“In the first three weeks of his administration, President Donald Trump has moved with brazen haste to dismantle the federal government’s public integrity guardrails that he frequently tested during his first term but now seems intent on removing entirely,” the AP reports.

“In a span of hours on Monday, word came that he had forced out leaders of offices responsible for government ethics and whistleblower complaints. And in a boon to corporations, he ordered a pause to enforcement of a decades-old law that prohibits American companies from bribing foreign governments to win business. All of that came on top of the earlier late-night purge of more than a dozen inspectors general who are tasked with rooting out waste, fraud and abuse at government agencies.”

“It’s all being done with a stop-me-if-you-dare defiance by a president who the first time around felt hemmed in by watchdogs, lawyers and judges tasked with affirming good government and fair play. Now, he seems determined to break those constraints once and for all in a historically unprecedented flex of executive power.”

“President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Monday imposing 25-percent tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, the latest salvo in his ongoing effort to overhaul the U.S. trading relationship with the rest of the world,” the Washington Post reports.

“The president’s actions are designed to promote greater domestic steel industry production and employment. But they will increase costs for manufacturers that use the industrial metals to produce goods such as automobiles and appliances. Those higher costs are at odds with Trump’s repeated campaign promises to bring down the cost of living.”

“Elon Musk’s net worth fell below $400 billion for the first time in two months, dragged down by a double-digit slide in Tesla Inc.’s share price,” Bloomberg reports.

“The automaker’s stock has fallen 27% after hitting an all-time high in mid-December on hopes that Musk’s proximity to President Donald Trump would boost the company’s fortunes. Tesla shares and options make up more than 60% of Musk’s wealth, which peaked at $486.4 billion on Dec. 17 in the wake of Trump’s election.”

The Bulwark: “A review of letters sent by Republican members of Congress to their constituents shows many lawmakers expressing caution, even concern, about the role Musk is playing.”

“Some members have pledged to voters that they will serve as a guardrail for DOGE. Others have expressed apprehension over the conflicts of interest that naturally result from the richest man on the planet—and a major government contractor—having such immense sway over federal spending. Even more have acknowledged fears that Musk may gain access to voters’ sensitive personal information.”

New York Times: “Just eight days after he won a second term, Mr. Trump — whose supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent Joe Biden’s victory from being certified — mused about whether he could have a third presidential term, which is barred by the Constitution.”

“Since then, he has floated the idea frequently. In public, he couches the notion of staying in office beyond two terms as a humorous aside. In private, Mr. Trump has told advisers that it is just one of his myriad diversions to grab attention and aggravate Democrats.”