Trump’s early, extraordinary steps pose a direct challenge to a fundamental underpinning of the Constitution: the power of the purse.

Sometimes more talking doesn’t produce more clarity. One afternoon, Trump told reporters that there were “no surprises” when Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski decided to oppose Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. The next morning, Trump said he was “very surprised” by their votes.

The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing federal grants, according to a copy of a new memo obtained by The Washington Post, after the administration’s move to halt spending earlier this week provoked a backlash.

Donald Trump 2.0 is, so far, very much the same as his first go around. But eight years after he was last sworn into office, the new Republican president is emboldened, far more experienced and surrounded by a very different team.

The OMB memo had directed federal agencies to pause grants and loans pending a review of compliance with the agenda of President Donald Trump.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made her briefing debut on Tuesday, where she sparred with reporters over a federal freeze on grants and made clear that President Donald Trump himself will be the administration's main messenger.

The White House is considering challenging the constitutionality of a 50-year-old law limiting the president’s control over federal spending, easing the firing of civil servants, curbing pay and reining in independent agencies,