Weekly Primer | March 30, 2026
The Weekly Primer is a ‘pop-up’ newsletter that highlights the latest developments from the Trump White House with a view into the deeper agenda underway.
What’s ahead on the Trump 2.5 Agenda?
The White House appears to be fully on message with its neoconservative wing on foreign policy, as the 2024 winning coalition continues to fracture.
Stalwarts of the MAGA, MAHA, and the America First movements appear to have been marginalized by an administration that is prioritizing regime change confrontations in Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela over domestic issues like affordability.
Coming up this week
Iran Deadline Again on Horizon | The April 6 date set by the president for the end of negotiations arrives this weekend, as the world waits for Gulf countries to formally enter the war.
Gas Prices Squeeze Americans | Gas prices are spiralling upwards across the country, hitting the core issue of affordability ahead of the midterms.
Partial Budget to be Released | The White House is due to submit a partial FY2027 budget, with an expected request of $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon.
Vance Goes Up in the Air | The vice president has multiple fundraising stops across Texas and Tennessee, including one hosted by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, and is likely to visit Hungary at the end of the week.
Leavitt to Go on Leave | The White House spokesperson will go on maternity leave in May, bringing a new voice to the podium for press briefings.
You may have missed
Vance Task Force Meets | VP Vance convened the first formal meeting of his fraud task force, bringing together cabinet members and other officials, in his first ‘big’ initiative.
Trump Chooses Investors over Conservatives | The president skipped CPAC, his conservative base, for a Saudi investment forum in Miami with top business leaders.
Sacks Leaves Post | The administration’s AI & crypto czar has ended his tenure, returning to an advisory role and to his private-sector platforms.
No Kings Protests Attract Political Crowd | The Democrats organized a series of demonstrations in the country, which were mirrored around the world, opposing the Iran War, ICE, and other issues.
Israel Provokes Catholic Church | Israel blocked the Catholic Church’s representative from conducting a private prayer at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Palm Sunday, leading to global outrage.
Readings & Viewings
Snapshots from around the media from the past week.
White House | Trump Gaggle on Air Force One
CSPAN | “First Lady Melania Trump walks with robot.”
GEOPOLITICO | “The Inevitable but Avoidable War”
“The election demonstrated a deeper vibe shift. Certain minority groups and younger voters broke for Trump, upending the consensus on what constituted a Democratic coalition. A sizable share of Latino men, Arab Americans, and Native Americans voted for Trump over Harris. Trump gained ground across most groups and demographics, with the highest increase among Generation Z (Gen Z) men.”
- p. 5 “Up Front” | Trump 2.5: A Primer (2025)