Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Donald Trump has announced that former Secret Service agent turned far-right podcaster Dan Bongino will serve as deputy director of the FBI under the bureau’s new director Kash Patel.
Bongino, 50, an ex-New York City police officer, has been a familiar presence in right-wing media in recent years, hosting his own Fox News show between 2021 and 2023.
The Trump administration meanwhile plans to fire 2,000 employees from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and place all but a select few on administrative leave as of midnight on Monday, after a judge cleared the way for Trump and right-hand man Elon Musk to do so.
USAID, the agency that provides humanitarian assistance globally, notified employees on Sunday that all direct-hire personnel – with the exception of employees responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs – would be placed on leave.
Musk caused a further stir over the weekend by sending out an ultimatum email to federal workers, asking them to justify their roles or risk losing them, prompting a confused reaction from those in charge of the departments concerned.
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Trump at the White House on Monday.
Senator calls Musk a ‘d***’ for federal worker email scheme
I think it’s fair to say Minnesota Democrat Tina Smith was not impressed by the billionaire’s email antics over the weekend.
Katie Hawkinson has her scathing response.
Joe Sommerlad24 February 2025 11:55
Pete Hegseth defends Trump’s Pentagon firing spree
The defense secretary appeared on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream yesterday to blame Democrats for “mischaracterizing” the firing spree carried out by the president at the Pentagon and said that the military’s top brass was not at risk of political reprisals.
Trump moved on Friday evening to fire CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the chief of the Navy and vice chief of the Air Force.
Here’s more from John Bowden.
Joe Sommerlad24 February 2025 10:35
Trump administration officials insist Ukraine ‘provoked’ Russia
On the Sunday shows, special envoy Steve Witkoff and national security adviser Mike Waltz ducked and dived on the question of Vladimir Putin being solely responsible for his country’s decision to invade Ukraine precisely three years ago today, clearly fearful of contradicting the man behind the Resolute Desk despite his being objectively wrong in suggesting otherwise.
Truth Social: Trump hails German election result, attacks author Michael Wolff and gloats over MSNBC sacking of Joy Reid
Also on the president’s social media platform overnight, he’s been offering his analysis of Germany’s election, saying the public had grown tired of Olof Scholz’s “no common sense agenda” and swung right, denounced Fire and Fury writer Michael Wolff and cheered the departure “of one of the least talented people in television, the mentally obnoxious racist” Joy Reid from MSNBC.
He also appears to have been watching Bill O’Reilly in the early hours of the morning, which can’t be good for anyone’s mental wellbeing.
Despite proclaiming that the news from Germany marks “a great day” for its people “and for the United States of America under the leadership of a gentleman named Donald J Trump”, he may not like the following comments from incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Joe Sommerlad24 February 2025 09:35
Musk email demanding workers justify their jobs sparks widespread confusion
The world’s richest man caused a further stir over the weekend by sending out an ultimatum email to federal workers, asking them to justify their roles by explaining their accomplishments of the last week in five bullet points or risk being fired, a message that prompted a confused reaction from those in charge of the departments concerned.
Senior intelligence officials Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, for instance, told their staff not to respond.
Later, Musk revealed in an X post that the purpose of the exercise was “basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email”.
Trump meanwhile posted Elon’s own tongue-in-cheek account of his own week in five bullet points, the latest example of the desperate-to-be-liked tech tycoon’s unique brand of humor.
Here’s the latest on a situation that even Musk himself appeared to admit was a “mess” from Oliver O’Connell.
Joe Sommerlad24 February 2025 09:15
Trump administration will fire 2,000 USAID workers
The Trump administration plans to fire 2,000 employees from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and place all but a select few on administrative leave as of midnight on Monday, after a judge cleared the way for Trump and right-hand man Elon Musk to do so.
USAID, the agency that provides humanitarian assistance globally, notified employees on Sunday that all direct-hire personnel – with the exception of employees responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs – would be placed on leave.
Joe Sommerlad24 February 2025 08:55
