Monday, Oct. 20
Trump calls Colombia’s Petro an ‘illegal drug leader,’ announcing tariffs and an end to aid
The U.S. will eliminate assistance to Colombia and enact tariffs on its exports, after President Donald Trump said Colombia’s leader Gustavo Petro “does nothing to stop” drug production, the Associated Press reported.
In a social media post, Trump referred to Petro as “an illegal drug leader” who is “low-rated and very unpopular.”
Later that day, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Colombia has “no fight against the drugs,” and “they are a drug manufacturing machine” with “a lunatic” for a president. Trump also announced he would impose new tariffs starting Oct. 20.
Petro, unafraid to take to social media, rejected Trump’s accusations, defending his effort to fight narcotics in Colombia, despite Colombia being the world’s largest exporter of cocaine, the AP said.
Tuesday, Oct. 21
Hegseth changes policy on how Pentagon officials communicate with Congress
Officials at the Pentagon have notably changed how military officials will speak with Congress after new memos were released last week, the AP reported.
In an Oct. 15 memo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy Steve Feinberg commanded Pentagon officials to secure permission from the department's main legislative affairs office before they had any communication with Capitol Hill.
The memo was issued the same day Pentagon reporters exited the building instead of agreeing to the Defense Department's new restrictions on their work, the AP said.
Sean Parnell, the top Pentagon spokesperson, distinguished the move as a “pragmatic step” that is part of an effort “to improve accuracy and responsiveness in communicating with the Congress to facilitate increased transparency,” the AP reported.
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Trump imposes new sanctions on Russian oil giants in an effort to urge Putin to end the Ukraine war
The Trump administration announced new “massive sanctions” against Russia’s oil industry, in an effort to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and bring an end to Moscow’s war on Ukraine, the AP reported.
After months of calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as bipartisan pressure on Trump to hit Russia with strict sanctions on its oil industry, restrictions against oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil were put in place.
The Trump administration announced the sanctions while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was in Washington for talks with Trump.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the new sanctions were a direct response to Moscow’s refusal to end its “senseless war” and an effort to terminate “the Kremlin’s war machine,” according to the AP.
Thursday, Oct. 23
The White House begins renovations, tearing down part of the east wing to build Trump’s ballroom
The White House began demolishing part of the east wing, the traditional base of operations for the first lady. Despite lacking the green light for construction from the federal agency that oversees such projects, the $250 million ballroom project is underway, the AP reported.
Images of the demolition work showed construction equipment tearing into the East Wing.
In a social media post, Trump announced the start of construction, referencing the work while hosting the 2025 college baseball champions Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport in the East Room.
Trump insisted presidents have wanted a ballroom for 150 years, and the massive 90,000 square-foot glass-walled space is needed due to the East Room being too small, the AP said.
Friday, Oct. 24
Trump ends trade discussion with Canada regarding tariffs ad
Trump announced he’s ending “all trade negotiations" with Canada due to a television ad. The ad, sponsored by one of its provinces that used the words of former President Ronald Reagan to criticize U.S. tariffs, the province leader later pulled the ad from airing, the AP reported.
The post on Trump’s social media Thursday night created tensions with the Canadian neighbors after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he plans to double his country’s exports to countries outside the U.S. because of the threat Trump's tariffs pose.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province had promoted the ad, said it would be taken down, although it would still run during the weekend.
Ford said after discussion with Carney, he’s decided to pause the advertising campaign immediately Monday, so trade talks can resume, the AP said.
Saturday, Oct. 25
The government shutdown began as a way to enforce federal law, is now used to enforce presidential power.
During the second-longest government shutdown in history, Trump used the shutdown to exercise new command over the government, the AP reported.
Government shutdowns have been a modern occurrence since 1980, first starting with a series of legal opinions from Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, who served under Democratic President Jimmy Carter.
The most recent shutdown, however, the Republican President has used the lapse in funding to punish democrats as well as attempting to lay off thousands of federal workers.
The Republican President has also tried to seize on the gap left by Congress to reexamine the federal budget for his priorities.
