Evening Report — Musk dives into election politics

Presented by National Council on Aging — Members of DOGE are set to give an interview tonight with Fox News tonight where they are expected to discuss ...

View Online Evening Report  PRESENTED BY  Thursday, March 27 | By Jonathan Easley TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS ©  AP Washington braces for new DOGE cuts as Musk dives into election politics ELON MUSK AND SEVEN MEMBERS of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team will sit for their first-ever joint interview Thursday evening, as Washington braces for a second wave of DOGE cuts and Musk dives further into election politics.   Musk and the DOGE team will be interviewed at 6 p.m. ET by Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier.   After attracting some early bipartisan interest in the effort to root out government waste and fraud, DOGE has become a lightning rod for controversy and a magnet for lawsuits.   Musk's sweeping cuts and combative style have been criticized as reckless and lacking in empathy.   DOGE's aggressive efforts have at times resulted in confusion at agencies and departments, with the courts intervening to reinstate thousands of fired federal workers or blocking the administration's efforts to claw back payments that were authorized by Congress.   More cuts are on the way:   • Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said Thursday he's planning to fire 10,000 employees and eliminate another 10,000 positions as part of a massive restructuring effort.   • Treasury Department officials said they're planning to lay off a "substantial number" of employees to align with Trump's executive order implementing DOGE's suggested changes.   The administration has walked back several initiatives after getting pushback from the courts or hearing from angry constituents.   • The Social Security Administration (SSA) will modify its proposed new policy requiring in-office visits for millions of recipients and applicants. The SSA will no longer require in-person identity verification for account holders with Disability Insurance, Medicare and supplemental security income applications.   • The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit upheld a block on the Trump administration's plans to freeze federal loans and grants through an Office of Management and Budget memo.   • The Trump administration says it has restored funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Open Technology Fund after the groups sued.   • The Department of Education says access to apply for certain student loan programs has been restored after an almost monthlong pause.    • The ACLU is challenging the firing of federal employees working on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. MUSK DIVES DEEPER INTO ELECTION POLITICS Musk is increasingly active in election politics.   The Associated Press reports that Musk-backed groups are "pouring millions of dollars into the race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court."   And Musk's super PAC is putting last-minute money into the two special House elections in Florida next week to fill open seats vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) and White House national security adviser Mike Waltz.   Those races are attracting national attention, with Democrats riding high after pulling an upset in a Pennsylvania state Senate race in a district Trump carried by double digits.   The GOP's ultra-narrow majority in the House is already a problem for Trump's legislative agenda, and the party can't afford to lose either of the House seats in Florida.   That dynamic is underscored by the Trump administration moving Thursday to pull Rep. Elise Stefanik's (R-N.Y.) nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations.   "As we advance our America First Agenda, it is essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress," Trump posted on Truth Social. "We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning."   The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports:   "House Republicans had expressed concern that if Stefanik was confirmed, it would have made it tougher to get Trump's agenda through the lower chamber because Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would have lost a vote in his conference and didn't have a clear idea how long it would take New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to schedule a special election to fill the seat."   Democrats are feeling emboldened after their upset in Pennsylvania.   The Hill's Jared Gans reports: "An upset victory in a state Senate race in Pennsylvania is the latest development to give Democrats hope of growing grassroots enthusiasm in the first few months of President Trump's second term."   The center-left think tank Third Way is pushing Democrats to attack Trump on the economy, with a new Gallup survey finding his marks on that issue near all-time lows, with 41 percent approving and 59 percent disapproving.   However, Trump's overall approval rating is currently higher than it was during his first term, at 45 percent approval. At this point in 2017, he was at 42 percent. 💡Perspectives: • The Economist: Is Elon Musk remaking government or breaking it? • The Hill op-ed: Torched Teslas show the normalization of political violence. • USA Today: Trump has exceeded my expectations. • Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Swing state Pennsylvania swinging even more. • The Hill op-ed: Can the Democratic Party free itself from the Biden brand? Read more:  • Dem group to spend $40m on key 2026 races for election oversight. • Senate GOP chair challenges Trump over emergency funding move. CATCH UP QUICK The government upgraded its previous estimate of fourth-quarter growth, saying the U.S. economy expanded at a rate of 2.4 percent in the final quarter of 2024.   The U.S. will hit its borrowing limit in August if no deal is reached on the debt ceiling.   A toddler slipped through the White House gate and was corralled by the Secret Service. NEWS THIS AFTERNOON ©  Mark Schiefelbein, Associated Press 'Changes' promised as chat breach probes get underway The White House says it will make "changes" to how the national security team communicates as investigations get underway into the Signal breach debacle.   Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and and ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) sent a letter to the acting inspector general at the Defense Department demanding more information about how senior administration officials included a journalist in a group chat about military attack plans.   The incident "raises questions as to the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance and need to know," the senators said.   Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is seeking the full un-redacted transcript of the chat.   White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is taking steps "to ensure it can never happen again."   President Trump acknowledged Wednesday the fiasco appears to be due to national security adviser Mike Waltz accidentally inviting The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg into the chat.   "Mike Waltz, I guess he said, he claimed responsibility," Trump said. "I would imagine it had nothing to do with anyone else. It was Mike, I guess I don't know. I always thought it was Mike."   But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is also taking heat for detailing the attack plans over the encrypted app Signal, which has already led to one lawsuit pertaining to government records laws.   The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports:   "Republican lawmakers have stopped short of calling on Hegseth to resign, but they're warning that his decision to share sensitive details about a pending military strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen over Signal, a commercial app, is a clear "strike" against him."   The White House insists no classified information was shared, but Trump said he'll ask Hegseth to review if any of the information shared should be classified. 💡Perspectives: • The Hill: Partisan warfare pushes the legal system toward collapse. • New York: Mike Waltz: 'We're trying to figure out' how I did this • New York Post: Waltz's blunder is a hard lesson for Trump's team. • Racket: Warner's shifting stance on leaks. Read more:  • White House scrambles to contain Signal chat fallout. • Hegseth moves to center of Signal chat firestorm. CONTENT FROM OUR SPONSOR IN OTHER NEWS ©  AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin Roundup: Trump levies new tariffs, trade war threats President Trump announced new tariffs on automobiles this week and promised more pain is coming for those manufacturing outside the U.S.   Trump announced a 25 percent levy on "all cars not made in the United States" beginning on April 2.   "For the most part, I think it's going to lead cars to be made in one location," Trump said.   The White House said it expects to raise $100 billion from the tariffs.   Trump also warned the EU and Canada against teaming up to retaliate.   "If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!" Trump posted on Truth Social.   Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the auto tariffs a "direct attack" on Canadian workers.   "We will defend our workers. We will defend our companies," he said. "We will defend our country, and we will defend it together."    British Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the United Kingdom doesn't want to do anything to "escalate" the trade wars.   "Trade wars are no good for anyone….so look, we are looking to secure a better trading relationship with the United States," she said. "I recognize that the week ahead is important."   • The U.S. arrested a top alleged leader of MS-13 in Virginia.   • The University of Alabama says one of its doctoral students has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), adding to the growing list of foreign students and scholars targeted by the Trump administration on college campuses.   A lawyer for a detained Ph.D. student at Tufts University filed an emergency motion requesting the government produce her. The 30-year-old Turkish national was detained earlier this week, with a video circulating showing six masked people handcuffing her and taking her away.   Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the arrest:   "We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campus," he said. "We've given you a visa and you decide to do that we're going to take it away."    Here's a full accounting of the international students and faculty known to be targeted by ICE. Rubio says says at least 300 foreign students' visas have been revoked 💡Perspectives: • The New Republic: Trump's "Freedom Cities" are a devious scam. • Los Angeles Times: Liberals should celebrate end of diversity statements. • The Hill: Is the 1798 Alien Enemies Act still relevant today?  Read more:  • Ukraine and Russia's truce agreements run into trouble within hours. • Trump shifts Greenland approach amid blowback, Signal scandal. • North Korea sent 3,000 more troops to Russia. • Canada updates guidance for traveling to United States. • Trump floats reducing tariffs on China to secure TikTok deal. Stay Engaged Someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up to get your own copy: TheHill.com/Evening. Did I miss a story? Drop me a line. See you next time! 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