Politics and views in the United States

AG Pam Bondi is fired. President Trump raises tariffs on imported prescription drugs, and voting rights experts develop a model bill to prevent ICE agents from being sent to local polling places.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

This administration released over 3 million pages of documents, over 3 million, and Donald Trump signed that law to release all of those documents.

Pam Bondi is out as attorney general under criticism for her handling of legal files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Bondi remade the Justice Department to fit President Donald Trump's agenda of retribution and election denialism, but sources say the president had become frustrated about being repeatedly blocked in court.

Former Trump personal lawyer Todd Blanche will take over as acting AG, and EPA Director Lee Zeldin is reportedly being eyed as the permanent replacement.

Trump allies say the White House should send ICE agents to monitor polling places this fall, and now acting AG Blanche says that would be reasonable.

Watchdogs say it would clearly be illegal voter intimidation.

Patrick Berry with the Brennan Center says the problem would be getting that federal law enforced in time, which is why the center has produced a model bill that legislatures could use to also make it illegal under state law.

Because only the Department of Justice can prosecute people who engage in that type of conduct under federal law, it seems unlikely the current DOJ would do that.

After threatening to do so during negotiations, Trump is imposing a 100 percent tariff on imported brand name pharmaceutical drugs from companies which haven't voluntarily lowered prices.

White House Trade Representative Jamison Greer says the drug makers are now rushing to make deals to avoid the import taxes.

We have spent the past year hammering out deals with a lot of these companies to make sure they're building in America, which they are.

We see concrete going in, superstructures going up on new pharmaceutical facilities, companies that are agreeing to charge less here in the United States for their drugs, which they're agreeing to do.

Though a federal judge blocked further construction on a new White House ballroom, the National Capital Planning Commission gave the project its final approval.

NCPC Chairman William Scharf says White House construction projects across administrations are historically unpopular despite their necessity.

While some might wish for history and the world to stand still, the fact of the matter is that the White House complex has constantly evolved to meet the programmatic needs of the federal government and the office of the president which it houses.

In Trump's national address on the Iran war, he said it is the responsibility of other nations to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. allies, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, say they don't want to get involved, even as they're working to avoid pushing Trump towards a threatened break with NATO and Europe.

Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I'm going to act in the British national interest in all the decisions that I make.

And that's why I've been absolutely clear that this is not our war, and we're not going to get dragged into it.

The day after Trump's address, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army's top general, along with two other high-ranking officers.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the U.S. and Israel should immediately stop attacks that are, quote, inflicting immense human suffering.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

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