Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Wednesday said President Trump should apologize to Pope Leo XIV following their public spat over the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran, adding that "when you're wrong, you're wrong." "To say soft on crime or soft on the border, that’s what you say to an opponent in the next election," Tillis told...
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Dan Caine will brief reporters Thursday morning on the U.S. military operation in Iran, just over a week into the fragile ceasefire between the Trump administration and Tehran. President Trump imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz this week, pushing back on Iran for...
Immigrants and the children of immigrants are a crucial source of personnel for the U.S. military. Given events in the Middle East, it’s an odd time to go out of the way to alienate them, but that’s what the White House, congressional Republicans and Republican governors and legislators in numerous states seem intent on doing.
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. In today’s issue: A showdown over the leadership of the Federal Reserve is ramping up ahead of a confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee for chair set for next week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Wednesday urged the administration to “wrap up” its investigation of...
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new podcast stands to gratify his "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) base after recent letdowns, though whether it will be able to energize this voting bloc ahead of the midterms remains dubious. This latest project from Kennedy comes as his place within the Trump administration has...
Two violent attacks against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and a city council member are prompting new fears over whether the debate around the technology has turned dangerous. Tensions reached a new high this week as technology leaders in Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley quickly blamed the anti-AI rhetoric for the recent violence, while AI opposition...
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is beginning to break through in Democratic circles. At last week’s National Action Network (NAN) conference — a key gathering of Black leaders and activists — Beshear stood out among a crowded field of potential contenders, catching the attention of the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton, who is the founder of...
President Trump is distracting from his own agenda this week, winning headlines for a series of AI posts invoking Jesus Christ even as his administration seeks to drive home preferred messages on the Iran war and the economy. The White House marked Tax Day by putting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Small Business Administrator Kelly...
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said on Wednesday that he was willing to take President Trump’s explanation for a controversial post depicting the president as a Jesus-like figure at “face value,” arguing that he was more concerned with Trump’s comments toward Pope Leo XIV. “I worry less about the post,” Tillis said during an exclusive interview...
Senior Trump administration officials escalated criticism of the Vatican on Tuesday, with Vice President Vance warning Pope Leo XIV to “be careful” when speaking about theology and White House Border Czar Tom Homan telling him to “leave politics alone.” Vance, a Catholic, issued the warning while addressing the pope’s opposition to the conflict with Iran...
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Wednesday that he would support public congressional hearings with victims of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, less than a week after the chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee committed to holding them. “Of course,” Blanche responded when asked at the Semafor World Economy summit...
White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought on Wednesday sparred with Democrats on the House Budget Committee over spending cuts proposed or enacted by the Trump administration. The annual hearing followed the Trump administration's unveiling of its proposed budget for fiscal 2027, which included a 40 percent increase to defense spending...
Time is running out on a fragile ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran, increasing pressure on mediators to get both Washington and Tehran back to the table for a second round of talks to end the nearly two-month war. Ahead of the scheduled ceasefire expiration on April 22, Pakistani officials are carrying out a...
