Welcome to Friday’s edition of Washington Secrets. President Donald Trump didn’t have much luck recruiting big names for concerts to mark the 250th founding of the United States. It turns out his son has fared much, much better, landing a major star for his private club’s celebration. Details follow our usual review of the week.As the clock ticks down towards the semiquincentennial, the president has been focused on the big and the small. The Reflecting Pool saga continues to make waves (apologies) while talks with Iran and questions about the Strait of Hormuz burble away in the background.The week began with a dead duckling in the pool. Secrets makes no apologies for finding it on Sunday afternoon and takes no responsibility for the hysteria that followed.
Meanwhile, Trump did his best to upend U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland by going on Fox News and threatening to resume bombing the country and taking over the strait if no deal was reached. Iran’s delegation needed to be coaxed back into talks, which concluded with a 60-day roadmap to a final deal.There was good news the next day. Vice President JD Vance left Switzerland in an upbeat mood on Monday, saying Iran had agreed to allow nuclear inspectors in.Trump turned his attention to the midterms with a trip to Pennsylvania on Tuesday, where he tried to reassure voters that costs are coming down and that they are better off than they were two years ago. The president has appeared relaxed at best or negligent at worst about November’s elections. So it was a welcome visit for Republicans in an area critical to maintaining control of Congress.At the same time, he announced on Truth Social that six people had been arrested and seven “cited, for the damage they did to our Country’s now beautiful Reflecting Pool.”Wednesday was a busy day. Trump hosted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House. Rutte is well-practiced in dealing with Trump, and arrived armed with visual aids, setting out spending on defense, and with stats about the number of U.S. air missions launched from European airbases during the Iran war.The biggest headlines came from something Trump didn’t do. The president canceled the signing of housing legislation hours before a scheduled ceremony to demand passage of the major voter identification bill that has failed to advance in the Senate. Cue chaos.It was on to the National Mall in the evening for Trump to deliver a speech opening the Great American State Fair. The campaign-style event was a far cry from the planned opening concert, which was ditched when artists dropped out.The Supreme Court’s conservative majority handed Trump two significant immigration victories on Thursday. They essentially cleared the way for the administration to remove more than a million people and revive a controversial border “metering” policy, which allows officials to limit the number of people who approach and enter ports of entry on a daily basis.Later today, the president is due to deliver a speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s 2026 policy conference. And then it is a weekend at home, at the White House.But what did our two strategists from either side of the aisle make of it all?John Zogby: Grade D
