Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Donald Trump said over the weekend that he could not rule out the possibility of a recession being triggered by uncertainty over his tariff war against the United States’s top trading partners Canada, Mexico and China.
“I hate to predict things like that,” the president told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures when pressed about the possibility. “There is a period of transition.”
Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, meanwhile won the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada’s new prime minister last night and wasted no time in vowing to take on Trump in a trade war, urging his country to unite.
Carney, who saw off a challenge from ex-finance minister Chrystia Freeland to lead the Liberal Party, hit out at the American’s tariff aggressions by saying: “The Canadian government has rightly retaliated with tariffs. We will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect.
“We did not ask for this fight. But Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves. Make no mistake, Canada will win.”
He further accused Trump of “attacking Canadian families” and wanting to “destroy the Canadian way of life.”
JD Vance’s account of confrontation with protesters disputed
The vice president complained on X yesterday about being confronted by pro-Ukraine demonstrators on Saturday while he was out walking in Cincinnati with his three-year-old daughter, who he said had been left “increasingly anxious and scared” by their shouting at him.
But those present have disputed Vance’s version of events.
Here’s the full story from Oliver O’Connell and Alex Woodward.
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 13:20
Trump’s Scottish golf resort vandalized over Gaza statements
The president’s Turnberry golf club in Scotland was vandalized by activists over the weekend in response to his recent statements on Gaza.
The course in South Ayrshire was targeted overnight on Friday, with activists painting “Gaza Is Not 4 Sale” in almost 10-foot-high letters on the lawn and damaging the greens, including its most prestigious hole used in the Open Championships.
Red spray paint was used to deface the clubhouse at the 800-acre resort.
Palestine Action described it as a “direct response to the U.S. administration’s stated intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza.”
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 13:00
Rubio confirms State Department cutting 83% of USAID programs
The Secretary of State explicitly thanks Elon Musk’s DOGE officials at the end here for identifying the programs to cut, a show of unity that will please Trump after he had to deny a reported feud between the two men this weekend.
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 12:50
Watch: Justin Trudeau takes final dig at Trump in farewell speech
The outgoing PM made way for Carney yesterday with a sign-off that praised his fellow Canadians for “showing what we are made off” in standing up to an “existential challenge” from the man in the White House.
Justin Trudeau takes final dig at Trump in farewell speech as Canada’s prime minister
Justin Trudeau made a final dig at Donald Trump in his farewell speech as Canada’s prime minister. The 53-year-old, who will be replaced by former Bank of England boss Mark Carney, used his final speech at the Liberal Party conference on Sunday (9 March) to take aim at the US president over his controversial tariffs imposed on Canada. Mr Trudeau said: “Now as Canadians face from our neighbour an existential challenge and economic crisis, Canadians are showing what we are made off.” He added: “Standing up for everyone’s fundamental rights is the only way to protect our freedom.”
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 12:40
Linda McMahon tries to walk back shutting down of Department of Education
Trump was expected to sign an executive order on Friday tasking his freshly confirmed education secretary with dissolving the federal department she heads, only for the White House to reverse course.
McMahon later confirmed she believed her job is to secure a near-impossible three-fifths supermajority, or 60 votes, needed in the Senate to abolish the agency – but said that she would not simply walk away and abandon the department.
Republicans currently hold a slim 53 to 47 seat majority in the upper chamber.
“This is not a turn off the lights and walk out of the department,” McMahon told NewsNation.
“It’s in close consultation with Congress and looking at how the needs of students can best be serviced.”
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 12:00
Joe Biden accused of using autosignature on official White House documents
The former president has been accused by a right-wing think-tank of using the same automatic signature to sign a raft of documents while in office.
The Oversight Project, a self-described investigative arm of the Heritage Foundation (of Project 2025 fame), is challenging the legitimacy of orders signed by the Democrat on the grounds that an “autopen signature” was allegedly used across almost “every document” it could find.
James Liddell has the story.
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 11:40
Truth Social: Trump attacks ex-Australian PM and strikes more moderate tone on Greenland
Here are the latest social media posts from the president, which find him attacking Malcolm Turnbull after he said in a Bloomberg interview that Trump’s tariff antagonism would play directly into China’s hands and striking a less aggressive tone on Greenland than he has previously.
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 11:20
SNL mocks peacemaker Trump after Musk and Rubio dust-up
Saturday Night Live parodied that supposed cabinet fallout over the weekend, with James Austin Johnson once more holding court as the president and Mike Myers returning as Elon (throwing in a touch of Dr Evil for good measure).
Michelle Del Rey has the story.
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 11:00
Trump addresses rumored rift between Elon Musk and Marco Rubio
The president’s other TV appearance yesterday came when he took questions from reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Washington from a weekend in Florida.
Here are a few choice excerpts, from his promising American consumers untold wealth (eventually) as a result of his tariff war to dismissing plane crashes as just one of those things, denying that his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court was a “DEI hire” and getting shirty with a reporter who asked whether he was being “disrespected” by Vladimir Putin.
You can see his answer to that below.
Donald Trump addresses rift between Elon Musk and cabinet
Donald Trump has addressed rumours of a rift between Elon Musk and his cabinet. The US president described Musk as a “very special person” as he was asked about rumours of a rift, by reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday (9 March). Trump said: “I don’t think there are tensions. Look, Elon’s a very special person. And these cabinet people are special people. You know, these are very successful people, but they wouldn’t have got, you know, they’ve attained the highest heights of government and they, I think they have a fantastic relationship to Elon.”
Joe Sommerlad10 March 2025 10:40
