IN TODAY’S EDITION:
— The next Hegseth test for Republicans
— Donalds shows more town hall troubles for GOP
— Dems’ new immigration messaging strategy
Pete Hegseth is giving Hill Republicans their latest test of how much turbulence they can tolerate in the name of standing by President Donald Trump.
The Defense secretary, who squeaked through his Senate confirmation under a cloud of scandal, is facing fresh fire after a series of leaks from former employees revealed the former Fox News host shared sensitive military information in yet another Signal chat, plunging the Pentagon into “disarray.”
Trump has privately reassured Hegseth his job is safe and publicly defended his Pentagon pick. But two people close to the White House suggested to our colleagues Dasha Burns, Eli Stokols and Jake Traylor on Monday that Hegseth isn’t in the clear. And any prolonged fallout could ratchet up pressure on congressional Republicans to break with the administration in a way they’ve so far been loath to do.
Rep. Don Bacon, a prominent Republican on House Armed Services, on Monday became the first GOP lawmaker to publicly suggest Trump should fire Hegseth. He told our Rachael Bade that the chaos at the Defense Department is reigniting Republicans’ fears about his leadership abilities.
“I’m not in the White House, and I’m not going to tell the White House how to manage this … but I find it unacceptable, and I wouldn’t tolerate it if I was in charge,” Bacon said, adding that Hegseth is conducting himself like an “amateur.”
But other Republicans are following Trump’s lead in blaming “disgruntled” former employees for the bad press. Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton slammed the former Pentagon employees for “trying to undermine” both Hegseth and Trump’s agenda. And Rep. Cory Mills, a member of House Armed Services, said flatly on X: “I fully stand with and support @SecDef.”
Who to watch: Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker, who steered Hegseth’s confirmation through the chamber but later criticized him for undercutting Ukraine in peace talks with Russia. So far, Wicker has been careful to blame “mid-level officials” for Pentagon policies with which he disagrees. But he also pushed for the Pentagon’s watchdog to investigate Hegseth’s initial Signal scandal.
Then there are Sens. Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who voted against confirming Hegseth. McConnell’s office did not comment on the latest Signalgate twist when we asked Monday; spokespeople for Collins and Murkowski didn’t immediately respond.
What’s next: Hegseth and newly confirmed Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine are due to testify before Congress in the coming weeks in support of Trump’s defense budget, our senior defense reporter Connor O’Brien writes in. Expect Hegseth to face pointed questions about Signalgate and other controversies.
GOOD TUESDAY MORNING. Email your Inside Congress scribes at [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]. Ben’s back next week.
THE LEADERSHIP SUITE
Looming town hall troubles for Republicans
Rep. Byron Donalds is the latest House Republican to speak to a fiery group of constituents. On Monday night, he faced loud boos and cheers at a roughly two-hour town hall, our Kimberly Leonard reports from Estero, Florida. It was one of few town halls to be held by GOP members during this two-week congressional recess after NRCC Chair Richard Hudson privately told House Republicans to stop holding in-person town halls with voters testy over Elon Musk’s government-slashing DOGE and Trump’s tariffs, among other things.
Donalds’ response: Donalds, who is running for governor but said he would not discuss the race during the town hall, largely stuck to Republican talking points. But he did engage with the crowd. Speaking over jeers, he noted that past presidents like Joe Biden had special advisers like Musk; argued that Trump’s tariffs will help America in the long run; and maintained that Republicans only intend to cut waste, fraud and abuse from Social Security, not benefits themselves.
Another note: One of his most contentious back and forths came after a question about DEI. Donalds said that it was “a lie” that children of color cannot “get ahead” without diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and that he disagreed especially with the “equity” aspect of it. “There’s no level playing field in life. It’s called life,” Donalds said.
Congressional leaders mourn Pope Francis
Democrats and Republicans released statements of condolences Monday after the death of Pope Francis, who in 2015 became the first pope to address Congress. Speaker Mike Johnson said his prayers are with “all those mourning” the pope’s passing, adding that the Catholic leader “impacted the lives of countless people across the globe.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune called Pope Francis a “humble servant of God” and “a man of great compassion for those in need.”
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries recounted Francis’ joint address to Congress, where he reminded lawmakers of their role in caring for the people and the planet. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer highlighted Francis’ “compassion and love for the less fortunate” felt everywhere.
Other Republican lawmakers had more indirect reactions to the progressive aspects of the pope’s legacy, which included accepting gay priests, acknowledging climate change and advocating for immigrants. While Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene did not directly respond to Francis’ death, she posted on X that “major shifts in global leaderships” were happening Monday and that “Evil is being defeated by the hand of God.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna posted on X pictures of Guinean Catholic prelate Robert Sarah, who has a more traditional and conservative ideology of the Catholic church and could be in the running to succeed Francis. Trump, whose policies Francis often disagreed with, is set to attend the late pope’s funeral.
POLICY RUNDOWN
DEMS’ NEW IMMIGRATION STRATEGY — Democrats have settled on a strategy for fighting the most high-profile deportation case of Trump’s second term: Avoid talking about immigration policy itself. As our Elena Schneider, Nicholas Wu and Myah Ward report this morning, Democrats urging the administration to return a wrongly deported Maryland man from El Salvador are focusing their arguments on due process and rule of law. They view it as a way to take a stand against Trump without engaging in the far thornier political issue that Republicans have successfully weaponized against the party.
“The most important part of this story is the lack of due process,” said Rep. Yassamin Ansari, one of four House Democrats who arrived in El Salvador Monday to advocate for Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release.
Democrats’ growing defense of Abrego Garcia is creating a split screen with the party’s other big push of the week: Hammering Trump’s handling of the economy in a series of cost-of-living-focused events. Schumer on Monday reiterated Senate Democrats’ plan to force a vote next week to end the national emergency the president is relying on to implement his broader tariff agenda, as markets slid after Trump launched fresh attacks against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
COMER CALLS OUT CUOMO — House Oversight Chair James Comer asked the DOJ on Monday to prosecute former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for lying to Congress during his testimony to lawmakers regarding the state’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, our Hailey Fuchs and Emily Ngo report. The Kentucky Republican accused Cuomo, a Democrat now running for New York City mayor, of making “criminally false statements” around the state’s management of the pandemic in nursing homes, specifically allowing Covid-positive individuals to enter facilities and infect vulnerable, elderly residents — with deadly results. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment as to whether it would take up the case.
Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E:
THE CARRYOUT
We’ve spent our days in session asking lawmakers about reconciliation, tariffs and, most importantly, their food reviews and recommendations on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Suzan DelBene, DCCC chair, is a fan of the Capitol’s turkey chili as a quick, relatively healthy option on the Hill. (But DCCC press secretary Viet Shelton flagged separately for your Inside Congress team that the Madison building cafeteria offers the best food on the Hill — and has a view.)
Think you know Capitol Hill’s best bite? Email us: [email protected] and [email protected].
THE BEST OF THE REST
Bob Menendez’s wife found guilty in corruption trial, from Ry Rivard
The House Freedom Caucus and the 10-Year Battle Between ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, by Katherine Swartz and Ben T.N. Mause from NOTUS
Millionaire Tax Would Generate About $400 Billion in Revenue, Erik Wasson and Nancy Cook from Bloomberg
Ron Johnson suggests more congressional hearings into 9/11, spreads conspiracy theory, from Hope Karnopp at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE
Solar Energy Industries Associations launched a campaign Monday designed to mobilize voters to fight conservative efforts to repeal clean energy tax credits codified in the Democrats’ 2022 climate law. The effort will include ads and a website, dubbed “Solar Powers America,” that will enable constituents to contact lawmakers to urge them to protect the programs as part of the GOP’s party-line package to enact Trump’s domestic agenda, reports Nico Portundo of POLITICO’s E&E News.
Steve Donaldson is now a principal at Rich Feuer Anderson. He previously was senior adviser and counsel to McConnell for eight years.
JOB BOARD
Caitlin McKeon is now director of public affairs at BBB National Programs. She previously was a labor policy adviser at the Senate HELP Committee.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Rep. Rob Bresnahan … former Reps. Jody Hice and Jim Langevin … Marathon Strategies’ Allie Peck … POLITICO’s Dana Nickel … Semafor’s Elana Schor … Axios’ Eugene Scott … Joe Pounder of Bullpen Strategy Group … Matt Korade … Patrick Rucker … Ted Ellis of the Center for Industrial Progress … Stars and Stripes’ Bob Reid… SKDK’s Josh Dorner … NewsNation’s Rob Yarin … Andrea LaRue … Chung Seto … Yasmina Vinci of the National Head Start Association … Mark Braden … Glenn Simpson … Brian Forde … Gaurav Agrawal … Mitch Vakerics of Veritas Health Policy … Andrew Taverrite … Rob Hotakainen
TRIVIA
MONDAY’S ANSWER: Jamie Gillespie correctly answered that the White House Easter Egg Roll used to be held on the Capitol grounds.
TODAY’S QUESTION, from Jamie: Which sports league awards its annual championship trophy named after a former Postmaster General, chair of the DNC and director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs?
The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to [email protected].
