Tuesday, March 17 | By Cate Martel |
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It's Tuesday. Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀 How are you celebrating today? | Top US counterterrorism official quits over Iran war Israel says it took out two top Iranian officials Diesel crosses $5 per gallon Will Trump's mail-in voting restrictions pass? March Madness bracket strategies
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A Trump counterterrorism official resigns over the Iran war: |
AP Photos | Alex Brandon and Jenny Kane |
Joe Kent, a top counterterrorism official in the Trump administration, has resigned in protest of the war in Iran. He argues that Iran was not a threat to the U.S. Kent's reasoning: "I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby," Kent posted on social media. 🔎 Read Kent's letter of resignation to Trump What to know about Kent: Kent is a top aide to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and serves as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center. He's a former Green Beret and served in the Army for two decades. He was previously Gabbard's chief of staff. Awkward timing: Gabbard is set to testify on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and Thursday for annual hearings about global threats. 💡 Keep in mind: Kent appears to be the first Trump administration official to resign over the war. Trump rejected Kent's assessments: "I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak," the president told reporters at the White House. "When I read his statement, I realized it's a good thing that he's out, because he said Iran is not a threat. … Every country realized what a threat Iran was." Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says Kent's assessment is 'clearly wrong': "There was clearly an imminent threat that Iran was very close to the enrichment of nuclear capability, and they were building missiles at a pace that no one in the region could keep up with," Johnson told reporters. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) says 'good riddance': "Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans. Their EFP land mines were the deadliest in Iraq. Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don't want it in our government," Bacon posted online. 💬 Follow today's live blog |
➤ THE IRAN OPERATION IS FORMING A RIFT ON THE RIGHT: |
Conservative podcasters Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson, both former Fox News hosts, have broken with Trump on the war. Carlson, like Kent, blames Israel for the U.S. getting involved in Iran, arguing the strikes happened because "Israel wanted it to happen." Tidbit: Carlson has been selling merch that says, "Neocons are gay for Israel" and "AIPAC An offer you can't refuse," per The New York Times. Read more about the conservative divide: 'Rift Widens Among Republicans Over Israel and War in Iran' |
➤ A RISE IN GOP ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC FORMING: |
"In recent weeks, a number of Republicans have taken to social media to attack Muslims, portraying them as un-American and an intrinsic threat to national security. That's prompted a fiery response from Democrats that the GOP is embracing Islamophobia and trampling on religious freedoms ensured by the Constitution," reports The Hill's Mike Lillis. Happening this week: "Those tensions could surface this week on the House floor, where at least one Democrat is pushing to censure a GOP lawmaker who is advocating for a moratorium on Muslims living in the country." Read more: 'Rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric by GOP sparks uproar on Capitol Hill' |
➤ DID TRUMP TALK TO FORMER PRESIDENTS ABOUT IRAN?: |
Trump suggested that a former president told him they wished the U.S. had bombed Iran earlier. Well, reporters from several media outlets spoke with aides to former Presidents Biden, Obama, George W. Bush and Clinton, who all denied speaking with Trump about Iran. Trump gave some clues: Trump said it was not Bush who made the comment. And when asked if it was Clinton, Trump told reporters, "I don't want to say. I don't want to say," then added that "it's somebody that happens to like me. And I like that person, who's a smart person." Read more on this saga |
Israel says it took out two top Iranian officials: |
Israel claims it has killed two top Iranian officials in its latest strikes on Iran. Who Israel says it killed: Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. This would make him the second-most senior leader to be killed in the conflict. And Gholamreza Soleimani, who commanded Iran's Basij unit for six years. |
➤ DIESEL GAS PRICES CROSS A THRESHOLD: |
The national average for diesel has exceeded $5 per gallon, according to AAA. For context, the average price of diesel a month ago was $3.65 per gallon. However, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett says the economic toll that American consumers are feeling from the Iran war is "the last of our concerns right now." |
It's time to SAVE it or sink it: |
The Senate will begin to consider the SAVE America Act today, the bill Trump has been pressuring Senate GOP Leader John Thune (S.D.) to pass despite concerns from Republican senators in a few states. The popular part of this proposal: It would require people to show documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote, like a birth certificate or passport. The part of the bill that is controversial: The bill's language drastically restricts absentee voting. Republican sources told The Hill's Alexander Bolton that eliminating no-excuse absentee voting has "p---ed off" some Republicans, and it's now at risk of failing. Why some Republicans have concerns: "Republicans from rural states are concerned that eliminating mail-in balloting for people unless they have strong excuses like serious illness, disability, military duty or travel will hurt GOP-leaning voters in remote areas who then would be forced to travel long distances to vote." ^ Plus: "Aside from concerns about eliminating no-excuse absentee voting for millions of Americans, some Republicans, such as McConnell, are skeptical about legislation that would strengthen the federal government's role in managing elections, something the Constitution largely leaves to the states." Which GOP senators may vote against it: "Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have already signaled they won't vote to proceed to the legislation, and GOP aides say there are other senators whose votes are in question, including Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and John Curtis (R-Utah)." Read more: 'Republicans collide with Trump over no-excuse absentee voting, SAVE Act' |
➤ 🍀 NO GREEN, NO QUESTION:
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has a rule for today's press conference: "No green, no question," per NBC's Scott Wong. |
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— Unionized workers at CBS News's streaming service are expected to walk off the job today in Bari Weiss's first union negotiations, per The Wrap. |
The New Yorker: Seeking a Second Passport: For some Americans, citizenship in a country their ancestors fled is now an insurance plan. The Atlantic: The Disappearing Off-Ramp in Iran The Hill: Inside Noem's tense relationship with controversial DHS inspector general The Washington Post: Is MAGA in its cringe era?: Trump 2.0 was supposed to be younger and cooler than what came before. The vibes have shifted. |
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The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EDT) |
Today: Illinois holds its primary elections. Five things to watch 12:10 p.m. Trump attends a Friends of Ireland luncheon on Capitol Hill. 12:30 p.m. Senators meet for weekly caucus meetings. 2:15 p.m. Two Senate votes. 📆 Today's agenda 2:30 p.m. Trump holds a policy meeting. 3 p.m. First and last House votes. 📆 Today's agenda 4 p.m. Trump participates in "signing time." 5 p.m. Trump meets with the taoiseach of Ireland and the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland. 5:20 p.m. Trump participates in the Shamrock Bowl presentation. 💻 Livestream |
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🥬 Celebrate: Today is National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day! St. Paddy's Day specials: Here's a list of 42 St. Patrick's Day specials today across the country, from NBC's "Today." I'm looking at you, Krispy Kreme with the green doughnuts. ^ Tidbit: Trump's FDA director, Marty Makary, posted a photo of green beer, advocating for spirulina extract as a natural alternative to green food dye. 🏀 Strategies to win your March Madness brackets: Here are 13 "beginner-friendly" strategies when you fill out your March Madness bracket, from The Athletic. 👋 The 'Irish goodbye' may actually be the way to go: An etiquette coach says that in some circumstances, leaving a party unannounced is actually the politest way. Goodbyes can disrupt the flow of a party. Read more 🦈🧑🤝🧑'Sharks, it turns out, have friends': Scientists have discovered that sharks actually have complex social bonds, according to a new study. Read more |
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