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National

Israeli President Isaac Herzog confirmed on Sunday Axios' report that the IDF found a USB key with instructions for producing a "cyanide dispersion device" on the body of a Hamas operative who participated in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. 

The big picture: Herzog's comments in an interview with Sky News are part of a wider Israeli diplomatic effort to mobilize support in the West for the Israeli operation against Hamas.

"This is how shocking the situation is where we're looking at the instructions that are given on how to operate and how to create a kind of non-professional chemical weapon with cyanide," Herzog told Sky News.

Driving the news: Axios reported on Saturday that the Israeli Foreign Ministry's weapons of mass destruction non-proliferation department sent a classified cable to Israeli embassies in dozens of capitals worldwide, including Washington, late last week under the headline: "Hamas intention of using chemical weapons."

The authenticity of the Hamas file could not be independently verified by Axios, but Israeli officials have previously said they wouldn't share information with allies if they didn't think it was authentic and reliable.

It is not clear from the file whether Hamas had any serious or operational plan for using makeshift chemical weapons or whether the group had attempted to produce them.

State of play: Speaking to Sky News, Herzog showed printouts of the digital files that he said were recovered by the IDF from the USB key. 

He showed the instructions were part of an al-Qaeda manual and presented a drawing of the makeshift cyanide dispersion device that was file.

A Hamas spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Go deeper: What to know about Hamas' tunnel system beneath Gaza

Herzog confirms Israel found Hamas files with instructions for making chemical weapons

Axios reported the IDF found a USB key with instructions for producing a "cyanide dispersion device" on a Hamas operative's body.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Hamas

Israel

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

World

With the MAGA wing of the Republican Party dominant in the presidential race and the speaker-less House of Representatives, the Senate is looking like the last bastion of old-school Republican influence.

Why it matters: The party's leaders are looking to keep it that way by quietly boosting the prospects of more mainstream Senate candidates.

The big picture: Republicans hold solid odds of winning back the Senate in 2024, with a historically favorable map putting Democrats on defense in numerous red-state and purple-state battlegrounds.

So far, Senate Republicans — and those working to elect future GOP senators — have been successful in creating one remaining safe space for normalcy in a party that's grown increasingly nihilistic.

The odds are growing that Republicans flip the Senate but lose control of the dysfunctional House in 2024.

What to watch: If Senate Republicans have a good night in the 2024 elections, their majority would likely be powered by traditional conservatives like Gov. Jim Justice in West Virginia, military veteran Tim Sheehy in Montana, businessman Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania and former House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers in Michigan.

These are all candidates that would fit in well in the pre-Trump Republican Party. The list of GOP Senate recruits is heavy on military veterans, business experience and political know-how.

McCormick, in a striking sign of party unity, won the endorsement of the Pennsylvania Republican Party and all GOP lawmakers in the state's congressional delegation — from moderate Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Scott Perry.

Driving the news: Some Senate Republicans are growing increasingly optimistic that businessman Eric Hovde will enter the race against Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), giving the party a more credible and well-funded challenger than other right-wing alternatives.

Hovde unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in 2012, losing to former Gov. Tommy Thompson in the GOP primary.

Between the lines: If Republican donors critical of former President Trump don't know where to spend their money — and are holding their donations as a result — the emerging lineup of traditionally conservative Senate candidates is looking like a safer bet.

While top GOP donors are growing resigned to the likelihood of a Trump nomination and the House looking vulnerable to a Democratic takeover, the prospect of maintaining a check on Democratic power with a GOP-controlled Senate will look enticing.

Zoom in: Many of the GOP's touted candidates face right-wing primary challenges — offering a critical test of National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Steve Daines' (R-Mont.) effectiveness in getting electable candidates nominated.

Former Detroit police chief James Craig, positioning himself to the right of Rogers in the Michigan Senate race, announced his candidacy against the former congressman this month. Craig's launch video featured glowing commentary from former Fox host Tucker Carlson.

Justice is also facing a right-wing primary challenger from Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.). Trump endorsed Justice this week, giving the governor a clear advantage in the race.

Sheehy boasts party backing and numerous endorsements from GOP senators, but still faces the possibility of a primary threat from Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), one of the eight House Republicans who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Reality check: The overall trendlines are all pointing to the GOP moving in a much more populist and isolationist direction, even in the establishment-minded Senate.

At least two-thirds of Republican voters are backing presidential candidates touting the MAGA line — Trump, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Even some of the more traditional candidates have made nods to the rising populism within their party. Rogers, for instance, slammed the Department of Justice as "politically motivated" in a campaign video this month — all but echoing Trump's conspiratorial view of his indictments.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chair of the GOP conference, endorsed MAGA favorite Kari Lake in Arizona's Senate race last week.

The bottom line: That's why the top Senate races will be critical in charting the future direction of the Republican Party.

If the traditional wing of the GOP can maintain its beachhead in the Senate, it would bode well for its ability to still have a strong voice despite the party's MAGA-aligned orientation.

Disclosure: I am the editor in chief at Jewish Insider, which is linked to in one instance in this report.

The old GOP's last stand: the Senate

The Senate is looking like the last bastion of old-school Republican influence.

Illustration of an elephant knocking over a column with its trunk and tusks.  

Senate Republicans

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Several GOP lawmakers are expressing support for President Biden's multi-billion dollar package introduced Friday, which combines aid to Israel and Ukraine.  

The big picture: Biden's request to Congress for $106 billion in emergency funding, which would also ramp up U.S. border security, comes as some Republicans have hesitated to provide additional funding for Ukraine. 

What they're saying: "We have big power competition from China, and Russia and we still have terrorism problems, as the Israelis have certainly experienced in a brutal way in the last week," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. 

"So I think that requires a worldwide approach rather than trying to take parts of it out. It's all connected. The Chinese and the Russians said they're now friends forever. Iranian drones are being used in Ukraine and against the Israelis," McConnell said. 

When asked about the resistance among some Republicans to link the aid  and if it is possible to pass Ukraine aid if it's not tied to Israel, McConnell said: "I just think that's a mistake." 

McConnell said he views it as "all interconnected" despite some GOP lawmakers saying "Ukraine is somehow different."

Catch up quick: The ambitious package faces its own set of hurdles.

The House has yet to elect a new speaker following House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan's (R-Ohio) failed third attempt at the gavel Friday.

And Congress' mid-November deadline to avert another government shutdown is quickly approaching.

Meanwhile, other GOP lawmakers echoed similar sentiments as McConnell. 

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said he is "in favor of the concept of linking the biggest threats to the free world" and thinks it would be "very dangerous to abandon our allies at this critical time," per an interview Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio), on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, said he supports the package.

Turner said he thinks "it's incredibly important that we move forward to make certain that we stand up against the authoritarian regimes that are trying to undermine democracies that are our allies" and that "we should be more focused on Russia as a threat to the United States than we have been."

Of note: Former House speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" he would not support linking aid to Ukraine to aid for Israel because he "would not want to delay any aid for Israel." 

McCarthy said he "would have already sent aid to Israel." 

Go deeper: Biden asks Congress for $106 billion for Ukraine, Israel, U.S. border

Biden asks Congress for $106 billion for Ukraine, Israel, U.S. border

Some GOP lawmakers back Biden's Ukraine and Israel aid package

Biden's request for $106B in emergency funding comes as some Republicans have hesitated to provide additional money for Ukraine.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) concludes a news conference in September. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Joe Biden

A total of nine House GOP lawmakers are running for speaker, setting up a raucous closed-door meeting on Monday.

Why it matters: Hostilities between GOP factions have escalated since the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, followed by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) bowing out of the race and the conference voting to remove Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as nominee.

As of Sunday afternoon, the following nine House Republicans are running for speaker, according to Punchbowl News. 

House Republican Vice Conference Chair Mike Johnson (R-La.)

Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern (R-Okla.)

Zoom in: Multiple GOP lawmakers said they believe Emmer has an early lead, but noted that the knives are out from certain allies of former President Trump, along with reservations about elevating a current member of leadership.

Others argued that Donalds' support among conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus could give him an edge. 

Multiple GOP lawmakers speculated that it would take several candidates more failing before they are able to reach a consensus. 

"I haven't talked to anyone. This is a wild guess but I bet this comes down to Emmer vs Donalds," one senior GOP lawmaker said. 

The big picture: "Now we're back to square one, as someone said in there that we're down three speakers, so we can't be down to fourth ... now we're at the point where no one gets the first choice," said Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas).

What's next: Expect a long meeting on Monday. 

Under conference rules, each announced candidate will have time to give an oral presentation and face questions.

Editor's note: This article was updated for the finalized candidate list on Sunday.

Flood of GOP lawmakers hits the House speaker race

There will be nine candidates when Republicans meet on Monday.

(Photo by Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty Images)

House of Representatives

Meet The Press-9 55 04 Am - 9 56 36 Am-2023-10-22

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the repeated failed effort to elect a new Speaker of the House is "embarrassing" for the U.S. and the Republican Party as the House enters its third week without a leader. 

Driving the news: With failed bids from Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), House Republicans have moved to the third round of potential candidates hoping to break the stalemate with some hard-right party members who have repeatedly voted with Democrats. 

Nine candidates have put their names into consideration for speaker, including current House majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.). 

What they're saying: "I would have hoped that everyone would come together, put the country before the politics, and actually solve this," McCarthy said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press.

"This is embarrassing for the Republican Party. It's embarrassing for the nation. And we need to look at one another and solve the problem," the former speaker said, adding that both Jordan and Scalise could have "done the job" as speaker. 

McCarthy also blamed Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and seven other Republicans for putting the House in its current situation but said he would do "the exact same thing again" in pushing a vote to keep the U.S. government open. 

"Could you imagine if we were having this discussion right now with the American government shut down, with our troops in the Middle East wondering when they'll ever get paid again?" he asked "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker. 

Worth noting: When pressed on potentially re-entering the speaker race, McCarthy told Welker, "I don't need the title." 

"I'm supporting Tom Emmer," McCarthy said. "But I'm going to tell you: I'm still a member of Congress, and I'm going to lead in any capacity to protect America." 

Kevin McCarthy calls House speaker chaos "embarrassing" for GOP

When pressed on potentially re-entering the speaker race, McCarthy said, "I don't need the title."

Rep. Kevin McCarty (R-Calif.) appears on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Oct. 22, 2023. 

Kevin McCarthy

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Sunday that the Pentagon will send more U.S. missile and air defense systems to the Middle East due to a "prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops throughout the region."   

Driving the news: There has been an increase in attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since the latest fighting began between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

What they're saying: "We are concerned about potential escalation…we are going to do what is necessary to make sure our troops are protected and that we have the ability to respond," Austin said in an interview on ABC.

He said the additional U.S. forces sent to the region send a message to those who seek to widen this conflict. 

Secretary of State Tony Blinken added on "Meet the Press" that the U.S. is taking steps to adequately defend itself but "this is not what we're looking for. We don't want escalation."

State of play: On Saturday, Austin said he made the decision to further strengthen the U.S. force posture in the region following conversations with President Biden about recent escalation by Iran and its proxy forces against U.S. troops in the Middle East. 

Austin said he redirected the movement of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group from the European command to the Central Command area of responsibility.     

The Pentagon will also deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as well as additional Patriot battalions to locations throughout the region to increase force protection for U.S. forces.     

Austin also said he placed an additional number of forces on "prepare to deploy" orders to increase their readiness and ability to quickly respond as required.

The big picture: The U.S. on Friday ordered the departure of non-emergency staff from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil "due to increased security threats against U.S. personnel and interests."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the order for U.S. staff at the embassy and consulate in Iraq to depart the country. 

U.S. sending more missile defense systems to Middle East amid escalation concerns

There has been an increase in attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.

Axios

Sunday's top stories

Herzog confirms Israel found Hamas files with instructions for making chemical weapons

The old GOP's last stand: the Senate

Some GOP lawmakers back Biden's Ukraine and Israel aid package

Flood of GOP lawmakers hits the House speaker race

Kevin McCarthy calls House speaker chaos "embarrassing" for GOP

U.S. sending more missile defense systems to Middle East amid escalation concerns

Pentagon ramps up Middle East surge

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