Monday, May 28

The New York Times reported that President Trump berated Attorney General Jeff Sessions and told him to reverse his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation at a meeting at the president’s Mar-a-Largo resort in March 17. Sessions refused to comply. Trump’s order is important because it is highly unusual and could be seen as an attempt to obstruct the investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Tuesday, May 29

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney weighed in against President Trump in a Twitter post. He said, "I don't think I would point to the president as a role model for my grandkids on the basis of his personal style. He has departed in some cases from the truth, and has attacked in a way that I think is not entirely appropriate "

Wednesday, May 30

The Federal Reserve, the agency that regulates banks, took steps to weaken the “Volcker rule,” which was put in place after the 2007 financial crisis to curb risky investments with depositor’s money. The new rules would permit large-scale banks to make unsafe investments in complex securities that would leave them, their depositors, and the economy vulnerable to losses but which might also increase the profits for the banks.

Thursday, May 31

President Trump pardoned Dinesh D’Souza, the right-wing commentator who was convicted of campaign finance violations. Mr. Trump circumvented the usual procedure for granting pardons, bypassing more than 10,000 petitions, focusing instead on a public figure whose case resonates with his own political philosophy. D’Souza has claimed that he was singled out by the Obama administration for his conservative ideas. In pardoning D’Souza, Trump said that he “was very unfairly treated.”

President Trump made good on his threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imported from key U.S. allies, including Canada, Mexico and the European Union, citing Section 232, which is rarely invoked, but permits tariffs to be placed on a country for national security reasons. The announcement was greeted with outrage from the subject countries and grave concern from economists the members of Congress, including prominent Republicans.

Friday, June 1

The on-again, off-again summit between Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator and President Trump is—on again. Trump cancelled the meeting eight days earlier, citing “open hostility” from North Korea. On Friday, Trump reversed course again. “We’re over that, totally over that, and now we’re going to deal and we’re going to really start a process,” Trump told reporters, “We’re meeting with the chairman on June 12, and I think it’s probably going to be a very successful.” Nuclear disarmament experts said that if the disarmament process goes forward, it could take up to 15 years.

The American economy continued strong job growth, establishing another record. The unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent, its lowest level since the early 2000s. The monthly increase of 223,000 jobs reflected gains across a range of industries, from manufacturing and transportation to health care and retailing.

Saturday, June 2

A confidential 20-page memo from President Trump’s lawyers to special counsel Robert Mueller asserts a broad view of executive power, including a claim that the Constitution empowers the president to, “if he wished, terminate the [Mueller] inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon.” The memo invoked speculation from both Republicans and Democrats that if the president terminated the Mueller Russia investigation or pardoned himself, it would be grounds for impeachment. A copy of the memo was obtained and made public by the New York Times.

Sunday, June 3

Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s lawyer said the president “probably” has the power to pardon himself, but “He has no intention” of doing so. Giuliani’s statement was greeted with near incredulity on all sides, with prominent Republicans noting that if Trump pardoned himself, it would almost certainly lead to impeachment.

President Justin Trudeau of Canada told NBC’s Meet the Press that President Trump’s decision to invoke national security concerns to justify tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports was off-base. “The idea that we are somehow a national security threat to the United States,” he said, “is quite frankly insulting and unacceptable.” Commentators could find no modern precedent in which Canada posed such a threat.