Saturday, 22 August 2026

Trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada collapsed late Friday, triggering a 50% tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods effective Saturday. Canadian PM Mark Carney suspended talks and announced retaliatory tariffs to begin September 8, calling the situation an 'economic war' and a 'miscalculation' by Trump.

A federal judge in Manhattan struck down Trump's ban on immigrant visas for nationals from 75 countries, ruling the policy was unconstitutional, discriminatory on the basis of nationality, and exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statutory authority.

The U.S. Postal Service published finalized rules restricting mail-in voting by requiring states to provide voter lists, complying with Trump's March executive order despite a federal court having struck it down. The rule will only take effect if the Supreme Court rules in Trump's favor.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts signed a temporary order allowing construction to continue on Trump's $400 million White House ballroom project. Trump celebrated the ruling and announced the project is 'under budget' and 'ahead of schedule.'

Trump claimed to view the Strait of Hormuz as 'American territory' at a South Carolina rally. Iran's Supreme Leader warned other nations against joining what it called the U.S. 'economic war,' with tensions escalating over sanctions and economic isolation efforts.

Trump called Tucker Carlson, Rep. Thomas Massie, and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene 'three losers' over their criticism of his decision to lift certain tariffs on imported ground beef. Greene and others fired back, with some expressing regret about supporting Trump.

A U.S. military newspaper editor, Erik Slavin, says he was fired after stating in an interview that 'censorship would be a red line' in a hypothetical situation, raising concerns about censorship in the military.

Trump signed a memorandum allowing vetted private U.S. companies to conduct cyber operations against foreign criminal organizations under government oversight, expanding private sector involvement in cyber warfare.

The inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix, created by President Trump to celebrate America's 250th anniversary, began in Washington, D.C. with qualifying races on Saturday. IndyCar drivers competed on a 1.7-mile street course near the National Mall and Capitol building, with Alex Palou taking pole position for Sunday's race.

Trump attempted to block the BBC's efforts to subpoena his family members—Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Jared Kushner—in the broadcaster's defense against his $10 million defamation lawsuit, calling the subpoenas 'cynical.'

Deleted tweets revealed that Natalie Harp, a Trump White House aide, posted over 150 tweets demonstrating 'extraordinary devotion' to Trump on January 6, 2021. The revelations sparked debate about Trump's information diet and hiring practices.