‘I Did Post It’

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for April 13, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump courted a new round of outrage last night when he attacked Pope Leo XIV in a lengthy Truth Social screed and then posted (and deleted) a photo depicting himself as Jesus healing a sick man.

The difference this time around is that the backlash is largely coming from conservative Christian circles, including many commentators who have reliably backed the president through thick and thin.

• How Trump explained the Jesus art: “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor.” He added: “Only the fake news could come up with that one.”
• How the pope responded to Trump’s attack: “I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”

The pope-and-pic fallout might be easier for Trump than what’s happening with Iran, where his saber-rattling has entered a new phase. A U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz took effect this morning, a high-risk strategy to, apparently, squeeze the global economy until one side cries uncle.

• Trump threatened to attack Iranian ships that test the blockade “using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea.”
• U.S. officials are also planning another potential in-person meeting between negotiators before the two-week ceasefire expires, CNN reported.

THE HILL

The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Eric Swalwell after multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment were levied against the California congressman, forcing him to drop out of the state’s governor’s race.

• Swalwell has denied the claims. “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false, they did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything I have,” he said in a video message posted over the weekend.

There are growing calls on both sides of the aisle to expel Swalwell from the House, alongside Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, who was accused of sexual misconduct.

THE ADMINISTRATION

Trump ordered McDonald’s to the Oval Office today for lunch via DoorDash, part of an effort to create a viral photo op to promote his “no tax on tips” policy. “This doesn’t look staged, does it?” Trump joked to reporters.

• And tip he did — photographers captured the president handing the delivery driver, identified by the company as Sharon Simmons from Arkansas, a crisp $100 bill.

THE COURTS

A federal judge dismissed Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over the outlet’s reporting on a suggestive birthday letter he allegedly sent Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles gave the president two weeks to refile the case, but warned that the reporters’ actions appeared to fall well within the protections granted by the First Amendment.

• “The complaint comes nowhere close to this standard,” Gayles wrote. He also noted that the journalists contacted both Trump and law-enforcement officials and included the president’s denials in their story.
• Trump vowed to file the case again: “It is not a termination, it is a suggested re-filing, and we will be, as per the Order, re-filing an updated lawsuit on or before April 27th.”

A bit awkward: The White House Correspondents’ Association announced today that the story in question was part of a package that won its Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability. Trump is set to be in attendance at the association’s annual dinner later this month when the award is presented.

A NOTUS EVENT

Tomorrow morning! — NOTUS Event Livestream

Join us for the livestream of Made in
America: A NOTUS Summit on the U.S. Economy. Featuring Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Bill Anderson (Bayer), Dedrick Asante-Muhammad (Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies), former Ambassador Kip Tom (America First Policy Institute) and Arielle Elliott (NOTUS). Moderated by NOTUS reporters Daniella Diaz, Paul Kane and Anna Kramer.

Get the latest updates on our livestream tomorrow morning by following along on X @notusreports.

Event presented by Bayer.

WELCOME TO WASHINGTON

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Matt Berman and Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.