
