Morning Brief: Trump Draws Red Line For Russia & Dems Hit Rock Bottom

President Donald Trump imposes a deadline on Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Democratic Party loses ground with young people and men, and controversy continues to swirl around WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

It’s Friday, May 30, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

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Trump’s Red Line

Topline: In a flurry of activity, the president appeared to give Russian President Vladimir Putin an ultimatum this week, and vowed to push ahead with tariffs despite a roadblock in the courts.

After a recent barrage of Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian cities, Trump has become far more critical of his counterpart in Moscow, accusing Putin of intentionally stalling on peace negotiations. Putin promised last week to deliver a peace proposal to progress formal talks, but so far, no such progress has been made. The Kremlin will only say that its proposal is in its “final stages.”

“We’ll find out whether or not he’s tapping us along or not and if he is, we’ll respond a little bit differently,” Trump said in an apparent ultimatum. “But it will take about a week and a half to two weeks.” Last weekend, the president said he was strongly considering new retaliatory sanctions on Moscow, but in recent days, he’s walked back that idea, saying he didn’t want to hinder a potential peace agreement.

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Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down dozens of President Trump’s tariffs on countries worldwide. Trump invoked the Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement those tariffs, arguing fentanyl trafficking and trade deficits constituted a national emergency, but the court ruled that Trump “exceed[ed] any authority granted to the President” by the act. On Thursday morning, a second federal court in D.C. issued a similar ruling, saying Trump’s tariffs were unlawful.

The first ruling was put on hold by a federal appeals court on Thursday afternoon, which ruled in Trump’s favor — it said all tariffs can remain in place while the court reviews the case. The Trump administration says it won’t be slowed down, referring to the rulings as a hiccup — and it is confident the decision will be overturned on appeal and won’t impact ongoing trade talks.

And, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this week that the administration would work to “aggressively revoke” the visas of Chinese exchange students with ties to the Communist Party, along with those studying in “critical fields.” Chinese students account for 20% of all student visas — the State Department has for years warned that many of these students work with the CCP to smuggle sensitive research data and other intellectual property back to Beijing.

Democrats Hit Rock Bottom

Topline: Democrats are struggling to connect with American men, a demographic that played a crucial role in putting Trump back in the White House. A recent report leaked to The New York Times highlights the party’s $20 million plan to win them back.

Democrats are facing a crisis of perception and policy — the party’s approval rating has plummeted to 27%, the lowest since 1990. Young men in particular have shifted rightward, with many feeling alienated by the Democratic Party’s messaging and drawn to the GOP’s bold, unapologetic style, exemplified by the head of the party himself — Trump. A focus group cited in the Times report found that voters see Democrats as “tortoises” or “sloths” — slow and passive — compared to Republicans, who are viewed as aggressive “apex predators.”

Working-class counties with lower median incomes have seen young men gravitate toward the GOP, which they perceive as the better choice for addressing their economic concerns, like job security and cost of living. Young white men, particularly those without college degrees, feel that the Democrats’ focus on social issues — like gender identity or systemic racism — demonizes them. Many resented the Biden administration’s heavy push for DEI policies. Meanwhile, the GOP’s presence on platforms like YouTube and popular podcasts like Joe Rogan has created a cultural pull that Democrats are struggling to counter.

In response, the Democrats have a $20 million initiative called “American Men: A Strategic Plan” that will “study the syntax, language and content that gains attention and virality in these spaces” of male voters. The focus is on digital outreach, emphasizing platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts.

“[There’s been] a huge shift in the way the media landscape work[s],” pollster Carly Cooperman told The Daily Wire. “I think we saw Democrats wary of going on some of these podcasts that lean culturally conservative, or where Republicans were going on, but that is the shifting landscape, and that is where people are reaching men, and particularly younger men.”

WNBA Race Bait

Topline: Caitlin Clark continues to draw strong ratings for the WNBA, while the league finds itself engulfed in racial controversy.

The WNBA is just two weeks into the 2025 season, but it only took one game for the league to investigate accusations of racism. Caitlin Clark’s team, the Indiana Fever, played the Chicago Sky on May 17, and Clark was called for a flagrant foul following a physical interaction with her rival, Angel Reese. After the foul, Reese began to come after Clark and taunt her. Clark’s team went on to win in a total blowout.

Neither team mentioned any fan remarks in the postgame news conferences afterward, but allegations of “hateful” remarks supposedly directed at Reese, who is black, quickly became a topic on social media. The WNBA announced within a few hours that it would investigate those claims.

“Obviously, there’s no place in this league for that,” Reese said. “I think the WNBA and our team and our organization has done a great job supporting me. … Going through this whole process, if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”

After about a week of trying to find any evidence of racist fan behavior against Reese, the league announced that it found none. “We have investigated the report of racist fan behavior in the vicinity of the court during the May 17, 2025, Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever game. Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it.” The league went on to ensure everyone knows it is committed to “fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone” and that it would “continue to be vigilant in enforcing our fan code of conduct.”

Many across the country are calling out the league for giving credence to baseless social media claims. Others have blasted Reese for playing the victim despite the lack of any evidence. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) wrote on X, “Angel Reese owes Indiana fans an apology.”