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Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Moderate Dems get tougher on Netanyahu
With help from Joe Gould, Phelim Kine and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Eric The rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is causing even some of Israel's staunchest defenders in the Democratic party to pile some harsh criticism on the U.S. ally. The top Democrats on the Senate Armed Services, Intelligence, Foreign Relations and Judiciary Committees and relevant foreign policy and defense Appropriations subcommittees issued a joint statement today calling on President DONALD TRUMP to apply more pressure on Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU to end the war in the Gaza Strip and restore the distribution of food and other humanitarian aid into the territory. None of these Democrats — Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN of New Hampshire, JACK REED of Rhode Island, MARK WARNER of Virginia, DICK DURBIN of Illinois, CHRIS COONS of Delaware and BRIAN SCHATZ of Hawaii — are avowed critics of Israel. Most have only rebuked Israel periodically since the Gaza war broke out and have supported aid to Israel throughout their careers. And they join a whole host of pro-Israel Democrats who have voiced their discomfort with Israel's actions over the course of this week. That includes Sen. MARK KELLY (D-Ariz.), who on Tuesday became one of the first prominent Democratic moderates to do so, and Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.), the third-highest ranking Democratic leader in the Senate. Klobuchar issued a sharp rebuke to Israel in a floor speech Thursday. On the House side, Rep. RITCHIE TORRES (D-N.Y.) got into a spat Thursday on X with Rep. RANDY FINE (R-Fla.) after Fine said that Palestinians should 'starve away' in the Gaza Strip until Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages in its captivity. Torres has previously come under fire from critics of Israel for at times being too dismissive about the plight of Palestinians in the enclave. The moderates are sounding more and more like progressives, who have been lashing out at Israel for its approach to the Gaza war and calling on the White House across two administrations to use every tool possible to push Netanyahu to alleviate human suffering in the enclave. It's a critical moment in the conflict. The Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has struggled to distribute aid to Palestinians in the enclave, exacerbating widespread starvation in the territory. Israeli troops are accused of firing on Palestinians seeking aid, killing hundreds of Palestinian civilians in recent weeks. Israel has downplayed concerns about the inadequacy of humanitarian aid, blaming Hamas for the violence associated with aid not getting to people and arguing it's a question of inadequate distribution, not volume, of aid entering the territory. The Trump administration has repeatedly pointed the finger at Hamas for the plight of Palestinians in the enclave. Some Democrats have acknowledged in recent weeks that they're facing considerably more pressure to call out Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip from the base. But don't expect the Democratic Party to abandon Israel anytime soon. The pro-Israel group Democratic Majority for Israel, a major player in Democratic primaries, put out a statement today that principally singled out Hamas for the issues with aid. A number of Senate Democratic defenders of Israel, including Minority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and Sen. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-Penn.), have also not spoken out. Most Republicans, meanwhile, are keeping mum, making it deeply unlikely the worsening crisis in Gaza moves the White House to use its leverage on Netanyahu. The Inbox MUSK'S OTHER SHUTDOWN: ELON MUSK ordered the shutdown of vital Starlink communications satellite services for Ukraine along the frontline in September 2022, according to a Reuters report. The cut affected service around Kherson, which Ukraine was attempting to reclaim from Russia, and areas in eastern Ukraine. The Starlink shutdown led to the failure of a Ukrainian operation to retake the town of Beryslav, a Ukrainian military official told Reuters. Starlink terminals are vital to Ukraine's military operations, serving as the communications linchpin between command, drone and artillery units. The U.S. military is also increasingly using Starlinks for its own forces. It's not clear why Musk ordered the shutdown. However, the cut-off happened around the time when U.S. officials believed Russia might use a nuclear weapon to attack Ukraine. Reuters also reveals other findings that Musk ordered the shutdown of Starlink services in Russian-occupied Crimea in September 2022 to prevent a Ukrainian attack on Russian ships there. Musk later said he had not shut down services but rather never activated them in Crimea. WORSENING FIREFIGHT IN ASIA: Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia along their border continued into today, forcing thousands of civilians on both sides to flee the area. The two countries have been in talks for a ceasefire. But with them trading fire from powerful rocket launchers and artillery, that's looking increasingly unlikely. Acting Thai Prime Minister PHUMTHAM WECHAYACHAI said the conflict could become a war, threatening yet greater violence between the two historic adversaries. Thailand has accused Cambodia of intentionally targeting civilians. The brewing conflict could complicate efforts for the U.S. to counter China in the Indo-Pacific. Thailand, the militarily more powerful nation, is a close U.S. ally. Cambodia is more aligned with China, Vietnam and Russia, from whom it has received military supplies. NUDGING A NUKE DEAL: With the New START Treaty set to expire in 195 days, arms control advocates are urging Trump and Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN to strike an interim deal to avoid a surge in nuclear weapons. 'Unless Trump and Putin reach an interim deal to maintain existing limits, we could soon see each side increasing the size of their deployed nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 35 years by uploading warheads on existing missiles, which is no one's interests,' DARYL KIMBALL, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said in a statement. The comments came after Trump signaled support for renewed talks, telling Russia's TASS, 'We are starting to work on that. That is a big problem for the world, when you take off nuclear restrictions, that's a big problem.' SOME NEWS ON THE HOME FRONT: Are you a NatSec Daily reader who also cares deeply about the economic changes the Trump administration is ushering in? We have good news for you. POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are to know how health care regulation, tariffs or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here. The first issue dropped today. Read it here. IT'S FRIDAY! WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at ebazail@ and follow Eric on X @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on social media: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @ @PhelimKine, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes LIE TO ME: The five leading Chinese artificial intelligence chatbots provided false or unhelpful information more than half the time in a test run by analytics company NewsGuard, the company said today. In the test, the company presented chatbots with 10 false narratives spread by Chinese official media and pro-Chinese media. The narratives included that the U.S. had severed relations with China and that Taiwan was calling up draftees in preparation for war with China. In 40 percent of cases, the chatbots — Ernie, DeepSeek, MiniMax, Qwen and Yuanbao — presented false information. In 20 percent of cases, the chatbots did not debunk the false narratives. In one case, a chatbot presented Chinese government policy on Taiwan without being explicitly asked to do so. The failure rates were similar in Mandarin and English. It's a troubling finding for users in China, but also elsewhere as Chinese chatbots are increasingly popular across the world. The Complex NASA EXODUS: NASA will lose 20 percent or more of its staff, including thousands of senior personnel, under a Trump administration push to slim the federal government, Sam reports in POLITICO's Space newsletter. The voluntary departures include 2,892 civil servants in the agency's GS-13 through GS-15 pay levels — senior positions reserved for those with significant technical or managerial responsibilities, like planning Mars missions or leading work on space telescopes. The losses could affect U.S. plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2027, a key goal as the U.S. races to beat China back to the lunar surface. In an open letter to interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, a group of current and former NASA employees protested this week that the departures would eliminate 'highly specialized, irreplaceable knowledge crucial to carrying out NASA's mission.' Still, the departures, which the administration has incentivized through a range of offerings to employees, may not be enough for the Trump administration. The White House wants to cut over 5,000 staff from NASA from its 2024 staffing level, meaning that NASA may have to fire more than 1,000 additional staff. POLISH ARMS: The United States on Friday announced a $4 billion loan guarantee to Poland under the Foreign Military Financing program, a big boon for one of the NATO allies most in the Trump administration's good graces. The announcement did not name any specific acquisition programs that the loan guarantee might support. Poland has gone on a buying spree of U.S. arms in recent years, a binge that has included 96 Apache helicopters and over 400 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. 'Poland remains one of America's strongest and most dependable allies in Europe,' State Department spokesperson TAMMY BRUCE said in a statement. Poland's spending of more than 4 percent of its gross domestic product on its military places it favorably among European nations for the Trump administration, which has pressed for NATO members to spend five percent of GDP on defense. NATO members agreed to hit this goal by 2035 at the most recent summit. Poland aims to hit that number by 2026, officials have previously said. Broadsides CHINA CRIES COLONIALISM: The Chinese government's hands-off approach to the worsening cross-border military skirmishes between U.S. treaty ally Thailand and China-aligned Cambodia isn't curbing Beijing from blaming Western countries for the dispute. 'The root cause of this issue stems from the legacy of Western colonialism from years past, and now requires a calm and prudent approach to resolution,' Chinese Foreign Minister WANG YI told ASEAN Secretary-General KAO KIM HOURN in Beijing today, per a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. Wang made clear Beijing is leaving it to ASEAN — of which Cambodia and Thailand are both members — to undertake 'mediation efforts' between Bangkok and Phnom Penh to end the fighting. As in Ukraine, the conflict provides Beijing a real-time opportunity to observe and analyze military tactics and the relative performance of U.S. and Chinese-supplied weaponry. Transitions — DILLON McGREGOR is now acting assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. He most recently was a senior adviser at DHS. — BRIAN SATTLER is now strategic planner for the senior adviser to the secretary for the Coast Guard. He most recently was director for maritime and industrial capacity at the National Security Council. — PALOMA CHACON has been promoted to press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. — RAVI SINGH has been promoted to be senior vice president and CFO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. — JOEL VALDEZ is now acting deputy press secretary for the Pentagon. He most recently was communications director and senior adviser for Rep. LAUREN BOEBERT (R-Colo.) and has previously worked for MATT GAETZ. What to Read — Glenn Gerstell, The New York Times: Remember the TikTok Ban? Does Anyone? — Marton Dunai, The Financial Times: Could Hungary's faltering economy topple Orbán? — Katharine Houreld, The Washington Post: As Kenya's protests intensified, two friends bled on opposite sides Monday Today — Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 11 a.m.: Violence in Suwayda: No 'Plan B' for Syria? — Hudson Institute, 4:30 p.m.: What Taiwan Can Learn from Ukraine's Battlefield Experience. Thanks to our editors, Heidi Vogt and Emily Lussier, who provide us with false or unhelpful information more than half the time.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tillis suggests he wouldn't vote in favor of Hegseth confirmation now
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) suggested Wednesday that he would not vote in favor of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's confirmation at this time. During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Tillis said that when it came to Hegseth's confirmation vote, he 'had already informed my conference that I was going to defer to the Senate Armed Services [Committee] vote.' 'If he got a unanimous vote out of Senate Armed Services, then I was going to defer to them,' Tillis said. However, while Tillis added later that he didn't 'regret the decision I made back then based on the facts as I knew them' he said that 'today, I am beginning to wonder if maybe Armed Services was a little bit generous with respect to their assessment of his capabilities as a manager of the world's largest, most complex and arguably, consequential organization.' 'So, you don't regret it, but if you had to do it again today, you probably wouldn't vote yes?' Tapper replied. 'I think based on the information I have today,' Tillis said. 'If all I had was the information on the day of the vote, I'd certainly vote for him again.' In the same interview, Tillis also slammed Trump advisers, calling them amateurs. 'I don't have a problem [with] President Trump. I got a — I got a problem with some of the people I consider to be amateurs advising him,' Tillis said. 'I'm going to make it very clear to those guys. When you act like the president, when I — when he's out of the room, you don't impress me. And they'll hear more of that in the coming months,' he added later. Republican senators have not been pleased about how Trump treated Tillis recently, with the president blasting the North Carolina Republican last week on social media after Tillis said he would not vote for the GOP megabill. Tillis, who announced he would not seek reelection shortly after coming out against the bill, is viewed highly among colleagues as a team player with a focus on results, and numerous Republicans believed he was their best chance at keeping the seat in their column next year. 'We wish him well in his upcoming retirement,' Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said of Tillis in an emailed response to The Hill. The Hill has also reached out to the White House for comment. Updated July 10 at 10:43 a.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Tillis suggests he wouldn't vote in favor of Hegseth confirmation now
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) suggested on Wednesday that he would not vote in favor of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's confirmation at this time. During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Tillis said that when it came to Hegseth's confirmation vote, he 'had already informed my conference that I was going to defer to the Senate Armed Services vote.' 'If he got a unanimous vote out of Senate Armed Services, then I was going to defer to them,' Tillis said, referring to the Senate Armed Services Committee. However, Tillis added later that he didn't 'regret the decision I made back then based on the facts as I knew them — then, but today, I am beginning to wonder if maybe Armed Services was a little bit generous with respect to their assessment of his capabilities as a manager of the world's largest, most complex and arguably, consequential organization.' 'So, you don't regret it, but if you had to do it again today, you probably wouldn't vote yes?' Tapper replied. 'I think based on the information I have today,' Tillis said. 'If all I had was the information on the day of the vote, I'd certainly vote for him again.' In the same interview, Tillis also slammed Trump advisers, calling them amateurs. 'I don't have a problem [with] President Trump. I got a — I got a problem with some of the people I consider to be amateurs, advising him,' Tillis said. 'I'm going to make it very clear to those guys, when you act like the president when I — when he's out of the room, you don't impress me. And they'll hear more of that in the coming months,' he added later. Republican senators have not been pleased about how Trump treated Tillis recently, with the president blasting the North Carolina Republican last week on social media after Tillis said he would not vote for the 'big, beautiful bill.' Tillis is viewed highly among colleagues as a team player with a focus on results, and numerous Republicans believed he would have had the best chance of keeping his seat for Republicans in next year's election. The Hill has reached out to the White House and the Department of Defense for comment.
CNN
28-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
SCOTUS Decisions With Sweeping Implications - The Arena with Kasie Hunt - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
SCOTUS Decisions With Sweeping Implications The Arena with Kasie Hunt 47 mins Kasie Hunt and her panel look at the bigger impact of today's Supreme Court decisions about birthright citizenship and LGBTQ books in schools. The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee discusses the latest on Iran. Plus, a look at the gown at the Bezos-Sanchez wedding.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth caught in heated exchanges during Senate testimony
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced tense questioning during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion has more.
