Monday, December 1 | By Jared Gans |
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| ▪ Health care crunch time ▪ Hottest Senate races ▪ Trump's sinking polls ▪ Honduran presidential election |
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© The Associated Press | Mark Schiefelbein |
Hegseth in hot water over boat strike order |
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing bipartisan scrutiny over his reported order to strike a boat in the Caribbean a second time, killing two survivors who were clinging to the ship's wreckage on Sept. 2. The Washington Post reported Friday that Hegseth issued an order to "kill everybody" after the initial strike, the first of what is now more than 20 such attacks, did not immediately kill all 11 of the people on board the vessel, leading the Special Operations commander overseeing the attack to order a second strike. Some Democrats and a senior Republican said Sunday the strike was a possible war crime. The GOP chairs of the House and Senate armed services committees are promising "vigorous oversight" of the incident. "We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question," Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the chair of the House committee, and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said in their statement. "The Committee has directed inquiries to the Department, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to the circumstances," said Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the Senate committee chair, and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, agreed with Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.), who said the strike against defenseless individuals appeared illegal. "Obviously if that occurred, that would be very serious, and I agree that that would be an illegal act," Turner said on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday. President Trump told reporters on Sunday that he had "great confidence" in his defense chief, adding that Hegseth had denied giving such orders. Trump said Hegseth told him "he did not say that, and I believe him, 100 percent." Hegseth rejected the Post's story as "fake news," emphasizing the attacks are intended to be "lethal, kinetic strikes." "The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization," he said in a post on the social platform X. The questions about the strike and Hegseth's role come as tensions reach a new high point with Venezuela amid speculation of a full-on military confrontation with the South American country. Trump suggested on Thursday that the U.S. would step up its actions to include land strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers "very soon" and on Saturday declared the airspace above Venezuela closed off. The U.S. has increased its military presence in the region in recent weeks, deploying warships, surveillance plans and fighter aircraft in the area. Trump has also authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. The Post report is just the latest round of controversy concerning Hegseth. He spurred bipartisan backlash last week following a reported memo that he plans to cut the Pentagon's ties with Scouting America. Hegseth reportedly is taking issue with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts from the group, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America. The memo accuses the organization of attacking boy-friendly spaces and being "genderless." The co-chair of the Congressional Scouting Caucus, GOP Rep. Glenn Thompson (Pa.), criticized the idea in a statement last week. "As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Scouting Caucus, I can think of no better recruitment tool for our military than the lessons acquired through Scouting," he said in a statement. "It would be nearsighted to uproot this decades long partnership." Scouting America said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the potential policy change, as the military has given its support to the Scouts since 1937. ▪ The Hill: GOP senator says Trump won't send troops to Venezuela. ▪ The Hill: Lawmakers raise alarms about possible war crimes after second boat strike report ▪ BBC: Venezuela calls airspace closure a 'colonialist threat.' |
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- Post-Thanksgiving flight delays are expected to continue throughout the start of the week, particularly as a winter storm approaches the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast starting Monday evening.
- Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are headed to Russia with plans to meet its leader, Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday. "So much work remains," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters after meeting with Ukrainian officials in Florida this weekend.
- Trump said Sunday he has decided on his pick for the next Federal Reserve chair after making clear he expects his nominee to deliver interest-rate cuts.
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HEALTH CARE CRUNCH TIME: The end-of-year deadline for expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies is rapidly approaching, and The Hill's Emily Brooks and Mike Lillis report GOP leaders are facing pressure over how, or whether, they will extend the ACA benefits for millions of Americans. Some centrist Republicans want to keep the subsidies, while making some changes to reduce spending, while others, who have been calling for years to repeal the ACA, would rather see them sunset entirely on Jan. 1. GOP leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), face a no-win decision: Either they endorse a law they believe to be toxic, or they allow health insurance costs to skyrocket for more than 20 million Americans. The White House last week reportedly planned to propose a two-year extension of the subsidies, buying the GOP until after the midterms to come up with a better solution. But that was scrapped following criticism from conservatives. Trump has said he prefers a system of directly giving cash to patients. Johnson told The Hill in an interview — before news of the White House plan was leaked — that Republicans "expect to be rolling something out in early December." Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) promised a vote on extending the subsidies as a condition of Democrats voting to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. But there has never been a guarantee that the bill would get enough GOP support to pass — or that Johnson would bring a vote in the House. Democratic leaders, meanwhile, are pushing a discharge petition on their legislation to extend the current subsidies at existing levels for another three years, The Hill's Brooks and Lillis report. ▪ The Hill: Klobuchar says Senate ACA vote 'will happen' before new year MAMDANI MOTIVATION: The success of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's (D) in New York City is galvanizing many young progressives to launch bids for office, including key House seats. New York City Council members Chi Ossé and Alexa Avilés are reportedly weighing bids to oust House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D- N.Y.) and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), respectively — and have sought the backing of the city's Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapter to do so, The Hill's Surina Venkat reports. And left-wing challengers have emerged against New York Democratic Reps. Ritchie Torres, Adriano Espaillat and Grace Meng. Mamdani, 34, who had just 1 percent support in some polls at the beginning of his campaign, outperformed longtime former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in nine of 13 House districts — including those held by Jeffries and Torres. "We're seeing that Zohran really picked up a lot of areas that many would say underperformed in the primaries," said Sebastian Leon Martinez, coordinator of the DSA New York City chapter's youth branch. The DSA led aggressive campaigns for Mamdani as well as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) against then-Rep. Joe Crowley (N.Y.), a moderate Democrat, in 2018. But some opposition to the progressives has come directly from Mamdani himself. He discouraged the DSA from endorsing Ossé against Jeffries and said it would negatively impact the mayor-elect's affordability agenda. The DSA voted against endorsing Ossé last week. And with the retirement of two longtime members of Congress from New York — Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velázquez — more entrants are expected. Nadler's seat already has stiff competition with nine challengers, and Velázquez's seat is likely to draw a similarly high level of interest. ▪ Fox News: 'Full-blown' battle brewing in Dem party as Mamdani-style candidates rise ASYLUM CUT OFF: The U.S. is pausing all asylum decisions following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last week, allegedly by an Afghan national who immigrated to the U.S. in 2021. The administration has also halted all immigration from Afghanistan and paused visas for Afghan nationals in response. The 29-year-old suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the U.S. in September 2021 through a Biden administration program called "Operation Allies Welcome," which allowed Afghans who worked with America's military to enter the U.S. after the Taliban swept to power. Lakanwal has been accused of shooting two soldiers, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, near the White House on Wednesday. Beckstrom eventually died from her injuries, while Wolfe remains hospitalized. Trump and Vice President Vance slammed the Biden administration's program allowing Afghans to enter, alleging they were able to come without proper vetting. But multiple outlets have reported that Lakanwal underwent thorough vetting from counterterrorism officials before entering the U.S., and Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that they believe Lakanwal was radicalized while living in the U.S. While Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through the Biden-era program, he was formally granted asylum in April. The administration hasn't given an indication as to how long the pause in asylum decisions will last or if it will make changes to how it conducts proceedings, but it comes as officials have already significantly curtailed asylum claims this year. ▪ The Hill: Trump administration reexamining green cards linked to 19 countries. ▪ The Hill: Senate Dem accuses administration of 'harassing' Afghan refugees. |
- The president will sign bills at 4 p.m.
- The House will convene at noon.
- The Senate will meet at 3 p.m.
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© The Associated Press | Alex Brandon |
TRUMP'S SINKING POLLS: The president is struggling with low approval numbers at the end of the first year of his second term. Experts attribute the numbers to concerns around affordability and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that he carried out throughout the year, The Hill's Caroline Vakil reports. A Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) polling polling average of Trump's approval rating shows it sitting at 42 percent, while his disapproval rating currently sits at 55 percent. That's lower than about a month ago, when the average had his approval rating at close to 46 percent and the disapproval rating at around 51 percent. A Fox News poll released last week found that 38 percent of respondents approved of the way Trump handled the economy, including only a quarter of independent respondents. The poll also found 35 percent of respondents approved of his handling of tariffs, and 34 percent approved of his handling of health care. A Gallup poll released Friday showed the president at the lowest approval it has measured since he left office in 2021, sitting at 36 percent. Sixty percent said they disapproved of his job performance. The lowest Gallup approval number Trump has garnered was 34 percent, recorded following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. ▪ Newsweek: 5 Polls That Spell Trouble for Donald Trump and the Republicans. SENATE HOT SEATS: With the midterm elections less than a year out, Democrats have a steep hill to climb to take control of the Senate. They would need to flip four seats but hope to continue the momentum enjoyed by winning off-year elections across the country in November. Republicans are banking on tough Democratic primaries to give them a leg up. The Hill's Al Weaver reports that the states most likely to flip are North Carolina, Georgia, Maine, Michigan and New Hampshire: Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who is 6-0 in statewide contests, is most likely to face off against Micheal Whatley, the former Republican National Committee and North Carolina GOP chair, who has been a key ally of Trump. In an interview, retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R) said Whatley and Republicans need to find a way to counter the messaging on affordability and health care that Democrats have used effectively. Georgia will choose between Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) and whoever emerges from a crowded Republican primary. The infighting hit a new level in recent weeks as an outside group supporting Derek Dooley — and backed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) — ran an ad going after Reps. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) for their role in the government shutdown. It also lumped them in with Ossoff. "Primaries tend to get competitive," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) recently said about the race. "But we still think in Georgia, once the dust settles there and the smoke clears, that that's going to be a really good opportunity for us." As for the well-funded Ossoff, he voted against the deal to reopen the government and is seemingly betting that staying in the good graces of the base is the best play right now. Maine Democrats have their sights set on Sen. Susan Collins (R), and Gov. Janet Mills (D) is stepping up to challenge her. But she doesn't have a clear shot at the Democratic nomination. Veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, who has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has stayed in the race despite a scandal over his past remarks on Reddit. Age is also a factor, as Platner is 41 and Mills is 77. In Michigan, the GOP is turning to a familiar candidate in former Rep. Mike Rogers (Mich.), after he lost by fewer than 20,000 votes to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in 2024. They point to the fact that whichever Democrat they face in the general election, they'll have to battle through a tough primary while Rogers most likely sails to the nomination. Rogers is waiting to see which Democrat emerges among Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed in the August primary, with all three occupying different political lanes. Meanwhile, former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu (R) has shaken up the contest to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D). Sununu announced in late October that he would run for the seat he held nearly two decades ago until he lost to Shaheen in 2008. He'd been in conversations for months with GOP leaders who didn't want former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) to be their candidate. Many Republican lawmakers have come out in support of Sununu. He is running in one of the few states that Trump lost last year and would compete against Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), who has won tough reelection races in the past. ▪ The Hill: Senate rankings: The 5 seats most likely to flip |
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© The Associated Press | Moises Castillo |
HONDURAN ELECTION: Two conservative candidates lead in preliminary results of Honduras's presidential race Sunday that has drawn recent attention from Trump. The election was expected to be close even before Trump weighed in with an endorsement — and an unexpected pardon, The Associated Press reports. Trump just days before Sunday's election said he plans to pardon former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who in 2024 was convicted of drug trafficking. "I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly," Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. The comments about Hernandez came amid an endorsement Trump gave to Nasry "Tito" Asfura, the former mayor of Tegucigalpa, Honduras's capital. "If Tito Asfura wins for President of Honduras, because the United States has so much confidence in him, his Policies, and what he will do for the Great People of Honduras, we will be very supportive," Trump said in his post. Trump has dismissed the other two other leading candidates in the contest: Rixi Moncada, of the governing social democratic Liberty and Refoundation party (LIBRE), and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, whom Trump called a "borderline Communist." Asfura leads the race slightly ahead of Nasralla as of the latest vote count, with Moncada trailing well behind. Moncada served as finance and defense secretary for current President Xiomara Castro, who is also of the LIBRE party. Nasralla is making his fourth bid for the presidency, this time as the candidate for the Liberal Party. Asfura carries the mantle of the conservative National Party. Though it has decreased in recent years, Hondurans face the highest homicide rate in Central America and have been concerned primarily with security and the economy, AP reported. ▪ Associated Press: Trump's pardon of ex-Honduran president injects wild card ▪ Al Jazeera: 'Real uncertainty': What to know about Honduras' presidential election |
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© The Associated Press | Evan Agostini |
And finally … Martha Stewart is replacing Sydney Sweeney as the face of American Eagle's new denim campaign. The home and lifestyle icon is appearing in new holiday ads for the company, as part of its "Give Great Jeans" campaign. Stewart told People magazine she found the concept "delightful." "I have spent decades helping people create beautiful holidays — from setting the perfect table to trimming the tree to finding that last-minute gift that saves the day," she told the magazine. "So, when American Eagle approached me about being part of their holiday gifting campaign, I was immediately intrigued." American Eagle shares jumped 4 percent on Tuesday after Stewart's partnership with the denim company, according to the New York Post. The Stewart ad campaign comes after a summer of controversy for Sweeney, who appeared in ads for the company that critics said contained racial undertones. In one ad, Sweeney stood beside a billboard that said, "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes," on which she crossed out "Genes" and replaced with "jeans," highlighting the company's denim sale. The "Euphoria" actress said at the time that she didn't give a statement because she was not "here to tell people what to think." "I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I'm literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life," Sweeney said. "I knew at the end of the day what that ad was for, and it was great jeans, it didn't affect me one way or the other." Trump and Vance weighed in at the time in defense of the ad. |
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