It’s Tuesday. Who’s ready for the next winter storm? In this edition: -
Elon Musk is not actually a part of DOGE, per the White House.
- What we know about the Toronto plane crash.
- Congress nears shutdown deadline with no plan.
- Hannity’s Trump, Musk interview airs tonight.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips & feedback to cmartel@thehill.com. Someone forward this to you? Sign up. |
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Who makes the DOGE run? (not Musk): |
(^try not saying that headline to the tune of “Who Let the Dogs Out?” I dare you.)
The White House says that even though tech billionaire Elon Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he technically isn’t a part of it.
Huh?: The White House says Musk is actually an employee of the “White House Office” and serves as a senior adviser to the president.
💡 Why this matters: 14 states are suing President Trump and Musk over some of the major changes they’re making to the federal government. The lawsuit argues that Musk’s role is unconstitutional because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. However, the Trump administration argues Musk is not making formal decisions within the government — he is just advising Trump to do so.
To put a figure on DOGE: DOGE claims it has saved $55 billion in federal government funding through restructuring. Five of the biggest DOGE controversies so far: -
Access to Treasury Department — and taxes?
- Hollowing out the U.S. Agency for International Development
- Federal firings and the buyout offer
- Putting a stop to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
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Delving into the vaults at Fort Knox?
Read Niall Stanage’s explainer for each
The head of Social Security steps down over DOGE: The Associated Press reports that the Social Security Administration’s acting leader has stepped down after more than 30 years of service over DOGE requests to access sensitive recipient data. 🗨️ Follow today’s live blog |
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The New York Times: Trump Cuts Target Next Generation of Scientists and Public Health Leaders
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The Washington Post: Inside the Trump administration’s error-plagued firing spree
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The Wall Street Journal: White House Changes Federal Contracting Rules to Eliminate DEI Considerations
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Op-ed in The Hill: Elon Musk is coming for your Social Security
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CNN: Democrats confront their powerlessness as Trump flexes authority
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New York Magazine: Wokeness Is Not to Blame for Trump: How a misdiagnosis of the 2024 election has calcified into self-defeating conventional wisdom.
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The Trump administration recently sent a warning to universities, warning them they could lose funding if they continue diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs that the White House considers illegal. |
Fox News’s Sean Hannity sat down with Trump and Musk.
In a released clip of a joint interview, Trump and Musk argued that the media is trying to drive a wedge between them.
“They want a divorce,” Hannity said.
“Oh, I see it all the time. They tried it, then they stopped. That was, they have many different things, hatred,” Trump agreed. |
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The terror these passengers must have felt: |
A Delta passenger flight flipped over at the Toronto airport Monday while landing on a blustery afternoon. All 80 passengers survived, but at least 21 people were injured, including a child. One passenger described the incident to ABC News, saying, “We hit the ground and we were sideways, and then we were hanging upside down like bats.” Experts say it was a miracle that everyone survived — several things had to go right for this outcome. 📸 Photos of the plane, via NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer 📹 Video of the impact
📹 Video of passengers evacuating
Timing: Plane crashes are still very rare, but this is timed with several recent airplane incidents, including the deadly helicopter-airline collision near Washington, D.C., a Philadelphia plane crash and a regional plane crashing off the coast of Alaska.
Not the best optics: The Trump administration has begun firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, even as officials have raised concerns about staffing shortages. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seemingly defended the recent firings, arguing it was just 400 employees out of 45,000. Read Duffy’s post
What is Transportation Secretary Duffy doing?: Duffy said he plans to visit the FAA Academy later this week to learn more about air traffic control training. |
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March 14 is not that far away, guys: |
Congress is barreling toward a mid-March deadline to fund the government, but this time it’s on Republicans’ watch.
What needs to happen?: Lawmakers need to pass 12 funding bills that make up the federal government. Negotiators are hoping to pass these bills with bipartisan support, though the dynamics for that scenario will certainly be tough. Some Republicans are hoping to use the budget reconciliation loophole to bypass the need for Democratic support, but as we’ve learned over the past few weeks, Republicans are not all on the same page about the reconciliation strategy.
Read more about where the shutdown deadline dynamics: ‘Congress closing in on shutdown deadline with no clear plan’ |
➤ HOW’S TRUMP’S AGENDA DOING?:
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*ducks and covers after asking that seemingly innocent question*
“The showdown between House and Senate Republicans is escalating as the two groups barrel ahead with their contrasting strategies to pass President Trump’s legislative agenda — with the upper chamber expected to move this week,” reports The Hill’s Mychael Schnell and Al Weaver.
In the House: “The House Budget Committee last week advanced a budget resolution for one sprawling bill full of Trump’s wish list items, getting the measure over the finish line after weeks of bitter infighting. The conference is eyeing a vote in the full chamber as early as next week, but concerns among moderates — and even some conservatives — could stymie that plan.”
In the Senate: “Senate Republicans, meanwhile, advanced their own budget resolution through the Budget Committee shortly before the House last week, moving the ball forward on their two-track blueprint. The measure is likely to hit the floor for a vote this week.” |
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U.S. and Russian officials had a chat: |
U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia earlier today to discuss an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Yes, but: No Ukrainian officials were at this meeting, according to The Associated Press. Keep in mind that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he wouldn’t agree to a pause in fighting without being involved in the talks. |
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🍷 Celebrate: Today is National Drink Wine Day.
🪷 What did you think of the first episode of “The White Lotus?”: Here’s a recap of the first episode of Season 3. |
The House is out. The Senate is in. President Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. (all times Eastern) |
- 4 p.m.: Trump signs executive orders.
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5:30 p.m.: At least two Senate votes, including a confirmation vote on Commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick. 📆 Today’s agenda
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Tonight: Fox News’s Sean Hannity’s interview with Trump and Elon Musk
- Wednesday-Saturday: The annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md.
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