Evening Report — Trump, Musk put up united front in face of Dems' fury

View Online Evening Report Tuesday, Feb. 18 | By Jonathan Easley TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS ©  UPI Trump, Musk put up united front in face of Democrats' fury PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ELON MUSK are putting up a united front as Democratic protests grow and lawsuits mount over their offensive against the federal workforce.   Fox News will air a joint interview with Trump and Musk this evening, a sign they're on the same page amid fierce pushback from Democrats and federal workers seeking to preserve their jobs.   In the interview with Sean Hannity, Trump and Musk took aim at what they described as an effort by the media to drive a wedge between them.   Trump said references to "President Musk" were an effort to get under his skin, but that he's not taking the bait.   "It's just so obvious," Trump says in a clip of the interview provided by Fox News. "They're so bad at it. I used to think they were good at it. They're actually bad at it, because if they were good at it, I'd never be president because I think nobody in history has ever gotten more bad publicity than me."   The Trump White House is also defending Musk's actions in the courts, where Democrats and advocacy groups have challenged the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) sweeping cuts at federal agencies.   The White House argued in a court filing that Musk is not technically part of DOGE, even though Trump's executive order establishing the organization tapped Musk as its top dog.   The filing claims Musk is an employee of the "White House Office" and a senior adviser to Trump, saying DOGE is a separate entity and that Musk is not involved.   "In his role as a Senior Advisor to the President, Mr. Musk has no greater authority than other senior White House advisors," says the filing by Joshua Fisher, the director of the White House Office of Administration.   "Like other senior White House advisors, Mr. Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself. Mr. Musk can only advise the President and communicate the President's directives."   The filing is in response to a lawsuit brought by 14 Democratic attorneys general arguing that Musk's role is unconstitutional because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. The states are seeking to block Musk and DOGE from accessing internal systems and from firing agency employees.   "The sweeping authority now vested in a single unelected and unconfirmed individual is antithetical to the nation's entire constitutional structure," they wrote.      Democratic attorneys general, including William Tong of Connecticut, argue that Musk's role in the government violates the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.   "In the Constitution, it says if you exercise significant authority, you've got to be confirmed — nominated by the president, but confirmed by the Senate," Tong said on CNN. "That didn't happen here. His appointment, his work is in utter violation of the U.S. Constitution and the appointments clause."   The White House responded in its filing that the states are "conflating influence and authority," arguing that "an advisor does not become an officer simply because the officer listens to his advice." DEM PROTESTS GROW Democratic voters are trying to fight back by holding marches and rallies against Musk in blue cities across the country, from Boston to San Francisco.   Democrats, liberal groups and federal employee unions have been challenging nearly every DOGE action in court, with varying levels of success.   Many of the lawsuits are designed to prevent DOGE from accessing internal agency systems containing information about private citizens using government programs.   The latest:   • A federal judge declined to block DOGE from gaining access to Education Department data on student borrowers.  • U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan refused 14 Democratic state attorneys general's request to immediately impose wide-ranging restrictions on DOGE.   • A coalition of unions, tax and small business groups are suing to block DOGE from accessing personal taxpayer data at the Internal Revenue Service.    • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended firing about 400 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, saying it's a drop in the bucket for the agency's "staggering" 45,000 employees. The Air Traffic controllers union is analyzing how the FAA firings might impact safety. 💡Perspectives: • The Nation: USAID is not worth blindly defending. • The Hill: Trump is striking at the heart of American government. • The Free Press: A cautionary tale for the Trump movement. • The New Republic: DOGE is targeting the wrong agencies. • New York Post: The US drowning in red ink. Read more:  • Tensions between Trump, media reach new high.   • Postmaster general to step down, asks for replacement. • Universities warned of funding cuts over continued DEI efforts. • DOGE and Musk: The 5 biggest controversies so far. • Trump leans into culture wars in first month in office. CATCH UP QUICK Apprehensions along the Southern border plunged in January, according to data from Customs and Border Protection. An Arctic blast is bringing record low temperatures to parts of the country. At least 12 people died in Kentucky during this weekend's winter storm.   President Trump signed an executive order expanding access to in vitro fertilization services. All 80 people on board the Delta Airlines flight that landed upside down in Toronto survived the crash. The string of air travel incidents in 2025 has rattled travelers. NEWS THIS AFTERNOON ©  Seth Wenig, Associated Press Adams DOJ drama heads to court The federal judge overseeing New York City Mayor Eric Adams's (D) criminal case will hold a hearing Wednesday to have the Department of Justice (DOJ) explain its efforts to dismiss the case.   Adams had pleaded not guilty in the corruption case against him, which was scheduled to go to trial in April.   However, Emil Bove, a high-ranking official in President Trump's DOJ, told prosecutors to drop the charges, saying it "improperly interfered" with Adams's reelection campaign and "unduly restricted" his ability to implement the Trump administration's immigration policies.   At least a half-dozen prosecutors — some of them deeply conservative — resigned in protest.    Democrats have accused the Trump administration of giving Adams a free pass in exchange for concessions on immigration policy, which Adams denies. Adams and Trump's border czar Tom Homan have been meeting about plans to use the Rikers Island prison facility as a detainment center for immigrants in the country without legal permission.   U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, who was appointed by former President Biden, will hear the motion to dismiss the charges at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday. MEANWHILE ... New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is under pressure to remove Adams from office.   Hochul convened a meeting with top leaders in the state Tuesday "for a conversation about the path forward."   Four of Adams's top deputies resigned Monday. Hochul said the resignations raise "serious questions about the long-term future" of the Adams administration. 💡Perspectives: • The Hill: Eric Adams isn't for sale. He's for rent. • The Hill: Democrats lack a message and a messenger. • CNN: Democrats confront their powerlessness as Trump flexes authority. • Issues & Insights: Public backs illegal immigration crackdown. • Chris Stirewalt: Trump keeps score with Gulf of America word games. Read more:  • Top DC prosecutor resigns as EPA investigates Biden climate funding. • NY Democrats demand RFK Jr. restore cuts to 9/11 survivor program. • DNC chair: Unions will be 'core to my decision-making.' • Republican Sheriff enters the 2026 California governor's race. • Ex-federal attorney bids 'farewell' to DOJ independence. IN OTHER NEWS ©  Greg Nash Washington roundup: House, Senate GOP standoff escalates There's no end in sight to the budget showdown between House and Senate Republicans as the shutdown clock ticks closer to March 14.   With the House out of session, Senate Republicans will vote on their two-bill approach to implementing President Trump's agenda this week.   "It's time to act on the decisive mandate the American people gave to President Trump in November," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) posted on X.   The House traditionally takes the lead on budget resolutions, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has struggled to unite the disparate factions of his unruly caucus. Still, House Republicans approved their budget resolution last week, only a day after Senate Republicans did the same.   Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) posted on X that "all of Trump's priorities in one big, beautiful bill" will start moving as soon as the House passes their budget.   Congress is closing in on the shutdown deadline with no clear plan, although Johnson has kept a short-term continuing resolution on the table in the absence of a deal.   The Hill's Mychael Schnell and Al Weaver write:   "The two conferences have been at odds over strategy for months, racing each other to get a bill to the floor and seeing if either measure would get stuck in committee. But with both chambers past the first key hurdle, the path forward looks murky — and has the potential to grow contentious as the party remains under intense pressure to pass the president's domestic policy priorities. Neither conference appears ready to waver."   • Senior officials from the U.S. and Russia met Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to discuss a framework for negotiations to bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials were not invited to the meeting.   Prior to the meeting, Russia released an American citizen who had been detained on drug charges. The State Department described the release as a "welcome gesture" ahead of talks.   Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with The Associated Press after the meeting:   "Rubio said the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation," the AP reports.   Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Michael Bennett (D-Colo.) traveled to Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv, on Monday to view the site of a mass atrocity that took place in the early days of Russia's invasion in 2022.   "Bolstering Ukraine's leverage in this critical time means ending the U.S. self-imposed blockade of U.S. assistance, ensuring lasting security guarantees for Ukraine, taking advantage of Russia's near economic collapse by imposing more sanctions and holding Vladimir Putin to account for the atrocities he has committed against humanity," Shaheen said. 💡Perspectives: • The Atlantic: How COVID pushed a generation of young people to the right. • The Liberal Patriot: Dems' tricky path to winning back the Senate. • New York: Wokeness is not to blame for Trump. • USA Today: The suicide of expertise. • The Hill: Trump's foreign policy creates unprecedented global challenges. Stay Engaged Someone forward this newsletter to you? 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