Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo glanced at her watch, noting they were already an hour into what had been scheduled as a standard briefing. The agenda had been typical enough: trade policies, infrastructure updates, and regulatory reviews. But anyone familiar with this administration knew that President Trump rarely stuck to scripts, and today would prove no exception.

The meeting had begun with the usual formalities—department heads providing updates on their respective portfolios, discussing implementation of various executive orders, and reviewing upcoming legislative priorities. Continues…