Trump Blames Ukraine for Russia's War

2.19.25

Happy Wednesday and welcome back to Today’s American News, your source for news and analysis on the circus that is American politics and entertainment.

Elon’s DOGE savings claims crumble under scrutiny… NBC and CBS are out with separate reports ripping apart the so-called savings claimed by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. NBC News reports, “Two of [DOGE’s] most notable claims — around Social Security fraud and $8 billion savings found in a Department of Homeland Security contract — have been debunked. Meanwhile, Trump’s agenda is set to add to the federal government’s deficit well in excess of what DOGE is cutting.” CBS News adds DOGE’s savings “accounting was overstated by billions of dollars... Among the errors were contracts that DOGE identified for cuts” that “were actually standard government funding vehicles called ‘indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity’ contracts. The DOGE team misread these specialized contracts, experts told CBS News, and as a result overstated their push for savings by as much as $1.96 billion.”

Americans don’t like Elon Musk or his power, two polls find… Politico is citing two recent polls, by Quinnipiac University and Pew Research Center, showing Elon Musk is unpopular with Americans. “Pew’s findings put Musk 12 points under, with 54 percent of respondents reporting an unfavorable view of the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, compared to 42 percent with a favorable view. More specifically, 36 percent reported a very unfavorable view of Musk, and 11% reported a very favorable opinion… Quinnipiac’s poll results Monday paint a similar picture, but with different questions. 55 percent of voters polled believe Musk has too big a role in the government, compared to 36 percent who think he’s got just enough power and a small minority of 3 percent who said they think he has too little power…Of the independent voters polled, 56 percent said they thought Musk has too much power, versus 33 percent who said he has the right amount and 4 percent who think he needs more.”

Russia the clear winner in Trump’s unhinged attacks on ally Zelensky… No one appreciates Donald Trump’s recent barrage of personal attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as much as Vladimir Putin. A CNN analysis by Nick Paton Walsh notes, “Last week, Trump hinted he felt Zelensky’s poll numbers were low and he would have to face elections, but Tuesday night he dug deeper, falsely stating the wartime leader was at 4 per cent favorability and Ukraine had started the war. This is pretty close to Kremlin talking points. Moscow has been at pains to incorrectly suggest Ukraine’s imminent joining of NATO was behind its unprovoked attack in 2022, and that Zelensky is illegitimate as Ukraine has not undertaken the immense challenge of running elections in wartime.” When the White House and the Kremlin are on the same page, you know the world is in trouble.

Cuts to military budget coming, allegedly… We’ll believe it when we see it. If there is one third rail when it comes to the federal budget, it’s not education or health care, it’s military spending. “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the military services to identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year in order to redirect those savings to fund President Donald Trump’s priorities,” the Associate Press reports. “Hegseth has committed to redirecting Pentagon spending to more directly support warfighters. In a statement late Wednesday, Robert Salesses, who is performing the duties of deputy secretary of defense, said ‘the time for preparation is over’ and ‘excessive bureaucracy’ and programs targeting climate change or ‘other woke programs’ such as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives would be targeted.”

Today’s Buzz

Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo to host the Tony Awards… According to Entertainment Weekly, “On Wednesday, the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing announced that Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will serve as host for this year's June 8th [Tony Awards] ceremony.” Said the star in a statement, “I am looking forward to ushering the theatre community at large through a night that celebrates the wonderful performances we have witnessed throughout the year. I hope I can rise to the occasion.”

Thanks for letting us help make sense of the chaos. Tune in tomorrow evening for the next edition of Today’s American News.