Several important political developments took place last week, both at the state and national levels. The Department of Justice delivered a critical order affecting New York City’s mayor, the White House levied yet another steep tariff, and President Donald Trump engaged in what looked to be the beginning of peace talks with foreign leaders. All of these events sparked intense response and continue to hold significant ramifications for the country.
Last Monday, Feb. 10, the Department of Justice issued a directive to federal prosecutors to drop the criminal charges against Eric Adams, the Mayor of New York City, The New York Times reported.
As outlined in the press release issued by the DOJ, Adams was criminally indicted last September on counts of bribery and campaign finance offenses. However, as the acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, the official who issued the order, explained to Manhattan prosecutors, the indictment interfered with the mayor’s ability to effectively carry out the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies.
The announcement prompted much speculation and even outrage from public officials. Some officials theorized that the directive could constitute one end of a quid pro quo between Mayor Adams and President Trump. In exchange for federal dismissal of Adams’ criminal charges, they argued, the mayor would offer greater cooperation for the presidential administration’s plans for immigration raids.
Other officials were positively enraged by the directive. Danielle R. Sassoon, the top prosecutor in Manhattan overseeing the criminal case and the official who received Bove’s initial order, refused to dismiss the case, ultimately resigning in protest after sending a candid email to Attorney General Pam Bondi on the matter.
“[Adams] committed the crimes with which he was charged,” she wrote. “Adams’s attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo, indicating that Adams would be in a position to assist with Department’s [immigration] enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed.”
On Saturday, Feb. 15, federal prosecutors in New York filed a motion to dismiss Adams’ five-count indictment, thus accepting the directive by the Justice Department– however, approval by the judge overseeing the case is necessary before the charges are officially dropped, reported CBS News.
This decision is expected to lead to further protest from high ranking officials. First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, as well as Deputy Mayors Meera Joshi, Anna Williams-Isom and Chauncey Parker are all poised to resign following the order and Adams’ corresponding embrace of the president’s uncompromising immigration policies. Additionally, several other DOJ officials and lawyers on the case also quit in protest. Such reactions demonstrate the significant political repercussions this decision had for not only Mayor Adams, but also on larger state and national scales.
The Trump administration also outlined new economic policy this past week. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the White House announced plans to institute a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports in March.
The executive order reflected Trump’s “America First” ideology as rationale for the directive.
“President Trump is taking action to protect America’s critical steel and aluminum industries, which have been harmed by unfair trade practices and global excess capacity,” it stated.
According to BBC, the order ended previous exemptions for some of America’s major trading partners, including Canada, as well as many European Union countries. The trade barriers posed by the order greatly impact the nation’s typical trade relations. Last year, Canada accounted for more than 50% of the aluminum imported to the U.S.
The new tariff policy was met with frustration from many world leaders. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the tariffs “unacceptable,” and claimed that “If it comes to [dollar-for-dollar retaliation], our response will be firm and clear. We will stand up for Canadian workers, we will stand up for Canadian industries.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen conveyed a similar resolution.
“[The tariffs] will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures,” she said. “The EU will act to safeguard its economic interests.”
In addition to levying the steep tariff, Trump also remained busy last week by engaging in critical conversations with both Russian President Vladmir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to CNN.
The president spoke with the former over the phone last Wednesday, Feb 12. in what he labeled a “lengthy and highly productive call.” In remarks made to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said to have begun tentative negotiations with Putin about a potential peaceful end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
“He wants it to end,” Trump said about Putin. “We talked about the possibility, I mentioned it, of a ceasefire, so we can stop the killing. And I think we’ll probably end up at some point getting a ceasefire in the not-too-distant future.”
That same day, Trump also spoke with President Zelensky of Ukraine and noted that this conversation “went very well.” In a post he made to social media that day, Trump said, “He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE.” His words suggest that his conversation with the Ukrainian leader was also focused on negotiating a deal to halt the war in an orderly and calm fashion. These conversations underscore Trump’s interest in positioning himself as a potential mediator in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The results of his efforts have yet to be witnessed.
The legal and political considerations associated with the case regarding Mayor Adams, the new tariff policy, and the peace talks between world leaders will continue to be seen as these developments unfold. The DOJ’s decision has already led to numerous high-profile resignations, while the effects of Trump’s new tariff and his recent conversations have only begun. As these events progress, their impact on both domestic and global politics will become clearer and shape the political landscape in the months to come.
