  The US under Trump

Many government services in the US remain closed until further notice because Congress has been unable to agree on a budget for the 2026 fiscal year which began on 1 October. Proposals put forward by both the Republicans and the Democrats failed to achieve the required three-fifths majority in the Senate on Wednesday. The main bone of contention is the reversal of recent cuts to healthcare for low-income earners.

US broadcaster ABC has cancelled the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live. On Monday's programme Kimmel commented on the killing of Charlie Kirk and suggested that Trump's allies were trying to exploit the murder. The US president himself praised the move, which leading Democrats have criticised. Commentators take a look at how freedom of expression is faring in the land of liberty.

The right-wing conservative US podcaster and activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead during an appearance at Utah Valley University last week. Kirk had close ties to US President Donald Trump and founded the organisation Turning Point USA, which is active at schools and universities. A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the killing. Commentators discuss the dangers of deepening polarisation.

US President Donald Trump has announced he is deploying the National Guard in Washington and placing the capital's police department under federal control, citing the high number of homeless people and rampant crime on the other as justification for the measure - even though Washington authorities say these figures are on the decline. Trump already sent the National Guard to Los Angeles a few weeks ago in response to protests against his immigration policy.

US President Donald Trump has postponed the entry into force of new US tariffs on imports from other countries by a week. Instead of 1 August, they will apply starting 7 August. Commentators continue to speculate on the goals of Trump's erratic trade policy.

The EU and the US have settled their tariff dispute: tariffs of 15 percent will apply to most EU exports to the US, and Europe will not impose any new counter-tariffs. On Sunday in Scotland, Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen also agreed that the bloc would make massive purchases of energy and defence equipment from the US. The European press comments on different aspects of the deal and draws its own conclusions.

During his election campaign, Donald Trump promised to release secret files on the Epstein scandal. Now his supporters are insisting that he keep his promise, with some questioning his integrity over his failure to do this so far. Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died in prison six years ago, and the case has given rise to numerous conspiracy theories. European commentators discuss to what extent they now pose a threat to the president.

Millions of people took to the streets in more than 2,000 cities across the US on Sunday to mark 'No Kings Day'. The protests were primarily directed at the authoritarian behaviour of US President Donald Trump, who is accused of overstepping his legal powers and ruling like a monarch. They also targeted Trump's rigorous immigration policy. European commentators take different views of the rallies.

The protests against the US government's immigration crackdown continue despite the mobilisation of National Guard troops and Marines in Los Angeles. California governor Gavin Newsom described the deployment as a "provocation" by US President Donald Trump that posed a threat to the core of democracy. Europe's press analyses the situation.

Since he was first sworn in, US President Donald Trump has caused a stir on an almost daily basis with new announcements of extreme measures in politics and the economy. Many of them - including major tariff hikes - have been cancelled or postponed a few days after being announced. Others, such as mass redundancies or deportations, have been put on hold by the courts. Europe's press takes stock of this erratic style of government.

Donald Trump threatened on Friday to impose 50 percent tariffs on EU goods from 1 June, citing a lack of progress in trade negotiations. In a phone conversation with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, the US president however agreed to delay the move until 9 July after von der Leyen said she was ready to advance the talks "swiftly and decisively". European media take stock.

President Donald Trump has revealed plans to build a completely new missile defence system for the US by the end of his term of office, with 25 billion US dollars having been earmarked as start-up funding for the project. The shield, modelled on Israel's Iron Dome, is expected to cost around 175 billion dollars in total. However the US's territory is around 440 times larger than Israel's. Criticism rains down in the media.

The Catholic Church has a new pope, Leo XIV, after the conclave elected Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, a cardinal with US and Peruvian citizenship, on the second day of voting yesterday. In his first address, Leo emphasised the importance of world peace. Commentators discuss his qualifications as leader of the Church - and to what extent an American in the Holy See can act as a counterweight to Donald Trump.

After Donald Trump's election victory euphoria reigned on Wall Street, but now share prices are tumbling. The value of the companies listed on the S&P 500 US stock market index has shrunk by four trillion dollars since mid-February. The media take a look at what's behind the turmoil in the US's big tech-dominated economy.