White House Defends Trump as Approval Slips and Rhetoric Intensifies
JB Pritzker described the operations as “paramilitary,” warning they risk infringing on civil liberties. Federal officials dispute that characterization, insisting agents are responding to dangerous conditions and targeting individuals with criminal records. Still, images of tear gas and armored vehicles have become rallying points for critics who warn of normalization—how extraordinary measures can quietly become routine.
Inflation Claims and Economic Reality
Leavitt also drew attention for declaring that the administration had “defeated” inflation, citing a recent CPI report and asserting that some prescription drug prices had fallen by more than 500 percent. Economists quickly challenged the claim as mathematically implausible. While inflation has cooled from its post-pandemic peak, analysts note uneven price pressures and limited evidence to support such dramatic reductions.
“Just Joking” About Elections?
Perhaps the most consequential controversy followed questions about remarks in which the president suggested the country might not need future elections if his governance continued as he describes. Leavitt characterized the comments as joking and facetious. The reassurance failed to settle unease, particularly given the president’s history of questioning election legitimacy. Continue reading…
