A 25-Hour Speech, Penguin Tariffs And Golden Visas: A Week In 'Trumpworld'

The first week of April was always going to be a big one for Donald Trump with his much-hyped announcement on global tariffs -- but that was just one part of another frenetic seven days at the White House.

Tariffs and penguin memes

Unveiling the new tariffs in the White House garden, Donald Trump held up a table of figures that the world strained to read.

Alongside China, India and EU were unexpected names such as the Heard and McDonald Islands, a barren sub-Antarctic Australian territory inhabited by penguins but no humans.

One widely shared meme image showed a penguin in place of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office during his recent spat with the US president and Vice President JD Vance.

Trump-branded golden visa

Donald Trump unveiled the first "gold card," a residency permit to be sold for $5 million each to attract investors and employers to the United States.

Flying on Air Force One, he showed off a prototype that bore his face and an inscription "The Trump Card" and said the special visa would be available with weeks. "Pretty exciting, huh?" he added.

The president has suggested revenue from the visa could be used to reduce the US national deficit, and that one million cards may be for sale.

A 25-hour anti-Trump speech 

A Democratic lawmaker shattered the record for the longest speech in Senate history, staying on his feet for 25 hours and 5 minutes to deliver a fiery, if long-winded, protest against Donald Trump.

Senator Cory Booker's endurance -- to hold the floor he had to remain standing and could not even go to the bathroom -- beat Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

"This is a moral moment. It's not left or right. It's right or wrong," Booker said as he wrapped up, adding "I'm going to deal with some of the biological urgencies I'm feeling."

Musk to return to the day job?

Elon Musk made a failed effort -- including cash giveaways and personal appearances -- to swing a vote to choose a Wisconsin Supreme Court judge.

Elon Musk has led Donald Trump's efforts to slash federal government, but his days of taking a starring role at cabinet meetings were reported to soon be over as he is set to return to Tesla, SpaceX and his many other interests.

Factors in play could be Tesla's slumping sales, friction with other Trump officials and his rather public setback in Wisconsin.

'Free Le Pen' says Trump

Donald Trump rallied to defend French far-right leader Marine Le Pen after she was found guilty of embezzlement and banned from running for public office for five years.

She had been seen as a leading candidate in the 2027 presidential election "and now, just before what would be a Big Victory, they get her on a minor charge," Donald Trump said.

"It is all so bad for France, and the Great French People, no matter what side they are on. FREE MARINE LE PEN!"

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