Trump Threatens to Cut Off Trade With Most of the World

Trump threatened trade with dozens of countries, a prosecutor was fired for investigating ICE, the triumphal arch breaks ground without approval, and the White House launched deportation arcade games

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Donald Trump responded to a jobs report by threatening to stop trading with dozens of countries unless the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates. The federal prosecutor who investigated an ICE agent for shooting a man through a closed door has been fired and is now under investigation himself. The Trump administration announced it will break ground on a 250-foot “triumphal arch” in Washington before getting approval. And the official White House website is hosting arcade games where users round up immigrants for deportation and stack bricks to build a border wall.

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Trump Threatens to Shut Down Global Trade Unless the Fed Cuts Rates

A good jobs report used to be good news.

Trump posted on Truth Social Friday morning demanding that Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, his own appointee, lower interest rates. He told the board to “get smart” and “BE PATRIOTS for a change,” then warned he would stop trading with every country the United States has a deficit with if rates are not cut.

The U.S. buys more than it sells to dozens of countries, including China, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and most of Europe. Trump’s threat would shut down trade with virtually every major partner the country has.

Usually, strong jobs reports reduce the chances of rate cuts. Inflation remains above the Fed’s 2 percent target, and the suspiciously strong labor market gives officials even more reasons to keep rates on hold or even raise them.

Warsh told an audience of economists at Jackson Hole just last week that the Fed still has “work to do” on inflation, which most analysts took as a warning that rates are more likely to go up than down. Then again, wait for the revised August jobs report to come out to pass judgement.

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Federal Prosecutor Fired After Investigating ICE Agent Who Shot a Man

The only thing this DOJ prosecutes faster than immigrants is its own attorneys.

The Department of Justice has fired the federal prosecutor who fought to bring civil rights charges against the ICE agent who shot a man through a front door. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans is now under investigation for allegedly leaking information about the case.

Christian Castro had been chasing another man after a traffic stop when he and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis ran into a home and shut the door behind them. Castro fired through the closed door despite knowing that several people were inside, including two children, and ended up striking Sosa-Celis.

Evans wanted to charge Castro with deprivation of rights under color of law, the same civil rights charges used against the officers who killed George Floyd that would have carried serious jail time. Instead, the DOJ told him to limit the case to a false statements charge, which carries far less severe consequences.

In an email to the victims’ lawyers, Evans said he had objected to the decision in the strongest possible terms. That’s the last time a federal prosecutor in this administration puts anything honest in an email.

Trump to Break Ground on 250-Foot Triumphal Arch Before Getting Approval

Most people who commission monuments to themselves at least wait until they’re dead.

The Trump administration announced Thursday that excavation work on the president’s planned “triumphal arch” in Washington will begin within two weeks. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote on X that this would be “one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture.”

The National Capital Planning Commission granted preliminary approval in July, but can’t give final approval until October 1 at the earliest. A required historic preservation review has not been completed, and the FAA is still reviewing whether a 250-foot structure two miles from Reagan National Airport would interfere with air traffic.

Three veterans and an architectural historian have also sued the administration, arguing the project requires authorization by Congress. They accuse the White House of ignoring advice on size and location, including the lead architect’s push to build the arch somewhere else.

Asked by reporters about the size of the project, Trump didn’t give details, but confirmed he wants the project to be the biggest arch in the world. That should hold up fine in the FAA review.

White House Website Now Hosts Video Games About Deporting People

The White House has finally found a project that matches this administration’s maturity level.

The Trump administration launched a series of arcade-style video games on the official White House website Thursday, centered on deporting immigrants. Players earn points for building a wall and catching people at the border.

A game called “Build The Wall,” modeled on Tetris, asks users to stack bricks and “hold the line” against a “zombie border siege.” The Tetris company said in a response on Instagram that it had not been involved in the creation of the game and that it takes copyright infringement very seriously.

In “Rio Run,” which rips off the classic Snake game, players assume the role of an older white man in a blue tie who patrols the Rio Grande, rounding up “crossers.” When a person is caught by a player, they are immediately dressed in orange and follow the player character. Other games on the site allow players to fly a bald eagle over the National Mall, and fill a virtual Trump savings account by catching falling diamonds and cash.

On social media, people mostly wanted to know who authorized spending government money on a Snake clone while American soldiers are dying in Iran.

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