Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security The Big Story Pentagon previews next big wave for Iran Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and America’s top general on Wednesday morning previewed a major bombing campaign on Iran. © Photo
Senate Republicans voted largely along party lines Wednesday to defeat a bipartisan War Powers resolution to halt military action against Iran, even though a number of GOP senators are voicing concerns about the lack of a clear game plan for ending the conflict. The motion to
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares “categorically” denied Wednesday that the European country has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military concerning Iran, contradicting a claim made earlier in the day by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “The Spanish
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem got hot under the collar when asked if she was sleeping with one of her employees. Corey Lewandowski’s official title at DHS is that of an unpaid, temporary “special government employee,” but for years, the rumor around Washington has
President Trump and major tech firms announced an agreement Wednesday to have Big Tech companies cover the cost of the electricity they consume as development of artificial intelligence shows no signs of stopping. Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI, and Amazon have
The Hall of Famer died in Orlando, his family announced on Wednesday.
The federal trade court judge overseeing the refund process for President Trump’s tariffs ordered the administration Wednesday to finalize paperwork for imported goods without charging companies for the invalidated levies. The order from Richard Eaton, a senior judge on the
A majority of American voters believe that President Trump’s relationship with Iran has made the U.S. less safe, according to a new poll. In the Fox News poll, 51 percent of respondents said the president’s relationship with Iran has increased risk for the U.S. Twenty-nine
The Department of Homeland Security tapped a little-known ad firm to produce Kristi Noem’s multimillion-dollar ad campaign during the government shutdown last year. But when asked to explain her rationale before a House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday, Noem was
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Tuesday said the U.S. has "already won" its military operation in Iran, as the Trump administration teased a major bombing campaign. Kennedy appeared on Fox News and challenged remarks made by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who
The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the government’s release of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein. Five Republicans joined every Democrat on the committee to approve of the summons: Representatives Tim
President Trump on Wednesday said the next leaders of Iran keep dying in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military operation. “Their leadership is rapidly going. Everyone that wants to be a leader ends up dead,” he told reporters in the White House Indian Treaty Room. “Their missiles
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) signaled support on Wednesday for an Israeli threat to kill whoever is selected to succeed slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran, calling the action “entirely appropriate” if the regime does not change course. “Just keep killing them until they’re
Five Republicans joined with all Democrats to compel testimony from the attorney general.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Wednesday that he plans to stay neutral in the heated GOP primary for Senate in Texas after the race was projected to head to a May runoff. Cruz’s Texas colleague, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), advanced alongside Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday took the remarkable step of issuing a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi, compelling her to appear to answer questions about the Epstein files. The resolution to subpoena Bondi was introduced by Rep. Nancy
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Wednesday said officials are pursuing various options, including chartered flights and buses, to get Americans home from the Middle East amid the widering war in Iran. “I can say that every single second we are identifying
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fl.) on Wednesday lambasted her House colleagues for protecting Rep. Anthony Gonzales (R-Texas), who is facing accusations of an affair with a former staffer who died by suicide last year. During a meeting of the House Oversight and Government Reform
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday it was necessary to bomb Iran because President Donald Trump had a “feeling” the foreign nation would attack. “The president had a feeling, again, based on fact, that Iran was going to strike the United States, was
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday went after Spain for its opposition to the U.S. operation against Iran, saying the country's officials had risked American lives in the process. “NATO has never been stronger, thanks to President Trump. And the Spanish don't want to
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) is urging Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) not to “capitulate” to President Trump and commute the sentence of Tina Peters, a former county clerk who was convicted of tampering with voting machines. Bennet urged Polis Wednesday not to give in to the
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said Dunkin' and other companies will need to prove that their ingredients are safe, prompting Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) on Wednesday to reply back, "Come and take it." Kennedy, while at a rally at
Top Ethics Committee leaders said it would "chill" cooperation from victims and witnesses.
Gayle King is staying with CBS News, which is going under a major transformation under Paramount and its billionaire owners Larry and David Ellison. King, who has been with CBS since 2011, agreed to a new deal with the network this week and joked in a statement to The Hill
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that Americans who are reporting being stranded in various parts of the Middle East as a result of Iranian retaliation to U.S. strikes were given prior warnings to evacuate. U.S. officials have advised citizens
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday said the six U.S. soldiers killed in Iranian drone strikes will receive a dignified transfer. “President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their
Karoline Leavitt gave a characteristically petulant response when asked whether the U.S. was involved in an airstrike on a girls’ school in Iran that killed up to 168 people, mostly young children. Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, southern Iran, was struck Sunday amid the
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared unable to answer a repeated question during her briefing Wednesday: Is Iran a regime-change war or not? As President Donald Trump and his administration give shifting explanations of the U.S. decision to join Israel in
When the secretary of Homeland Security uses the phrase “domestic terrorism,” it carries enormous weight. It shapes headlines. It frames public opinion. And for families grieving a loved one, it can define how the country remembers them. This week, Kristi Noem appeared before
The House on Wednesday batted down an effort from Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) to publicly release all reports on file with the House Ethics Committee on investigations into members of Congress regarding allegations of sexual harassment of staff or of a sexual relationship with a
The matter is now in the hands of the Ethics Committee as some colleagues demand his resignation.
The path to lower power bills is to reduce federal regulation, and sunset clauses are an effective way to drive growth and lower costs, as demonstrated by Texas and Idaho.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attacked CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday after the journalist questioned the top White House spokesperson about the Pentagon admonishing media coverage of the deaths of six U.S. service members who were killed in an Iranian
Questions still remain for us, and the administration has a duty to provide answers.
President Trump will welcome executives from major tech companies to the White House on Wednesday afternoon to sign his ratepayer protection pledge. "President Trump’s ratepayer protection pledge will deliver more affordable, reliable, and secure energy for the American people
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Tuesday announced plans to offer 2,000 free child care spots to 2-year-olds, taking the first step toward achieving the mayor’s campaign promise of universal child care. The program will launch this
The House on Wednesday advanced a GOP-backed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, an effort by Republicans to pressure Democrats to end the partial government shutdown in the wake of the U.S. launching strikes against Iran. The panel voted 211-209 to pass the
President Trump will host a number of top executives in the business of college and professional sports for a meeting focused on improving college athletics. The meeting, which was confirmed by The Hill on Wednesday, will take place Friday at The White House and include guests
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was caught in a white lie Wednesday about a toddler detained by ICE. At a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Democratic Representative Ted Lieu showed Noem a picture of a young toddler named Amalia who was detained by ICE, and asked the
The United States launched operations against “designated terrorist organizations” on Tuesday alongside Ecuadorian forces inside the Latin American nation. The U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) did not disclose which terrorist groups it is targeting or the scope of the
The federal enforcement surge in Minneapolis demonstrated the importance of coordination between federal, state and local agencies in order to ensure public safety and minimize the human cost of such operations.
Lawmakers and senior leaders across the political spectrum gathered Wednesday to spotlight the unique and growing role of women in shaping policy and driving progress, from the halls of Congress to state capitols across the U.S. The occasion was to recognize the 50 women on The
President Trump said the Texas Republican Senate candidate that does not get his endorsement should drop out of the race, announcing on Wednesday that he will throw his weight behind the race “soon.” In a lengthy TruthSocial post, Trump argued that the GOP primary race in the
Blockbuster results from Texas's Senate primaries on Tuesday have left Democrats with a rising-star candidate in state Rep. James Talarico and Republicans facing two months of bitter fighting between Sen. John Cornyn and his challenger, state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Both
Given the many scandals that have enveloped this country since President Donald Trump began his second term, it’s easy to forget one of the first: Big Don’s call to gerrymander districts in Republican-held states in order to create more congressional seats for the GOP.
President Trump formally nominated Kevin Warsh to be chair of the Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday, teeing up his replacement for Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The president submitted Warsh's nomination to serve as Fed chair, along with a separate nomination to serve a 14-year
The conservative Club for Growth PAC announced on Wednesday that it’s throwing its support behind Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) in the competitive Georgia Senate GOP primary to for Sen. Jon Ossoff's (D-Ga.) seat. “Since first being elected to Congress, Mike Collins has consistently
President Trump's attack on Iran has been met with widespread disapproval from the American public, with six out of ten Americans opposing the attack and only one in ten favoring the use of combat troops in Iran.
Only Congress has the authority to declare war—but Republican leadership seems content to let Donald Trump do whatever he wants at whim. The Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on whether to block Trump’s warfare in Iran via a war powers resolution. The bipartisan resolution ,
During her confirmation hearing to become surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means had various back-and-forths with senators, who pressed her on topics related to vaccines, her qualifications and disclosure of her conflicts of interest. We looked into the sometimes-dueling claims from