Thursday, February 5 | By Cate Martel |
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Happy Thursday. Taylor Swift is releasing a music video for "Opalite" Friday at 8 a.m. EST! And the Olympic opening ceremony is also happening tomorrow in Italy! Wow, what a great day! |
Trump's insult-laden National Prayer Breakfast Skepticism grows over DHS deal Hillary Clinton requests public testimony Guthrie family's video plea to kidnapper Trump vows federal resources to find Nancy Guthrie
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That's a lot of name-calling for a prayer breakfast: |
That's a lot of name-calling for a prayer breakfast: President Trump spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington this morning. It was quite the feisty speech for an event centered on prayer. He name-called his predecessor as "crooked Joe" and "sleepy Joe." He referred to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who frequently opposes GOP legislation, as a "moron" and then claimed, "There's something wrong with him. We call him Rand Paul Jr." He also took a shot at Democrats, telling the crowd, "I don't know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat. I really don't." "Now if you do say something bad about Donald Trump, I will change my mind and I will have your tax-exempt status immediately revoked," Trump said to laughs when talking about religious institutions. What else did Trump speak about?: He touted his efforts to lower the crime rate in Washington, praised Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and denied using his administration to get back at political enemies. "I don't, but wouldn't I have a right to?" Trump said. Tidbit — is this why Rubio reportedly hides while sleeping?: "I don't sleep on planes; I don't like sleeping on planes, you know?" Trump said during the breakfast. "I like looking out the window, watching for missiles and enemies, actually." Remember when Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hides his naps from the president during flights together? 💬 Follow today's live blog |
➤ HAPPENING TONIGHT — TRUMP RX: |
The White House is planning to launch its direct-to-consumer lower-cost drug platform, TrumpRX.gov, this evening. What drugs will be offered?: "The platform will offer some of the medications manufactured by companies that have entered into MFN pricing agreements with the administration. These include drugmakers like Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Novartis and Sanofi." 💻 Watch the 7 p.m. announcement |
➤ OOF, NOT THE BEST NEWS: |
January was the worst month for job cuts since 2009, according to a new report from Challenger, Gray and Christmas. A total of 108,435 jobs were cut last month, a 205 percent increase from December. |
This is quite the predictable pickle they've gotten themselves into: |
"Republicans are skeptical that they and the White House will be able to reach an agreement with Democrats on reforms to immigration enforcement in the next few days, leaving many eyeing a long-term stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after funding expires Feb. 13," The Hill's Emily Brooks reports. Republicans and Democrats are far from any agreement. For example, Democrats want to increase warrant requirements for federal immigration operations. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has rejected it, calling it "unimplementable" and "not necessary." Democrats also want immigration officers to be unmasked, but Johnson has defended the use of masks. Read more on how this could play out |
➤ WHAT IS KEEPING SENATE REPUBLICANS UP AT NIGHT: |
"Senate Republicans are concerned that public backlash to President Trump's handling of the economy and his aggressive deportation policies could give rise to a Democratic wave that not only sweeps away the House Republican majority, but also threatens their own three-seat majority in the upper chamber," reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton. A new data point: "The latest alarm bell rang over the weekend when Democratic candidate Taylor Rehmet won a state Senate seat in a North Texas district that President Trump won by 17 points in 2024, a stunning upset that GOP senators say should serve as a 'wake-up call' heading into November." Read more: 'Republicans fear Trump backlash could cost them Senate control' |
This is quite the predictable pickle they've gotten themselves into: |
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is pushing for her deposition before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on its Jeffrey Epstein investigation to be public. She is scheduled to testify on Feb. 26 and her husband, former President Clinton's deposition is set to happen the day after. This comes after a long back-and-forth with Republicans on the committee. If the Clintons didn't agree to the terms, they would have been held in contempt by the committee. |
➤ TIDBIT — WILL BILL GATES GET SUBPOENAED?: |
House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said it is a "pretty good bet" his panel will also want to speak with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. And if Gates refuses to cooperate, Comer said it's "highly likely" he will be subpoenaed. |
➤ 29 (!) HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE BOWING OUT: |
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) announced he will not seek reelection, making him the 29th Republican member of the House to decide against running for reelection in 2026. Some are seeking higher office, and some are retiring. |
The latest in the search for Nancy Guthrie: |
It's Day 5 of the search for Nancy Guthrie, who appears to be taken from her home against her will. "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie posted a video with her two siblings, Annie and Cameron, pleading with her mother's potential kidnapper. She requested to see proof that their mother is still alive. 📹 Watch the video on Instagram and on YouTube Excerpt: "We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us." Trump got involved: The president announced Wednesday that he spoke with Savannah Guthrie and told her he has directed "ALL Federal Law Enforcement" to help with the search. When is the next update from investigators?: The next briefing will happen at 1 p.m. EST, per the Pima County Sheriff's Department. |
— A TikTok trend left a 9-year-old boy with severe burns after microwaving a gel-filled sensory toy. — Longtime Washington Post writer Martin Weil was laid off yesterday. He's worked for the newspaper since 1965 and is "one of the last ties to the paper's Watergate era," writes The New York Times's Eric Wemple. Read more about Weil |
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The House is out and the Senate is in. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST) |
1:45 P.M.: Senate confirmation vote. 📆 Today's agenda 2 P.M.: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream
7 P.M.: Trump makes an announcement. 💻 Livestream 2 P.M. FRIDAY: Opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics! |
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