Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the future of MAGA's foreign policy clear in a speech Saturday: In Germany, he warned the Munich Security Conference of the dangers of mass migration, while emphasizing the shared heritage between Europe and the U.S.
Rubio's Make the West Great Again message dovetailed in substance with Vice President Vance's address at the same conference last year. But it was softer in tone and loftier in rhetoric, earning Rubio applause instead of the shock that greeted Vance.
Why it matters: Taken together, the two Munich speeches by Rubio and Vance articulate President Trump's global vision, albeit more cogently and eloquently. And the twin addresses chart the course of Republican foreign policy for years to come.
The Pentagon is considering severing its relationship with Anthropic over the AI firm's insistence on maintaining some limitations on how the military uses its models, a senior administration official told Axios.
Why it matters: The Pentagon is pushing four leading AI labs to let the military use their tools for "all lawful purposes," even in the most sensitive areas of weapons development, intelligence collection, and battlefield operations. Anthropic has not agreed to those terms, and the Pentagon is getting fed up after months of difficult negotiations.
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during their meeting at the White House on Wednesday that the U.S. will increase the economic pressure on Iran, mostly when it comes to oil sales to China, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the issue.
Why it matters: More than 80% of Iranian oil exports go to China. If China reduces its purchases of oil from Iran, the economic pressure on Iran would increase significantly.
Consultants and pollsters tell Axios that after moving toward Donald Trump in 2024, the nation's fastest-growing electorate is splintering into competing political identities, with no single partisan anchor after decades as a reliably Democratic bloc.
Why it matters: This fracture helped reshape the 2024 election map — and it's one of the biggest wildcards in 2026 and 2028, even as the economy and Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement have given tailwinds to Democrats.
The U.S. military used Anthropic's Claude AI model during the operation to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, two sources with knowledge of the situation told Axios.
Now, the blowback may threaten the company's business with the Pentagon.
The latest: After reports on the use of Claude in the raid, a senior administration official told Axios that the Pentagon would be reevaluating its partnership with Anthropic.
The U.S. and Iran are expected to hold a second round of nuclear talks in Geneva next Tuesday in an effort to reach a deal that prevents war, according to a U.S. official and three sources with knowledge.
Why it matters: While President Trump said he prefers a diplomatic solution and wants to reach a deal with Iran, he has also ordered a massive military buildup in the Gulf, including sending a second aircraft carrier strike group.
