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Bad Economic News Keeps Coming for Republicans

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Punchbowl News: “It’s been a brutal run for President Donald Trump and Hill Republicans. Trump’s poll numbers on the economy are dismal, dragging down his overall approval rating. That hurts every Republican on the ballot.”

“Trump is headed to Arizona and Nevada next week to talk about the One Big Beautiful Bill, the signature legislative achievement of his second term, which also remains unpopular.”

“But for some reason, it feels like these elevated prices might be with us for some time. The Strait of Hormuz isn’t fully open yet. Its status will be the focal point of the U.S.-Iranian negotiations that begin this weekend in Islamabad.”

Keir Starmer Says He’s ‘Fed Up’ with Trump

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New York Times: “In the six weeks since the Iran war started, the once-chummy rapport between Mr. Starmer and Mr. Trump has cratered. In the face of repeated taunts and mockery by the president, Mr. Starmer has hardened his approach, saying he will not give in to pressure from the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to join the fighting in Iran.”

Said Starmer: “I’m fed up.”

Calls to Impeach Trump Collide With Reluctant Democrats

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Time: “Dozens of Democrats this week called for a premature end to Trump’s second term—either through impeachment or the Constitution’s 25th Amendment—as much of the party’s base expresses outrage at Democrats’ inaction. Yet there is scant appetite for such an effort before the midterms from party leadership—as well as from swing-state lawmakers and those who see it as the kind of therapy presenting as governance that risks sapping the party’s momentum.”

“Conversations with more than a dozen Democrats involved in this fast-moving internal debate paint a picture of a party out of power divided between wanting to show voters they are fighting Trump and not wanting to be viewed as chasing performative exercises in futility.”

Vatican Meeting at Pentagon Was ‘Unusual’

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Washington Post: “Through the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, tensions between his administration and the Vatican — now with the first U.S.-born pope — had simmered.”

“Days after the one-year mark of Trump returning to office, an unusual meeting between the two sides took place that has now turned up the temperature of the public discussion about the relationship. Following expressions of concern by Pope Leo XIV and Vatican officials over the administration’s actions in Venezuela, Minneapolis and elsewhere, Pentagon officials on Jan. 22 hosted a top Vatican diplomat, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then the Holy See’s ambassador to the United States, for a rare visit.”

“It is not typical for a church official to meet with the Defense Department instead of the State Department or White House.”

What’s Behind Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon Purge

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Julia Ioffe looks at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attempt to make life difficult for Army Secretary Dan Driscoll — during the middle of a war, no less.

“Driscoll, as I’ve reported, has been Hegseth’s enemy number one at the Pentagon for almost as long as he’s been in his role. In part, that’s because Driscoll became an early fixture in coverage of the administration—getting overwhelmingly positive press as the walking embodiment of affable competence. Between his boyish looks; his aw-shucks, nice-guy attitude; and his headline-grabbing attempts to transform the Army into a futuristic force, it was easy to see why Driscoll was getting far kinder treatment than the ragey, abrasive Hegseth. (That, and his staff worked hard for it.) By the fall, much of Washington was abuzz with the rumor that Hegseth was not long for the top job and Driscoll would be taking his place.”

“This, of course, is said to have infuriated Hegseth. But Driscoll had top cover that made him unfireable: He was a close friend of J.D. Vance, his pal from Yale Law. Usha Vance occasionally swung by the Pentagon for lunch with him. So Hegseth quickly learned how to make Driscoll’s life miserable without firing him outright: He would dismantle Driscoll’s inner circle and replace them with his own people.”

Exchange of the Day

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Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel spoke to Kristen Welker of NBC News:

WELKER: Are you afraid for yourself, for your family? Or are you prepared to, as you say, make the ultimate sacrifice if you are attacked?

DIAZ-CANEL: I have no fear. I am willing to give my life for the revolution. Of course, I wouldn’t like that to be the attitude of the U.S. government. I think the American people is a sensitive people. And they wouldn’t allow or they wouldn’t see with good eyes that their government, the country would invade a very small island that does not pose any concern in terms of national security for the United States.

White House Tried — and Failed — to Push Candidate Out

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NBC News: “Over several days in February before the deadline for primary candidates to withdraw, White House officials peppered Alexandra Wilson with phone calls, text messages and voicemails that she recorded and shared exclusively with NBC News.”

“In the calls, White House aides first tried to entice her to leave the race with possible job options. On another call, they later warned her about the money and attacks that would follow if she didn’t.”

Weekly News Quiz

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It was a week where global tensions and domestic politics collided, with Donald Trump’s shifting posture on Iran raising fresh questions about his stability.

At the same time, the 2026 campaign took sharper shape, as key endorsements and primary dynamics began to hint at how both parties see the path ahead.

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Consumer Confidence Hits Record Low

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“Consumer confidence plunged to a record low in April as fears mounted over rising energy prices and the broader impact of the Iran war, according to a University of Michigan survey Friday,” CNBC reports.

“The university’s headline index of consumer sentiment tumbled to 47.6, down 10.7% from March to its lowest on record. Current conditions and expectations indexes also saw double-digit monthly declines.”

Iran War Drives Deeper Oil Shock Than Prices Reveal

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New York Times: “Google the price of oil, and you’ll most likely find two widely quoted prices for the commodity, one in the United States, the other in Europe.”

“These prices, which are constantly changing on electronic markets, suggest that although the war with Iran has made energy a lot more expensive, things are not nearly as bad as they were four years ago, after Russia invaded Ukraine.”

“But if you needed an actual tanker full of oil — and quickly — it would cost you dearly.”

Inflation Spiked Last Month

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CNBC: “Consumer prices spiked in March as the Iran war sent energy costs soaring and took the Federal Reserve further from its inflation target, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Underlying inflation, however, was relatively tame.”

“The consumer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.9% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 3.3%, pushed by a 10.9% surge in energy costs.”

Roger Stone Saved Tulsi Gabbard

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President Trump’s longtime friend Roger Stone may have saved National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard from dismissal, after the president polled advisers on whether he should replace her, Axios reports.

Said a source: “Roger sealed the deal. He saved Tulsi.”

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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