Elon Musk becomes a liability, Trump fans the flames of a third term, and sweeping federal cuts spark outrage—while global markets reel from new tariffs.
Trump’s second term is off to a turbulent start. From Elon Musk’s political blunders to a trade war rattling markets and talk of a third term, here are the biggest takeaways from Week 7 of Trump’s presidency.
Musk Burned, Democracy Bent, Markets Bleed: Trump’s Week 7 Sets the Stage for Chaos
In his seventh week back in the White House, President Donald Trump isn’t dialing down the drama—he’s doubling it. This week delivered a cocktail of constitutional provocation, geopolitical escalation, and domestic gut-punches, all pointing to an administration charging ahead with little concern for blowback.
Elon Musk, once Trump’s shadow tech czar and architect of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” hit a political landmine in Wisconsin. After sinking $20 million into a judicial race that became a referendum on Trump-era governance, Republicans got thrashed by 10 points in a state Trump won narrowly in 2024. Musk is now viewed by many in the GOP as a political liability—less Silicon Valley savior, more walking PR disaster.
As Musk’s influence dims, Trump is creating his own firestorm by flirting with a third term, openly musing about constitutional workarounds. While unlikely to succeed legally, the maneuver works politically: it keeps him in the spotlight, distracts from his faltering economic agenda, and dangles a threat over institutions trying to hold him accountable.
Meanwhile, the trade war is no longer a drill. Trump’s “wall of tariffs” is now policy, and markets are panicking. China has retaliated with steep tariffs, and prices for everyday goods are already ticking up—despite Trump’s past promises to immediately lower inflation. His economic approval is now underwater, and Republicans are nervously watching blue-collar voters bristle as costs rise.
And then came the purge at HHS, with 10,000 firings—including top scientists like Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA, who accused the administration of silencing experts. Public health leaders are sounding alarms over weakened disease response capacity and broken research pipelines. The health infrastructure that once anchored America’s global scientific leadership is being gutted, with RFK Jr. overseeing the demolition.
In the background, Vice President J.D. Vance is posturing hard in Greenland, pushing for stronger U.S. presence as part of Trump’s neo-imperial playbook. While Trump plays constitutional chicken at home, Vance fans nationalist flames abroad.
The biggest takeaway? This isn’t just turbulence—it’s governance by provocation, and there are still 93 days left in Trump’s “first 100.” Strap in.
