12:30 REPORT

Tuesday, April 28 | By Cate Martel

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It’s Tuesday. Washington is buzzing today for King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit. I love watching all of the color at the state dinners.

In today's issue:

Gas prices jump to record high
King Charles addresses Congress
Vance reportedly questioning Pentagon on Iran
GOP shifts shooting to White House ballroom funding
Meet the man who ate his salad during dinner shooting
Taylor Swift's NYT interview

⛽ NEWS THIS MORNING

This is not the best time to fill up your tank:

Gasoline prices jumped this morning to their highest level since the war in Iran began. In fact, prices have hit their highest price in four years.

What does a gallon of gas cost?: The average cost of gasoline is $4.18 per gallon, according to AAA.

President Trump is acutely aware that gas prices are harming his polling numbers. Don’t forget that 77 percent of Americans blame Trump for the surge in gas prices, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Friday.

The president declared today that Iran wants the Strait of Hormuz to reopen. “Iran has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse,’” he posted on Truth Social.

However, he did not say if he will comply. The U.S. has not ended its blockade of the vital shipping passage.

The gas price surge is a huge warning sign for Republicans: The Hill’s Sarah Fortinsky reports that voters are starting to trust Democrats more on the economy. For the first time since May 2010, voters trust Democrats more than Republicans in handling the economy, according to the latest Fox News poll.

Why that could be the case: “Democrats and strategists say the shift in polling comes after months of disciplined messaging on cost-of-living issues and against an economic backdrop that they hope could open a path to retaking the majority in both chambers of Congress come November.” Read more: ‘Democrats see bright spot in economy ahead of midterms’

Related read from The Hill’s Amie Parnes: ‘Polls, gas prices have Democrats up and GOP down on midterms’

💬 Follow today’s live blog

👑 THE ROYAL VISIT

The ‘Hamilton’ jokes aren’t going away in the next week:

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the White House this morning for their state visit. 💻 Watch the greeting

To mark the occasion, the U.S. military conducted an aircraft flyover, plus a cannon fire. 🎥 Music on the South Lawn

Happening today: The king will address both chambers of Congress this afternoon in a joint meeting before tonight’s grand state dinner.

💻 Livestream of the 3 p.m. address

➤ TIDBITS:

The king meets a comedian who impersonates him: Charles attended a lavish garden party hosted at the British ambassador’s residence. Well, the king met an American comedian, named Matt Friend, who impersonates him. The king’s reaction was great. He roared with laughter. 🎥 Watch the clip

Oof, this was tough to watch: When Trump greeted the king, he used his signature handshake. It lasted for roughly 10 seconds. The Daily Beast noted the “greeting appeared more like a tug of war.” 🎥 Watch the clip

Melania and Camilla wore the same color: Both first lady Melania Trump and Camilla wore shades of white this morning. 📸 Photo

🕵️ IN THE WHITE HOUSE

How Republicans have shifted the WHCA shooting conversation:

Trump and Capitol Hill Republicans are using the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner to advocate for the construction a White House ballroom.

In the president’s initial Saturday night remarks about the shooting, he almost immediately pivoted to the need for a more secure venue for events like the dinner. Then on Sunday, Republican lawmakers said they were drafting legislation to ensure the ballroom would be built.

A group of Republican senators, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), have pushed for a bill to authorize $400 million to fund the ballroom project. They argue the cost would be offset by park user fees and customs fees.

However, there are a few issues.

First, capacity: The proposed White House ballroom could hold roughly 1,000 guests, far less than the 3,000 guests the Washington Hilton can accommodate.

Second, it’s not an official White House event: The annual dinner is hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association, not the White House. The association determines the venue and guest list.

Keep in mind: Not all Republicans are on board with that plan. Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.), for example, thinks the ballroom should not be funded with taxpayer money, pointing out the U.S. has $39 trillion in debt.

➤ TIDBIT FROM THE WHCA SHOOTING — ONE MAN WAS UNFAZED:

One man did not panic when shots were fired during the dinner. Instead, he continued to eat his burrata salad at his table while Secret Service agents rushed Cabinet officials out of the room and journalists hid under tables. 🎥 Watch the clip

That man is Michael Glantz, a top agent for the Creative Artists Agency, who represents journalists such as CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Christiane Amanpour.

Why he didn’t duck for cover: “First of all, I have a bad back,” he told The New York Times. “I couldn’t get on the floor, and if I did get on the floor, they’d have to bring in people to get me off the floor. And No. 2, I’m a hygiene freak. There was no freaking way I was getting in my new tux on the dirty Hilton floor. It was not happening.”

➤ SOME GOOD THAT CAME OUT OF THE WHCA DINNER:

The Washington Hilton donated roughly 2,600 steak and lobster dinners that were not served on Saturday to shelters for abused women and children.

The internal buzz over the Iran war:

Vice President Vance has been privately questioning whether the Pentagon is giving Trump the full picture when it comes to the war in Iran, according to new reporting from The Atlantic.

Specifically: Vance is worried the U.S. has significantly depleted its weapons stockpiles.

Excerpt: “Vance is trying, the advisers suggested, to avoid making this personal, or to create divisions in Trump’s war Cabinet. Some of Vance’s confidants, however, believe that Hegseth’s portrayal has been so positive as to be misleading.”

Read the full report: ‘The Pentagon May Not Be Telling Trump the Full Picture About the War’

🎤 GETTING TRACTION:

Ding, ding: The next round of the Jimmy Kimmel-Donald Trump fight has begun:

The president called for ABC to fire late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel over a joke he made last week about first lady Melania Trump having the “glow” of “an expectant widow.” 🔎 Read the president’s critique

Keep in mind: Kimmel made this joke during a mock roast on his show last Thursday, two days *before* a gunman tried to storm the annual WHCA dinner.

Kimmel pushed back last night: Kimmel argued his joke was a quip about the president’s age, not a call for violence.

In Kimmel’s words: “It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am. It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination, and they know that. I’ve been very vocal for many years, speaking out against gun violence, in particular.”

➤ QUICK HITS:

— A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s policy of mandatory detention for almost everyone it seeks to deport. The court determined migrants must be able to seek bond in hopes to remain in the U.S.

— Foreign car companies are warning they may need to pull their cheapest car models from the U.S. if the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement isn’t renewed, reports The Wall Street Journal. “Cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are made in the U.S. but rely on parts from all three North American countries.”

— The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is launching a medical marijuana registration portal on Wednesday.

— Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has been trying to join the prestigious Metropolitan Club, which is one of Washington’s oldest private clubs. However, Politico’s Daniel Lippman reports that he’s meeting resistance from club members, who don’t want him to be admitted.

— NASA named the next four astronauts who will travel to the International Space Station in September.

➤ MORE READS:

The Wall Street Journal: Iran Is Flooded With So Much Unsold Oil That It’s Stashing It in Derelict Tanks

The New York Times: Sergey Brin Moves to the Right, With a ‘MAGA Girlfriend’ by His Side

Politico: How Bernie Sanders convinced Democrats against arming Israel

The Atlantic: What We Learn About Trump in His Rare Moments of Self-Reflection

🗓️ COMING UP

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

(All times EDT)

3 p.m. King Charles delivers an address to Congress. 💻 Livestream

4:30 p.m. First House votes of the day. 📆 Today’s agenda

5 p.m. A Senate vote related to Cuba. 📆 Today’s agenda

7 p.m. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet King Charles and Queen Camilla.

8 p.m. The Trumps host a state dinner for King Charles and Queen Camilla. 💻 Livestream

9 p.m. Last House votes for the day.

🐝 INTERNET BUZZ

🫐 Celebrate: Today is National Blueberry Pie Day. Ooh, that makes me excited for the summer!

🎸 Why Taylor Swift is all over your social media feeds today: The New York Times published an exclusive 30-minute interview with Taylor Swift about songwriting. It’s unsurprisingly getting a lot of attention. 💻 Watch Taylor Swift’s interview with the NYT

🪫Keep those portable chargers visible on flights: Beginning in May, American Airlines passengers will have to keep any portable chargers visible and within reach while being used.

🐶🐶 *Hard click*: The Washington Post’s Andrea Sachs writes, “The hardest-working staff at the airport? These two good boys.” Border collies Hercules and Ned are on patrol at an airport in West Virginia, preventing wildlife from interfering with planes.

👋 AND FINALLY…

Because you made it this far, watch this group of penguins debate their next move.

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