Mentioned in this edition: RFK Jr., Rand Paul, Mike Johnson, Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Tom Cotton, Nancy Mace, and more.
Good morning. Like Marco Rubio, Trump’s immigration policy bulldog Stephen Miller appears to be wearing many hats — including at DOJ. Is Pam Bondi’s role just ceremonial? We’ll get into it. Plus, RFK Jr. held his own in a fiery Senate hearing.
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
🏥 RFK Jr. defended his department in a contentious hearing. In a testimony that frequently turned testy and was interrupted by protesters, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came under fire from both Republicans and Democrats. Republicans, like Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), a dentist by trade, critiqued Kennedy’s decision to oppose adding fluoride to drinking water. Democrats attacked his cuts to staffing and various programs.
💣 Republicans beg Trump to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. Via a letter, signed by 177 House GOPers and all Republican senators, except Rand Paul (R-KY), the Republicans argued that Iran should have access to no nuclear capabilities whatsoever, civil or otherwise. Some members of the administration, including Vice President JD Vance, had earlier expressed an openness to Iran maintaining a civil nuclear program.
🧂 Mike Johnson is close to a deal on SALT. New York Republicans like Mike Lawler have flatly refused to accept Speaker Johnson’s (R-LA) proposed cap of $30,000, but reports indicate the two sides are getting closer to a compromise. Without a deal on the SALT cap, which limits how much individuals can deduct state and local taxes, the reconciliation bill will fail. Raising the SALT cap is considered to be a subsidy for high-tax blue states.
✂️ Marco Rubio is making big cuts to the NSC. Rubio, currently serving as secretary of state and national security adviser (NSA), will cut National Security Council (NSC) staff numbers by two-thirds, from 150 to around 50. The shift will turn the NSC from a policymaker to an executor of policies set by Trump’s top officials. While Rubio was initially expected to be NSA on a temporary basis, some reports have indicated he may stay in the role for much longer.
INSIDER RADAR
Kristi Noem on investigating a former FBI director
Insiders behind the paywall: Kristi Noem, Rand Paul, Mike Johnson, a Republican lawmaker, and Biden officials.
QUICK AND IMPORTANT
A transgender activist was arrested in South Carolina after threatening to murder Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC)
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced a bill to repeal DEI requirements in STEM jobs.
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. ordered an FDA review of the abortion pill after a shocking study revealed a high complication rate.
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Marco Rubio will attend Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass this Sunday.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Trump’s best week yet
Good morning. This has arguably been the best week of Donald Trump’s second presidency.
His trip to the Middle East was a resounding success. The president locked down hundreds of billions in investments, as well as one of the largest arms deals ever. Plus, his administration freed an Israeli-American hostage from Hamas.
Trump’s speech in Riyadh, in which he eviscerated the interventionist foreign policy of the past thirty years, was well-received. Even a liberal House Democrat said he “played the Middle East pretty darn well.”
At home, House Republicans are slowly working on a reconciliation bill to pass Trump’s priorities, while inflation remains lower than expected.
Trump is racking up victories at home and abroad while his opponents acknowledge his success. All in all, a pretty good week for the president.
- Anthony Constantini, Foreign Affairs Editor
DOJ officials claim Stephen Miller, not Bondi, calling the shots
WHAT’S HAPPENING
In a bombshell new report, nearly two dozen officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that Attorney General Pam Bondi has ceded much ground in running her department to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and other White House staff…
MEDIA BIAS SPOTTER
How left and right outlets frame RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing
Mentioned behind the paywall: ABC News, CNN, Fox News, and The Daily Wire.
THE DAILY DEBATE
📊 Who do you trust more calling the shots at DOJ?Results will be in tomorrow's newsletter |
POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY
How would you describe your foreign policy views?
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🪖 Interventionist (12)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ ☮️ Non-interventionist (174)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🤷♂️ Somewhere in the middle (255)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (15)
☮️ Non-interventionist: “If it doesn’t majorly, materially affect us, it’s not our problem.” — Joe
🤷♂️ Somewhere in the middle: “We should not be the world’s policeman, but we should intervene when U.S. interests are threatened.” — Pede
🤔 Unsure: “The definitions are unclear; they seem to change with time, culture, the issues at stake, and who’s in power.” — Anonymous
POP QUIZ
What is causing a delay in the GOP reconciliation bill? |
Today’s newsletter was written by Anthony Constantini, Brandon Goldman, and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won’t find in the mainstream media.