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Trump Interrupts Cabinet Meeting to Ask About Statue of Himself

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26.03.2026

Trump Interrupts Cabinet Meeting to Ask About Statue of Himself

The president is easily flattered.

President Trump cares more about getting a statue of himself built in Venezuela than he does about Americans getting cheaper gas prices.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum planted the absurd inkling in Trump’s easily flattered head during a Thursday Cabinet meeting at the White House.

“Back on Venezuela—[Energy Secretary] Chris [Wright] … had a chance to be there,” Burgum said. “I literally think they’re gonna put up a statue of President Trump … and it’s not a political statement, it’s—”

“I actually think that would be a great honor,” Trump interrupted.

“It’s like they view President Trump like Simon Buller,” Burgum continued, perhaps referring to Simón Bolívar, who led a massive chunk of South America into independence from Spain. “He’s the liberator of a country, and this is a country where they, you know they love American baseball, you look on the street, they’re wearing NBA jerseys.”

Burgum: "I literally think they're gonna put up a statue to President Trump in Venezuela. And it's not a political statement. He's the liberator." pic.twitter.com/nBYjGdjcCC— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2026

Burgum: "I literally think they're gonna put up a statue to President Trump in Venezuela. And it's not a political statement. He's the liberator." pic.twitter.com/nBYjGdjcCC

“Their production on oil production is climbing towards 50 percent increase just in the three months we’ve been here. That flows to American refineries on the Gulf Coast, lowering the price of gas in America, so it’s a—” Burgum continued before Trump cut in.

“Forget that. When are they gonna do the statue? To hell with the other thing,” Trump said as the room erupted in laughter. While it came off as a joke at the moment, a sitting president suggesting that the country whose president he kidnapped and jailed build a statue of him is tasteless in any context.

Trump’s dismissal of oil and gas prices—perhaps the most important issue to the average American—is emblematic of his entire second tenure as president. Chest pounding, bravado, and imperialism abroad while the Americans he promised to fight for flail at home.

BURGUM: That flows to American refineries on the gulf coast, lowering the cost of gas in AmericaTRUMP: Forget that. When are they gonna do the statue? pic.twitter.com/Pw2iD418Qs— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2026

BURGUM: That flows to American refineries on the gulf coast, lowering the cost of gas in AmericaTRUMP: Forget that. When are they gonna do the statue? pic.twitter.com/Pw2iD418Qs

Top Trump Official Asks What the Big Deal Is if ICE Goes to the Polls

The Trump administration seems serious about sending ICE agents to monitor election sites.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche advocated for sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling places, in the clearest proof yet that the Trump administration plans to use the overfunded and undertrained police force to suppress the vote.

Blanche made the comments in a speech at the popular conservative conference CPAC on Thursday. “Why is there objection to sending ICE officers to polling places?” he said. “Illegals can’t vote. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Federal law prohibits government forces from patrolling poll sites unless “such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.” Nonetheless, top Trump officials have balked when asked if ICE would be deployed for the midterms.

In February, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called a question on the subject “silly” and “disingenuous” while declining to actually answer.

Other right-wing freaks—cough, Steve Bannon, cough—have been all in on the idea for some time. And as Trump’s polling numbers continue to nosedive, it would be surprising if he didn’t do everything he could for his party to remain in power. Earlier this year, the president remarked that Republicans should “nationalize the voting.”

Critics worry that the presence of ICE agents at polling stations could deter Americans from voting, even if all their documents are in order. The agency has already killed two American citizens in 2026, and detained over 170 in 2025.

The idea that noncitizens are consistently voting in American elections is a myth Trump has successfully convinced his base is true. Funnily enough, most high-profile attempts at voter fraud have come from his own supporters.

Trump’s Reckless War Is Throttling New Homes and New Jobs

As long as the war continues, ordinary Americans will have a tougher time.

President Donald Trump’s reckless war with Iran is literally costing Americans their future by driving up mortgage rates and sapping the already dismal job market.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.38 percent this week, after steadily climbing for the past four weeks since Trump launched his military campaign in Iran, CNN Business reported Thursday. It was the largest single-week increase since Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs shocked the economy last April.

In February, mortgage rates slipped below 6 percent for the first time in three years, before the spiraling conflict in the Middle East........

© New Republic