As Trump flexes his muscle on the campaign trail, he faces rare setbacks on Capitol Hill: From the Politics Desk - BERITAJA

Welcome to From the Politics Desk, a regular newsletter that brings you the Beritaja Politics team’s latest reporting and study from the White House, Capitol Hill and the run trail.

In today’s edition, Kristen Welker looks backmost astatine a week that was a mixed container politically for President Donald Trump. Plus, we dive into the 4th Cabinet charismatic to depart the management this term.

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— Adam Wollner

As Trump flexes his musculus connected the run trail, he faces uncommon setbacks connected Capitol Hill

Analysis by Kristen Welker

Over the past 7 days, President Donald Trump has reinforced his sway pinch Republican superior voters by ousting 2 seasoned lawmakers who person crossed him successful the past.

But that occurrence connected the run way has not translated to the halls of the Capitol, wherever the way guardant for his legislative schedule appears arsenic tenuous arsenic it’s ever been successful his 2nd term.

The president was riding precocious politically earlier this week aft his endorsed candidates defeated Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has surgery pinch the White House connected respective cardinal issues, and Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted to convict Trump successful his 2021 impeachment trial. Seeking to further flex his governmental muscle, Trump waded into the Texas superior runoff, backing authorities Attorney General Ken Paxton complete Sen. John Cornyn.

These developments, however, person not quelled immoderate of the strongest guidance to Trump from Republicans successful Congress to date. After his Tuesday defeat, Cassidy provided a vote to thief beforehand a solution to extremity the warfare pinch Iran. House Republicans delayed a akin vote aft it became clear the solution would pass.

And guidance from Cassidy and different Republicans to the administration’s $1.8 cardinal “anti-weaponization” money and push for $1 cardinal successful backing for information measures related to a caller White House ballroom forced the Senate to cancel a ballot connected a package to fund ICE and the Border Patrol.

It’s an unintended consequence of Trump’s retribution campaign: As he tightens his grip connected the party’s base, he’s besides stripping incentives for GOP lawmakers he’s opposed to backmost his agenda.

Still, the fights complete these issues person a agelong measurement to go. Will Republicans extremity up getting connected board? Or could this beryllium a turning constituent successful their narration pinch Trump?

We’ll talk each this and much connected “Meet the Press” this Sunday during my exclusive question and reply pinch Massie. I’ll besides beryllium joined by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

For subscribers: Last-minute redistricting presents ‘a monumental task’ for predetermination officials

By Jane C. Timm

A spate of redistricting efforts crossed the South resulted successful a bid of last-minute voting changes — and near predetermination officials scrambling to woody pinch the aftermath.

State and section officials opportunity the unreserved to instrumentality caller maps earlier the midterms threatens to overwhelm their offices and budgets, perchance starring to errors.

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▶️ Tune successful to Here’s the Scoop’s typical Supreme Court Edition, wherever Senior Legal Correspondent Laura Jarrett goes heavy connected awesome cases.

Tulsi Gabbard resigns arsenic head of nationalist intelligence

By Dan De Luce, Garrett Haake and Kelly O’Donnell

Tulsi Gabbard, the top-ranking U.S. intelligence official, is resigning from her domiciled pursuing her husband’s crab diagnosis.

“At this time, I must measurement distant from nationalist work to beryllium by his broadside and afloat support him done this battle,” Gabbard wrote successful a missive to President Donald Trump, which she posted connected X. She said her past time would beryllium June 30.

Trump said connected Truth Social that Gabbard has done “an unthinkable job, and we will miss her,” adding that he had nary uncertainty her hubby would “soon beryllium amended than ever.”

The background: The erstwhile Democratic congresswoman, who collapsed pinch her statement to endorse Trump for president successful 2024, ne'er made it into the president’s soul circle.

Gabbard had fought pinch her CIA counterpart, John Ratcliffe, and different management officials. During pivotal moments arsenic Trump deliberated complete imaginable subject action aliases watched unrecorded video feeds of operations successful Iran aliases Venezuela, Gabbard was often not successful the room, underscoring her outsider status.

But successful the end, she wasn’t ousted for illustration erstwhile Attorney General Pam Bondi aliases erstwhile Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. She is the 4th Cabinet personnel — each women — to time off Trump’s administration, including erstwhile Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned amid an investigation into imaginable misconduct.

Behind the scenes: There had been speculation for months that Gabbard mightiness beryllium retired of a job.

Her less-than-full-throated endorsement of the president’s determination to spell to warfare pinch Iran, dissimilar different Cabinet officials, raised caller questions about whether Trump would support her — aliases whether she mightiness resign successful protest.

She looked uncomfortable arsenic she fielded questions astatine legislature intelligence hearings aft Joe Kent, the caput of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned earlier this year, citing his beardown objections to the determination to spell to warfare against Iran contempt the absence of an “imminent threat.”

Allies who shared her anti-interventionist views appealed to Gabbard to resign some earlier and aft Kent left, but she declined, according to a personification acquainted pinch the discussions.

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That’s each From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner.

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