• Jobs report holds the course: Steady but unimpressive growth. That’s what the first full jobs report of Trump’s second term shows. Some 151,000 jobs were added in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s less than the 170,000 forecast but still an improvement over the January report, which was revised down to an anemic 125,000 jobs. It’s unclear how many of the DOGE-related federal job cuts are included in this report, so private-sector growth may be stronger than the total figure indicates. In other words, there may be more room for optimism.

• Cabinet secretaries, not Musk, lead on cutting departments: The chainsaw may work for Argentina’s Javier Milei, but here in America, the political will calls for, as Donald Trump put it, “the ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet.’” DOGE is doing its work identifying waste and fraud — and stepping on a few toes as it does. Perhaps that’s why Trump is making it clear to his Cabinet that each secretary is responsible for slashing the department he or she leads, with Musk playing backstop. “If they can cut, it’s better,” said Trump. “And if they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting.” His clear message is to drain The Swamp.

• Vance at the border: JD Vance, accompanied by Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth, visited the U.S. southern border yesterday at Eagle Pass, Texas. Vance noted, “We didn’t need new laws, we didn’t need fancy legislation, we just needed a new president.” In light of that, a border wall upgrade project in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, which the Biden administration canceled, has been restarted. The project replaces the existing six-foot-high barrier with 18-foot-high bollard panels, which provide better impediment to illegal crossings.

• ICE leakers have been identified: Kristi Noem on Wednesday announced that DHS has discovered individuals within the department who were responsible for leaking ICE movements to illegal aliens facing possible deportation. Noem emphasized that she will prosecute the leakers to the fullest extent of the law, with the objective of “making an example out of them.” She also added, “As far as I’m concerned, these leakers are more dangerous because it’s a complete disregard for our law enforcement officers that are out there.”

• Abbey Gate terrorist brought to justice: His name is Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of ISIS-K, and he will finally face justice for the 13 Americans he helped murder during Joe Biden’s disastrous surrender and retreat from Afghanistan. Sharifullah’s first hearing was held Wednesday; his next hearing is scheduled for Monday. While the Gold Star mother of one of the victims is calling for his execution, he currently faces an insufficient life sentence.

• Trump admin talking directly with Hamas: Led by hostage envoy Adam Boehler, the Trump administration is negotiating directly with the murdering dogs of Hamas, who continue to hold American hostages in Gaza. “The special envoy who’s engaged in this negotiation does have the authority to talk to anyone,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, adding that Israel had been consulted on the issue. At the same time, Trump was meeting in the White House with recently released hostages and issuing to Hamas what he called a “last warning” to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza, adding that he was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job.”

• California anti-Semitism: The State Department yesterday revoked the first visa of a foreign college student (and Jew-hating thug) linked to the pro-Hamas disruptions on college campuses, including those at Columbia and its women-only college, Barnard. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted, “Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. … Violators of U.S. law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and deportation.” The revocation comes on the heels of the NYPD’s arrest Wednesday of nine miscreants at Barnard, who took part in the occupation of the school library and refused to leave even after school officials warned them of an active bomb threat. Elsewhere on the Jew-hating front, AG Pam Bondi launched a Title VII investigation into California’s university system for alleged employment discrimination against Jews.

• Newsom waffles: Widely considered a leading candidate for the Democrat presidential nomination in 2028, California Governor Gavin Newsom launched a podcast this week, and his debut guest was conservative activist Charlie Kirk. During the conversation, Kirk asked, “Would you say, ‘No men in female sports’?” Newsom, who has been a major proponent of “transgenderism,” surprisingly agreed with Kirk, answering, “I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that.” It would appear Newsom recognizes that “transgenderism” in sports is a losing issue for Democrats, and he looks to be strategically breaking with his party in the hopes of appealing to the majority of Americans.

• Waters suggests Musk hacked the election: Wasn’t it the Democrats who kept obsessing about all those 2020 “election deniers” on the Right? Now, though, longtime leftist agitator and congresswoman Maxine Waters is getting into the act, prattling on about Elon Musk’s efforts to expose fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal government. “We don’t know everything that Elon Musk has done with his high-technology ass,” she said. “We don’t know what he’s been accused of by some, as it may relate to the election, but we’re not gonna give up in investigating.” Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans must be thinking, With enemies like these, who needs friends?

• House Dems are getting weirder: It’s perhaps an indication that you’ve gone too far when firebrand congresswoman and first-rate attention-grabber Marjorie Taylor Greene calls you out for excessive theatrics. Those theatrics involved a video posted by social media “influencer” Jessica Woo showing congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jasmine Crockett, Lauren Underwood, Katherine Clark, Judy Chu, and Susie Lee jumping around like fools and striking phony fighting poses. Apparently, they were pretending to be video game characters. It’s not like they have other things to be concerned about. “Trump Deranged Democrats release ‘choose your fighter skit,’” heckled Greene, “after refusing to stand and clap for a child with cancer during President Trump’s address to Congress. Democrats have sunk so low that I’m actually starting to feel sorry for them.” Besides, if you want a fighter, choose Donald Trump.

• DC’s reparations law takes effect: After a months-long review period, the District of Columbia city council is now free to implement a reparations law. The city council will now create a 12-member commission that will study ways to compensate the descendants of slaves or those affected by Jim Crow-era policies. The law does not make clear what potential payments “or other forms of redress” might be. Funding for the reparations is supposed to come from both government appropriations and private donations. It will be telling to see what the commission devises.

• Hunter Biden can’t fund his lawsuit: Your heart really goes out to the guy. Hunter Biden, surely one of the 21st century’s great artists (ahem), has seen sales of his art drop dramatically since December 2023, with just one piece sold for a measly $36,000. In the two years before that, he was still just getting by, bringing his gallery a paltry $1,300,000. One might notice that Hunter’s sales have declined in line with his father’s political fortunes, doubtless causing a budgeting crisis for the struggling Biden Crime Family. Now, claiming financial hardship, Hunter is asking a federal court to drop his lawsuit against alleged laptop “hacker” Garrett Zeigler. Although “I believe in the merits of this case,” Hunter says, “I do not have the financial resources to continue litigating.” Do we hear the world’s smallest violin?

Headlines

• Axed government watchdog says Trump was right to fire him (Fox News)

• Trump envoys meeting with Ukraine officials next week in Saudi Arabia, seeking “an initial cease-fire” (NY Post)

• Trump weighs overhaul of NATO commitments based on defense spending (Newsweek)

• U.S., Israel reject Egypt’s alternative to Trump’s Gaza “Riviera” proposal (Washington Examiner)

• U.S. Army soldiers arrested for selling military secrets to China (National Review)

• Humor: Hitler defeated after opposition party holds up tiny signs on paddles (Babylon Bee)

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