What Happened Today - 14 Oct 2025
What Happened Today – 14 Oct 2025
Budget Update
Tarriff War
Venezuela drug or fishing boats?
Approval Ratings
The Lies Trump told today…
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Budget Update
Let’s just say—Washington’s got zero chill right now. Trump’s government shutdown is officially rolling into week three, and the situation’s getting even more bitter and bizarre. The big headline today: Trump really did fire about 4,200 federal employees last week, mostly hitting those departments considered “Democrat priorities,” like Health and Human Services, Treasury, Education, and HUD. Even some Republicans are squirming over these mass layoffs, with folks like Susan Collins publicly pushing back, but the White House doesn’t care—Trump and his budget crew are doubling down and openly saying these RIFs are here to stay as long as Democrats “refuse to play ball”. Most of the laid-off workers won’t see any severance for at least two months, and the impact is getting messier every day.
The only folks getting paid right now are military and Coast Guard members—today, their direct deposits hit right on schedule. Trump says he found “about $8 billion” in leftover research and development cash and redirected it to cover service member paydays, so while most of the rest of the federal workforce is either getting pink slips or stuck working for free, at least the troops didn’t get stiffed. This is way outside of normal shutdown protocol, but Trump’s showing off, reminding everyone he’ll do anything to protect “real Americans” (his words, not mine.) The rest of the government workers are stuck in limbo—furloughed with a vague promise of back pay if this thing ever ends.
Congress, meanwhile, is throwing up its hands. The deadlock’s all about the Care Act: Democrats want the budget to keep funding health insurance subsidies, but the GOP’s made it their hill to die on, refusing to extend anything beyond the basics. So, for thirteen days straight, neither side’s moved an inch, the Senate’s failed to pass a reopening bill eight times now, and Speaker Johnson is straight-up warning this shutdown could outlast all previous records. Trump’s messaging is clear as ever on social media—he’s framing the whole thing as a war to make Democrats “pay,” and he’s using the layoffs and RIFs as leverage. This isn’t just about cutting fat—it’s about sending a message and forcing Dems to cave. Of course, the reality is, it’s only making Congress more stubborn, and folks on the Hill are starting to bet this thing blows past a month with no deal.
So, in summary, today we’ve got pink slips flying, the military getting paid on time, healthcare funding in a death grip, and no sign anybody’s ready to blink. The longer this mess drags on, the bigger the fallout—and Trump’s looking to keep the heat turned all the way up.
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Tarriff War
Trump’s new tariffs (10-25%) just hit imports of lumber, furniture, and cabinets—making everything pricier for homebuilders and shoppers. If China doesn’t back down, Trump’s threatening a wild 100% tariff on all their exports next month, and China’s already responded by levying new port fees and export controls. The S&P 500 tanked over 2% after the news, but rebounded when Trump told Wall Street to “calm down” online. Bottom line: higher prices, more tension, Wall Street on a rollercoaster, and no signs of a truce coming soon.
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Venezuela drug or fishing boats?
Trump is turning up the heat in Venezuela—today, U.S. forces launched another deadly strike on a boat they claimed was smuggling drugs near Venezuelan waters. Six people were killed, making it the fifth high-profile hit in the Caribbean since he declared drug traffickers “unlawful combatants.” No Americans were hurt, but this brings the body count for these strikes to at least 27 over the last month and a half, all justified under Trump’s new “armed conflict” policy targeting cartel-linked boats as if they were enemy combatants.
The president even posted a video of the strike on social media and made it loud and clear: these hits won’t be slowing down. Capitol Hill’s getting restless about all this saber-rattling—some Republicans want more details and legal cover, while Democrats are calling the strikes unconstitutional, saying they cross a line and ignore Congress’s war powers. The Senate tried—and failed—to push through a resolution that would’ve blocked Trump from authorizing more strikes without their approval, so he has a free hand to keep pushing military muscle in the region.
Trump is escalating the drug war with open firepower off Venezuela. Congress is split, the law is fuzzy, and the Trump team is pushing the envelope with each new strike. Don’t expect this showdown to calm down any time soon
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Approval Ratings
Trump’s approval rating is officially in the basement again—tied for his lowest point of this term at 45%, with disapproval hitting a high of 53% and a net rating at -8. The ongoing government shutdown is fueling a lot of that anger—almost half of voters are blaming Trump and the Republicans, and even his own coalition is starting to show cracks. There’s clear fatigue setting in across the board: the left is totally checked out, centrists are done with the drama, and even some conservatives are getting restless as the shutdown drags out and services grind to a halt.
The brief boost he grabbed after brokering that Gaza ceasefire is already gone. Polls showed a smidge of approval uptick right after the hostage releases and the ceasefire went public, but by this week, the shutdown had wiped out those short-term gains. Voters are now laser-focused on paychecks, closed offices, and the sense that nobody’s steering the ship in DC. Even among Republicans, there’s a real worry these numbers could drag down the whole party in next year’s midterms, especially if Trump keeps steering into shutdown brinksmanship and antagonizing the center.
Trump’s standing is shaky, his base looks less rock-solid, and the numbers spell trouble if this gridlock keeps up
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Some details on Gaza
The inside scoop on the Gaza ceasefire is murky, but there’s plenty of chatter about Trump swooping in and taking credit for a deal that was basically set up by earlier negotiations. Reports surfaced that Netanyahu actually postponed his ceasefire talks with Hamas, waiting until after his summit with Trump in Washington “for strategic reasons.” Some unnamed Israeli insiders called the delay a “worrying sign” and implied it might have been at Trump’s urging, giving him a big-splash moment to announce the victory and get maximum global attention, rather than letting Biden or anyone else have the win.
On top of that, the original deal that Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey helped broker got heavily amended after Trump’s team—including Jared Kushner—met with Netanyahu and his inner circle. Those edits gave Israel more leverage and made it nearly impossible for Hamas to accept terms, basically ensuring Trump could pitch himself as the only guy tough enough to broker peace or keep fighting, depending on which way things broke. After the summit, Netanyahu himself claimed to have reworked the agreement and insisted Israel would keep its troops in Gaza “for the foreseeable future,” stalling a true path to peace.
Beyond the surface, there’s still talk about who gets paid, who’s pressured, and whether the humanitarian aid or troop withdrawal conditions are actually legit. Analysts warn a lot was kept behind closed doors, especially around disarmament and long-term Palestinian governance. Right now, the families of dead Israeli hostages are furious that Hamas hasn’t returned all remains, and there’s rumbling about holding up aid or peace efforts until those bodies are handed back.
So, did Trump orchestrate a delay just to claim the trophy? There’s no smoking gun, but the timing and backroom shifts absolutely played in his favor. As for what’s hidden behind the scenes—expect plenty of messy, unfinished business left out of the photo ops.
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The Lies Trump told today…
Here’s the rundown on the most blatant lies Trump told during his White House Q&A today—both before the questions started and while handling the press:
- Claiming his strikes on Venezuelan “drug boats” saved 100,000 American lives.
- Why it’s a lie: Trump keeps throwing around absurd numbers, claiming that destroying a handful of boats off Venezuela somehow saved 100,000 Americans from drug overdoses. Reality check—2024’s entire U.S. overdose death toll was about 82,000, and hardly any U.S. fentanyl even comes through Venezuela or the Caribbean. Even if those boats had drugs, the numbers he uses are pulled from thin air and simply don’t add up.
- Boasting that the government shutdown is only hurting “Democrat agencies” and everyday people won’t notice.
- Why it’s false: Trump said only “unnecessary” or “woke” agencies were affected, but real layoffs and furloughs are hitting workers across critical, bipartisan departments—including Health, Education, and Disease Control. The everyday impact is growing, and plenty of non-partisan services are shut down or slowed.
- Promising there will be no negative impact on federal assistance programs during the shutdown.
- Why it’s misleading: He said things like Social Security, Medicare, and SNAP are “totally untouched,” but thousands of people who depend on these programs are facing delays, reduced service, or confusion as agencies furlough or fire staff. Trump’s team claims exemptions, but the exclusions aren’t ironclad and real families are feeling the fallout.
- Taking full credit for the Gaza ceasefire and claiming he alone brokered the deal.
- Why it’s a stretch: Trump keeps saying he “singlehandedly” delivered peace, but the agreement came after months of groundwork by other governments, and some reports suggest Netanyahu delayed talks to give Trump a PR win.
- Saying U.S. troops are getting paid with “zero impact” on military readiness.
- Why it’s only half true: Trump did scram ble to pay the military with repurposed funds, but defense officials and analysts warn raiding R&D budgets in a prolonged shutdown will have consequences down the line and isn’t a sustainable fix.
- Claiming he’s responsible for “the strongest economy in U.S. history” even as markets drop.
- Why it’s wrong: S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell sharply after his tariff threats, and economic uncertainty is rising, not falling. Saying otherwise totally ignores the current market reality.
- Making a bizarre, false statement about the Middle East (“You go ‘boom, boom’ and now you’re in Qatar”).
- Why it’s a lie: Just geographical nonsense—he suggested Qatar was somehow adjacent to Gaza or part of Israel’s border. It’s not remotely true, and the region’s geography isn’t a small detail for these negotiations.
Bottom line, today’s Q&A was loaded with mistruths, exaggerations, and outright whoppers—classic Trump style, but don’t let anyone call it straight talk.
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Hang in there everyone!
Speak Truth! Keep speaking TRUTH!
Go Cause Good Trouble, with Your Elbows Up!
**These are facts that I researched and verified – AI helped put together some sentence structure, but the words and tone are mine. These are my views based upon facts, research and thoughtful consideration using logic. I own the copyright to any images used. I’m comfortable to stand alone to uphold truth. Feel free to check me, but do not attack me. I am only causing good trouble.**