Wednesday, March 19 | By Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch |
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| ▪ Putin agrees to halt energy attacks on Ukraine ▪ Chief justice warns GOP against judge bashing ▪ Israel ends ceasefire with Gaza attacks ▪ Democrats hold town halls in GOP districts |
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©️ The Associated Press | Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik |
Putin in Trump call stops short of Ukraine truce
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A full ceasefire in Ukraine remains largely out of sight, even after President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone for nearly three hours Tuesday. Putin agreed to a pause in attacks on energy and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, as long as Kyiv agrees on the same. The move would mark the first negotiated truce in fighting in the three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a further step toward Trump's campaign promise of ending the war. But the Russian leader stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the Trump administration has sought. "The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace," the White House said in a readout. "These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East." ▪ The Hill: Five takeaways from Trump and Putin's call on the Ukraine ceasefire. ▪ Reuters: Trump said on Fox News that he and Putin did not discuss aid to Ukraine. Trump has previously said he plans to visit Saudi Arabia to meet with Putin to further discuss the ceasefire, but the precise timing of that meeting has yet to be determined. For the partial ceasefire to take effect, it needs the greenlight from Kyiv. Just hours after Putin and Trump's call, Russian troops conducted an airstrike on the energy infrastructure of Slovyansk, a city of 100,000 people in Ukraine's Donetsk region. Part of the city was left without power. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that he doesn't trust Putin to stick to a ceasefire because Russia hasn't abided by previous agreements with Ukraine under his leadership. On Tuesday, he called for more details. "We support all steps aimed at the end of the war. We will support them. But in order to support them, we need to understand what exactly we support," Zelensky said. "When President Trump has time, he is a busy man, when he has time, he can call me any time, he has my phone number. We are ready to talk through further steps, with pleasure." As Trump seeks to normalize U.S. relations with Russia, his relationship with Zelensky has been rocky. In an explosive Oval Office meeting last month, the president berated Zelensky for not being grateful enough for U.S. military assistance. Trump then briefly halted U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing but restored it when Zelensky agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. On Tuesday, Zelensky appeared optimistic about the future of Kyiv's relationship with Washington. "I think military aid will continue," he said. "We have aid from both the United States and our European colleagues. We are constantly in touch with them. I am certain there will be no betrayal from the partners' side and that the flow of military aid will continue." ▪ The Hill: Putin issued demands that working toward a resolution of the war should include "complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv." ▪ The Washington Post: Trump terminated a program tracking mass abductions of Ukrainian children. U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS: During Tuesday's call, Trump and Putin agreed that an improved relationship between the U.S. and Russia "has a huge upside," the White House said, including "enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved." Following Moscow's full-scale invasion, the Western world largely ostracized Moscow, imposing sanctions and limiting Russian involvement in intergovernmental organizations. Now, Trump is upending the status quo, acting increasingly friendly to Russia as his administration's support for Ukraine becomes more and more conditional. ▪ The New York Times: Over the past two years, Russia significantly stepped up its sabotage campaign as it sought to pressure Europe and the United States to curb their support for Ukraine. ▪ The Hill: More Americans now think the U.S. is not doing enough to help Ukraine, an uptick from late last year, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday. |
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Smart Take
with Blake Burman |
| While the drama grows around some Democrats' discontent with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as he defends his leadership, we are also starting to witness something else: potential first 2028 moves. For example, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) traveled to the swing state of Arizona over the weekend, appearing alongside Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) for part of the trip. When asked at one of her stops if Democrats should nominate a woman for president in 2028, she said, "Hell yes, right?" We've also seen former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg potentially set himself up for a presidential run, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is putting himself right in the middle of many discussions, talking with key Republicans on his podcast. So, while D.C. debates Schumer's leadership, the jockeying to represent the future of the Democratic Party is already underway. |
Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. |
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- About 63,000 pages of previously unreleased documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy became public Tuesday, although most experts believe there are few surprises ahead as historians and researchers dive in. You can locate the JFK files on the National Archives' website HERE.
- Trump fired Democratic members of the independent regulatory Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, a decision likely to be challenged in court.
- Meet Douglas Edelman, the $7 billion defense contractor who became one of America's biggest alleged tax cheats.
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©️ The Associated Press | Julia Demaree Nikhinson |
TRUMP V. COURTS: Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday offered a rare rebuke of Trump and his allies for backing proposed impeachment of judges whose rulings challenge the administration's positions. "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose," Roberts said in a statement. The chief justice is on record defending the rule of law and the work of judges from political attacks, including from Trump in 2018. Halfway through his first 100 days, the president is finding almost daily pushback from federal courts. Trump has said he views the conservative majority on the Supreme Court as allies while he tests expanded executive heft. For example, the administration went to the high court for support of its proposed constitutional modifications to birthright citizenship. On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked indefinitely the implementation of the president's ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the military. Hours earlier, Trump used social media to assail federal Judge James Boasberg, who ruled Saturday that the administration failed to provide due process to Venezuelan migrants deported to a prison in El Salvador. The judge ordered planes to turn around and return passengers to the U.S., which the administration did not do. Boasberg continued Tuesday to seek information from the government's lawyers about whether the administration defied a court order. The Venezuelan government blasted the flights as "kidnappings" and urged people to protest Tuesday in Caracas, the capital. "A PRESIDENTIAL JOB": Trump on Truth Social described the judge as a "Radical Left Lunatic," a "troublemaker and agitator," and implied he was "Crooked" and "should be IMPEACHED!" Trump told Fox News during a White House interview Tuesday that the chief justice had not mentioned him by name, adding that "many" unspecified individuals called for Boasberg's removal from the bench. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) filed an impeachment resolution to remove the judge. The Hill's Niall Stanage in the Memo: Roberts's statement amplified a clash between the White House and the judiciary. Trump asserted without evidence that Boasberg, appointed by former President Obama and confirmed by a 96-0 Senate vote in 2011, does not have the authority to decide if migrants suspected of being "criminals, killers, murderers" can be removed from the U.S. "That's a presidential job; that's not for a local judge to be making that determination," he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. "HE DIDN'T WIN ANYTHING!" Trump posted on social media. Asked if he would defy a court order, Trump told Ingraham, "No, you can't do that," but added, "We have very bad judges. These are judges that shouldn't be allowed. I think at a certain point, you have to look at, what do you do when you have a rogue judge?" EVIDENCE? Are the Venezuelan migrants deported and imprisoned in El Salvador proven criminals? Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was asked about its reliance on tattoos as evidence, reports The Associated Press. ICE regional supervisor Robert Cerna said in an affidavit that agents did not rely on "tattoos alone" to identify potential Venezuelan gang members. Trump is stoking tensions within his party when it comes to heeding legal norms, which forces GOP lawmakers to make uncomfortable choices, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports. DOGE Chronicles: A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely acted unconstitutionally in multiple ways while dismantling systems in the U.S. Agency for International Development. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ordered DOGE to reinstate access to email, payment, security notification and all other electronic systems for all current USAID employees and contractors and provide written confirmation of compliance to the court within seven days. Separately, the administration reinstated thousands of terminated federal probationary employees. It responded to one of two cases in which the layoffs were ruled unlawful. The administration, in response to court determinations, has rescinded terminations but placed those employees on administrative leave. The Hill: The Defense Department plans to shed 60,000 civilian employees by not filling vacancies. The Pentagon aims to slash about 6,000 positions a month by not replacing workers who routinely depart. |
- The House will meet for a pro forma session at 4 p.m. on Friday.
- The Senate will hold a pro forma session at noon on Thursday.
- The president will receive his intelligence briefing at 11 a.m.
- The Federal Reserve concludes a two-day meeting with a 2 p.m. statement and 2:30 p.m. press conference with Chair Jerome Powell. The Hill's Tobias Burns has a preview.
- The White House daily press briefing is scheduled at 1 p.m.
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©️ The Associated Press | Matthew Putney |
DEMS IN DISARRAY: Democrats say they've been handed a political lifeline in the mounting frustration over Trump's handling of the economy, The Hill's Jared Gans and Julia Mueller report. New polls have shown signs of disappointment with Trump amid the stock market downturn, rising prices and a potential trade war with some of the U.S.'s closest allies, giving Democrats one of their clearest offensive opportunities since he took office. The latest numbers mark a turning point for the president, who in the past has enjoyed favorable approval ratings on his handling of the economy. "Democrats right now have a perfect weapon to use, an opportunity to seize. Look at the economic outlook, look at the stock market, look at the S&P, look at Tesla stock," said Democratic strategist Jon Reinish. "There is so much to hammer Trump on that is economic." They'll spread that message at town halls aimed at going on the offense against their Republican counterparts. At their annual retreat last week, House Democrats announced they would travel to House Republican districts to hold town halls, as the party scrambles to capitalize on a weak point: GOP lawmakers taking heat for Trump. Over the weekend, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) held town halls in GOP districts in Iowa and Nebraska. More town halls featuring big Democratic names, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), are slated for this week. However, The Hill's Julia Manchester writes there are risks for Democrats in traveling to red territory. Recent national polls show Democrats with record-low favorability ratings, while the party grapples with how to unite following a dramatic divide over support for a GOP-written government funding measure. Those Republican lawmakers who are still venturing to in-person town hall meetings are finding rooms of constituents who say they're wary of what they're experiencing as they survey federal firings, closures and downsizing in their states, reports The New York Times. Politico: On California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) podcast, Walz criticized Schumer over his decision to avert a government shutdown, accusing the party of ceding to Republicans. "I see it now that we're in a point where … that pain is coming anyway and I think we gave up our leverage," Walz said. Meanwhile, the aftermath of last week's bitter spending fight has forced Democrats to wonder whether trust levels between the two chambers can be rebuilt ahead of high-stakes battles against Trump's agenda, write The Hill's Al Weaver and Mike Lillis. "Nobody doubts that the government shutdown Republicans were barreling towards would have been bad," one House Democratic aide said Tuesday. "But to throw in the towel and give them votes on a partisan [continuing resolution] that empowers Trump only broadcast a dangerous message to the American people: Democrats won't fight for you or hold the line for our democracy." ▪ Lawfare opinion by Benjamin Wittes: "All over the country, inside of government and out, people are standing up for what's right. They are quitting rather than carry out destructive policies. They are litigating. They are showing up to town halls to demand accountability from legislators. They are raising money. They are helping people who need help. The courts are functioning. … There is a fight happening." ▪ National Review opinion by Noah Rothman: Is Schumer doomed? The senator's "leadership is on a doomed trajectory, and it's not clear how he intends to pull out of it. It's possible that he just can't." ▪ The Hill: The Trump administration's crackdown on foreign students and staff at universities is bringing fear and a renewed vigor for the pro-Palestinian movement on campuses. FOLLOW THE MONEY: Trump's political operation has accrued hundreds of millions of dollars in donations, and billionaire adviser Elon Musk is reportedly set to give another $100 million. Despite the musings of Trump and some allies, the president can't seek a third term. That has raised the question about how Trump will use his enormous financial firepower in the months and years to come, a debate that is already playing out among Republicans and some of the president's advisers. The New York Times: Vice President Vance will lead GOP fundraising, an apparent first for a vice president. Serving as the party's finance chair heading into the 2026 midterm elections could help him position himself for 2028. |
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©️ The Associated Press | Ariel Schalit |
GAZA CEASEFIRE: Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Hamas targets across Gaza early Tuesday, bringing the fragile, two-month ceasefire in the enclave to a halt. The attack, greenlighted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, has killed more than 400 Palestinians, as the leaders press for the return of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Trump gave a green light to Israel's deadly strikes on Gaza early Tuesday, marking a violent turn in his push for peace in the Middle East. Trump has long warned the U.S. would "unleash hell" on Hamas if it refused to release the hostages it has held since its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. And his administration quickly sought to blame Hamas for the renewed hostilities. Assaf Orion, research fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Israel's strikes were likely meant to increase pressure on Hamas as negotiations have stalled with U.S. officials, while also serving Netanyahu's domestic political interests. About 3,000 people protested in Tel Aviv on Tuesday night against Netanyahu's actions. "It's very, very useful politically, and many in Israel can hardly miss this context of explaining why now, why this — besides promoting the war goals of releasing the hostages, and even more so when strikes on Gaza are definitely a risk to our hostages' lives," said Orion. Meanwhile, the families of Israeli hostages said in a statement that "the Israeli government has chosen to give up on the hostages." They called for a release deal to be negotiated instead of a return to fighting. The Guardian: Israeli protesters say airstrikes are a "cover" for Netanyahu to keep power. |
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©️ The Associated Press | Keegan Barber, NASA |
And finally … 🧑🚀 Home sweet home! NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday to close out an adventure that began with a misbegotten test flight more than nine months ago. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico in the early evening, just hours after departing the International Space Station. With them were NASA's Nick Hague and Russia's Aleksander Gorbunov, who arrived at the space station in their own SpaceX capsule last fall with two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo. The orbiting travelers were greeted by curious dolphins and a SpaceX splashdown team off the coast of Tallahassee in the Florida Panhandle. The space station, in service for decades, is expected to be abandoned in five years and replaced with privately operated stations. NASA plans to focus on missions to the moon and Mars. |
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