CNN fact-checker tears Trump apart over gas prices

Trump will get another pick on influential federal appeals court

President Donald Trump will have the opportunity to nominate another judge to a key federal appeals court after one of the judges announced this week that he would take senior status. Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt, who was nominated to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals by Trump in 2018, told the White House in a […]

Do Democrats need a better message than being anti-Trump?

As 2028 Democratic hopefuls emerge, is the party developing a message beyond opposing President Trump? Meanwhile, Maine voters head to the polls Tuesday for a primary election as the controversial Graham Platner seeks to oust incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R). Join The Hill’s Amie Parnes, Ian Swanson and special guest Democratic strategist Joel Payne for…

Cognitive expert exposes ‘sundowning’ sign in Trump’s latest public humiliation

President Donald Trump's disastrous trip to the NBA Finals was not just a public humiliation for him, because according to one cognitive health expert, it also showed a dire sign of his potential "sundowning" cognitive decline for the entire world to see.Amid the New York Knicks' historic run, Trump opted to return to his hometown of New York City to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday evening. The decision turned into a nightmare for all involved: Trump was booed mercilessly when he was shown on the jumbotron during the national anthem; fans had to arrive hours early and go through heavier security checks to due the president's attendance; and, in what fans are chalking up to a "curse" caused by Trump, the Knicks lost their first game to the San Antonio Spurs after a 13-game winning streak.On top of all of that, Trump was once again caught on camera appearing to nod off while watching the game, this time in a much more high-intensity environment than the Oval Office events and Cabinet meetings where he has been caught falling asleep in the recent past.Aside from the embarrassment, this incident also renewed concerns about Trump's seemingly declining health. Hilary Shae, a licensed speech and language pathologist who frequently comments on Trump's cognitive condition, released a new video on Tuesday explaining why this latest nap might be yet more evidence that he is dealing with dementia and "sundowning behavior."Shae explained that what makes this incident more notable than others was the fact that Trump was surrounded by noise and commotion at Madison Square Garden, circumstances under which a person with healthy cognitive function would struggle to nod off."When people have dementia, and they have sundowning behavior, what happens is they get lots of this confusion, this agitation, their whole time clock is messed up because of their suprachiasmatic nucleus being deteriorated and their circadian rhythm is just not aware of what's going on," Shae explained. She noted that Trump, in recent days, has likely been off his normal schedule and encountered situations that could potentially have messed with his head, including gloomy weather during a trip to Wisconsin — which she previously noted can cause disorientation in dementia patients — and his disastrous interview with NBC News, where he stormed off early after being aggravated by tough questions. All of this might have left Trump unable to use his environment to set his internal clock.She further explained that someone falling asleep in such a high-stimulus environment as a basketball game is doing so because their brain is "shutting down.""Their brain no longer has the cognitive and physical and emotional energy to function, and it just shuts itself down," she added. "His brain could not keep him awake even in one of the most stimulating environments that we could possibly put him in."

Judge's scathing denunciation ought to sink Trump nominee in a single word: analysis

A single word in a scathing ruling by a federal just should be enough to sink the nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general, according to a new analysis.The 79-year-old president formally nominated his former criminal defense attorney to lead the Department of Justice, but MS NOW columnist Jordan Rubin flagged a key word in a recent ruling against the administration – and that's "tainted" – as reason enough to disqualify him."That’s how a judge described Blanche’s investigation into Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who became a prime target of the administration’s crudely incompetent deportation regime last year," Rubin wrote. "The Trump-controlled government illegally sent Abrego to El Salvador in violation of a court order, then resisted additional court orders for his return, and then finally secured his return but only to greet him with an indictment that a judge recently dismissed as unconstitutionally vindictive.""It’s rare for judges to grant vindictive prosecution motions, but the actions of Blanche and his colleagues made it possible," the columnist added. "Indeed, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw emphasized that he didn’t reach the conclusion 'lightly' in his ruling last month."The Obama-appointed judge dismissed charges of illegally transporting undocumented immigrants against Abrego, writing that the government would not have brought the prosecution if he hadn't successfully challenged his removal to El Salvador, and she pointed the finger at Blanche for the case."Crenshaw singled out the blundering of Blanche, who is currently the acting attorney general after Pam Bondi’s departure," Rubin wrote. "He was deputy attorney general at the time of the Abrego probe. 'Absent Blanche’s tainted investigation,' Crenshaw wrote in his May 22 ruling, Abrego’s illegal indictment would not have happened."The judge also noted Blanche's remarks in a Fox News interview in which he stated that DOJ began investigating Abrego after a Maryland judge “questioned” the legality of his deportation, and she said his "remarkable statements" about the case helped Abrego prove his prosecution was vindictive."Therefore, Blanche has not only acted as an instrument for Trump’s revenge but has done so in a manner that has thwarted that revenge’s success," Rubin wrote. "To be sure, Blanche is a competent attorney, but he has chosen what might be termed a 'tainted' path. If the GOP-controlled Senate confirms him to the top job full time, then a microscopically dim silver lining could be that his continued service to Trump will result in further fumbles."

Most Americans think the future looks worse under Trump

In the face of rising gas prices caused by President Donald Trump’s decision to launch war with Iran, a sizeable majority of Americans expect that the problem will only continue to get worse. According to the Hill, a new poll shows that nearly two out of three U.S. voters think the cost of gas will continue to rise over the coming year. “The survey, released Monday by Reuters/Ipsos, found that 59 percent of 4,531 respondents said that gas prices will go up in the next 12 months,” explained the Hill. “Meanwhile, 17 percent of respondents said that they will improve, 13 percent said they will stay the same and 11 percent either skipped the question or were unsure. More than 8 in 10 Democrats and more than 6 in 10 independents believe gas prices will continue to increase over the next year. Just more than one-third of Republicans said the same while a plurality of that group, 39 percent, said the opposite.”This shows that not only do Americans in general see the situation getting worse moving forward, but that one in three Republicans share that pessimism. That surprisingly sizeable negative faction within the president’s own party suggests a strong level of discontent with his economy and doubt over his handling of the war. “Negotiations to end the conflict in the Middle East, which recently passed the 100-day mark, are ongoing and on rocky footing, after Iran and Israel traded fire over the weekend,” the Hill explained. “President Trump told reporters early Tuesday morning that negotiations with the Islamic Republic are ‘going well’ and he ‘could have at least an idea by one or two days from now’ on whether the two sides will come to an agreement. Throughout the conflict, the president has expressed optimism about the state of negotiations.” The gas poll, however, suggests that voters — even a third of his own — don’t share that optimism. While gas prices have eased slightly in recent days, “Gas prices remain well above their benchmark in the days before the war. AAA reported on Feb. 26, two days before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, that the national average for a gallon of regular gas was under $2.99.” As of Tuesday, the average price is $4.16 — an increase of nearly 40 percent.According to Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, the recent dip in fuel prices is due to lower oil costs and “improving refinery runs.” He went on to note, however, that with the Strait of Hormuz still “effectively closed,” any “further deterioration” in the region “could send prices sharply higher.” “For now, motorists may enjoy the savings at the pump,” he warned, “but the risk of a significant reversal has not gone away.”

Trump says Iran shot down U.S. helicopter

President Trump said in a Truth Social post that Iran shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, with both soldiers rescued by an unmanned boat off the coast of Oman. 

Iran's Regime Shoots Down U.S. Helicopter, Trump Says He Will Strike Back

President Donald Trump booed during the National Anthem at NBA Finals

President Donald Trump was booed by the crowd at Madison Square Garden during the National Anthem at Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. As the anthem played, ABC cameras captured the President saluting in his suit. The crowd reacted loudly; this marked the only time Trump appeared on screen during the introduction. A crowd outside the arena also booed his motorcade upon arrival.Trump attended the Knicks' first home game with son-in-law Jared Kushner and administration officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and EPA head Lee Zeldin. Trump's attendance disrupted the fan experience significantly: the official watch party was relocated to Bryant Park to accommodate additional security measures, and attendees were required to arrive several hours before tip-off due to heightened security protocols.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.