Thursday, April 16 | By Cate Martel
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Happy Thursday. My social media feeds are all talking about the viral video of pilots caught “meowing” on a hot mic over the radio. Yes, you read that right. Air traffic control calls them out and it’s hilarious. 🎥 Enjoy the clip
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Pope appears to take veiled shot at Trump Bomb threat at pope’s brother’s house Hegseth amps up pressure on Iran: ‘Choose wisely’ RFK Jr. testifies on Capitol Hill DHS deal takes shape in the Senate Former Virginia lieutenant governor kills wife, then himself British royals plan visit to DC
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Did the pope just subtweet President Trump??: |
Credit: The Associated Press | Luca Zennaro | Alex Brandon
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President Trump’s feud with Pope Leo XIV has entered the next round.
The pope appeared to take a veiled shot at Trump on the social platform X this morning. “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.” 🔍 See the full post from @Pontifex
For context: Trump has been in a public dispute with the pope for several days. The pope made critical comments about the war in Iran, which infuriated Trump.
Oh, and did you see that Iran’s embassy in Tajikistan got involved in Trump’s AI Jesus video drama? It posted a video showing Jesus punching Trump. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth weighed in this morning, calling the video “disgusting.”
🎥 Here’s the AI video if you haven’t seen it
Hegseth also may have compared Trump to Jesus today. During his press conference this morning, he complained about an “endless stream of garbage” coming from the media in its coverage of the Iran war. Hegseth compared the media to Pharisees, the biblical Jewish group that clashed with Jesus.
^ As CNN’s Brian Stelter pointed out, Hegseth appears to be insinuating that “doubting Trump or being skeptical of the war is like doubting Christ.” 🎥 Watch Stelter’s analysis
💬 Follow today’s live blog
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➤ OVERNIGHT — BOMB THREAT AT THE POPE’S BROTHER’S HOUSE: |
Pete Hegseth had a lot to say this morning: |
Hegseth warned Iran today that the U.S. is ready to attack it again if negotiations for a peace deal fail, attempting to put more pressure on Tehran.
"If Iran chooses poorly, they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy," Hegseth said.
And based on new reporting today from The Wall Street Journal, Hegseth’s attempt to put additional pressure on Iran could work. Iran has acted like it has been victorious in the conflict with the U.S. and Israel, but the Journal reports that its economy has been shattered by the war. Plus, Iran’s economy had already been damaged by mass protests leading up to the conflict.
What we know about the damage done in Iran: “The U.S. and Israel hit at least 17,000 targets over five weeks of war, including factories; rail, road and port infrastructure; government buildings; and military facilities. Iranian state media put the cost to rebuild at $270 billion, though analysts said it was too early for an estimate as the impact of the damage filters through the economy.” (WSJ)
How this came up: Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a press conference this morning to give updates on the situation in the Middle East.
Caine gave an update on the Strait of Hormuz: Caine told reporters that 13 ships have turned around at the U.S. blockade at the strait. “The captains of all these ships made the wise decision not to move transit or run this blockade,” Caine said.
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➤ ‘TRUMP’S PORTRAYAL OF THE WAR IN IRAN COLLIDES WITH REALITY.’: |
The New York Times’s Anton Troianovski reports that President Trump is actively trying to describe the Iran war as “done and dusted” with a guaranteed victory for the U.S. However, the White House is confronting a crisis that guaranteed victory may not be reality. Read more
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Capitol Hill is the place to be today, apparently: |
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on the House side of Capitol Hill today facing questions about his HHS policies and his 2027 budget request. 💻 Watch
And so are Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials are also testifying on their own budget request, as well as their immigration crackdown tactics and the administration’s mass deportation agenda. Don’t forget that the DHS is in its ninth week of being shut down. 💻 Watch
And on the Senate side, White House budget director Russell Vought . 💻 Watch
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➤ HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE HEARINGS: |
Vought says the DHS is ‘disintegrating’ because of the shutdown: “As of right now, the Department of Homeland Security is disintegrating because the secretary and I are having to figure out ways to temporarily fund people’s paychecks so we don’t have people quit and embark on new careers,” Vought told lawmakers.
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Could it be? A deal to end the DHS shutdown? Don’t get your hopes up just yet: |
“House Republicans are not pleased with what is shaping up to be a Senate-driven plan to end the record-long Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, bristling at again being told what to do by the upper chamber and raising objections that could be land mines for the proposal,” reports The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Sudiksha Kochi.
What are House Republicans unhappy about?: “GOP leaders want to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for three years via a ‘skinny’ party-line reconciliation bill to speed it through the process. But some members are tossing out the idea of adding other priorities to the bill, as they’re skeptical that they could be addressed later.”
Read more: ‘House Republicans bristle at Senate-driven DHS plan’
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Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) killed his wife and himself in an overnight murder-suicide at their home in Fairfax County, according to police.
The couple’s two children were home and one of them called 911.
Keep in mind: The couple was going through a divorce. “This has been an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,” the Fairfax County policy chief told reporters.
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— A new report found that Chinese-produced cellular modules (tiny components that live in smart home devices) are a huge national security risk for the U.S. Read more
— NPR announced that it has received more than $113 million in philanthropic investments, including $33 million from an anonymous donor, after Trump’s funding cuts.
— Most American farmers say they cannot afford fertilizer because of the rising costs due to the U.S.-Iran conflict.
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The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Washington and is leaving for Nevada this afternoon. (All times EDT)
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This afternoon: Trump leaves for Las Vegas.
7 p.m.: Trump delivers remarks in Las Vegas on his “no tax on tips” policy. 💻 Livestream
Friday morning: Trump leaves Las Vegas and flies to Phoenix.
5 p.m. Friday: Trump speaks at a Turning Point USA event in Arizona.
Friday evening: Trump returns to the White House.
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🍌 Celebrate: Today is National Banana Day!
🎙️ The pop culture drama taking over the internet: Popular podcast host Alex Cooper and influencer Alix Earle are in a very public feud. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, first of all, congratulations, but secondly, here’s a brief explainer.
👑 A royal visit to Washington: King Charles and Queen Camilla are visiting the U.S. at the end of the month. The royal couple shared their itinerary, which includes stops in Washington, Virginia and New York City.
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📺 Miss the previous issue of this newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video.
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