12:30 REPORT

Thursday, March 19 | By Cate Martel

Today in DC: ☁️ 46° View Online | Sign up

Happy Thursday. Let the madness begin! 🏀 We're in the extremely brief period when we all have perfect brackets. Hold onto that luck for another hour or two. 😉

In today's issue:

Iran war meme wars
Drones over base housing Rubio, Hegseth
Gas field attacks spark global crisis
Prices soar after Iran's Qatar attack
Mullin nomination advances

🎮 THE IRAN OPERATION

This ain't your grandfather's war:

The Trump administration's messaging on the war with Iran has not at all followed the traditional playbook. When you think of wartime in the U.S., you think of a somber-toned president with formal planned appearances carefully selling the American public on the necessary sacrifice of war for greater safety and security.

The White House does argue this conflict is to keep the U.S. safe, but instead of strictly adhering to that type of somber tone, the Trump administration is producing AI-generated content, including video game memes channeling "Call of Duty" or "Grand Theft Auto" as its official messaging for the conflict. They've even dubbed the war Operation Epic Fury.

"We're over here just grinding away on banger memes, dude," a senior White House official told Politico. "There's an entertainment factor to what we do. But ultimately, it boils down to the fact that no one has ever attempted to communicate with the American public this way before."

And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is out in public bashing U.S. allies to shame them into assisting in lowering gas prices — and going after critics and the media. Just this morning, he slammed "ungrateful" European allies and a "dishonest" media at a press conference.

It's not *just* the Trump administration. It's becoming a new strategy for international tensions: The Wall Street Journal's James Hookway reports that governments are now opting to use AI-generated memes, specifically Lego-themed memes, as their go-to for propaganda.

Yes, the kids' building toy. Iran trolled President Trump with a Lego-style propaganda video depicting a missile headed for Iran. Hookway writes that "it's quickly gaining momentum at a time when viral images of war can shape public opinion."

Want to see more of the White House's meme game?: The Hill's Miranda Nazzaro breaks down the White House's meme strategy, including references to SpongeBob SquarePants and Wii. Read: 'The White House's 'memeification' of war with Iran sparks scrutiny'

💬 Follow today's live blog

➤ THE LATEST IN THE CONFLICT:

President Trump on Wednesday threatened to "massively blow up" a huge gas field if Iran attacks Qatar again after the Islamic Republic targeted key energy facilities in neighboring Gulf states in response to an Israeli attack on its South Pars natural gas field.

Well, QatarEnergy reported attacks on several liquefied natural gas facilities earlier today, sparking gas prices to jump. Reuters reports that it knocked out 17 percent of Qatar's liquefied natural gas export capacity and could take three to five years to repair.

Related read, via The Hill's Rachel Frazin: 'Will Trump's moves to bring down gas prices actually work?'

➤ THE PENTAGON WANTS MORE MONEY:

Hegseth defended the Pentagon's $200 billion funding request, saying it "takes money to kill bad guys."

Keep in mind that Pentagon officials told lawmakers that the conflict cost $11.3 billion in the first six days of action.

➤ UNIDENTIFIED DRONES SPOTTED OVER RUBIO'S, HEGSETH'S HOMES:

The Washington Post's Isaac Arnsdorf and Tara Copp report that unidentified drones have been spotted flying over the Washington base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live.

Where did the drones come from?: U.S. officials have not yet determined where they originated and are considering moving Rubio and Hegseth.

Why officials are on edge: "The military is monitoring potential threats more closely because of the heightened alert level as the United States and Israel strike Iran, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters. Multiple drones were spotted over Fort Lesley J. McNair on a single night in the last 10 days, the official said, prompting increased security measures and a meeting at the White House to discuss how to respond." Read more

⏱️ ON CAPITOL HILL

Mullin makes it to the next round:

Sen. Markwayne Mullin's (R-Okla.) nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advanced out of committee this morning.

The switcheroo: Eight senators voted for Mullin, and seven voted against him. Republican Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) voted against Mullin, but Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) voted with Republicans to send his nomination through.

The full Senate is expected to take up Mullin's nomination likely next week.

Btw, the SAVE Act debate has become a 'circular firing squad':

"Senate Republicans say the debate within their conference over how hard to push for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, a sweeping voting reform bill, is becoming a 'circular firing squad' as President Trump's allies ramp up pressure on their GOP colleagues to use extraordinary tactics to pass the bill," reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton.

Trump is ticking off some Senate Republicans: "Trump and his allies are warning that if Senate Republicans don't pull out all the stops to pass the bill, they will face the wrath of MAGA voters. That threat is angering Senate GOP critics of the bill, who think it's poorly drafted and has no chance of passing. They say threats to punish them for not rallying behind the bill will only backfire as the party heads into a midterm election facing strong political headwinds, such as Trump's low approval ratings and voter dissatisfaction over inflation and the economy."

Read more on the internal GOP fight: 'GOP debate on SAVE America Act morphs into "circular firing squad''

TO TRY TO SWEETEN THE DEAL:

A group of five Republican attorneys general wrote a letter to Senate leadership, voicing their support for the SAVE America Act.

📰 OTHER NEWS:

A milestone that feels odd to celebrate:

The U.S. national debt reached $39-trillion on Wednesday, a record.

Keep in mind: "Wars, widespread pandemic spending and tax cuts have been massive contributors to the national debt. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Sunday that the conflict in Iran has cost the U.S. $12 billion so far, with no clear end to the military offensive in sight."

➤ QUICK HITS:

— Joseph Duggar from the famous TLC show "19 Kids and Counting" was arrested and accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl six years ago while on vacation. Yes, Joseph Duggar, not Josh Duggar, his older brother who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for having child sex abuse images.

— Uber is investing in electric vehicle maker Rivian for a robotaxi.

➤ MORE READS:

The Wall Street Journal: A U.S. Citizen Now Runs Mexico's Top Drug Cartel—and Targeting Him Is Complicated

Politico: The Number of MAGA Fractures Is Growing

The Washington Post: Trump's face on a gold coin? His hand-picked panel will decide.

NBC News: Some DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to pay Corey Lewandowski

The New York Times: Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris' Is Back as '90s Trend Soundtrack

🗓️ COMING UP

The House and Senate are in. President Trump is at the White House.

(All times EST)

Happening now: Join The Hill Editor-in-Chief Ian Swanson, congressional editor Regina Zilbermints, White House editor Rema Rahman, and defense and foreign policy editor Colin Meyn as they host a live Q&A on the news of the day. 💻 Watch live and get your questions in!

Today The Senate works on the SAVE America Act. 📆 Today's agenda

3 p.m. Trump holds a policy meeting in the Oval Office.

7 p.m. Trump greets Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

7:15 p.m. Trump has dinner with Takaichi in the State Dining Room.

🐝 INTERNET BUZZ

🍫 Celebrate: Today is National Chocolate Caramel Day.

🕺 This robot is a vibe: ABC News posted video of a dancing robot getting a little too loose with its dance moves. Staff had to physically restrain it while it boogied. The video is hilarious. 🎥 Watch

👋 AND FINALLY…

In the spirit of friendly competition, check out this evenly matched tussle between a golden retriever puppy and a man.

Stay Engaged

📺 Miss the previous issue of this newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video.

I love hearing from you — send your feedback, tips and favorite cookie recipes 🍪 to cmartel@thehill.com. Check out more newsletters here. See you next time!