Monday, April 6
War with Iran causes concern for midterms
The ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran is a cause for concern for Republicans heading into the midterm election season. President Donald Trump ran on the promise of lowering costs and ending wars, but is now in a war with Iran that has sent energy prices are soaring, according to The Associated Press.
The war in Iran is not very popular in the U.S., and is getting less popular by the day as Trump’s rhetoric concerns Americans. The war comes about six months before ballots will be cast for Congressional elections and governorships. Republicans, who currently control all branches of government, are in danger of losing important seats and handing more power to Democrats.
According to the AP, Republican leaders are privately stating that the House will be lost, and Democrats have a chance of winning the Senate, as GOP leaders desperately avoid the Iran war in their talking points.
Tuesday, April 7
New footage from Minneapolis sheds light on ICE activity
A video released by the city of Minneapolis shows an Immigration and Customs Enforcement chase and scuffle ending in a shooting. The nonfatal shooting happened in January, and the federal officers were suspended, the AP reported.
The incident occurred during Trump’s continued effort to crack down on immigration in Minnesota, which has brought backlash from many Americans. In the video, federal officers chased a Venezuelan man to his residence. The officers shot another Venezuelan man who lives there.
The authorities dropped the charges against both men in February and are investigating the two officers on whether they lied under oath about the details of the incident, according to the AP. The New York Times reported on the footage, raising concerns about why the case against the men took weeks before being dropped.
The authorities were accusing Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis of beating an ICE official with a broom handle and snow shovel during the encounter. Sosa-Celis was shot in his right thigh, and the scene quickly became filled with protestors.
Wednesday, April 8
Clay Fuller wins Marjorie Taylor Greene’s House seat
Republican Clay Fuller won Marjorie Taylor Greene’s U.S. House seat Tuesday. Fuller is endorsed by Trump and was set to win the deep red district by 12 points, according to the AP.
Fuller said his win proves Trump’s power, claiming he will be on Capitol Hill to have his back every single day. While Fuller touts Trump’s power and influence, his recent rhetoric concerning the Iran war has caused concern among Republicans.
Some Republicans, even in Fuller's district, agreed the war has gone too far and are concerned with Trump's moves in the Middle East, the AP reported. Fuller now serves the rest of Greene’s term after she resigned earlier this year, joining the Republican majority in the House.
Thursday, April 9
Bondi to avoid appearing in House committee
Former Attorney General Pam Pondi will not appear at a House committee deposition next week about how the Jeffrey Epstein investigation was handled, the Department of Justice has indicated.
According to the Justice Department, because Bondi was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general and she no longer served after being removed from the position last week, she will not attend.
The Justice Department and Bondi faced substantial backlash for how they handled the Epstein files release. Bondi was subpoenaed and deposed last month in a bipartisan vote from the Republican-led committee, according to the AP.
Those on the committee, including South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, who initiated the motion, said she will not be able to escape the subpoena and will have to attend the deposition, the AP reported. Mace said Bondi was summoned by her name and not by her title as attorney general.
Friday, April 10
JD Vance heads to Middle East for peace talks
Vice President JD Vance went overseas Friday to engage in peace talks with Iran, aimed at ending the ongoing war. Vance, a more skeptical supporter of the conflict, traveled to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, according to the AP.
His departure comes as the temporary ceasefire seems to be on the verge of collapsing. The White House has not provided details about how talks are being formatted.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner joined Vance on the trip. Trump expressed his confidence in the talks. He also said the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed, bringing rising gas prices in the U.S., will be opened soon.
Sunday, April 12
Iran-US ceasefire talks end with no agreement
The 21-hour ceasefire talks in Pakistan between the U.S. and Iran ended without an agreement, the AP reported. Trump has threatened the U.S. Navy will begin enforcing a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
The blockade is another move by the Trump administration to remove Iran's main source of leverage, as the Strait of Hormuz ships abound 20% of global oil supplies. It is not clear how the blockade will be done, but it could cause more disturbance in the global energy market, according to the AP.
According to Trump, the talks could not be carried through due to Tehran's continued interest in nuclear power. He threatened strikes on civilian infrastructure and reiterated the statement he made previously, when he said a “whole civilization will die tonight.”
