Trump announced on Truth SocialTruth SocialDonald Trump's social media platform, launched in 2022 after his suspension from Twitter. Trump uses it as his primary channel for policy announcements, attacks on political opponents, and direct communication with supporters — bypassing traditional press channels. that the US Navy will begin a total blockade of any ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of HormuzStrait of HormuzA narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of the world's daily oil supply passes. Iran closed it to US-allied ships after the February 28 strikes — the single biggest driver of current gas prices globally.. He said that any Iranian who fires at the US or other peaceful vessels will be "BLOWN TO HELL." This statement differs slightly from the CENTCOMCENTCOMUnited States Central Command — the military command responsible for US operations across the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia. It oversees all active US military operations in Iran and coordinates with allied forces in the region. announcement, who said the blockade will officially begin Monday at 10am ET, and will only apply to vessels entering or departing Iranian ports, not all ships. Iran responded by saying the US approach was a violation of the ceasefire. Oil prices immediately spiked following Trump's announcement.
Trump posted that the ceasefire is "holding well," and that the US is now waiting for Iran's response to Vance's final offer — implying the ball is in Iran's court. However, Iran recently posted a picture of US gas prices with a caption: "Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called 'blockade,' soon you'll be nostalgic for $4–5 gas." What the ceasefire actually means at this point remains genuinely unclear.
In a BBC interview that aired Sunday, Tucker CarlsonTucker CarlsonConservative media personality and former Fox News host. Once one of Trump's most prominent media allies, Carlson has broken with Trump over the Iran war, calling it the biggest foreign policy mistake of his lifetime. He now hosts an independent show on his own platform. called the Iran war the single biggest mistake any American president in his lifetime has made. When asked if Trump was a slave to Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, he replied: "I don't think it's as simple as he's under the control of Netanyahu, but you could summarize it that way and you wouldn't be totally inaccurate." Trump fired back, calling Carlson and other right-wing critics "low IQ losers," "nut jobs," and "not MAGA" for opposing the war. The Iran war appears to be costing Trump the support of even his most outspoken former allies.
Russian President Putin declared a 32-hour ceasefire over Easter weekend. Ukrainian President Zelensky publicly pledged to abide by it. By Sunday, Ukraine's General Staff had recorded 2,299 Russian ceasefire violations; Russia's Defense Ministry had recorded 1,971 Ukrainian violations. Both sides kept shelling, both sides kept accusing the other, and the ceasefire basically only existed in writing. For Ukraine, this was a reminder of how completely the Iran war has absorbed Western attention — this conflict has received little international media coverage in recent weeks.
On Sunday night, minutes after a 60 Minutes segment featuring three senior American Cardinals criticizing the Iran war, Trump unloaded a Truth SocialTruth SocialDonald Trump's social media platform, launched in 2022 after his suspension from Twitter. Trump uses it as his primary channel for policy announcements, attacks on political opponents, and direct communication with supporters — bypassing traditional press channels.See full definition ↓ post attacking Pope Leo XIVPope Leo XIVThe 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, elected in May 2025. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, he is the first American-born pope in history. He has used his platform to call for peace in the Iran conflict and Ukraine war, drawing sharp criticism from Trump.See full definition ↓. He wrote that Leo is weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy, even adding that Leo would not be Pope if it weren't for the White House. Shortly after attacking the Pope, Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself in biblical robes, laying hands on a sick man, with eagles and American flags filling the sky above him.
Starring Ryan Gosling, the adaptation of Andy Weir's 2021 novel has become a surprise blockbuster of 2026. It opened to $80.5 million domestically on its first weekend — the best debut of the year, and the only non-sequel, non-franchise film to open above $80 million in the past decade besides Oppenheimer. Now in its fourth weekend, it has crossed $500M globally. Reviews are stunning, with a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film follows a lone astronaut who wakes up with no memory aboard a spacecraft far from Earth. Audiences have responded to its emotional sincerity and hard science, and through word-of-mouth, the film is spreading like wildfire.
The Most Consequential Fifteen Months in a Generation
Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, 2025 with a huge voter base, running on three promises: stopping the border, bringing prices down, and stopping — not starting — any wars. Fifteen months later, the Trump second presidency has been one of extraordinary turbulence and transformation.
The volume of action Trump has undertaken is not in dispute. By the end of his first year of his second term, Trump had signed over 221 executive ordersExecutive OrdersDirectives issued by a president that carry the force of law within the executive branch, without requiring approval from Congress. Limited to areas within the executive's existing legal authority — they cannot create new laws or appropriate new funds.. Most presidents average around 100–200 for their entire term. His administration dismantled DEIDEIDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion — a set of organizational policies and programs aimed at increasing representation and opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. The Trump administration issued executive orders eliminating DEI programs across all federal agencies in early 2025. programs across the federal government, pulled the US out of the World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationA United Nations agency responsible for international public health. The US is its largest single funder. Trump withdrew the US from the WHO in early 2025, as he did during his first term in 2020 before Biden rejoined in 2021. and the Paris Climate frameworkParis Climate AgreementA 2015 international treaty in which nearly 200 countries agreed to limit global warming. The US has now withdrawn twice — once under Trump's first term, and again at the start of his second term in 2025., launched the largest and most public immigration enforcementImmigration EnforcementFederal operations to identify, detain, and deport individuals who are in the US without legal authorization. Under Trump's second term, enforcement has included large-scale ICE raids, military deployments to the southern border, and use of the Alien Enemies Act. operation in modern history, and restructured the executive branch. The word most often used by admirers and critics alike is velocity: the sheer speed at which Trump puts his plans into motion.
But velocity is not the same as delivery. The central question: is Donald Trump delivering on the promises he made during his 2024 campaign and January 2025 inauguration? AP NewsAP News Promise TrackerThe Associated Press maintains a running tracker of Trump's 2024 campaign promises, rating each as kept, broken, in progress, or stalled. It is one of the most comprehensive nonpartisan records of executive follow-through available. maintains a tight track record of Trump's promises. In this verdict, we will be analyzing what the President has done, what he still has yet to do, and why his approval rating is sitting at −19.