It’s Wednesday. Today was quite eventful—my first experience at the Hillnation Summit. And, by the way, there’s a council softball game happening tonight!
In today’s issue:
- The Hillnation Summit is in full swing
- Trump refutes intentions to fire Powell
- Noem hints at a relaxed TSA policy
- The President labels Epstein’s outrage as “Bulles”
- The Senate is gearing up for votes next
Live from Hill Nation Summit
Washington leaders sharing insights:
Hill and News Nations are hosting the inaugural Hill Nation Summit, bringing together influential figures from Washington.
It was quite a buzz this morning. Secretary of Homeland Security Christie Noem discussed possible adjustments to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policies. She also defended FEMA’s response to the deadly floods in Texas, amidst mounting criticism for delays in response and recent icy conditions.
💻Catch it live until 5 PM
🗨🗨️Check out our live news blog
Summit Highlights:
Noem had quite a bit to say:
- On Texas flood response: Noem, who oversees FEMA, defended the federal response to the floods, stating it should ultimately be a state-driven initiative. “The federal government never swoops in for emergency responses,” she commented, pointing to the bureaucracy’s overwhelming influence over time.
- On the California marijuana facility incident: Noem mentioned, “We targeted locations known for criminal activity and initiated lawsuits to hold them accountable.” Many arrests were made during last week’s operations, with one person tragically dying from a fall.
- Regarding airport security: As TSA’s leader, Noem aims for a more efficient airport experience. “I want to walk in with my carry-on, go through the scanner, and board the plane,” she remarked. There’s even a possibility she hinted at, regarding increasing the allowed liquid volume for passengers, though she was a bit vague on specifics.
^Readers, curious about your thoughts on this!
Senator Klobuchar shared her take on Trump’s trade frictions with Canada: Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) noted a significant drop in border crossings while Trump continues to enact tough trade measures with Canada. “This impacts tourism and relationships that have spanned years; we can’t let this continue.”
Navarro expressed criticism towards Jerome Powell: “Historically, he’s the worst Fed Chair ever,” stated senior trade advisor Peter Navarro. He didn’t directly call for Powell’s dismissal but contended that the Fed has become “too politically influenced.” [As a note, Powell was appointed by Trump in his first term.]
The FDA is moving away from animal testing: FDA CommissionerMarty McCurry stated that testing new drugs on animals is becoming less reliable, advocating for a gradual end to this practice.
House Republican Policy Committee Chairman emphasized retirement package efforts. While the US faces trillions in debt, “we’re experiencing cardiac arrests upwards of 9 billion dollars,” remarked Kevin Hen (R-Okla.).
➤Scenes and interactions
Michael Schnell made some quips!: My colleague interviewed John James (R-Mich.) on stage this morning. Schnell joked about being an Ohio State fan, a rival of Michigan. “I’ll turn it blue!” James replied, laughing.
Notable personalities at the summit included: former manager Sheri Bastos (D-Ill.); Axios’s Mike Allen; Firehouse Strategy Alex Conant; and Christopher Semenas from L’Oréal.
Humorous moment: Klobuchar referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee as “the always friendly and loving Judiciary Committee I serve.” This elicited some chuckles from the crowd.
➤Afternoon speakers include:
Mike Johnson (R-La.) will address the Hillnation Summit today, alongside others:
12:45 PM: Former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg
1 PM: House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)
1:15 PM: Mark Warner (D-Va.)
1:30 PM: Lisa McLain (R-Mich.)
1:45 PM: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
3 PM: Manager Locanna (D-Calif.)
At the White House
Will he use his famous catchphrase from “The Apprentice”?
President Trump told Republican lawmakers he intends to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell “soon,” but then quickly denied those plans after his comments sparked controversy.
What led to this?: Trump met with a group of 11 hardline House Republicans, and when he asked for their thoughts on firing Powell, they apparently expressed support for that action. A senior White House official mentioned the President seemed inclined to act on that.
A reporter asked Trump about the claims: “I won’t dismiss anything, but I think it’s quite unlikely,” he said regarding Powell’s termination. “That would be absurd unless necessary.”
This raises a key question—can Trump actually fire Powell?: There could be legal hurdles in attempting to remove Powell without cause. It’s not certain that the President has that power, especially since Powell has repeatedly indicated he won’t resign before his term concludes.
2005 throwback – 🎵 “Move together, move together.” 🎵
President Trump has been vocal about the conspiracy theories surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, calling the narratives unfounded.
This morning, he shared a lengthy social media post, describing the situation as a “hoax” perpetuated by Democrats.
“Their latest scam is what I’ll dub the Jeffrey Epstein hoax forever, and my past supporters are dragged into this ‘bull–,'” Trump exclaimed. 🔎
Earlier last week, both his Department of Justice and the FBI ignited discussions by dismissing theories suggesting a cover-up related to the scandal, leading to discontent among some right-wing figures who previously supported these views.
“I no longer want their backing!” he reiterated in his remarks today.
A reminiscent 2019 report from the New York Times: ‘Epstein’s tweet revisits Trump’s favorite genre of plot: Murder.’
However, behind the scenes, Trump’s team is contemplating releasing more documents. Reports suggest they are considering sharing “some additional materials” tied to Epstein.
^But maybe it’s too late: In a discussion, Haberman indicated that the controversy surrounding Epstein is a “quagmire.” [The Trump administration has] created a mess for themselves. “Whatever partial information they reveal, it won’t ever be sufficient. You would never be believed,” she stated on CNN’s AC360.
➤Related Readings
AP: How Trump has incited conspiracy theories over the years
Politics: Three interpretations of the Epstein debacle
At the White House
The term “voting for llama” feels quite precarious to me.
^And judging by the numerous emails I’ve received, it appears I’m not alone.
The Senate is poised to address a $9 billion spending cut vote this afternoon, marking their second long voting session this month.
Senate Republicans indicate they have support for the vote after extensive caucus discussions.
Recent deal-making: Cuts proposed to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) were omitted. Additionally, a provision was included to reallocate funds to sustain about 28 radio stations in 14 states serving tribal communities. These adjustments have reduced the proposed cuts from $9.4 billion to $9 billion.
How close is the vote?: The Republicans can afford to lose three GOP votes and still succeed, with Vice President Vance acting as a tiebreaker along with notable Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), both of whom have raised concerns over the cuts.
➤Tidbit—Who’s in D.C. today?
New York City mayoral hopeful Zoran Mamdani is in Washington today, having breakfast with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Coming up
The House and The Senate are in session. President Trump is in Washington, while Vice President Vance is in Pennsylvania. (All times EST)
12:20 PM: The first House vote of the day. 📆 Today’s Agenda
2 PM: A briefing with State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. 💻 Live stream
3 PM: Trump will attend a bill-signing ceremony. 💻 Live stream
7 PM: Trump will have dinner with the Prime Minister of Qatar.
7:30 PM: The Annual Congressional Softball Game at Audi Field in Washington. This event will be streamed for the first time! 💻 Live stream
🐝 Internet Topics
Cleverte: Today marks National Hot Dog Day.
“Summer isn’t complete without ‘Shark Week’!”: “Shark Week” kicks off on Saturday with Discovery. 📺 Programming Schedule
🏆 ‘And the Emmy goes to…’: The nominees for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards were revealed yesterday, highlighting Apple TV+’s “Severance” with a remarkable 27 nominations, closely followed by HBO Max’s “The Penguin” with 24. Check out the full list here.
👋 And finally…
Ever encountered wild discoveries? What about the mysterious, shiny golden crocodile?
