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Lawmakers Condemn Pentagon Restrictions on Reporters

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The Pentagon’s decision to prevent reporters from accessing military or defense information has sparked condemnation across the aisle and backlash from media organizations that argue the move hampers press freedom, the Washington Post reports.

Said Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), on X: “This is so dumb that I have a hard time believing it is true. We don’t want a bunch of Pravda newspapers only touting the Government’s official position. A free press makes our country better. This sounds like more amateur hour.”

Charlie Kirk’s Widow Feared He Would Be Shot

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Erika Kirk talked to the New York Times about her husband’s murder and revealed that given “numerous death threats over the past year,” she had implored him to wear a bulletproof vest.

“When he demurred, a friend suggested that Mr. Kirk speak behind bulletproof glass. ‘Not yet,’ Mr. Kirk replied. He said he felt confident in his team, and that there would be additional security at the Utah event. But Ms. Kirk, like several of her husband’s subordinates, had occasionally heard him imply that his life could be cut short by violence. She found herself wondering if a part of him had already surrendered to such a prospect.”

Wall Street Journal: “Friends said Charlie Kirk, who was 31 years old when he was killed, had long envisioned a leading role for his wife at the organization if he died—a plan the couple hoped never to have to implement.”


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Trump Targets Speech He Hates

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“As President Trump threatens a wide-ranging crackdown on mainstream media institutions and political opponents, his aides and allies have cast the administration’s moves as critical to stanching misinformation and hate speech that could lead to political violence,” the New York Times reports.

“But Mr. Trump himself has repeatedly made clear in recent days that he has a different goal. For him, it’s not about hate speech, but about speech that he hates — namely, speech that is critical of him and his administration.”

U.K., Australia and Canada to Recognize Palestine

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“The U.K., Australia and Canada said Sunday they would formally recognize a Palestinian state, a significant shift in longstanding foreign policy among Western governments and a reflection of growing global dissatisfaction with Israel after nearly two years of war in Gaza,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The move by the British government especially is a symbolic win for the Palestinians, given that it is a longstanding ally of Israel and was instrumental in the country’s modern creation.”

A Stuck Economy

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“A mix of high borrowing costs, dwindling job openings and growing economic and political uncertainty have left many U.S. households at a standstill, with many Americans saying they feel unable to buy new homes, take new jobs or move to new cities,” the Washington Post reports.

Republicans Quietly Intervene to Help Immigrants

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“Congressional Republicans have been some of the loudest cheerleaders of President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. But some lawmakers are now quietly asking the administration for help freeing detained immigrants in their districts,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“In recent months, Republicans in the House and Senate have intervened in cases where residents have been held in federal custody, according to the lawmakers as well as lawyers and advocacy groups involved with their release.”

Huge Crowds Expected at Charlie Kirk Memorial

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“As many as 100,000 mourners are expected to attend the memorial for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk Sunday in Arizona, including President Trump, cabinet officials and right-wing pundits,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

New York Times: “The memorial to celebrate Mr. Kirk and galvanize a political movement in his name is the culmination of scores of recent public vigils across the country that have drawn thousands of Mr. Kirk’s supporters, as well as scattered protests.”

“But nothing so far has approached the scale of what the police and organizers are expecting in Arizona, where Mr. Kirk lived with his wife and two young children, and where his conservative organizing group, Turning Point USA, is based. The speakers list includes not just the president and vice president but also the highest-profile members of Mr. Trump’s cabinet and White House staff, along with a who’s who of the Make America Great Again pantheon.”

Washington Post: Charlie Kirk memorial to be on par with a state funeral in scale, security.

Putin Decides He Can Step Up Attacks on Kyiv

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“President Vladimir Putin has concluded that military escalation is the best way to force Ukraine into talks on his terms and that Donald Trump is unlikely to do much to bolster Kyiv’s defenses,“ Bloomberg reports.

“Russian forces have already stepped up their attacks on military and civilian targets in Ukraine since the two leaders met in Anchorage last month and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected Putin’s demand to give up more territory in eastern Ukraine. Putin intends to continue targeting Kyiv’s energy network and other infrastructure.”

Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee Sets Off Scramble

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Wall Street Journal: “Amazon, Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft and others warned H-1B holders not to leave the country and urged employees overseas on the visa to get back to the U.S. on Saturday because it could be difficult to re-enter… Companies worried they could be on the hook for enormous fee payments given how many of their employees use such visas.”

“Human-resources staffers divided up lists of workers and tried to determine employees’ locations so they could help them book flights, if needed. Immigration lawyers, meanwhile, sent bulletins to companies and visa holders and tried to address concerns—but often found themselves with few answers.”

Border Czar Investigated for Accepting $50K Bribe

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“In an undercover operation last year, the FBI recorded Tom Homan, now the White House border czar, accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help the agents — who were posing as business executives — win government contracts in a second Trump administration,” MSNBC reports.

“The FBI and the Justice Department planned to wait to see whether Homan would deliver on his alleged promise once he became the nation’s top immigration official. But the case indefinitely stalled soon after Donald Trump became president again in January… In recent weeks, Trump appointees officially closed the investigation.”

New York Times: “The cash payment, which was made inside a bag from the food chain Cava, grew out of a long-running counterintelligence investigation that had not been targeting Mr. Homan.”

Trump Demands Bondi Move ‘Now’ to Prosecute Foes

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“President Trump demanded on Saturday that his attorney general move quickly to prosecute figures he considers his enemies, the latest blow to the Justice Department’s tradition of independence,” the New York Times reports.

Said Trump: “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility… They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

“Mr. Trump named James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director; Senator Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California; and Letitia James, the New York attorney general, saying he was reading about how they were ‘all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done.’”

Google Warns H-1B Employees Not to Leave the U.S.

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Alex Heath: “President Trump’s executive order targeting H-1B visas has thrown the tech industry into chaos.”

“Inside Google, employees with H-1B status received an email last night warning them not to leave the US and to return if they’re traveling abroad by 12:01 am ET on Sunday, when Trump’s proclamation is scheduled to take effect.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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