What to know today
- President Donald Trump unveiled tariffs this afternoon on potentially trillions of dollars' worth of imports, an action he has called "Liberation Day." Markets plunged after the announcement.
- The Senate voted 51-48 tonight to pass a Democratic-led resolution that would block Trump's tariffs on imports from Canada. Several Republicans crossed the aisle to rebuke Trump.
- The Supreme Court heard arguments this morning in a dispute related to whether Planned Parenthood should receive Medicaid funds.
- Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow announced she is running for retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters' seat in Michigan in what will be one of the highest-profile races of 2026.
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Prosecutors drop charge against man who Rep. Nancy Mace accused of assaulting her at the Capitol
Prosecutors this week decided not to pursue an assault charge against a man whom Rep. Nancy Mace accused of having “physically accosted” her at the U.S. Capitol in December.
According to a filing yesterday in D.C. Superior Court, prosecutors dropped the lone charge against James McIntyre, a foster care advocate. Mace, R-S.C., had accused McIntyre of “aggressively” shaking her arm up and down at a Dec. 10 event celebrating 25 years of the Foster Care Independence Act. He had pleaded not guilty, court filings showed.
The D.C. District Attorney’s Office, which was prosecuting the case, did not respond to a request for comment on why it decided to drop the charge of assaulting a government official.
Sen. Jim Banks struggles to describe the work of the federal employee he said 'deserved' to be fired
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., appeared to struggle in an interview today when he was asked to describe the work of a former Health and Human Services employee who he said "probably deserved" to be fired.
CNN host Jake Tapper asked Banks about an exchange with Mack Schroeder, who approached him yesterday as a group of federal workers asked lawmakers in the Capitol about the slashed workforce.
“My comments were directed at this fellow, again, who can't even explain what his job was. It was a woke job that wasted taxpayer dollars, and I’m thankful that President Trump eliminated that job to save tax dollars at a time when we have a $37 trillion national debt,” Banks said.
Pressed to explain the nature of Schroeder’s job, Banks said: “I — He can’t explain it. I’ve read online what he had to say about his job. It doesn’t make sense."
Banks derided Schroeder yesterday, telling him he “probably deserved” to be terminated because he seemed like a “clown.”
The Trump administration this week laid off workers across the Department of Health and Human Services in its effort to terminate around 10,000 full-time jobs from its agencies.
Some Senate Republicans vote to rebuke Trump’s Canada tariffs on his ‘Liberation Day’
A pivotal group of Senate Republicans delivered a rebuke to Trump’s tariffs on Canadian products as he escalated his broader trade war today.
The Senate voted 51-48 to pass a Democratic resolution to block Trump’s Canadian tariffs from taking effect. Four Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine; Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — joined all 47 Democrats in supporting the measure.
The resolution, authored by Tim Kaine, D-Va., is not expected to go anywhere in the House. But it was notable that several Republicans broke with Trump the day he announced a new set of sweeping tariffs, which the White House billed as “Liberation Day.”
Speaker Johnson says he's 'elated' at larger majority after swearing in newly elected Florida lawmakers
House Speaker Mike Johnson this evening swore in Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine of Florida after the two Republicans won their elections yesterday, expanding the GOP majority in the chamber.
The new additions mean the balance of power in the House now stands at 220 Republicans to 213 Democrats.
With full attendance, Republicans can afford to lose three votes on bills or resolutions on the floor.
“The margin is a little more comfortable,” said Johnson, R-La. “Now we can lose what, three votes now, or something? We’re going to build consensus around this; we’re excited.”
Trump’s trade war is just getting started
Trump has favored tariffs for years. His expanding trade war is sure to ripple through the global economy for a long while, too.
That’s because ramping up tariffs on foreign governments frequently draws retaliation — a likelihood that even industries Trump aims to support are already bracing for. While he has been rolling out an ever-shifting series of import taxes for months, the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he announced Wednesday are opening salvos in what could become drawn-out tit-for-tats with potentially dozens of governments.
Unlike the narrower, targeted tariffs Trump imposed on certain countries and products in his first term, his latest duties are set to rewrite the rules of global trade on a far broader level — and in an environment in which inflation is running hotter.
“This is a game changer, not only for the U.S. economy but for the global economy,” Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economic research at Fitch Ratings, said in a note tonight.
Cory Booker says filibuster was meant to unite Democrats after contentious funding fight
Sen. Cory Booker said tonight that he launched his historic filibuster this week in part to unify the Democratic caucus.
Booker, D-N.J., said the party was divided and demoralized after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged Democrats to support a Republican funding bill despite widespread party opposition to the measure.
“Now, you know, we had a terrible fight in the Senate. And I love my 46 Democratic colleagues, but it was if you were in those caucus meetings when we were debating over what to do with the continuing resolution, everybody who stood up actually had principled, strong feelings, but we were divided against each other on what to do,” Booker said. “That was a time that it really came together for me that enough is enough.”
“I was hoping I could do something that would unify our caucus and unify people who believe that the country is facing really disastrous waters right now,” he added.
Booker said his “role” in the caucus includes urging his Democratic colleagues to more actively engage with voters, particularly on social media, “where more and more of our voters are.”
Asked whether he's considering a run to replace Schumer as the top Democrat in the Senate, Booker affirmed his support for Schumer.
"The Senate Democrats have a leader, and he's going to remain there," Booker said.
Booker, who sought the White House in 2020, deflected when he was asked whether he's considering launching a run in 2028. He said his focus remains on New Jersey.
"New Jersey has got two big elections. We're like Virginia. We got this November, and then I have my re-election in '26," he said.
‘We were lied to.’ Two women the Trump administration tried to send to El Salvador prison speak out.
On March 15, the Trump administration loaded more than 200 men onto three planes bound for El Salvador, where they were to be locked in its notorious CECOT prison. A video of the men being marched, head-down, into police vehicles and into the facility ricocheted around the world, a symbol of the United States’ position on immigrants it accuses of having gang ties.
But not seen by the camera were eight women who were also on the planes but never got off. Shortly after they landed, according to court filings, El Salvador apparently refused to take them. So they were shipped back, to be locked up again on American soil.
Republicans aren’t panicking about Trump or Elon Musk after Tuesday’s elections
Republicans say they’re not panicking as they gear up for major races later this year and a fierce battle for control of Congress next year, despite getting shellacked in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race — and seeing their margins decrease notably in a pair of special House election wins in deep-red Florida districts.
Democrats have largely cast the 10-point win by the liberal candidate in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race yesterday as a rejection by voters of Elon Musk, the billionaire White House adviser who took on a starring role in the campaign. And while the two wins by GOP candidates in Florida gave the party some breathing room with their narrow House majority, the size of their victories paled in comparison to what Republicans enjoyed in those districts five months ago.
Republicans, however, downplayed the results as expected outcomes — criticizing some of the Republican candidates, discounting the prospect of any broader fallout from the heavy-handed role Musk played in Wisconsin, and suggesting that their candidates do a better job doubling down on explaining to voters Trump’s accomplishments, including divisive ones like his Department of Government Efficiency.
Booker’s Senate record broke Thurmond’s plea to ‘go down fighting’ against voting rights
After 20 hours standing on the Senate floor, delivering what would become a record-breaking speech about the need for resistance against the Trump administration, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said, in a weary voice: “Don’t let this be just another day in America.”
By many indications, it was not.
With 25 hours and 5 minutes in total, Booker broke the Senate speech record held by Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who argued for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which established voting rights protections for Black people.
Southerners “should go down fighting” against the bill, Thurmond said nearly seven decades ago.
Justice Department fights judge's decision to hold ICE agent in contempt of court
The Justice Department is pushing back against a Boston judge’s decision to hold an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in contempt of court after the agent detained a man who was on trial.
Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville issued the ruling against ICE agent Brian Sullivan on Monday after he took Wilson Martell-Lebron, a man alleged to be undocumented, into custody as Martell-Lebron was leaving Boston Municipal Court, where he was on trial on a charge of making false statements on his driver’s license application.
Summerville argued that by detaining Martell-Lebron, the ICE agent deprived him of his rights to due process and a fair trial.
The Justice Department filed a motion today supporting Sullivan’s effort to vacate the contempt order.
“The state court lacked authority to issue that patently unlawful and erroneous order. The Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution immunizes federal officers, such as Officer Sullivan, from state prosecution—including contempt proceedings—for actions taken in the course of their official duties,” a Justice Department attorney wrote in the motion.
The case has been moved from state to federal court at the request of the Justice Department.