Wednesday, April 22 | By Cate Martel
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Iran seizes ships in Strait of Hormuz Trump’s approval sinks to record lows Greene blames Trump for Virginia Democrats’ win Trump officials to testify on 2027 budget WSJ: Trump considers rescue deal for Spirit Airlines
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Iran’s first order of business after Trump’s ceasefire extension: |
Iran attacked three ships in the Strait of Hormuz today and seized two of them. This happened just hours after President Trump extended the U.S.-Iran ceasefire indefinitely on Tuesday but has continued the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Who else was not surprised about the ceasefire extension despite Trump saying on Monday that he had no interest in doing so? ✋
The president argued he extended the ceasefire because the Iranian government is “seriously fractured” and said he would pause fighting until Iran submits its own proposal.
Are there any negotiations happening?: Peace talks are very much in doubt. Vice President Vance’s trip to Pakistan for talks is now uncertain. And Iran also appears hesitant to send its own delegation for negotiations. The Hill’s Niall Stanage points out a major question if and when talks happen: “Can the United States walk away with a better deal with the Iranians than the one struck under then-President Obama more than a decade ago?” Read Stanage’s analysis” ‘Can Trump realistically better Obama’s Iran deal?’
Related read, via The Washington Post: ‘Trump blasted Obama’s Iran deal. Now he faces similar trade-offs.’
Excerpt: “As U.S. envoys pursue peace talks, the president confronts persistent sticking points: sanctions relief, enrichment limits and the risk of empowering Tehran.”
💬 Follow today’s live blog
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➤ GAS PRICES ARE STILL RELATIVELY CHEAP IN THE U.S.: |
Trump’s approval rating takes a big hit: |
President Trump’s economic policies are becoming widely unpopular — and new polling is not kind to him.
Just 30 percent of Americans polled approve of his economic performance, according to new polling from The Associated Press-NORC Research Center. That’s an 8-point drop from March and a 9-point fall from February. And more broadly, only 33 percent of respondents in that same poll approve of his overall job performance.
It’s not just one poll. Trump’s approval rating slumped to 36 percent in a new Reuters-Ipsos poll. And it dropped to 37 percent in an NBC News poll over the weekend.
In fact, most polls in the past month show Trump’s approval hovering in the 30s.
💡 Interesting tidbit: CNN notes that “it was almost exactly this time 20 years ago that the bottom began to fall out on George W. Bush’s approval ratings. And as Bush’s numbers in most polls fell into the 30s for the first time in late winter and early spring, the culprit was clear: the Iraq war. History could be repeating itself with President Donald Trump in 2026. Just swap Iraq with Iran.”
Read Aaron Blake’s analysis in CNN: ‘The bottom could be falling out in Trump’s polls’
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➤ DRUDGE COMPARES TRUMP TO CARTER: |
Matt Drudge compared Trump’s plummeting approval to that of former President Carter. “Matching Carter Lows,” the conservative Drudge Report banner read.
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Don’t forget, the DHS is *still* shut down: |
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been shut down for more than two months, breaking the record set last fall when the federal government shuttered for 43 days.
Why it’s getting less attention: President Trump directed the DHS to use emergency funds to pay Transportation Security Administration agents. That eased airport security line backups.
Republicans are already worried about the next funding fight: “Senate Republicans who are scrambling to end the [partial shutdown] fear that Democrats will trigger an even bigger government shutdown in October and are working out strategies to avert that politically disastrous scenario,” reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.
Where things stand: “Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) plans to pass a budget resolution through the Senate this week that would serve as a blueprint for a budget reconciliation bill Republicans are aiming to pass later this spring. That measure would bypass a Senate Democratic filibuster to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through 2029.”
But: “There’s growing concern among GOP senators that even if Congress funds ICE and Border Patrol for the next 3 ½ years, Democrats will provoke a fight in September to trigger yet another government shutdown.”
Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘Republicans fear succession of government shutdowns under Trump’
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➤ TELL ME *EVERYTHING* YOU KNOW, CONGRESSMAN:
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Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told NewsNation host Elizabeth Vargas that he’s seen UFO videos that “defy any reason.”
Timing: Trump said last Friday the “first release” of documents related to UFOs “will begin very, very soon.”
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➤ TESTIFYING ON CAPITOL HILL TODAY:
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Several Trump administration officials are testifying today. ’Tis the season for testifying on 2027 budget requests.
Including:
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum 💻 Livestream Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent 💻 Livestream Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick 💻 Livestream Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 💻 Livestream NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman 💻 Livestream U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer 💻 Livestream
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Virginia Democrats won it: |
Virginia voters approved a new state electoral map on Tuesday, which could help Democrats win four more House seats (!) in November.
For context: Right now, Democrats are favored in six of 11 districts. Now, Democrats are favored in 10 of 11 districts.
It’s not over yet, though: The Virginia Supreme Court may review this referendum and could overturn it.
The next (and last) redistricting vote for your radar: Florida lawmakers will meet next week to decide whether to alter their voting districts. Virginia was Democrats’ last chance to shake up the electoral maps — Florida is Republicans’ last shot.
Read more: Five takeaways from Virginia Democrats’ redistricting win
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Ex-Trump ally, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), blames Trump and the GOP for Democrats’ win in Virginia.
She posted: “A once red state is turning into one of the bluest states because people don’t want to support Republicans now. Trump betraying the America First wing of MAGA is going to have devastating consequences in the midterms.” 🔎 Read MTG’s full post
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The Washington Post: Trump fought to keep the ballroom fundraising contract secret. Here’s what’s in it.
The Atlantic: What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat
The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration Nearing Rescue Deal for Spirit Airlines
The New York Times: A $440,000 Breast Reduction: How Doctors Cashed In on a Consumer Protection Law
Politico: Trump weighs consequences for NATO allies on 'naughty' list
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The House and Senate are in. President Trump is at the White House with no public events on his schedule. (All times EDT)
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This afternoon: Trump participates in Oval Office policy meetings.
4 p.m.: Last House votes for the day. 📆 Today’s agenda
10 p.m.: Nexstar hosts the California gubernatorial primary debate. The Hill will stream it, and NewsNation will simulcast it.
Saturday: The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
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🍬 Celebrate: Today is National Jelly Bean Day.
⚾ This correction made me laugh out loud: The New York Times issued a correction about which day the Mets lost their 11th straight game. The correction noted it was on Sunday, not Monday. “Even the Mets cannot lose on an off day,” the correction states. 💀
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