Trump world 2.0 is moving at a pace that can be hard to follow — and that's intentional. If you missed some key White House or Capitol Hill events of the week, we've got you covered.
The big picture: Donald Trump's second week in office included a surprise federal funding freeze Tuesday that prompted nationwide confusion and a shifting timeline on tariffs across U.S. imports from Canada, Mexico and China set for a Feb. 1 rollout, creating whiplash in financial markets Friday.
Ken Martin was elected on Saturday to serve as the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, putting him at the helm of a party trying to rebuild its image after a disappointing 2024 cycle.
Why it matters: Martin, the longtime chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, wants to help the party get "back to basics" with a revamped messaging strategy aimed at winning back working-class voters who have drifted to the right.
America has never witnessed so many people purged or punished by an incoming president so quickly. White House sources tell us this is just the beginning.
On Friday night, a Defense Department memo said four major news organizations — The New York Times, NBC News, NPR and Politico — will have to move out of their longtime workspace on Correspondents' Corridor in the Pentagon, an unprecedented move, under a new Annual Media Rotation Program for Pentagon Press Corps.
"Hope those hit pieces on Pete were worth it," a source close to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but not involved in the decision-making, told us.
The White House on Saturday fired the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra — one of the final regulators held over from the Biden administration.
Why it matters: Trump is the first president to fire a leader of the CFPB. The Supreme Court in 2020 ruled the agency's structure was unconstitutional and said presidents could fire directors at will.
Why it matters: Conservatives argue Black history lessons induce guilt, while critics of Trump's agenda view the president's work as an effort to erase hard truths.
President Trump and his allies —including the online right, Vice President Vance and Sen. Tom Cotton — are mobilizing to try to boost Tulsi Gabbard's nomination as director of national intelligence.
Why it matters: The MAGA machine that helped Pete Hegseth narrowly win confirmation as defense secretary last week is now focused on Gabbard. Trump's team believes she faces the most headwinds of any of his current Cabinet nominees.
There is a wrecking ball coming for the norms of global trade.
President Trump is expected to disrupt the largely friendly economic relationship between our North American neighbors with high tariffs that would blow up his own trade deal.
He plans to up the ante on U.S.-China trade relations too and pledged more tariffs ahead.
Science fiction writer Octavia Butler wrote in her 1993 novel "Parable of the Sower" that Feb. 1, 2025, would be a time of fires, violence, racism, addiction, climate change, social inequality and an authoritarian "President Donner."
That day is today.
The big picture: ThisBlack History Month, which begins this year on a day of Butler's dystopian vision, Axioswill examine what the next 25 years may hold for Black Americans based on the progress in the first quarter of this century.
A new White House video features mothers whose children's deaths were linked to undocumented immigrants rebuking actress Selena Gomez for her Instagram post in which she cried over President Trump's plans for mass deportations.
Why it matters: The video is the latest sign that Trump's new administration will use campaign-like tactics — and the power of social media — to talk tough on immigration and other divisive issues it sees as political winners.
The White House said it will still roll out 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, alongside 10% tariffs on China, on Feb. 1 — and threatened future tariffs on other imports from around the globe.
Why it matters: The tariffs would likely spark retaliation of an unknown magnitude, risking economic pain for businesses and consumers.
A federal judge Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration's bid to freeze federal spending, citing a social media post from press secretary Karoline Leavitt as evidence the case should continue.
Why it matters: Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the federal district court in Rhode Island granted several states' requests to block the spending freeze, the second judge to halt the measure after a district court judge in Washington, D.C., also put the brakes on it.
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) sees himself as part of the "new right" that's transforming Congress, and Vice President Vance as the party's future.
"He's got four years to learn from the best president that we've had in modern times. And he'll be ready to go," Banks told Axios in an interview.
Why it matters: Banks doesn't tiptoe around President Trump. He's been solidly in line on tariffs, using the military to address immigration and backing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose confirmation drama Banks described as "disappointing."
Senate Republicans areholding their breath over President Trump's tariffs, which kick in Saturday against Canada, Mexico and China.
Why it matters: Many senators spent months telling Axios they saw the move from Trump more as a negotiating tactic. But some were concerned about what would happen if he followed through.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has launched an investigation into President Trump's purge of numerous top federal labor officials, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The probe, which Sanders opened this week, is one of the first signs of Democrats flexing oversight muscle against the new administration.
The union representing air traffic controllers on Friday rebutted President Trump's unsubstantiated claim that diversity policies in aviation were to blame for the fatal plane crash Wednesday near Washington, D.C.
The big picture: The union's president defended the quality of his workforce while acknowledging its staff shortages. A federal investigation is still underway to determine the cause of the deadliest aviation crash in the U.S. in decades.
This week's midair collision between a commercial plane and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., underscores the complexity of the National Airspace System — and that's before lots of drones and electric air taxis are added to the mix.
Why it matters: Despite Wednesday's tragedy, the Federal Aviation Administration has a stellar safety record when it comes to commercial aviation.
Boston University is closing its Center for Antiracist Research as its founding director, scholar Ibram X. Kendi, leaves for another job.
Why it matters: BU's decision, which comes amid a federal backlash against programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, may spell the end for several initiatives that came out of the center.
The Trump administration's freeze on foreign aid threatens to derail global efforts to fight disease outbreaks, counter terrorism, and provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict.
Why it matters: President Trump's desire to shape an "America first" foreign policy — which was also a focus of his first term — could alter America's posture on the world stage and impact communities around the world.
President Trump on Friday blamed the flight path of the Black Hawk helicopter for the fatal plane crash near Washington, D.C.
The big picture: Trump — without providing any evidence — had already blamed diversity efforts for the crash, and his latest comments come well before the National Transportation Safety Board has had time to conduct a thorough investigation.
After watching 6-plus hours of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifying before two Senate committees, I have no idea whether he'll be confirmed as HHS secretary — I could see it going either way.
Yes, but: It was still incredibly interesting to watch Kennedy reintroduce himself after decades in the public eye, hear more about how he'd govern and, in some cases, read between the lines of what he wasn't saying.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman gave government leaders, policy experts and journalists a sneak peek at coming technology Thursday during an off-the-record demo near Capitol Hill.
Why it matters: The briefing was designed both to show how the U.S. can maximize economic benefits of AI, and to warm D.C. leaders to coming capabilities so they're less likely to be caught off-guard.
A pair of Democratic lawmakers are introducing a bill that would require cable companies to pay back customers for programming blackouts, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The bill is part of a broader push by Democrats to crack down on what they say is corporate gouging of consumers through practices like junk fees and monopolization.
In his first national tragedy, President Trump posted like a pundit, speculated needlessly, and blamed Democrats and DEI without any evidence to suggest either were involved.
Why it matters: The traditional presidential playbook is boring by design — pray for the lost and their families, reassure the public, promise a swift investigation. That has never been Trump's style.
The conditions are unthinkable — a mass casualty site on the frigid Potomac. The complexity of the operation, numbing.
After America's deadliest airline crash in a generation, disaster crews turned to the painstaking tasks ahead: recovering every body, identifying each life lost, reuniting the dead with those they leave behind.
President Trump rallied against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in air traffic control as having contributed to the deadly plane crash outside of D.C. Wednesday, but the data paints a different picture.
The big picture: Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau and IPUMS showair traffic controllers and airfield operations specialists are predominately male and white.
A nonprofit group tied to House Democratic leadership is already planning an ad slamming the Trump administration's funding freeze, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), viewing the days-long battle over the freeze as a win for Democrats, has been urging his members to press their advantage and keep hammering the topic.
New Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has been privately indicating she's prepared to intervene in contested primaries.
Why it matters: Senate Democrats want to avoid the GOP's Obama-era pain of watching preferred candidates lose primaries to unelectable newcomers.
A congressional delegation will visit New Orleans on Monday to review security for the Super Bowl — an unusual step that underscores heightened tension around the Feb. 9 event, Axios has learned.
