
Six months into Trump’s second term, voters remain divided
CNN
Jaclyn Taylor and Lawrence Malinconico live on opposite sides of the Trump canyon that defines and divides American politics.
Jaclyn Taylor and Lawrence Malinconico live on opposite sides of the Trump canyon that defines and divides American politics. “The amount of progress he has made over the first six months is unmatched,” said Taylor, a businesswoman in Iowa. She grades the first six months of President Donald Trump’s new term a nine out of 10. Zero was the grade offered by Malinconico, a college professor in Pennsylvania. “His slashing of government and putting incompetent people in charge is going to harm every aspect of American life,” is Malinconico’s take at six months. Their polar opposite assessments highlight one big takeaway of a check-in with voters participating in CNN’s “All Over the Map” project: The black or white views of Trump that animated the 2024 campaign now carry over to how most voters view his presidency. Those who voted for Trump remain overwhelmingly loyal, enthusiastically backing his agenda. “Better,” is how New Hampshire Trump voter Deven McIver described his standard of living since Trump returned to the White House. “Lower fuel costs. Less job competition from illegals and I feel safer.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.

As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.









