Axios

A pro-Trump super PAC is out with its first TV ad against Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican targeted for defeat by the president, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: President Trump's powerful political operation is showing that it's willing to unload part of its massive $500 million war chest to unseat Massie, who the White House views as its chief Republican detractor in the House.

House Republicans are looking on with a combination of horror and frustration as President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" morphs into something closer to a hulking monstrosity in their eyes.

Why it matters: It seems every House Republican you ask — from the most right-wing to the most most moderate — has something they don't like.

The White House has called "fake news" a report that quotes prosecutors saying Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador, would be sent to an unnamed third country.

The big picture: The Trump administration has included deportations to non-origin countries in its immigration policy, and has obtained permission from the Supreme Court to do so.

America's older population is growing while its younger cohort is shrinking, per new census data.

Why it matters: This demographic trend presents big policy and economic challenges — more older Americans means we'll need more care workers, for instance.

President Trump threatened to prosecute Democrats on Thursday after he accused them without evidence of leaking information about the U.S. strike on Iranian facilities.

Why it matters: Trump has fought to project his desired narrative that the strike on Iran "obliterated" the country's nuclear program despite a leaked early assessment that suggests the damage may have been more modest.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has asked Congress to remove a controversial "revenge tax" provision of the "big, beautiful bill" after striking a deal on global corporate taxes, he said said Thursday.

Why it matters: The provision worried global investors, as it gives the president the authority to tax foreign holdings of U.S. investments. Some worried it would slow the flow of foreign capital into the U.S.

The Trump administration is using the podium to assail journalists for their reporting about a leaked intelligence report that provided an initial assessment of the U.S. strike on Iranian facilities.

The big picture: From the White House to the Pentagon to the Netherlands, the administration's messaging campaign on the Iranian operation has carried with it an all-out offensive against the media, singling out reporters by name online and in briefings.

The crypto industry has a complex political game before it right now, and is largely split on the best strategy to enact the agenda it spent more than $100 million to move in the last election.

The big picture: There are three big moving parts on the table, a stablecoin bill that has passed the Senate; an earlier stage bill to create a broader industry regulatory structure; and the SEC's plan to act whether or not any new laws are passed at all.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to meet with President Trump at the White House in the coming weeks to celebrate the joint U.S-Israeli bombing of Iran's nuclear program, three Israeli officials said.

Why it matters: Despite past tensions in their relationship, the two leaders are closer than ever and see the 12-day war against Iran as a monumental achievement — both for their countries and their personal legacies.

The Obama Presidential Center will display artifacts from the landmark same-sex marriage decision handed down during President Obama's second term when the center opens in Chicago next year.

Flashback: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on June 26, 2015, in Obergefell v. Hodges that marriage is a fundamental right and that states must license and recognize same-sex marriages.

The Trump administration's unprecedented decision to sue all 15 federal judges in Maryland for slowing his deportation agenda broaches a dangerous new phase in his push to stifle the judiciary, legal experts warn.

Why it matters: Judges have been one of the few obstacles to President Trump's push to reorient the entire federal government to his agenda, and legal experts said the unorthodox lawsuit is an attempt to further challenge judges' power to check the executive branch.

MAGA influencers exploded over Zohran Mamdani's upset victory in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, launching a wave of racist and Islamophobic attacks against the 33-year-old democratic socialist.

Why it matters: Mamdani who would be New York's first Muslim mayor if elected, is of Indian ancestry, was born in Uganda and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. He's quickly becoming a MAGA boogeyman as much for his faith and background as for his left-wing politics.

Fifteen Senate Democrats are placing holds on President Trump's nominees for Commerce Department posts in protest of new restrictions on a $40 billion high-speed internet access program.

Why it matters: Senate Democrats across an array of committees have embraced holds on Trump's nominees as a way to push back against administration policies they oppose.

President Trump won a higher percentage of the Latino vote in 2024 than previously believed and came within striking distance of capturing a historic majority of those voters, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of the election results.

Why it matters: The analysis confirms what early exit polls hinted: Kamala Harris dramatically underperformed previous Democratic presidential candidates among Latinos, a rapidly growing and once-solidly Democratic voting bloc that has taken a big swing toward Republicans.

Ten years ago today, Barack Obama says, two events captured the "mourning and sadness" of America's divisions, as well as a "celebration of who we could be."

• On June 26, 2015, Obama delivered a eulogy — and sang the opening lines of "Amazing Grace" — for the leader of a Black church in Charleston, S.C., one of nine victims of a shooting there.
• Hours earlier, his team had lauded the Supreme Court's landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.

Driving the news: In an interview with social media influencer Garrison Hayes out today, Obama calls that day a defining time for him and his administration.

The Senate parliamentarian ruled out the Medicaid provider tax provision in the "one big, beautiful bill," according to Senate Democrats.

Why it matters: This complicates the GOP's math on the spending cuts it needs to pass the package, as well as threatens the careful negotiations between the party's factions on reaching a final deal.

Global upheavals — from supply chain woes to wars — may increasingly spur countries to replace some fossil-fuel imports with homegrown electrons, a new report finds.

Why it matters: "2024 may well become seen as a beginning of a paradigm shift," the latest Statistical Review of World Energy finds.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei claimed in a video message published on Thursday that the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities had no major effect.

Why it matters: Khamenei's video marked the first time he has been seen in a week. His absence has raised concerns about his health and whether he remains involved in Iran's decision-making.

More than two dozen U.S. states have trigger laws that would limit marriage equality if the Supreme Court overturned its legalization of gay marriage.

Why it matters: On the 10 year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, access to marriage equality faces increasing opposition.

Many Democratic leaders and donors are panicking about Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist who won the party's nomination to be the next mayor of New York City.

Why it matters: Establishment Democrats looking to recover from 2024's losses fear Mamdani could hurt the party's brand nationally — while young progressives believe his formula could spread beyond New York.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to know what President Trump is "hiding" after the White House decided to limit the classified intel it shares with Congress, as Axios scooped earlier today.

• But House Speaker Mike Johnson says "there'll be a price to pay" after "classified documents were not only leaked, they were offered for view by Democrats."

Why it matters: Democrats see the Trump decision — made after an alleged leak of intelligence earlier this week — as a significant escalation in what they say is the White House's attempt to stonewall Congress about the Iran conflict.

Some Democrats in Congress are quietly worrying about their own reelections after democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's shock upset over onetime establishment Democratic powerhouse Andrew Cuomo.

• "There's a lot of anxiety," a senior House Democrat told us on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal dynamics.

Why it matters: Potentially dozens of House Democrats are expected to face anti-establishment primary challenges.

Lawmakers are being invited to attend Trump's East Room event tomorrow (4pm sharp!) for "everyday Americans" who'll benefit from the "big, beautiful bill," Axios scooped this afternoon.

Why it matters: The event will highlight Trump's proposals for increased border security funding and making tips, overtime pay and Social Security tax-free — daring Republicans to vote against popular positions from his campaign.

A group linked to Senate Democrats' top super PAC is putting $200,000 behind an online ad campaign that launches today against Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), featuring her viral "we all are going to die" quote on Medicaid.

• In response to questions during a May town hall about Medicaid cuts in the "big, beautiful bill," Ernst argued the program would protect the most vulnerable, but also told voters "well, we all are going to die."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to know what President Trump is "hiding" after the White House decided to limit the classified intel it shares with Congress, as Axios scooped earlier today.

• But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Axios "there'll be a price to pay" after "classified documents were not only leaked, they were offered for view by Democrats."

Why it matters: Democrats see the Trump decision — made after an alleged leak of intelligence earlier this week — as a significant escalation in what they say is the White House's attempt to stonewall Congress about the Iran conflict.

A group linked to Senate Democrats' top super PAC is launching an online ad campaign this week featuring Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) viral "we all are going to die" quote during a May town hall.

Why it matters: Iowa has been a solidly red state for years, but Democrats see an opportunity to weaken Ernst ahead of her 2026 re-election campaign.