5 takeaways on Gabbard’s grilling in House worldwide threats hearing

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was grilled for a second day of hearings on Thursday on whether Iran was close to building nuclear weapons and if Tehran posed an “imminent threat” to the U.S. before President Trump started the ongoing Middle Eastern war.  Gabbard was joined by CIA Director John Ratcliffe; FBI Director Kash…

Massie ad labels challenger ‘Trump traitor’

A new ad from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) slams his GOP primary opponent, Ed Gallrein, whom President Trump has endorsed.  The ad, shared Thursday by Inside Elections journalist Jacob Rubashkin on the social platform X, opens with a photo of Massie and the president smiling and flashing thumbs-ups. It then goes on to accuse Gallrein…

Frost: Mullin accepting DHS nomination ‘shows us who he is’

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) weighed in on President Trump’s decision to tap Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), claiming the senator’s acceptance of the nomination “shows us who he is.” “Him accepting, right, this nomination, and sitting there and wanting to be in the Cabinet, already shows us who…

New GOP-favored Texas district avoids runoff as runner-up drops out of race

Businessman Ryan Binkley withdrew from the GOP runoff in Texas’s newly drawn 32nd Congressional District on Tuesday, ensuring that attorney Jace Yarbrough will be the party’s nominee in November’s general election. Binkley wrote in a statement Tuesday that Yarbrough “ran a disciplined campaign” and said he is “genuinely excited to see what [his former opponent]…

Mace hits Mullin over Paul spat, calls selection as DHS secretary ‘unreal’

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) went after Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) over his tension with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), which was prominently on display during a hearing Wednesday on his possible new role as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary. “There’s a difference between right and wrong. Every one knows this is wrong and few have…

Jeffries says Democrats will oppose rule governing spy powers bill

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that Democrats are lining up en masse against helping Republicans advance legislation to a final vote to extend the government’s warrantless surveillance powers. Jeffries acknowledged that the vote on the bill itself will divide Democrats, and he declined to say how he will vote himself. “But what…