Trump's Orders Spark Exodus: A Look at the Fallout

The Trump administration is making waves, and not in a good way. A seasoned federal prosecutor, Denise Cheung, recently resigned. Why? Because she refused to follow an order from her superiors. The order? To tell a bank to seize assets without enough evidence. Cheung, who had been with the Justice Department for 24 years, stood her ground. She believed the order was not supported by enough evidence. This is not the first time Trump's orders have caused a stir. Earlier, a bunch of attorneys from the U. S. Attorney's Office and the Public Integrity section resigned. They refused to follow orders to dismiss charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The Trump administration is busy making changes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U. S. and Russia agreed to re-establish their missions in each other's countries. This comes as talks are happening to end the war in Ukraine. Trump, however, had some surprising words. He seemed to blame Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the Russian invasion. "You should have ended it, " Trump said, referring to the war. Trump also signed some big orders. One is about making in-vitro fertilization more affordable. Another is about keeping an eye on independent agencies. A memorandum was also issued to make details of waste, fraud, and abuse public. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is in a tough spot. She's considering what to do about New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Removing Adams from office would be a first for a New York governor. It could cause a big backlash, especially from Black voters who helped Adams win in 2021. But there's a silver lining. Recent polls show Adams is not popular, even among his own base. If Hochul takes action against Adams, it could boost her standing with general election voters. Hochul's position is shaky. She won her 2022 election by a narrow margin. A Siena College poll showed her job approval rating at 44%. She's already facing a strong Republican candidate, Rep. Mike Lawler. Hochul's challenges go beyond the Democratic Party. In 2022, she won by just 6 points. This was a big drop from Biden's 23-point win in 2020. Hochul's decline was even worse in some counties. In Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk, her drop-off from Biden was far worse than Harris'. These counties are majority-white and have large suburban areas. The share of the white population with a college degree is at or above the statewide average. These voters are usually against Trump, but they are also troubled by New York's direction and Hochul's leadership. Hochul's fate could be in the hands of these voters. If she removes Adams, it could resonate with them. But it could also be seen as overreach. The Trump administration is also facing criticism. Sweeping layoffs, funding freezes, and executive orders have provoked outcry among federal researchers and their university partners. They fear that science itself is under siege. The administration is also facing criticism for its handling of the war in Ukraine. Intelligence from the United States and close allies shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants to control all of Ukraine.