THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS - Trump's second term: Trump says live

Trump's second term: Trump cancels live broadcast of execution Donald Trump is ruling for the second time as American president – with far-reaching domestic and foreign policy consequences. Overview of the latest developments. Latest developments: - The planned execution of a man sentenced to death for an attack at a military base in the state of Texas will not be broadcast live after all. Many "very good and well-meaning people" did not want to watch the man die, President Donald Trump explained on Thursday (October 15th) on his Truth Social platform, justifying the reversal on his platform. A public broadcast could have had a strongly deterrent effect according to Trump. The execution of Nidal Hasan, who committed a massacre at a military base in 2009, will now not be shown on the internet. The closest relatives of the victims are likely to be present personally upon request, explained Trump. Hasan is to be executed by an execution squad at Fort Hood military base on December 3rd. - In the dispute over excluding several media outlets from the White House, a federal judge has reportedly set boundaries once again, according to the government on President Donald Trump. The judge extended the judicial protection for CNN, Politico and the news station MS NOW on Tuesday (October 13th), thus preventing their journalists from being excluded from the grounds of the White House again. A final decision on the constitutionality of the media ban has not yet been reached with the new order. Trump had banned the media from the White House in mid-September, and they sued against the decision. - The US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, must vacate her post. A spokesperson stated on Tuesday (October 13th) that the White House had asked her to resign. Earlier, the "Wall Street Journal" reported that Guilfoyle had asked a Trump donor for a transfer of $100,000. This donor, in turn, allegedly promised Guilfoyle up to a million dollars if she granted him access to the American government in personal tax and legal matters. Donald Trump Jr.'s former fiancée, the oldest son of the American president, denies these reports. Newsletter "International – Midterms Special" Our Midterms newsletter informs you in a compact way from mid-October to mid-November about the most important developments, backgrounds, and facts surrounding the American midterm elections. Table of Contents What has President Donald Trump achieved domestically? Donald Trump has pursued his domestic agenda through both executive orders and legislation. "Executive Orders" served him to quickly intervene in the functioning of the American government and implement political priorities without the consent of Congress. In the first week of his term, he, among other things, revoked the Paris Climate Agreement and pardoned numerous convicts in connection with the storm on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Taxes, Budget and Economy: With the support of the Republicans, Congress passed a comprehensive tax and budget law (Big Beautiful Bill) on July 4, 2025. It permanently extends central tax cuts from 2017, increases spending on the military and border protection, and relieves certain income – such as tips and overtime – from tax. At the same time, the law provides for cuts in social programs such as Medicaid and food assistance. According to the responsible parliamentary authority, the package will increase the deficit in the next ten years by several trillion dollars. The government is relying on revenue from import tariffs for counter-financing, but economists warn about their potential growth-dampening and inflationary effects. Migration: In migration policy, Trump has strongly resorted to restrictive measures and repeatedly to emergency powers. The number of irregular border crossings has significantly decreased, while arrests and deportations have increased. Restrictions on entry for citizens of certain countries and extensive limitations on the refugee program further tightened the course. State and Administration: Donald Trump has expanded the President's influence on the American administration. Several agencies and programs have been weakened or restructured, including development aid (USAID) and parts of the education system. Independent regulatory agencies have come under political pressure. Critics see this as an erosion of the institutional separation of powers (Checks and Balances), while supporters speak of a more efficient and politically clearer administration. Justice: Trump's influence on the justice system is long-lasting. Through numerous appointments of conservative judges to American federal courts, he has strengthened their ideological orientation beyond his term. This shift affects central socio-political questions. Conflicts with Institutions and Society: Several government measures have been stopped or limited by courts. At the same time, political polarization in the country has intensified. The confrontational course towards the media, universities, and individual states led to ongoing domestic political tensions. Pressure on Universities: The government has pursued universities that it views as politically one-sided. State funding was temporarily frozen or questioned, leading to legal disputes. Courts set limits on individual measures, thereby strengthening the autonomy of the universities. Attack on Iran: The Role of the USA The USA began attacks on targets in Iran together with Israel on February 28, 2026. In early March, President Donald Trump outlined the war objectives: First, Iranian missile systems and their production facilities should be destroyed. Second, as Trump stated, the Iranian navy should be eliminated. Third, his government should ensure that Tehran can never develop an atomic bomb. Fourth, it should be prevented that the Iranian regime will in the future arm and finance foreign militias. Trump's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said on March 2nd: "This is not a so-called 'regime change war'. But the regime has certainly changed. And the world is better off." Hegseth explained that Tehran's goal was to build a shield with conventional long-range missiles to develop an atomic bomb behind which to shelter. Therefore, the current war has a clear objective and is not an endless adventure. It is about specifically destroying Iran's military capabilities. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, formulated it as: "Our mission is to take away Iran's ability to exert military influence beyond its borders." Are Trump's tariffs legal? Under Donald Trump, extensive tariffs were imposed on goods from China, the European Union, Switzerland, and other trading partners. The goal was to improve the American trade balance and protect domestic industry. However, this measure led to tensions in international trade and was partially deemed unlawful by courts, including the Supreme Court, most recently. What controversies and scandals were there? For his political opponents, Trump's second term is a huge affront. Resistance to Trump is also taking place in courts. A flood of lawsuits against Trump's "executive orders" led to preliminary injunctions, including those related to deportations, arrests, dismissals of officials, or freezing of development aid. However, the conservative majority in the Supreme Court has largely allowed this so far. In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court limited the lower courts. However, hundreds of lawsuits remain pending, including those regarding the application of the National Defense Act. Trump has purchased corporate, state, and municipal bonds worth over $100 million since taking office. This is from a disclosure that was made public in August 2025. The holdings cover areas that could benefit from changes in his government's political course. Trump's companies are managed by a trust from his children. However, his disclosure form from June showed that the income still goes to the President. This drew criticism of Trump. The White House did not comment on the financial purchases. At the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, the Epstein scandal was once again explosive. Jeffrey Epstein is suspected of having maintained a network for the sexual abuse of young girls and human trafficking in the early 2000s. President Trump had promised voters that all relevant documents regarding the Epstein scandal would be published during his campaign. As president, he did not want to implement this. However, the pressure became too great in November 2025, and Trump signed a law for release. The first documents were released in December 2025 and further extensive parts in January 2026, partly redacted and not yet fully. Trump also commented in October 2025 on a possible pardon for Epstein's ex-partner, Ghislaine Maxwell. He must clarify this with the Department of Justice, he replied to a journalist. Trump and the Epstein Case In the USA, opponents of President Donald Trump have called for nationwide protests. Under the motto "No Kings" – meaning "No Kings" – demonstrations took place in many places in March 2026. The organizers stated that they wanted to show a sign against Trump's authoritarian politics, in their opinion. In October 2025, they reported that about seven million people peacefully participated in the demonstrations in more than 2700 cities. An uproar internationally was caused on February 28, 2025, when the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was prematurely terminated. Trump was accused of being ungrateful by Zelenskyy, among other things. At the end of March 2025, it was revealed that the top personnel of the Trump administration had discussed an air strike on Huthi targets in Yemen on the unsecured App Signal. A government-critical journalist was accidentally part of the group and subsequently published the conversation. Further criticism comes from the luxurious ballroom that Donald Trump is having built. Parts of the east wing of the White House are being torn down for this. This concerns building parts where the First Lady's offices are traditionally located. Critics of the project accuse Trump of acquisitiveness. Furthermore, it is criticized that Trump's massive addition represents a great interference in the historical ensemble of the buildings on the White House grounds. Construction began in October and is scheduled to be completed by January 2029 before the end of Trump's second term. The cost for the ballroom is estimated at $250 million. At the end of March 2026, a federal judge decided that the construction must be stopped for the time being. He gave the right to a non-profit organization, which had complained that Trump was exceeding his powers by demolishing the east wing, to proceed. In mid-August, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to suspend the lower court's decision to allow construction of the ballroom to continue. The government justified this by stating that the construction of "one absolutely safe ballroom" for national security is indispensable. A Look into the Archives How far does Trump go with the use of the National Guard? Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard in various American metropolises met with great resistance. Orders from the President and decisions by courts make the situation unclear. In early 2026, after several court rulings against the deployment of National Guardsmen, Trump decided to postpone further deployments and withdraw the troops from Chicago, Los Angeles, or Portland. However, he did not rule out further deployments. The situation escalated particularly in and around Minneapolis. In December 2025, the ICE, together with Border Patrol agencies, launched a large-scale enforcement operation to arrest and deport people without valid papers. The deployment led to strong criticism and protests, especially after federal agents shot two American citizens and dozens of further partly violent operations took place. Many residents and politicians see this course of action as too aggressive and harmful to the community. In February 2026, a withdrawal of most ICE agents was officially announced after state agencies, courts, and local politicians increased the pressure – although a small contingent is to remain for now. Deaths also occurred after ICE operations in Texas and Maine. In mid-July 2026, the immigration agency announced that it would change its procedures for vehicle checks. The National Guard is part of the American armed forces. Its troops can be deployed for natural disasters, unrest, or emergencies domestically and are normally under the command of the governors of the states. Trump also justified their deployment, among other things, to the capital Washington, citing alleged rampant crime on the streets. Many of the cities governed by Democrats are under his purview. Critics accuse Trump of wanting to put on a show with the use of the National Guard and intimidate political opponents. What is Trump doing against drug trafficking? Donald Trump plans a decisive course of action against drug trafficking. Within a few weeks, the USA conducted several attacks on suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea. Eleven people were killed in the first military operation in early September 2025. In December 2025, Donald Trump classified synthetic opioid Fentanyl as a "weapons of mass destruction." "No bomb" is what he called something like Fentanyl, he said when signing the corresponding order. According to Trump, hundreds of thousands of people die each year from the consumption of Fentanyl as a drug. It is unclear what effect this classification has on managing the crisis. In Trump's order, it states that it should be examined whether the situation requires intervention by the Department of Defense – for example, by the use of the armed forces. How did Trump react to the murder of Charlie Kirk? Charlie Kirk, founder and leader of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was murdered on September 10, 2025. Donald Trump attended the memorial service for Kirk at the football stadium of the Arizona Cardinals. Charlie Kirk was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great goal, the American president said. "He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them. I differ from Charlie on this. I hate my opponents, and I do not want the best for them." When the American satirist Jimmy Kimmel made jokes about Kirk's murder and Trump's reaction, politics intervened. Specifically, Brendan Carr, head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a Trump associate. He criticized Kimmel in a podcast and said: "We can take this in the light or the hard way," Carr said. A few hours later, the television station ABC cut the show. After less than a week, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" was broadcast again. Who is in Donald Trump's Cabinet? Marco Rubio is the Secretary of State. The Republican was a Senator from the state of Florida and is known for his tough stance towards China and Iran. Scott Bessent was chosen as Treasury Secretary. Because Bessent worked for the financial investor and philanthropist George Soros for a long time, he is not popular among all Trump supporters. However, Bessent consistently defended Trump's controversial economic policies during the campaign. Chris Wright took over the position of Secretary of Energy. He became known as the CEO of a fracking company and has previously expressed criticism of measures to combat climate change. Overview of Trump's Cabinet A surprise was the choice of Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth was a moderator for the Fox News television station. As Secretary of Justice, Trump nominated former Attorney General Pam Bondi of Florida. The anti-vaccine Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was temporarily running for president himself, is the Secretary of Health. Who controls the Senate, who controls the House of Representatives? The Republicans regained the majority in the Senate in November 2024. They hold 53 of the 100 seats, the Democrats hold 45 (plus 2 Independents). This gives the Republicans a more comfortable majority than the Democrats previously had, who held 51 seats in the small chamber before. This helps Donald Trump to implement his government plans. However, the Republican faction, with John Thune, elected a new leader who is not considered a close confidant of Trump. Thune replaced the 82-year-old Mitch McConnell, who had stepped down from his position. In the House of Representatives, the Republicans retained their narrow majority (220 seats compared to 215 seats). This gives them control over all three centers of executive and legislative power: the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. However, as the majorities are extremely narrow, Democrats fear a chance to regain the majority in the midterms on November 3, 2026, especially in the House of Representatives.