Today’s notice: Large event space politics. Checking up on the state of FOIA. Kevin Warsh’s life gets a little easier. And: Pay attention to the growing progressive fracture on tax policy.

THE LATEST

Donald Trump was happy to talk yesterday about what officials are referring to as the latest attempt on his life. The president sat for an extended interview on “60 Minutes” to discuss what was running through his head as he was evacuated from the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner — but things quickly turned sour when host Norah O’Donnell asked about two things: Trump’s historically rocky relationship with the press and a “manifesto” the alleged gunman wrote.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, reportedly accused “administration officials” of a number of serious offenses, but when O’Donnell asked about the document, Trump lashed out.

“I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would, because you’re horrible people, horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody. I’m not a pedophile,” Trump said. He told O’Donnell, “You should be ashamed of yourself reading that, because I’m not any of those things.”

The politics moving forward seem to be about just one thing: Trump’s desire to build a ballroom to his exact specifications where the East Wing once stood.

Talk about this began immediately after the WHCD evacuation. Trump argued soon after kicking off his Saturday night press conference from the White House that his ballroom would be more secure than a hotel. He also demanded on Truth Social and in an interview on Fox News that construction on the site be allowed to resume.

It’s not just him saying it. Many, many conservative figures picked up the call over the weekend to let Trump build the ballroom he wants. Semi-regular White House ally Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat, demanded that critics “drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these.”

A reminder of what the politics of this actually are. When Trump demolished the East Wing to begin the ballroom project, it did not poll well. It’s been a while since we’ve seen numbers on the topic — but as of last year the numbers were solidly against it. Even Republican support was relatively soft, with 58% of Republicans supporting it in an October YouGov poll. A full-court press from MAGA may bring those GOP numbers up, but there is a long way to go before the project becomes popular.

Anecdotally, it’s not clear how the ballroom would have affected the WHCD. From our conversations throughout the weekend in D.C. with former members of the White House Correspondents’ Association and others long associated with the event, there was skepticism that the dinner would ever be held at the White House. The idea is that it’s the press hosting the president, not the other way around.

What about Trump’s suggestion that the organization hold another dinner within 30 days? After the adrenaline wore off, there were few people we met who expected it to happen. Experienced dinner planners noted the months it takes to get an event like this planned during normal circumstances.

Open tabs: Caltech Grad, ‘Teacher of the Month’ Named as Washington Shooting Suspect (WSJ); King Charles to proceed with US trip despite security concerns (Politico); Trump ousts National Science Board members (WaPo); Becerra, Steyer jostle for front-runner status in ‘fluid’ California governor’s race (The Hill)

From the White House

Freedom to wait (and wait) for information. A dozen experts, ranging from former federal employees who worked in FOIA offices to lawyers that litigate FOIA cases, told NOTUS’ Shifra Dayak that the Trump administration is categorically worse at complying with the transparency law than past administrations (which generally were not portraits of rapid compliance in the first place).

Telling example: When the Center for Biological Diversity filed a FOIA request for a Trump appointee at OMB’s calendar information, the agency said it would take three to five years to complete the request.

The White House directed NOTUS to individual agencies in response to a request for comment.

From the Hill

New Fed chair glidepath. “I am prepared to move on with the confirmation of [Kevin] Warsh. I think he’s going to be a great Fed Chair,” Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told NBC yesterday. Tillis, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, had vowed to block the nomination as long as the criminal probe of current Fed chair Jerome Powell proceeded. That case was dropped, and Warsh’s nomination to replace Powell appears destined to move out of committee as early as this week.

THE BIG ONE

Progressive tax breakup. Sen. Bernie Sanders is a co-sponsor of Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s sweeping tax cut plan, but Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thinks the proposal might be missing the forest for the trees. NOTUS’ Jade Lozada goes inside a significant policy rift among D.C. progressives that previews a complicated 2028 plotline.

One side says stuff like this: “If people want to choose between whether they want guaranteed health care or a 5% tax rebate, people are going to want guaranteed health care.” That’s AOC, but Rep. Ro Khanna has similar views.

The other side says stuff like this: “It’s the most just way to go about dealing with the biggest challenge for voters right now, which is the costs — all of us are dealing with these rising costs,” Sen. Cory Booker, who has a tax cut proposal similar to Van Hollen’s, said.

What’s next? Progressives are gonna let this play out. The House Progressive Caucus chair, Rep. Greg Casar, said the group has yet to convene for a formal discussion on tax cuts vs. new programs. “I’m glad that Cory, Chris and others are looking at all sorts of options, because we should get all the ideas out there on the table right now while we’re in the minority,” he said, “so that we’re ready to go and have had the debate by the time we’re back in power.”

NEW ON NOTUS

Keystone cash: Thirteen of Pennsylvania’s 19-member congressional delegation — including both senators — have median net worths estimated to be in the millions. Two others have median net worths above $900K. That makes them much, much wealthier than the $200K median net worth for commonwealth households. NOTUS’ Avani Kalra and Shifra Dayak report out the latest in our ongoing Capitol Gains series on congressional wealth.

Richest delegation member: Republican Sen. Dave McCormick. He entered Congress last year with a median net worth of more than $191 million after a career in finance.

More: Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Just Resigned. She’s Still Seeking Reelection. By Kadia Goba

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Has Disappeared From Capitol Hill. He’s Still Trading Stocks. By Dave Levinthal

NOT US

• Something Is Happening to America’s Moral Code, by Graeme Wood for The Atlantic
  
• After the Gunfire, the Parties Went On, Uneasily, by Callie Holtermann and Andrew Trunsky for The New York Times
  
• Who Killed the Florida Orange? By Alexander Sammon for Mother Jones

WEEK AHEAD

Today

• The suspect in the WHCD shooting incident is expected to appear in federal court, according to the DOJ.
  

Tuesday

• Charles III is set to address a joint meeting of Congress.
  
• The House is scheduled to take up a FISA authorization vote.
  
• The House may also vote on a war powers resolution that would curtail Trump’s unilateral options in Iran.
  
• Health system CEOs are set to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee.
  

Wednesday

• Warsh’s nomination for Fed chair is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Banking Committee.
  
• The Fed is expected to release its latest decision on interest rates.
  
• “The future of the First Amendment in higher education” is the subject of a House Education subcommittee hearing.

Thank you for reading! If you liked this edition of the NOTUS newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If this newsletter was shared with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Have a tip? Email us at tips@notus.com. And as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts at newsletters@notus.com.