Supreme Court hands Trump major win in redistricting fight

Presented by PMI — Dems demanding more info from Hegseth

MORNING REPORT  MORNING REPORT Friday, December 5 | By Jared Gans View Online  |  Sign up  PRESENTED BY Listen and Subscribe: In today's issue: ▪ Democrats demanding more info from Hegseth  ▪ Trump housing official under investigation  ▪ House, Senate tee up health care votes   ▪ First phase of Gaza ceasefire nears completion © The Associated Press | Charles Dharapak Supreme Court hands Trump major win in redistricting fight  President Trump scored a major win in the national redistricting battle on Thursday, as the Supreme Court restored a new congressional map that Texas lawmakers passed earlier this year that aims to give the GOP up to five additional seats in next year's midterm elections.  The majority ruled that a lower court likely erred when it threw out the map as a racial gerrymander and "improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections."  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) had appealed the lower court ruling, and a decision from the court had been expected any day as Texas's filing period for candidates ends on Monday.  The decision, made over the dissent of the court's three liberal justices, likely won't be the court's final word on the map but effectively allows Texas to use it for the upcoming midterm cycle while the appeals process plays out.  Trump began what has become a national redistricting war when he called on Texas Republicans to pass a new map, in response to political headwinds that threaten the GOP House majority in his final two years in office.   That spurred other states — red and blue — to look into their own mid-decade redistricting processes. Missouri and North Carolina Republicans have also approved new congressional maps designed to allow them to pick up one additional Democratic-held seat in each state.  Democrats have responded most significantly with Proposition 50 in California, which voters passed last month, allowing the state Legislature to draw a new map that could win Democrats up to five additional seats next year.  That would essentially nullify the gains Republicans would take from Texas. But the GOP likely has more pickup opportunities than Democrats across the country, especially with the Supreme Court's ruling this week.   Still, the extent of their advantage depends on how redistricting goes in other states.  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) recently indicated he plans to call a special session of the state Legislature in the spring to focus on redistricting. That could grant Republicans a few extra seats if successful.  Indiana Republicans have proposed a new map to eliminate both current Democratic-held districts, but several GOP state senators have expressed opposition to the plan despite intense pressure from the White House.  Democrats are also responding in Virginia, with lawmakers moving to tee up a constitutional amendment for voters to sign off on the Legislature drawing a new map. The party also gained a surprise victory last month in Utah, when a judge ordered a new map be used that creates a solidly Democratic district.  After the lower court had invalidated Texas's map, Republicans briefly seemed like they could lose the redistricting war that Trump started. Their edge should be restored with the map back in place, but the battle is far from over.  ▪ The Hill: Where redistricting stands in key states.  ▪ Politico: Florida state House moves ahead on redistricting.  Smart Take  with Blake Burman Adm. Frank Bradley, who is under the microscope for overseeing strikes on suspected drug boats, briefed members of Congress Thursday. Questions about follow-up strikes on one of those boats persist. In the background, a significant question is still outstanding: what will Trump decide to do about Venezuela?    "There is no way on earth we should be going to war or trying to do regime change in Venezuela," Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, told me. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) told me earlier this week he hopes Nicolás Maduro is out of power soon. "There is a legitimate government waiting, waiting to take over, which he has denied them the right to take over," he said.    Trump is trying to focus domestically on affordability. As we learned Thursday, he will soon hit the road to sell his economy. Still, a major decision involving a massive U.S. military presence awaits.   Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. 3 Things to Know Today The Justice Department failed to secure a new indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on Thursday after its initial case against her was dismissed. Her attorney called it a "decisive rejection of a case that should never have existed in the first place." But the DOJ can try again.   The vaccine advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to vote today on possibly recommending a delay in administering hepatitis B vaccines to newborns. A vote scheduled Thursday was delayed after committee members expressed confusion about the proposal.  A federal appeals court has temporarily lifted a judge's ruling blocking Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. The deployment will be allowed while the court considers the administration's appeal.  LEADING THE DAY © The Associated Press | Julia Demaree Nikhinson DEMS PRESSURE HEGSETH: Democrats are seeking to ramp up pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the admiral who oversaw strikes on an alleged drug-smuggling boat gave a briefing to lawmakers Thursday.  Navy Adm. Frank Bradley denied Hegseth gave an order to "kill everybody" on the boat in the Caribbean, as The Washington Post reported last week, during his briefing with members of the Senate and House Intelligence committees.  "Adm. Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order, not to give no quarter or to kill them all. He was given an order that, of course, was written down in great detail, as our military always does," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told reporters.  Rep. Jim Himes (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, gave the same account.  But that hasn't settled concerns from members of Congress about the strike, and Democrats are calling for a deeper investigation.  Himes said he's "deeply" troubled after seeing the video of the strikes that the military carried out on the boat on Sept. 2. He said U.S. forces clearly targeted survivors in the second strike who posed no threat to national security.  "The fact is that we killed two people who were in deep distress and had neither the means nor obviously the intent to continue their mission," he said.  Democrats are now pressing for a more detailed accounting of Hegseth's role in the strike. The Pentagon chief has distanced himself from the incident while defending Bradley's order to conduct an additional strike on the boat.  "I watched that first strike live. As you can imagine, at the Department of War, we got a lot of things to do, so I didn't stick around for the hour and two hours, whatever, where all the sensitive site exploitation digitally occurs. So I moved on to my next meeting," Hegseth told reporters during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting.  He said he didn't learn about the second strike until a "couple" hours later.  Democrats have called for Hegseth to testify under oath on what happened and give more details about his actions and movements on the day of the strikes. Some have accused him of possibly committing a war crime in authorizing an additional strike.  Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) said Thursday he will file articles of impeachment against Hegseth, pointing to the two controversies surrounding him — his use of the messaging app Signal to discuss a strike on Houthi militants in Yemen and the boat strikes.  A report from the Pentagon's inspector general publicly released Thursday found Hegseth put U.S. troops' lives at risk and violated department policy in using the app on his personal phone to discuss the attack plan.  "[Hegseth] has committed war crimes," Thanedar told Fox News host Josh Breslow. "He must go."  The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports Republican senators are wrestling over Hegseth's leadership, seeing him as a political drag on the president but not openly opposing him as long as he has Trump's support.  Bradley's briefing on Thursday bolstered Hegseth's defense, but Democratic efforts to conduct oversight of the Pentagon chief are far from over.  ▪ The Hill: Hegseth ousted Navy admiral who raised concerns about boat strikes.  ▪ The Hill: Military blows up alleged drug boat in East Pacific, killing four.  PIPE BOMB SUSPECT ARRESTED: A Virginia man has been charged with two counts in connection with allegations that he planted pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national committee offices the day before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.  The charges end a five-year search for the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Brian Cole. He faces charges of transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.  The case was unsolved for years as officials struggled to identify a suspect seen on video footage who was wearing a hoodie and a mask that largely shielded his face.  Cole's arrest is viewed as a major victory for the FBI after years of criticism over its inability to make an arrest in the case.  ▪ Axios: Bank, cell records led FBI to suspect.  TRUMP OFFICIAL INVESTIGATED: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has launched an investigation into Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte after he opened several probes looking into adversaries of the president.  Senate Democrats asked the nonpartisan government watchdog to open an investigation last month, and the GAO said it took the case based on a referral.  Pulte has referred at least four different Democrats to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution — New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.) and Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook.  Only James has faced charges, but the case against her was dismissed last month after a judge ruled the U.S. attorney who brought the charges was improperly appointed to the role. A grand jury declined to indict James a second time on Thursday.  The Senate Democrats asked the GAO to investigate the processes the FHFA has in place for criminal referrals and whether Pulte made any changes to those policies.  WHEN & WHERE The president will receive an intelligence briefing at 10 a.m. He will attend the FIFA World Cup drawing at 11:40 a.m. He will sign executive orders at 3 p.m. and then attend a concert by Andrea Bocelli at 8 p.m. with first lady Melania Trump.  The House will convene at 11 a.m. for a pro forma session.  The Senate is out today.  CONTENT FROM OUR SPONSOR HOW IS PMI U.S. INVESTED IN RESPONSIBILITY? Our 10-point approach helps ensure our nicotine products are available only to adults 21+. Learn more. ZOOM IN © The Associated Press | J. Scott Applewhite HEALTH CARE VOTES: The Senate and House are teeing up partisan votes on health care starting next week, painting a dim picture of the prospects for a deal on legislation before the end of the year.  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Thursday that he will force a vote next week on a Democratic proposal to extend the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for three years. He described the proposal as a "clean" extension of the subsidies and said he expects every Democrat to support it.  Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) had promised Democrats a vote on extending the ACA subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year, as part of the deal to reopen the government last month.  The GOP doesn't seem to have a consensus on how to move forward on health care, which could lead some Senate Republicans to cross the aisle and vote for the bill, The Hill's Bolton reports. But the three-year extension without any concessions to Republicans is highly unlikely to attract the 13 GOP senators needed to pass the bill, which would be DOA in the House either way.   Democrats have made health care a central part of their message in recent months, noting that more than 20 million Americans will face a spike in their premiums next year if the subsides aren't extended.  Meanwhile, House Republican leaders are finalizing their own health care proposal, with a vote planned on the floor by the end of the year. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters Thursday that the plan, only crafted with Republican input, is on track to be released next week.  Johnson didn't give any details about the legislation, but Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) suggested it would not include moderate frameworks for subsidy extensions.   Many Republicans see the subsidies, which were expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a relic and want to focus on overhauling ObamaCare, as the party has tried in the past.  Still, frustration is rising among moderate Republicans as proposals for a bipartisan compromise seem to be going nowhere.   The Hill's Nathaniel Weixel and Mike Lillis report a growing number of Republican moderates are warning the GOP will lose control of the House in next year's midterm elections if they don't extend the subsidies and prevent out-of-control costs for millions.  ▪ The Hill: Poll says most Americans want subsidies extended.  ▪ CNN: Why President Trump is speaking like a Democrat about ObamaCare.  ELSEWHERE © The Associated Press | Jehad Alshrafi ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE PROGRESS: The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire is nearing the finish line as Hamas has handed over the remains of all but one hostage taken from Israel.   Israeli and Thai officials confirmed that remains turned over by militants in Gaza belonged to Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak, who had been taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.  That leaves only the remains of Israeli Ran Gvili, a police officer killed protecting residents of a kibbutz from Hamas militants, left in the territory.  Returning the remains of all those killed in Gaza has been a key point of completing the first phase of the ceasefire, which has been in place since Oct. 10. All living hostages have already been returned.  There are few signs of progress on the next steps of the ceasefire brokered by Trump in October.   Additional parts of Trump's 20-point plan call for Hamas to cede power and disarm, which the militant group hasn't fully agreed to do, and the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he won't allow.  Both sides have exchanged fire since the ceasefire began and accused the other of violations, but it has largely remained intact.  The Times of Israel reports that the Trump administration hopes to announce a transition to the second phase of the peace plan in the next couple weeks.   ▪ CNN: Anti-Hamas leader armed by Israel killed in Gaza.  ▪ Reuters: Israel says it killed 40 Hamas fighters in Gaza tunnels.  OPINION Why Marjorie Taylor Greene is more dangerous than ever, John Mac Ghlionn writes in The Hill.  The GOP's 2026 outlook improves from worse to bad, Henry Olsen writes in The Washington Post.  THE CLOSER © The Associated Press | Carolyn Kaster And finally … 👏👏👏 Congrats to this week's Morning Report quiz winners! They took stock of some facts about the Cabinet!  🧩 Here's who went 4/4: Richard Baznik, Stan Wasser, Meg Whitehouse, Chuck Schoenenberger, Mike Salanik, Harry Strulovici, Rick Schmidtke, Carmine Petracca, Sam King, Michael Kitz, Linda Field, Jenessa Wagner, Dennis Barksdale, Robert Bradley, Steve James, William Chittam, Ned Sauthoff, John Trombetti, Lou Tisler, Mark Williamson, Mark Roeddiger, Luther Berg, JA Ramos and Savannah Petracca. There are 15 officials who make up the Cabinet, not counting the vice president. That's also not counting other Cabinet-level officials designated by the president, which vary by administration.  Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the only member of Trump's Cabinet confirmed unanimously.  Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was the first person to be confirmed to the Cabinet through a vice president's tiebreaking vote. She was confirmed in a 51-50 vote with backing from then-Vice President Mike Pence.  The secretary of Homeland Security is last in the presidential line of succession, as it is the position most recently added to the Cabinet following the 9/11 attacks.  Stay Engaged We want to hear from you! Email me here and suggest this newsletter to friends! Privacy Policy   |   View in Browser   |   Manage Subscriptions Sign Up for Other Newsletters   |   Unsubscribe   400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc.   |   All Rights Reserved