Washington Today

The Atlantic Editor in Chief Jeffrey Goldberg says Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior Trump Administration officials mistakenly included him in a discussion on an unsecure app about war plans against the Houthis; U.S. Court of Appeals hears the case involving the alleged Venezuelan gang member deportation flights and whether the Trump Administration violated a federal judge's order to pause them; President Donald Trump hold his third cabinet meeting at the White House, joined by Elon Musk to discuss his Department of Government Efficiency cost cutting, with Cabinet Secretaries providing examples of what they say are wasteful contracts; House and Senate Republican leaders plan to meet this week to work out differences the budget reconciliation bill that could contain tax cuts, border security measures, energy promotion and rest of their agenda. We get an update from Reese Gorman, reporter with NOTUS; President Trump announces Hyundai will build a $5 billion steel plant in Louisiana; Canadian party leaders gear up for a snap election in a month… and President Trump's tariff policy is a primary issue; former Rep. Mia Love (R-UT), the first Black Republican woman ever elected to Congress, has died.

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First: A discussion with former Rep. James Greenwood (R-PA) and Nick Penniman of the advocacy group Issue One – about their push for Congress to reassert itself against the executive branch.

Then, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure of the Century Foundation and Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute discuss potential cuts to Medicaid as Congress considers the upcoming budget.

Finally, an update on Ukraine-Russia ceasefire talks with Doug Klain, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center

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President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth say Elon Musk's meeting at the Pentagon this morning was to talk about government efficiency and innovation, and not, as the New York Times reported, U.S. war plans for a potential war with China. The two also announce Boeing will be building the next generation of Air Force fighters, the F-47. President is also asked about reports the U.S. may relinquish the top military position in NATO and the ongoing court case involving alleged gang member deportation flights to El Salvador. United Nations Security Council holds a meeting about the war between Israel and Hamas and the rising number of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. More contentious town hall meetings with Members of Congress: Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO). Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis is asked whether she will run for governor when her husband Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) term expires in 2026.

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President Trump signs an executive order calling for closure of the Education Department; Attorney General Pam Bondi says three people have been charged with destroying Tesla cars and face up to 20 years in prison for 'domestic terrorism''; Oil executives meet with President Trump and his National Energy Dominance Council chaired by Energy Sec Doug Burgum. We will talk about it with New York Times energy reporter Rebecca Elliott (26); National Transportation Safety Board gives an update into the investigation of last year's Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore; An Israeli who was held hostage by Hamas before being freed in a prisoner exchange testifies before the United National Security Council about the brutal conditions of his captivity.

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President Trump says he had a 'very good" phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky on ceasefire efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war; Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady and Fed Chair Jerome Powell says President Trump's tariffs are partly to blame for inflation; Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) get pointed and sometimes heated questions from constituents about the President Trump's efforts to cut government spending; federal judge who is reviewing whether the Trump Administration violated his order concerning the deportation of alleged gang members gives the federal government another day to respond; USA Today's Josh Meyer on release of tens of thousands of pages of government documents on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (40); on C-SPAN Founders Day, a preview of "The C-SPAN Story: A Brian Lamb Conversation".

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Russian President Putin in a phone call with President Trump agrees to a partial 30 day ceasefire in war in Ukraine; Chief Justice Roberts pushes back on President Trump calling for judge in alleged gang members deportation case to be impeached; Sen. Schumer says he is

"best leader for the Senate" Democrats after backlash for supporting Republican bill to prevent a government shutdown; Vice President Vance says populist and tech-forward arms of the conservative movement can co-exist peacefully; United Nations Security Council holds meeting on resumption of Israel-Hamas fighting in Gaza; Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return to Earth after nine months in space that was originally scheduled for a week.

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The White House continues to defend this weekend’s deportation flights of hundreds of mostly alleged gang members from the U.S. to a prison in El Salvador. A federal judge hears arguments this afternoon on whether the Trump administration violated a federal court order stopping the removals from the country. We'll hear from Trump Border Czar Tom Homan and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. President Trump says he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow about a ceasefire deal in Ukraine. The State Department says South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. has until Friday to leave the country. That comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused him on social media of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates President Trump. The New York Times reports that Houthi militia in Yemen has vowed to retaliate after U.S. military strikes on targets controlled by the group that it says killed at least 53 people. Those strikes were the subject of today's Pentagon briefing, the first of the second Trump administration. 

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In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First, we discuss what the Constitution says about the role of the executive branch and the importance of checks & balances with National Constitution Center President & CEO Jeffrey Rosen. Then, the Wall Street Journal's Richard Rubin discusses his recent examination of how government spending has grown and where the money is going. Finally, University of Ottawa Prof. Charles Etienne Beaudry discusses the Trump Administration's tariff threats against Canada and vows to make the nation America's "51st State." 

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Senate passes a federal government funding extension to prevent a shutdown tonight; President Trump gives a speech at the Justice Department on 'law and order'; Secretary of State Rubio gives updates on negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and Hamas saying it is willing to release an American hostage; Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator nominee, testifies before the Senate Finance Committee; former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY) dies at age 93.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he will vote for the GOP-written federal government funding extension to prevent a shutdown Friday night; President Trump says he will put a 200% tariff on European wine in retaliation for an EU 50% tariff on U.S. whiskey; President tariff policies a major topic at today's Senate confirmation hearing for the nominees for U.S. Ambassadors to Canada and Mexico; President Trump meets with NATO's Secretary General at the White House, as Russian President Vladimir Putin says he generally supports a 30 day ceasefire with Ukraine, but has reservations; White House withdraws nomination of Dave Weldon for CDC Director right before his scheduled Senate confirmation hearing; Senate Health Committee approves nominees to lead NIH and FDA; Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) dies after battle with cancer.

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