{"id":2605902,"date":"2026-05-22T13:11:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T17:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-week-in-review-key-highlights-unveiled\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T13:14:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T17:14:57","slug":"trumps-week-in-review-key-highlights-unveiled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-week-in-review-key-highlights-unveiled\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#8217;s week in review: Key highlights unveiled"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrumps-week-in-review-key-highlights-unveiled%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2605902&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article recaps a week of developments around Donald Trump, framed as *Washington Secrets*\u2019 \u201cfinal\u201d installment for the week. It says Trump\u2019s governance continued its usual mix of hardball diplomacy and political maneuvering-especially regarding Iran-while also showing moments of reversal and uncertainty.<\/p>\n<p>Key highlights include Trump calling off previously planned strike activity against Iran after Gulf leaders asked for more time,then later hosting reporters for a surprising roof visit connected to his new ballroom. Politically, the piece credits Trump with strong GOP primary wins while also describing losses among Republicans who had bucked him, including Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Bill Cassidy. It also notes Trump pausing plans for an <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >executive order regulating advanced artificial intelligence<\/a>, and it warns that his Senate majority may no longer be secure given escalating tensions and constraints like the War Powers Resolution.<\/p>\n<p>two strategists deliver grades: Jed Babbin gives Trump a \u201cC Plus,\u201d citing anxiety over Iran (bounty claims), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trudeau-confronted-by-steelworker-in-tense-exchange-dont-believe-you-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trudeau confronted by steelworker in tense exchange: \u2018Don\u2019t believe you\u2019 - Washington Examiner\">ongoing economic pressure<\/a> like rising gas prices, and a continued stalemate over peace and conflict terms. John Zogby grades it \u201cC,\u201d pointing to big GOP victory momentum but criticizing internal GOP friction, lack of budget support for certain proposals (including compensation-related measures), and emphasizing low approval and widespread voter pessimism about the economy.<\/p>\n<p>The article then shifts to \u201cwho\u2019s up and who\u2019s down,\u201d listing various figures and institutions as winners\/losers (including criticisms of the Democratic National Committee\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/j6-committee-ignores-witnesss-ties-to-zuckerberg-funded-group-that-manipulated-2020-election\/\" title=\"J6 Committee Ignores Witness\u2019s Ties To Zuckerberg-Funded Group That Manipulated 2020 Election\">post-election review<\/a> and a dispute involving \u201clion\u201d statues tied to Trump\u2019s memorial-arch plans), followed by suggested \u201clunchtime reading\u201d links.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Welcome to the final <\/em>Washington Secrets<em> of the week. That means our rival strategists rank how Donald Trump has fared during the past seven days. <\/em>Secrets<em> will be taking a break over Memorial Day and will return at the end of next week.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a week that passed for business as usual for Donald Trump. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\">Iran <\/a>brinkmanship \u2014\u00a0or an ex post facto unfollowed-through threat, depending on how you look at it \u2014 a trip to the roof, big wins in the ongoing campaign against his own party, followed by awkward reversals.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4579321\/on-this-day-washington-staten-island-assess-building-fortification\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>On This Day: Washington arrives at Staten Island to assess building a fortification<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/columnists\/4579005\/the-white-george-floyd\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>The white George Floyd<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4577786\/freedom-conservatives-plot-post-trump-republican-party\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Freedom Conservatives plot a post-Trump Republican Party<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, the president announced he was calling off <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4573171\/trump-cancels-upcoming-strikes-negotiations-iran\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4573171\/trump-cancels-upcoming-strikes-negotiations-iran\/\">plans for a strike on Iran<\/a>. The previously unannounced threat had been abandoned, he said, at the request of Gulf leaders who wanted more time for talks. It was a head-scratcher even by the odd standards of this presidency, publicly calling off something that hadn\u2019t yet been announced.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A day later, he surprised members of the White House press corps by inviting them up onto the\u00a0roof to survey the latest work on his new ballroom. After taking questions on everything from Cuba and Iran to domestic prices, he laid out breakfast sandwiches for the reporters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The evening brought a reckoning for Republican congressmen who had crossed Trump for one reason or another. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who led the fight to release the Epstein files and has long been a libertarian thorn in the president\u2019s side, lost his primary. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, went down as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It marked an extraordinary display of power. Yet, the president also displayed uncertainty at times. On Thursday, he admitted he was pausing plans to sign an executive order that would have added an extra layer of regulation to the introduction of powerful artificial intelligence models. He said he did not want to do anything that could undermine the U.S. lead over China in the field.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And by the end of the day, Trump must have realized that his attacks on his own senators meant his slim Senate majority was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4578862\/gop-caps-turbulent-week-points-finger-white-house-bill-blunder\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4578862\/gop-caps-turbulent-week-points-finger-white-house-bill-blunder\/\">no longer a given<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The week ends with a change of season. Trump flies to his New Jersey golf club for the first time this year on Friday, marking the end of Mar-a-Lago season and the start of Bedminster weekends.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So what do our two strategists make of it?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-jed-babbin-grade-c-plus\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jed Babbin: Grade C Plus<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s easy to tell how anxious Iran is for a peace deal: they put a $50 million bounty on Trump\u2019s life this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It wasn\u2019t a bad week for Trump and Co., but it wasn\u2019t very good either. The price of gasoline is still going up, about $4.50 where I live, and the increases aren\u2019t going to stop any time soon. The Iranians don\u2019t seem to want a peace deal, and the indictment of Raul Castro, at age 94, seems an opportunity missed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Castro, at a fragile age, isn\u2019t likely to survive a snatching operation such as we conducted against Nicolas Maduro, one of Castro\u2019s favorites in Venezuela, and his death in U.S. captivity wouldn\u2019t be a great accomplishment. But the indictment is solid, charging Castro with causing the deaths of Americans in two separate shoot-downs in 1996. Castro is believed to have confessed to his guilt in audio recordings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Iran war stalemate continues as Trump once again delays further attacks on Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn\u2019t happy. Trump continues to threaten Iran into making a deal, but no deal is forthcoming. He just doesn\u2019t get it. The ayatollahs won\u2019t make any deal that surrenders their nuclear program.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iran\u2019s \u201csupreme leader,\u201d Mojtaba Khamenei, who may or may not be alive, is casting the conflict as \u201cjihad\u201d, a religious war on which there can be no compromise. Meanwhile, Trump is facing increasing problems with the Senate and the War Powers Resolution, which prohibits the president from conducting wars in excess of 60 days without congressional authorization. Which isn\u2019t forthcoming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Minnesota seems to be the fraud capital these days. The Justice Department just announced its findings that 15 people have been charged in a new scam that took more than $90 million from state programs and forced the closure of at least one. The DOJ describes Minnesota as a \u201cculture of fraud.\u201d Which the Democrats continue to defend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Jed Babbin\u00a0is a <\/em>Washington Examiner<em> contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on X <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jedbabbin\">@jedbabbin<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-john-zogby-grade-c\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">John Zogby: Grade C<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This has been an eventful week for the president. On the plus side, his impressive GOP primary victories in Louisiana, Kentucky, and Georgia mean that Trump is clearly in charge of the Republican Party. Any party member who seeks to defy his wishes risks losing a seat, being unmercifully gaslit, or trashed on Truth Social.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet, before the week was even finished, several GOP members of Congress did, in fact, stick a needle in the eye of the president. He settled with his own Justice Department for almost $2 billion to create a fund to compensate those people who claim to have been victimized by the Biden administration, but the money wasn\u2019t in any budget, and enough Republicans have said they will not add it to any appropriations bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The money wasn\u2019t there. It is not going to be there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But let\u2019s give the president some credit for being fully transparent about the process and purpose.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His approval average is down to 39%, with 58% disapproving. Nearly 3 in 4 voters rate the economy as poor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. debt hit $39 trillion this week. Congress, including enough GOP presidential defiers, will not appropriate funds for his grand ballroom or additional security. And the leadership in Iran says enriched uranium must stay in Iran and the toll for commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>John Zogby\u00a0is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/johnzogbystrategies.com\/\">John Zogby Strategies.<\/a> His latest book is <\/strong><\/em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Beyond-Horse-Race-Polls-Should\/dp\/1538197146\"><strong>Beyond the Horse Race: How to Read Polls and Why We Should<\/strong><\/a><em><strong>. His podcast with son, managing partner, and pollster Jeremy Zogby, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/johnzogbystrategies.com\/the-zogby-report\/\">can be heard here.<\/a> Follow him on X <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/zogbystrategies\">@ZogbyStrategies<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-who-s-up-and-who-s-down\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who\u2019s up and who\u2019s down?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is only the White House under the microscope here at <em>Secrets<\/em>. Today, we look at the other winners and losers from the week that just went by.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-good-week\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Good week<\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"h-villains\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Villains<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fraudster George Santos, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (convicted for trying to sell President Barack Obama\u2019s vacant Senate seat in 2011), and Jan. 6 rioters eyeing the \u201canti-weaponization\u201d slush fund for a big payday. Pleading guilty is apparently not a problem. And even Hunter Biden is entitled to apply, according to Vice President JD Vance.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-bill-cassidy-s-spine\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bill Cassidy\u2019s spine<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The senator located his spine this week, voting in favor of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/43-republican-democrat-house-members-demand-biden-seek-approval-before-sending-u-s-troops-to-ukraine\/\" title=\"43 Republican, Democrat House Members Demand Biden Seek Approval Before Sending U.S. Troops To Ukraine\">war powers resolution<\/a> after voting no seven times previously. It seems as if he has finally found his spine. But given that he basically lost his job this week, it\u2019s less an act of bravery than an admission that he has nothing left to lose.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-bad-week\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bad week<\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"h-the-democratic-national-committee\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Democratic National Committee<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its autopsy of the 2024 election defeat was released on Thursday, quickly becoming a punchline. It was vague, riddled with typos, and unfinished. It appears to be the first autopsy in history to constitute a self-inflicted wound, as one Democratic operative told <em>Politico<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-lions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lions<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Commission of Fine Arts <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4578324\/arts-commission-approve-plan-trump-triumphal-arch\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4578324\/arts-commission-approve-plan-trump-triumphal-arch\/\">stripped four golden lions from plans<\/a> for Trump\u2019s triumphal arch on the grounds that they were \u201cnon-native.\u201d That is bad news for lion statues at the Art Institute of Chicago, the New York Public Library, and so on.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-lunchtime-reading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lunchtime reading<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/congressional-record-capitol-hill-congress\/\"><strong>Inside the making of the Congressional Record: How history gets recorded as D.C. sleeps<\/strong><\/a>: \u201cWhen a lawmaker speaks, a rotating team of floor reporters takes down every word in shorthand. On the Senate floor, they can be seen skillfully maneuvering around lawmakers, stenotype machines hanging from their necks. Working in 15-minute shifts, they can tap 225 words per minute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/4577901\/party-crasher-nigel-farage-reform-lesson-for-us-conservatives\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/4577901\/party-crasher-nigel-farage-reform-lesson-for-us-conservatives\/\"><strong>Party crasher: Nigel Farage\u2019s lesson for US conservatives<\/strong><\/a>: Differences in scale mean the Reform UK playbook probably won\u2019t transfer to the U.S. But its clear identity, recognizable grievances, and improving political operation should offer inspiration to American conservatives, Ron MacCammon writes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>You are reading <\/em>Washington Secrets<em>, a guide to power and politics in D.C. and beyond. It is written by Rob Crilly, who you can reach at <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#097a6c6a7b6c7d7a497e687a6160676e7d66676c71686460676c7b276a6664\"><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"bccfd9dfced9c8cffccbddcfd4d5d2dbc8d3d2d9c4ddd1d5d2d9ce92dfd3d1\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/a> with your comments, story tips, and suggestions. If a friend sent you this and you\u2019d like to sign up, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/click1.trk-washingtonexaminer.com\/xprvgynrhhctscghtpnrptnqlrtypjmjlkrlcnpvhgpdcr_jtjrvfbrrsmwbqmnsbmvsv.html?a=Washington+Secrets+Lara+Trump&#038;b=01%2F21%2F2026&#038;c=WEX_Washington+Secrets&#038;d=25812206&#038;e=da31c45955c9411a6c40ecd0e967fa8def1f0fc08362faaa0dee09386ff5c41b\">click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the final weekly Washington Secrets: rivals grade Trump\u2019s past week<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4136,"featured_media":2605903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26141697300440.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[80139,80140,5894,3634,72735],"class_list":["post-2605902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-key-highlights","tag-news-roundup","tag-politics","tag-trump","tag-week-in-review"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26141697300440.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2605902"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605906,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605902\/revisions\/2605906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2605902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2605902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2605902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}