‘Tell It to My Face’

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for March 18, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Fireworks at Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing: An intensely personal back-and-forth between Donald Trump’s pick for DHS secretary and Sen. Rand Paul threatened to derail the proceedings. But Mullin also vowed to do a few things differently than his would-be predecessor, Kristi Noem:

• He said he would “absolutely” end Noem’s practice of personally approving expenses of $100,000 or more, which lawmakers and agency employees say has created unnecessary delays in disaster-aid and hazard-mitigation funding, among other things.
  
• He promised to sell off his massive stock portfolio, which contains a number of large government contractors.
  
• He said he would immediately seek to install a leader at FEMA. The agency has not had a Senate-confirmed administrator since Trump took office.
  
• He also signaled a shift in approach toward so-called sanctuary cities: “I would like to go in there and talk to the mayors,” he said.
  
• Lastly, he said he’d require judicial warrants for federal immigration agents to enter private residences and businesses, a key sticking point in current funding discussions for DHS.
  

Mullin also sounded a lot like Noem in a few instances. He declined to say Joe Biden won the 2020 election, or back away from incendiary comments he made about the death of Renee Good in Minnesota, an incident he previously said was “absolutely” justified.

The hearing ended on a puzzling note: Lawmakers left the room and went to a secure area so Mullin could answer questions about his international travel.

Not convinced: Paul said on Fox News following the hearing that he’d vote against Mullin. A full committee vote to advance Mullin’s nomination is expected tomorrow.

Tulsi Gabbard also found herself in the hot seat today. The director of national intelligence was grilled by senators about whether U.S. intelligence suggested Iran was an “imminent threat” to the country. At one point, Gabbard said it wasn’t her job to make that determination — it was Trump’s.

THE HILL

Fallout from Cesar Chavez sexual abuse allegations: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is pushing to begin the mammoth task of renaming the many schools, roads, government buildings, vessels and even the commemorative holiday named after the late labor leader. The decision came just hours after The New York Times published a bombshell, five-year investigation that details disturbing allegations of abuse by Chavez.

• “While it’s heartbreaking when leaders are exposed as flawed beyond absolution, a just society has a duty to hold abusers accountable without exception,” the caucus said in a statement.
  

Rep. Kevin Kiley was removed from his committee assignments. The newly minted independent doesn’t seem too worried about it — he told reporters shortly after being booted that he expected to be reinstated on those same committees with a shiny new “I” next to his name, though it “could take a couple of weeks.”

THE ADMINISTRATION

Trump signed a 60-day Jones Act waiver for oil, fertilizer and related products. The move temporarily lifts the restriction that requires U.S. ships to carry goods between U.S. ports. The purported goal is to dampen spiking oil prices — but effects will be basically negligible, analysts told NOTUS’ Anna Kramer, calling it “very low impact” for global markets.

The Fed left interest rates unchanged. The central bank cited Trump’s war with Iran as a central reason. “The implications of developments in the Middle East for the U.S. economy are uncertain,” it wrote in a statement following the decision.

Jerome Powell also vowed to stay as chair while a DOJ probe into his oversight of a building renovation project is ongoing. When asked at a press conference if he would stay on after his term ends in May, at least until a successor is confirmed, Powell responded that he would do “what I think is best for the institution and for the people we serve.”

Trump attended another dignified transfer. This afternoon’s ceremony was to honor the six Air Force crew members who died when a refueling plane crashed over friendly territory in Iraq. It appears the president removed his hat this time.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

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.