Donald Trump got his parade. Now what? Basically every pillar of Trump’s pitch to Americans is under stress.
Trump is at the G7 meeting this week, hosted by (what do we call it now, U.S. frenemy?) Canada. That’s already a full poutine of diplomacy to deal with, as we detail below. But central to the moment are Israel’s strikes on Iran, with the escalating conflict between the two nations opening up a rift in the MAGA movement so vocal that Trump felt the need to step in and quiet it.
The source of tension: What’s “America First” diplomacy at this moment?
“Well, considering that I’m the one that developed ‘America First,’ and considering that the term wasn’t used until I came along, I think I’m the one that decides” what it means in relation to this new Mideast war, Trump told The Atlantic.
What that means: In a call with ABC News, Trump said “it’s possible” the U.S. gets directly involved in the Israel–Iran conflict. Reuters also reported that the U.S. told Israel not to kill Iran’s supreme leader.
Back home, the White House’s immigration agenda is being tested. ICE has reportedly been directed to stand down from raiding agricultural and hospitality job sites. The move comes after Trump promised changes that flew in the face of vows of a wholesale deportation dragnet created by Stephen Miller and Tom Homan. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and powerful industry lobbyists seem to have the upper hand for now.
Which brings us to the economy. Remember that thing? Anyway, this topic is ostensibly what the G7 meeting is for. Outstanding questions about the future of tariffs and trade deals remain, as well as new questions about energy policy (especially important to Canada, the meeting’s host) and the “one big, beautiful bill.” Will America’s traditional allies, as well as the business community, get the policy stability they are looking for?
Where Does American Politics Go From Here? The promised number of supporters did not materialize for Trump’s Army parade, NOTUS’ Violet Jira reports. The big crowds promised by the “No Kings” protest movement across the country did, but the feared nationwide clashes between protesters and police largely did not.
The tragedy in Minnesota had a numbing effect on everything.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar sat for a marathon morning of interviews Sunday in which she spoke about her friendship with Democratic–Farmer–Labor state Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was killed along with her husband at their home by a killer apparently motivated by their politics. Another DFL state lawmaker, Sen. John Hoffman, was allegedly shot alongside his wife by the same suspect, though both are expected to recover.
But whether this weekend is a bleak blip or the harbinger of things to come is the biggest and scariest open question of all.
The Senate GOP’s Reconciliation To-Do List: It’s quite long! And that July 4 deadline set by Republican leaders is only getting closer.
Still outstanding: How much of the House’s cuts to Medicaid will Senate moderates tolerate? What about the state and local tax deduction? Will Trump get his border security money? What will the parliamentarian allow?
Majority Leader John Thune told reporters recently he believes the way the Democrats ran things when they had a trifecta “dramatically expanded the scope of what’s eligible for consideration under reconciliation.” His theory would allow Senate Republicans to largely pass what the House did, saving time and drama. But he still has to convince a Senate Republican conference that wants to make this bill its own.
Money Trail Indicates More Changes to Vax Policy May Be Coming: A six-figure payment from Health and Human Services to a law firm in Arizona could be the first step toward changes to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program that anti-vax advocates have wanted for years.
NOTUS’ Margaret Manto explains how a payment to the firm where attorney Andrew Downing works suggests the growing power of VCIP critics, who have complained about the federal program that shields drugmakers from liability suits in vaccine injury cases. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. strongly criticized the program as recently as 2022. HHS did not respond to a request for comment.
Inside the New Reality of Presidential Pardons: One source familiar with the process described it as a “‘what has that person done for me lately’ type of situation,” NOTUS’ Jasmine Wright reports.
How to do it: A direct connection to Trump, pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson or freshly appointed pardon attorney Ed Martin certainly helps, and a mini industry has arisen to create connections to them. Trump’s kids have advocated for clemency cases. So has Roger Stone.
Johnson downplayed the personal relationships involved: “There’s so much focus [on] the more famous people, they forget about the ordinary people … who received a second chance at life,” she said.
New on NOTUS
- Senate Republicans Say They’re Close to Making Crypto a Party Priority: The GENIUS Act has faced a fraught path through the Senate. As members gear up to give it a final vote, some of them say they’re ready for more.
- Trump Still Owes E. Jean Carroll $5 Million in Sexual Abuse and Defamation Case After Losing Appeal: The president has tied the case up in appeals for years.
Not Us
- Inside the Democratic Rupture That Undermined Kamala Harris’s Presidential Hopes, by Michael Scherer and Ashley Parker for The Atlantic
- National Portrait Gallery head steps down following Trump attempt to fire her, by Sophia Nguyen, Rachel Hatzipanagos and Geoff Edgers for The Washington Post
- Pentagon pizza monitor predicted ‘busy night’ ahead of Israel’s attack on Iran, by AFP
Week Ahead
The House is out this week, but the Senate is in.
The G7 Summit continues in Canada today and tomorrow.
New DNC leadership elections to replace deposed vice chair David Hogg and others run through Tuesday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has the first hearing scheduled this Wednesday for Republicans’ probe into Joe Biden’s mental fitness.
Wednesday is also an opinion day for the Supreme Court.
It’s Juneteenth on Thursday.
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