Today’s notice: Trump’s plans for Ukraine change again … or maybe not. Who’s following Lindsey Halligan around the office. The Democratic establishment is facing a potent primary field. And: What opposition groups have learned from hundreds of lawsuits against Trump.
THE LATEST
Second, Third or Fourth Chances? Donald Trump seemed primed to let Vladimir Putin back in his good graces, after a two-hour phone call yesterday that left him certain that the pair would meet again in Budapest within two weeks.
“This may be such a productive call that we’re going to end up…,” the president said in the Oval Office, before hedging, “We want to get peace. We want to stop the killing.”
That’s a far cry from the last few weeks. Trump has routinely declared his disappointment with Putin over the lack of progress toward ending the war in Ukraine. The Alaska summit in August yielded no tangible results, with the promises of a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy never materializing.
“I don’t know if that’s still the expectation,” a White House official told NOTUS’ Violet Jira, when asked if that remains on the table. “The president is still committed to getting both sides to come to an agreement for peace.”
Zelenskyy might walk into the Oval Office today with some concerns. Trump yesterday cast doubt on the prospect of relinquishing any Tomahawk missiles — something he strongly indicated was on the table earlier this week.
This “makes tomorrow’s meeting with [Zelenskyy] more of a cliff-hanger, which is a tactical position Trump enjoys,” Daniel Fried, an ambassador to Poland under President Bill Clinton, texted Jasmine.
“But what U.S. interest is served by repeatedly walking up to the line of serious pressure on Russia to stop the war and then walking back?” he asked. “That pattern helps Putin but advances no U.S. interest I can see.”
Open Tabs Senate Tries Another Approach to Fund the Government – and Fails (NOTUS); U.S. Rejected plan for Venezuela’s Maduro to slowly give up power (AP); John Bolton Indicted in Documents Probe (NOTUS); Tariff costs to companies this year to hit $1.2 trillion (CNBC)
From the Eastern District of Virginia
An unusual detail: It is unheard of for a regional district’s highest-ranking prosecutor to be followed by personal guards when walking inside their own offices and meeting with assistant U.S. attorneys who report to them, but that’s how Lindsey Halligan is doing things. Sources described the detail to NOTUS’ Jose Pagliery as being between three and six U.S. Marshals Service agents at all times.
“Temporary,” is how a source familiar with the detail described it to Jose, saying Halligan’s prominence has led to death threats and security was added “for safety for threats outside of this office.”
From the campaign trail
Democrats got a lot of primaryin’ to do: “It used to be, if you were the party’s choice in a race, you’re probably gonna win because our voters wanted to support the party’s choice,” a Democratic consultant told NOTUS recently. Alex Roarty and Reese Gorman report the number of primaries facing Democrats this election cycle is unusual — and their challengers’ staying power stands as proof that party backing for a candidate is increasingly not a badge of honor.
“If D.C. knew how to beat Susan Collins, I wouldn’t be running in this race,” Graham Platner, one of those primary candidates threatening to scramble DSCC plans in Maine, told NOTUS.
From the Hill
The No Noems Club. “You would think a former member of Congress would have more fucking respect for the institution she used to serve in,” a GOP member told NOTUS of Kristi Noem recently. Reese Gorman and Anna Kramer report that this member is not the only Republican on Capitol Hill grumbling about the DHS secretary.
What the problem is: “The view among Republicans on the Hill is Secretary Noem is less interested in doing the blocking and tackling of her day job than she is with promoting herself in taxpayer-funded TV commercials,” a senior Senate GOP aide said.
From the White House
Trump’s IVF move: A deal with a drug company to reduce the costs of some IVF drugs and a push for employers to provide some IVF coverage were welcome steps to some advocates, but NOTUS’ Margaret Manto and Oriana González detail how the big White House announcement Thursday fell far short of the president’s 2024 campaign promises.
THE BIG ONE
How to take the White House to court. Government employees were actually the first to file a lawsuit against Trump 2.0, in the form of an effort by the AFGE union to shut down DOGE. Oriana has a deep dive into the legal strategy employee groups and their allies are now using to stand in the way of the White House’s shutdown RIFs.
The approach: Lawyers have been planning for an administration that aggressively attacks legal precedents for months. An umbrella project called Democracy 2025 has around 650 members, who operate a password-protected resource site aimed at anticipating these legal tests and sharing resources about how to approach them. “It’s the threat-mapping in advance and understanding what’s going to happen,” Rachel Homer, group director said.
Venue: “It’s one thing to put something on Truth Social with no basis, say it on Fox News, write it down in an executive order. It’s another thing to have to answer questions to a federal judge,” Elias Law Group partner Jacquelyn Lopez said. Getting administration lawyers into an actual courtroom is a key part of the strategy.
White House response: “It’s not news that radical left-wing organizations are launching a coordinated effort to undermine the will of the American people,” spox Abigail Jackson said.
NEW ON NOTUS
Meet the deadbeat zombie candidates. If it sounds spooky, it is – especially if you’re a creditor to one of the campaign organizations that technically still exist but may never pay you what you’re owed. NOTUS’ Dave Levinthal and Taylor Giorno report on some of the big name former candidates still deep in the red, including Mehmet Oz (his former Senate campaign owes $25 million to him), Al Sharpton (his 2004 presidential campaign owes $925,000 and may be in violation of federal law), and Newt Gingrich (his 2012 campaign still owes other people $4.25 million).
More: GOP Rep Blames Coordinated ‘Ruse’ for Swastika-Emblazoned Flag in His Office
Navy Admiral Overseeing Caribbean Sea Resigns Amid Furor Over Boat Strikes
Trump DOJ Brings Its First Antifa-Related Terrorism Charges
North Carolina Jumps Back Into the Redistricting Battle
NOT US
- New Georgia Project shuts down, ending a decade of political influence in state By Greg Bluestein for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- It’s a Chemtrail? New Conspiracy Theory Takes Wing at Kennedy’s HHS By Stephanie Armour for KFF
- Trump Plans To Pay ICE Officers And Border Patrol Agents Despite Shutdown, Memo Shows By Dave Jamieson for HuffPost
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