National

Hill Leaders

Axios Hill Leaders

DORAL, FL: President Trump told House Republicans the conflict in Iran will be "over pretty quickly," without giving a firm timeline — and repeated his warning that he would not sign any legislation until the Senate passed the SAVE America Act.

Why it matters: The dual messages — boasts about successes abroad, coupled with frustration with Republicans and Democrats at home — competed for attention in his pep-talk to House Republicans at their annual retreat in Florida.

"I am not going to sign anything until this is approved," Trump said of the SAVE legislation, which would require photo IDs at polling stations.

"They'll have to go to the filibuster, and maybe it will be the talking filibuster, like the old days."

Moments earlier in Washington, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) repeated his reluctance to move forward with a talking filibuster, in part because of the unintended consequences.

"You have to show me how, in the end, it prevails and succeeds," Thune told reporters.

"What people don't realize, I think, is it's unlimited debate, but it's also unlimited amendments."

Between the lines: A bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security is apparently exempt from Trump's threat. He would sign that, an official told the Washington Examiner.

Zoom out: House Republicans are gathering in Doral, Florida, to plot out their legislative strategy for the rest of the year.

They were also eager for a first-hand update on Iran and the president's plan to lower energy costs, which have spiked since Israel and the U.S. launched military strikes on Iran 10 days ago.

For Trump, passing the SAVE America Act is the only legislative item he has for House Republicans' agenda. He even floated attaching the bill to the must-pass reauthorization of FISA.

On Iran, Trump claimed victory had already been achieved, while also suggesting that more work needed to be done.

"We've already won," he said. "But we haven't won enough. We are determined to achieve total victory over this terrorist regime."

Zoom in: Earlier in the day, the president told CBS News that the war "is very complete, pretty much."

Pressed later by a reporter on whether the war would be over this week, Trump said, "No."

"Soon, very soon," was how Trump described the timeline.

The intrigue: Trump also insisted that Democrats are no longer focused on affordability — or at least the word.

"You notice you don't hear that word anymore," Trump said.

Reality check: Democrats are expected to continue hammering Trump on inflation, especially rising gas prices.

The bottom line: Trump was trying to rally the House GOP around his successes in Iran and his strategy for lowering energy prices at home, but his frustration with the Senate seeped out.

reopen the Department of Homeland Security

Trump lays down law on Iran and SAVE Act in GOP pep talk

President Trump greets House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Whip Tom Emmer during House Republicans' retreat at Trump National Doral in Miami on March 9. 

President Trump greets House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Whip Tom Emmer at Trump National Doral on March 9. Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump

Immigration

Iran

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

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

World

President Trump spoke on the phone with Russian leader Vladimir Putin  Monday and discussed the war with Iran and the efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.  

Why it matters: This was the first call between Trump and Putin since the beginning of the war with Iran. 

Russia is a key ally of Iran and U.S. officials are concerned it is helping the Iranians in their war effort. 

Trump downplayed that scenario, but White House envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters on Saturday that he has communicated to Russian officials that they shouldn't share any intelligence with Iran. 

Driving the news: Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian reporters that the call lasted around an hour and was "frank" and "businesslike."

He claimed Putin presented Trump with "several proposals" for ending the war with Iran. 

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on state TV that France, China and Russia have reached out to discuss conditions for a ceasefire. 

The other side: Several hours later, Trump told reporters he had "a very good call with Putin." 

"He wants to be helpful [with Iran]. I told him you can be more helpful by ending the war in Ukraine," Trump said. 

The big picture: Ushakov added that Trump and Putin discussed the price spike in the oil markets.   

Last week the U.S. temporarily allowed India to buy Russian oil in the hopes of mitigating  production shortages.     

Go deeper: Europe answers Trump's call on Ukraine

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from President Trump.

Trump and Putin discuss end to Iran and Ukraine wars on call

This was the first call between Trump and Putin since the beginning of the war with Iran.

PresidentTrump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025. in Anchorage, Alaska. 

President Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Russia

Ukraine

Tech Policy

The White House is preparing an executive order formally instructing the federal government to rip out Anthropic's AI from its operations, sources familiar with the matter told Axios. 

Why it matters: The move would escalate the administration's fight with Anthropic, which is already suing the Pentagon over its supply chain risk designation.

It would also formalize a broader push across agencies to remove Claude after President Trump said his administration would not use "woke" AI.

State of play: Government agencies like the Treasury Department have already begun to offboard Anthropic.

Anthropic in a lawsuit on Monday said Congress in its procurement laws did not give the administration the authority to blacklist a U.S. company over protected speech. 

The administration has argued that Anthropic's "safeguards" pose a national security threat in the context of industry intervening during military operations. 

Context: In his first term, Trump used executive orders to target foreign tech firms on national security grounds, including actions involving Chinese telecom companies and TikTok.

But there's little precedent for an order severing ties with a specifically named U.S. company outside standard procurement processes.

In the case of Huawei, Trump did not explicitly name the company in his executive order — that took an act of Congress.

What's next: The order could be issued as soon as this week, one source familiar said.

A White House official said "any policy announcement will come directly from" the president and that "discussion about potential executive orders is speculation."

The bottom line: Trump is known for taking an expansive view of presidential authorities and getting creative with the law. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from the White House.

Scoop: White House readies executive order to weed out Anthropic

The move would escalate the administration's fight with Anthropic and formalize a broader push to remove Claude.

Photo illustration of President Donald Trump dusting binary off of his shoulder.

Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Artificial Intelligence

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) sparked furious backlash from congressional colleagues Monday with a social media post stating that "Muslims don't belong in American society."

Why it matters: Ogles is one of several hard-right Republicans who have inflamed tensions on Capitol Hill in recent months by making nakedly anti-Muslim public statements.

Just last month, Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) came under fire from colleagues for a post stating: "If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one."

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a retiring centrist who called out Fine's remarks, told Axios of Ogles' comment: "The Constitution says there can be no religious litmus test for those holding public office or government jobs, and I think that applies to citizenship as well."

What they're saying: The condemnation was far more scathing from Democrats, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) calling Ogles a "malignant clown" in a post on X.

He also called Ogles a "pathological liar who has fabricated his whole life story" — referring to reports that Ogles inflated his resumé.

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said in her own post: "This disgusting sh*t doesn't belong in American society. And Republicans who support it don't belong in Congress."

Said Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), another member of leadership who represents a large Muslim community: "This is as unAmerican as it gets. My Republican colleagues must denounce this immediately."

The other side: Ogles shot back in a post on X addressed to Jeffries, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and "the high-ranking Democrats flooding X to condemn me," pointing to a spate of alleged terrorist incidents in Austin and New York City.

"A Muslim shot and killed three Americans in Texas. Two Muslims tried to blow up New York City...again," he said.

"Meanwhile, all DHS counterterrorism programs are unfunded because you shut them down."

Between the lines: Last summer, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) introduced a censure resolution against Ogles for repeatedly calling for the deportation of now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

"Anti-Muslim hate, racism, and ethnic slurs have no place in public discourse, and only serve to divide and endanger diverse communities as well as subject public officials across the country to harassment and death threats," the measure says.

Torres and a spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment about whether he planned to force a vote on the measure.

House Democrats told Axios there was minimal internal chatter about any kind of coordinated censure effort in the immediate aftermath of Ogles' post.

Yes, but: Democrats have Ogles as one of their sleeper targets in the November midterm elections.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is hoping that Ogles' proclivity for scandal, combined with their strong recruit in Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, will help them win in the heavily Republican seat.

Jeffries, in his post on X, said: "Disgusting Islamophobes like you do not belong in Congress or in civilized society. And that's why House Democrats will defeat you in November."

reports that Ogles misrepresented his resumé

deportation of now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Rep. Ogles enrages colleagues with anti-Muslim post

The Tennessee Republican said in a post on X that Muslims "don't belong in American society."

A man in a black tuxedo and bow tie, wearing glasses, speaks into a microphone at a podium with an emblem in a dim, warm-lit venue, holding a water bottle as gold bokeh lights glow behind him.

Rep. Andy Ogles speaks at the New York Young Republican Club's Annual Gala in Manhattan on Dec. 13, 2025. Photo: Adam Gray/Getty Images

A map shows the location of the Strait of Hormuz near Iran and U.A.E.

While President Trump has offered political risk insurance and Navy escorts for tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, it still remains one of the most difficult waterways in the world to defend. 

The big picture: The Strait, which carries roughly 25% of the world's seaborne oil supply, is approximately 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point, but the designated shipping lanes are far smaller — concentrating traffic into predictable corridors for Iran to monitor and target adversaries. 

State of play: Trump said American forces sank nine Iranian warships and are working to neutralize the rest of its navy, but Iran doesn't need a conventional fleet to make passage through the Strait dangerous.

Iran sits along the Strait's northern coastline, giving it a geographic advantage to limit maritime traffic or to attack vessels. 

From shore, Iranian forces can deploy shore-based missiles or fast attack craft with little warning, while U.S. and allied forces are forced to operate from a greater distance.

Reuters reported in late February that Iran was close to finalizing a deal with China to acquire anti-ship cruise missiles, which could pose an added threat to U.S. naval forces in the region. The status of that deal is unknown. 

Zoom in: Iran has effectively closed the Strait for certain vessels, threatening retaliation if ships from some countries — including Israel and the United States — attempt to pass through. 

The halt in traffic has pushed oil prices into the triple digits for the first time since 2022. 

And further disruptions, such as an Iranian attack on a commercial vessel, could effectively close the waterway for all ships, sending prices even higher.

Go deeper: How Iran's Strait of Hormuz shutdown could hit the global economy

How Iran's Strait of Hormuz shutdown could hit the global economy

Why the Strait of Hormuz is so difficult to defend

The narrow waterway concentrates traffic into predictable corridors for Iran to target adversaries.

Oil companies

Transportation

Breaking climate science and policy coverage as extreme weather events reshape communities. Keep tabs on the race to a low carbon economy, which may be bumpy as governments, climate tech startups and major oil and gas companies race to find their niche amid the changing energy landscape.

Energy & Climate

Latest news on Wall Street, Corporate America and financial regulation.

Business

Top stories & latest news on the Federal Reserve, real-time data, plus the biggest shifts happening in the U.S. and global economy.

Economy

The Lebanese government proposed direct negotiations with Israel — through the Trump administration — aimed at ending the war and reaching a peace agreement, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter.

Both the U.S. and Israeli responses were cool and deeply skeptical, the sources said. 

Why it matters: Lebanon's government is extremely alarmed that the renewed war, triggered by Hezbollah's decision to launch rockets at Israel, will devastate the country.

So far, the Lebanese army has refused to take meaningful action against the Iran-backed militant group.

And with Washington uninterested in mediating and Israel determined to use the moment to dismantle Hezbollah, a full-scale escalation appears increasingly likely.

Driving the news: Hezbollah entered the fighting on the second day of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, firing rockets and drones toward Israel and intensifying its attacks in the days that followed.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes — including in Beirut — and ground incursions into southern Lebanon, expanding its military footprint in the country.

Hezbollah has since engaged Israeli forces in guerrilla warfare on the ground.

More than 600,000 Lebanese civilians have fled the south. Beirut's southern suburbs, considered a Hezbollah stronghold, have been nearly emptied after the Israel Defense Forces warned of impending strikes.

Behind the scenes: Last week, the Lebanese government approached Tom Barrack — the U.S. ambassador to Turkey — and asked him to mediate with Israel, according to a U.S. official, an Israeli official, and three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The Israeli official said the Lebanese government also claimed some Hezbollah members were open to a deal.

In an unprecedented step, Lebanon proposed holding immediate direct talks with Israel at the ministerial level in Cyprus.

Barrack's response was blunt: "Stop with the bullsh*t" on disarming Hezbollah, or there's nothing to discuss. "If it's not real action about Hezbollah's weapons, there's no point," a source said.

Sources say the Israeli government rejected the outreach outright, signaling it was too late. Its focus is on eliminating Hezbollah.

The context: Barrack is also the U.S. envoy to Syria and Iraq. While he worked the Lebanon file last year, he hasn't been engaged on the issue for several months.

The U.S. diplomat most recently handling Lebanon was Morgan Ortagus, who left the government in January.

The current U.S. ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa, is the senior American official formally responsible for Lebanon — but has limited access to decision-makers in Washington.

The result is a Lebanon portfolio with no clear owner at a moment of acute crisis.

Between the lines: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri were furious when Hezbollah joined the war — having received assurances from the group's political leadership for weeks that it would stay out of any conflict between Israel and Iran, a source said.

The episode made clear that Hezbollah's political arm doesn't have real control over its military wing — and that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps holds decisive influence over the group's actions.

That realization drove two historic and unprecedented decisions: banning Hezbollah's military arm and ordering the deportation of IRGC members from Lebanese soil.

Yes, but: Lebanese Army commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal has resisted the government's push, refusing to deploy troops against Hezbollah while active fighting continues, the sources said.

His stance has fueled tensions with Salam and drawn pressure from both Democrats and Republicans in Washington on Aoun to fire him, according to current and former U.S. officials.

"The Lebanese military remains unwilling — some say unable — to enforce the government's decision outlawing Hezbollah's military and security activities," said Firas Maksad, managing director for Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group.

What to watch: Lebanon's government is deeply frustrated that it is being largely ignored by the Trump administration. Without active U.S. mediation, the sources say, there is no path to peace talks.

"There is no interest from the Trump administration to deal with Lebanon," one source with knowledge of the issue told Axios.

"Nobody in Washington is taking their calls," said a former U.S. official.

"The Lebanese government was warned and warned and warned this would happen if they don't take action against Hezbollah," said a third source, also a former U.S. official.

What's next: Lebanon is launching a diplomatic initiative to pursue direct senior-level negotiations with Israel, Maksad said — aimed at building a post-war order in which Hezbollah no longer dominates the country.

"The Lebanese state will not, perhaps cannot, create the military conditions to get there. But it will meet Israel and the U.S. at the table once the guns go silent."

Lebanon asks U.S. for direct peace talks with Israel to end fighting

Hezbollah entered the fighting on the second day of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Smoke plumes rise from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on March 9. Photo: Fadel Itani/AFP via Getty Images

Israel

Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.) announced Monday that his decision to leave the Republican Party and register as an Independent will take effect immediately. 

Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) two-vote majority just got even smaller.

Kiley said he will still caucus with Republicans for "administrative purposes" but noted that he's been a less-than-reliable vote for Johnson even as a Republican. 

The California Republican did not give leadership a heads-up before announcing Friday that he was leaving the party, but he said he did speak with Johnson over the weekend about continuing to caucus with the conference.

The big picture: Kiley's move comes after mid-decade redistricting dismantled his Republican-leaning district, forcing him to run in far more Democratic territory.

He framed the switch as a response to partisanship fueled by gerrymandering.

"Since gerrymandering seeks to elevate partisanship above everything else in our politics … the best way to counter gerrymandering and its insidious impacts on democracy is simply to take partisanship out of the equation," Kiley said on a Monday press call.

The intrigue: Kiley stopped short of promising he'll be a reliable vote for Johnson.

"I don't know if he would tell you I have been so far," Kiley told Axios.

He noted he has already voted against several rule votes — procedural measures that typically fall along party lines.

"If you're talking about just bringing bills to the floor, I think, generally speaking, I've been supportive of that," he added, "I can't commit to do that in each and every case, in advance, I think I'll have to consider every one on its own merits."

Zoom in: Kiley is facing a large field of rivals in both parties to represent California's 6th District, including Democrats Richard Pan and Thien Ho.

Kiley is easily the most well-funded candidate in the race, with nearly $2.1 million in fundraising receipts as of the end of 2025 compared to Ho's $380,000 and Pan's $320,000.

Republican Rep. Kiley leaves GOP, tightening Johnson's margins

Kiley said he will still caucus with Republicans for administrative purposes.

A man in a gray suit and tie stands in front of six American flags with gold eagle finials against a dark blue background, looking thoughtful with hands clasped.

Rep. Kevin Kiley at the 2024 House Republican Issues Conference on March 14, 2024. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Elections 2024

Anthropic on Monday sued the Pentagon, alleging its designation as a "supply chain risk" violates the company's First Amendment rights and exceeds the government's authority.

Why it matters: Supply chain risk designations are usually reserved for foreign adversaries that pose a national security risk — a punishment that could be hard for the government to square as it relied on Claude for operations in Iran.

State of play: The Pentagon last week designated Anthropic a supply chain risk, meaning companies must stop using Claude in cases directly tied to the department.

President Trump also told the federal government in a Truth Social post to stop using Anthropic's technology, and some agencies have begun offboarding the tools.

Anthropic is asking courts to undo the supply chain risk designation, block its enforcement and require federal agencies to withdraw directives  to drop the company.

The company says its two lawsuits are not meant to force the government to work with Anthropic, but prevent officials from blacklisting companies over policy disagreements.

What's inside: The first lawsuit — filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California — claims the designation punishes Anthropic for being outspoken about its views on AI policy, including its advocacy for safeguards against its technology being used for mass domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons.

The Pentagon has a right to disagree and choose not to work with Anthropic, the company argues, but it can't stigmatize the company as a security risk over protected speech.

The case challenges the statutory authority underpinning the Pentagon's designation, 10 U.S.C. 3252, arguing that Congress required the department to use the least restrictive means to protect the government and mitigate supply chain risk, not punish a supplier.

"Anthropic turns to the judiciary as a last resort to vindicate its rights and halt the Executive's unlawful campaign of retaliation," the lawsuit states.

Procurement laws passed by Congress do not give the Pentagon or President Trump the power to blacklist a company, Anthropic says.

Companies including Microsoft and Google have said they'll be able to continue non-defense related work with Anthropic.

A second, shorter lawsuit was filed in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals because another statute the government invoked can only be challenged there and similar arguments are being made there, Anthropic says.

The company is seeking relief in both jurisdictions.

The other side: The Pentagon argues the dispute is about operational control, not speech.

Department officials say this has always been about the military's ability to use technology legally, without a vendor inserting itself into the chain of command and putting warfighters at risk.

The big picture: This doesn't preclude the two sides from reaching an agreement.

Defense undersecretary Emil Michael last week told Pirate Wires he would be open-minded: "I have a responsibility to the Department of War, and if there was a way to ensure that we had the best technology, I have no ego about it."

What's next: Anthropic says it's committed to continuing to serve the Pentagon amid major combat operations.

"Seeking judicial review does not change our longstanding commitment to harnessing AI to protect our national security, but this is a necessary step to protect our business, our customers, and our partners," an Anthropic spokesperson said. 

"We will continue to pursue every path toward resolution, including dialogue with the government." 

Anthropic sues Pentagon over rare "supply chain risk" label

Supply chain risk designations are usually reserved for foreign adversaries that pose a national security risk.

Photo illustration of the Pentagon building with a giant cursor emerging from in the center.

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Axios

Monday's top stories