USA Newsblog
Trump: Doing a good job, but bad PR
October 2, 2026, 4:51 am
A few weeks before the congressional elections, polls are not looking good for Trump's Republicans. The US President thinks: You simply have to sell your “phenomenal work” better.
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In addition to our own research, we use material from the news agencies dpa, Reuters, epd, KNA and Bloomberg for our news blog.
Important updates
Trump: Doing a good job, but bad PR
Trump: Regrets nomination of Supreme Court justices
Woman sentenced to death survives execution by lethal injection
Musk is supposed to research the “future of warfare” for the Pentagon
Historic execution halted in Tennessee
Lucia Geier
Trump: Doing a good job, but bad PR
A good month before the important parliamentary elections, US President Donald Trump has made it clear that he seems to be aware of his long-standing poor popularity ratings. As usual, he praised his own politics in front of employees of a truck manufacturer in Denton, Texas, and then emphasized that the only thing that was going badly was public relations. You do “phenomenal work,” but you might not sell it well.
On November 3rd, Americans will re-elect around a third of the senators and the entire House of Representatives in the midterm elections. Trump's Republicans currently hold a slim majority in both chambers of Congress. However, according to surveys, his politics are unpopular, among other things after the fuel price increases as a result of the Iran war.
The Democrats can hope to at least take back the House of Representatives. If they succeed, they could, among other things, block Trump's legislative initiatives and initiate investigations. Despite his poor popularity ratings, the US President has repeatedly declared the midterm elections to be a vote about himself. “Please act as if I were running,” he called on his supporters at the Republican convention in Dallas a few weeks ago. The US President continues to rely on his charisma and hopes to mobilize his supporters to vote even if he himself is not on the ballot.
Lucia Geier
Just over a month before the midterms: Trump starts his campaign tour
Just over a month before the important parliamentary elections, US President Donald Trump launched a campaign offensive. The Republican had already announced that he would travel around the country and campaign in the remaining weeks before the so-called midterms. His appearance in Denton, Texas, marked the start of this, and Trump also traveled to the US state of Oklahoma on the same evening (local time). This Friday we continue to Alabama and on Saturday to Ohio. “I am there with all my heart - more than ever,” emphasized Trump in Texas. “I think we will win.”
Despite his poor popularity ratings, the US President continues to rely on his own charisma. At the Republican party conference in Dallas a few weeks ago, he had repeatedly declared the midterm elections to be a vote about himself. At that time he also caused a stir with an unusual election promise. In Durant, he also renewed this: Every adult US citizen should receive $5,000 if the Republicans maintain their majorities in both chambers. However, the proposal is neither politically nor financially realistic. It would cost over $1 trillion, about as much as the entire U.S. defense budget.
Lucia Geier
USA removes human rights requirements for military aid to Egypt because of the Iran war
According to government information, the United States has lifted human rights conditions on military aid to Egypt worth more than $300 million because of the war against Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suspended the corresponding requirements for $320 million in the 2025 fiscal year, it said in a letter to congressional committees that was seen by the Reuters news agency. The State Department in Washington said it confirmed the move. There was initially no statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
An accompanying memorandum stated that the exception was essential for the national security interests of the USA. This is particularly true in view of Egypt's “helpful role” after the start of the joint military operation by the USA and Israel against Iran. What exactly this role consisted of was not explained. A ministry spokesman said the decision took into account the importance of security cooperation at a time of great regional challenges.
Egypt has received about $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid annually since the late 1980s. Part of it is linked to conditions on human rights and democracy. However, these can be suspended for national security reasons. In the past, the withholding of funds, including under former US President Joe Biden, had repeatedly led to tensions between Cairo and Washington. Human rights organizations have long accused the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of widespread abuses such as torture and enforced disappearances. Egypt played a central role in negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in October 2025. However, the country has so far featured less in mediation in the Iran war.
Trump: Regrets nomination of Supreme Court justices
US President Donald Trump says he regrets nominating the judges he appointed to the Supreme Court. Trump answered a corresponding question in the affirmative in an interview with Time magazine. “I gave them the job of a lifetime, and they often vote against me.”
Asked if he expected loyalty from them, Trump said: "I value loyalty, yes." Only when asked again did he say that he did not expect any loyalty from his candidates.
Trump had recently railed against the judges on the Supreme Court with increasingly harsh words. In mid-September he accused them of allowing themselves to be influenced by the radical left. “These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States,” he wrote at the time.
In a few major cases - such as Trump's tariffs - the court voted against the US government. In fact, after Trump's new appointments, the Supreme Court is considered to be more conservative than it has been for a long time. Three of the nine judges were selected by himself, and six of the nine were nominated by Republican presidents. The Supreme Court significantly expanded presidential power during Trump's time in office.
Lucia Geier
Woman sentenced to death survives execution by lethal injection
In the US state of Tennessee, the planned execution of a woman sentenced to death by lethal injection failed. The prison authorities announced that the 50-year-old survived the execution of the death penalty scheduled for Wednesday evening. She was taken to a hospital by ambulance from the Riverbend maximum security prison in Nashville. Her exact condition was initially unclear. It was the state's first attempt to carry out a death sentence on a woman in 200 years. The woman was convicted of murdering a classmate around 30 years ago.
The prison authority emphasized in a statement that all steps of the legally required and approved schedule had been adhered to. The substance used for lethal injection has always been effective in the past. The regulations also do not provide for any further measures for this evening.
Previously, a court document revealed that Christa Pike's defense attorneys had reported complications during enforcement. “At 8:26 p.m., witnesses to the execution reported that the executioners had injected both syringes with the lethal chemicals and that Pike was still alive and snoring,” it said. A short time later, Judge Kyle Hixson said that in a conference call with attorneys for all involved, the state informed the court "that Ms. Pike had not been declared dead."
In January 1995, at the age of 18, Pike was involved in the murder of a 19-year-old classmate in Knoxville. According to the investigation, together with her boyfriend at the time and a third person, she lured the victim into a forest area, where she was tortured and killed. The woman confessed to the crime and was sentenced to death in 1996. Her boyfriend received a life sentence. According to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, the woman was also convicted of attempted murder in August 2001 after an attack on another inmate. In an appeal for clemency, her lawyers referred to severe childhood trauma, sexual abuse and mental illness.
Executions of women are extremely rare in the United States. Since the death penalty was reauthorized in 1976, 1,683 people have been executed across the country, including 18 women. Most recently, Tennessee canceled the planned execution of a man in May because no suitable vein could be found for the lethal injection.
Lucia Geier
Trump announces billion-dollar investment - South Korea is rowing back
US President Donald Trump has presented plans for South Korea to invest around $200 billion in the US. However, the government in Seoul immediately indicated that a central part of the package had not yet been decided. This is a $54 billion gas pipeline in Alaska. Trump highlighted the agreements before the November midterm elections as a success of his economic policy. The investments are part of a trade package agreed last year.
The South Korean government said the pipeline project would only come about under certain commercial and legal conditions. The project has been controversial for years due to high costs and doubts about its economic viability. However, Seoul confirmed other parts of the announcement. Accordingly, South Korea wants to invest $120 billion in the construction of eight nuclear power plants in the USA. In addition, 22.3 billion dollars are to flow into a gas power plant in Texas, which will, among other things, supply data centers for artificial intelligence with electricity.
Lucia Geier
Dispute among Republicans - Senator blocks Trump's election of judges
In a rare move, Republican US Senator Marsha Blackburn has temporarily blocked a judicial candidate from her own state nominated by President Donald Trump. White House Counsel Samuel Adkisson was scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. However, this did not happen because, according to a committee employee, Blackburn refused her consent in the form of a so-called “blue slip”. Senators must submit these documents, named after the color of the form, in order for judicial nominees from their states to be considered in the committee. The reason for Blackburn's actions was initially unclear. A request to her office went unanswered.
In a statement, the White House called Adkisson "one of the most brilliant young conservative lawyers in the country" who would be an "outstanding judge." Trump himself praised Adkisson during his nomination last month for his work on “numerous important cases.” While Tennessee's other Republican senator, Bill Hagerty, welcomed the choice, Blackburn did not publicly comment on the nomination. A Trump ally, Mike Davis, called Blackburn's decision on Platform X a "stunning development" and a "serious mistake."
Lucia Geier
US Supreme Court: Tennessee can carry out execution
The first scheduled execution of a woman in more than 200 years can be carried out in Tennessee. The US Supreme Court granted an emergency request from the state's prison authority, thereby overriding the enforcement freeze imposed by a lower court. The death penalty should be carried out on Wednesday evening (local time), a spokeswoman for the prison responsible for the execution told the German Press Agency.
Examiner: No criminal behavior in restructuring the US Federal Reserve
The expensive renovation of the US Federal Reserve caused considerable tension between President Donald Trump and the then Fed chief Jerome Powell - now an audit report has partially exonerated those responsible. During the inspection of the construction project, no evidence of violations of federal law was found, the Fed's inspector general wrote in his audit report. In addition, there is no evidence of administrative misconduct.
The renovation of the world's largest central bank had previously caused a dispute between Powell and Trump. The US President repeatedly criticized Powell for escalating costs and repeatedly threw out inflated figures. Trump also used the construction costs as a reason to call for the firing of Powell, whose monetary policy Trump did not agree with. This fueled concerns about the independence of the central bank.
Musk is supposed to research the “future of warfare” for the Pentagon
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is set to take a leading role in a new US Department of Defense project. In a speech to military officials in Quantico, Virginia, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced that the aim was to explore the future of warfare. Musk is said to be one of several people who will lead the initiative.
The purpose of “Project Meridian” is to “look to the future with a creative eye and identify areas we need to conquer and the capabilities we need to master,” the Defense Minister said in his speech.
Hegseth also addressed the topic of autonomous warfare, i.e. the use of weapon systems and artificial intelligence that can be active and carry out attacks without direct human intervention. “We must act proactively to ensure technological and military superiority on the battlefield for decades to come,” he continued. The Pentagon chief expects results from the project within 120 days.
In his almost hour-long speech, Hegseth also praised controversial changes that have already taken place under his leadership.
