Today in one sentence: Top Trump administration officials planned military strikes on Yemen in an unclassified Signal group chat that accidentally included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief; Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied a report that Elon Musk would receive a classified Pentagon briefing on potential war plans with China, despite multiple news outlets confirming Musk’s visit was originally scheduled to include China-related discussions; the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to block a federal judge’s order requiring the rehiring of over 16,000 probationary federal employees who were fired; the Trump administration eliminated three watchdog offices inside the Department of Homeland Security that investigated complaints and advocated for immigrants; the IRS is close to approving a plan that would give ICE access to confidential taxpayer data to verify names and addresses of immigrants targeted for deportation; a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s request to resume deportations under the Alien Enemies Act; the Trump administration will end a Biden-era immigration program that allowed over 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to live and work in the U.S.; the White House confirmed it will scale back Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariff rollout; the U.S. could default on its debt as early as July if Congress fails to act on the debt ceiling; J.D. Vance is polling worse than any modern VP at this point in office; and Colorado will remove Trump’s portrait from the state Capitol after he claimed it was “purposefully distorted” and “truly the worst."

1/ Top Trump administration officials planned military strikes on Yemen in an unclassified Signal group chat that accidentally included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief. The group, which included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and JD Vance, exchanged detailed plans including “targets, weapons, and attack sequencing.” Hours before the attack, Hegseth claimed “We are currently clean on OPSEC.” Vance appeared to question the decision, writing, “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now,” before backing down. Stephen Miller responded: “The president was clear: green light.” The White House confirmed the messages were real, but downplayed the breach, calling the episode “a demonstration of […] deep and thoughtful policy coordination.” National security lawyers, meanwhile, called the use of Signal for classified discussion a likely violation of the Espionage Act and federal records law. Despite that, Trump claimed ignorance: “I don’t know anything about it.” (The Atlantic / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Politico / Axios / CBS News / ABC News / Washington Post)

  • 📌 Day 1518: Trump ordered large-scale military strikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen in response to the group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes. The strikes targeted radar systems, air defenses, and drone launch sites, and marks the largest U.S. military action in the region since Trump took office. Further, Trump warned Iran to end its support for the Houthis or face consequences, declaring that “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.” Houthi officials reported at least 24 killed, including civilians, and vowed retaliation.

2/ Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied a report that Elon Musk would receive a classified Pentagon briefing on potential war plans with China, despite multiple news outlets confirming Musk’s visit was originally scheduled to include China-related discussions. The New York Times, citing unnamed U.S. officials, reported Musk was set to meet top military leaders in the Pentagon’s secure “Tank” room to review contingency planning. Trump, however, dismissed the story as “completely untrue,” claiming, “China will not even be mentioned or discussed,” and that Musk was only “there for DOGE, not there for China.” Hegseth echoed that the meeting was “informal” and about “innovation, efficiencies & smarter production,” denying “there was no war plans.” However, other defense officials confirmed that China was on the agenda, and one source said Musk requested the briefing. After the story broke, the classified portion of the meeting was reportedly canceled, and Musk met privately with Hegseth and Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. Sam Paparo. Musk later called the reporting “pure propaganda” and threatened that “They will be found,” referring to alleged Pentagon leakers. The Pentagon has since launched an internal leak investigation involving potential polygraph tests, with officials warning any responsible parties would face criminal referral. (New York Times / NBC News / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / Bloomberg / Politico / CBS News / Bloomberg)

  • The FBI launched a task force to investigate attacks on Tesla, calling them “domestic terrorism.” FBI Director Kash Patel promised that “Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.” (CNBC)

  • Pam Bondi warned Rep. Jasmine Crockett to “tread very carefully” after Crockett called for Elon Musk to be “taken down” during a virtual rally. Crockett, who sits on the DOGE Oversight Committee, said her comments referred to economic pressure and emphasized that the actions would be nonviolent. (Politico)

3/ The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to block a federal judge’s order requiring the rehiring of over 16,000 probationary federal employees who were fired as part of the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency’s downsizing effort. U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled that the Office of Personnel Management had “no authority” to order the mass terminations across six agencies. The administration, however, claimed the ruling amounted to “third parties hijack[ing] the employment relationship” and warned of an “interbranch power grab.” (Associated Press / Politico / CBS News / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times)

4/ The Trump administration eliminated three watchdog offices inside the Department of Homeland Security that investigated complaints and advocated for immigrants. The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, along with two ombudsman offices, were dissolved through a “reduction in force” affecting about 300 staff. The offices reviewed thousands of complaints annually, including reports of abuse in detention centers, mishandled green card applications, and civil rights violations unrelated to immigration. DHS claimed the offices created enforcement “roadblocks” but gave no specific evidence. (New York Times / Washington Post)

5/ The IRS is close to approving a plan that would give ICE access to confidential taxpayer data to verify names and addresses of immigrants targeted for deportation. The proposal would use a rarely invoked exception in federal tax law, which allows limited data sharing for criminal investigations. Experts, however, say applying the exception to immigration enforcement is unprecedented and likely beyond its intended scope. While IRS leadership initially rejected similar requests as unlawful, it reversed course after top officials were replaced. (Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / ABC News)

6/ A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s request to resume deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, ruling that migrants must be allowed to challenge their designation before being expelled. Judge James Boasberg wrote that plaintiffs were “entitled to individualized hearings” and were likely to win their cases. The administration had used the 1798 wartime law to deport over 200 Venezuelan nationals – many without criminal records – to a Salvadoran prison. At a separate appeals court hearing, Judge Patricia Millett echoed Boasberg’s concerns, criticizing the Trump administration’s process: “Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act than has happened here,” noting they at least received hearings during WWII. Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed the court’s authority, calling Boasberg “an out-of-control judge” who “is absolutely not entitled to national security information.” (Democracy Docket / ABC News / NBC News / Axios / Bloomberg / The Hill / Wall Street Journal / Politico / NPR)

7/ The Trump administration will end a Biden-era immigration program that allowed over 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to live and work in the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the program failed to deter illegal immigration and burdened local communities, saying it “exacerbated challenges” with enforcement. Migrants without other legal status must leave or face deportation. (USA Today / NBC News / NPR)

8/ The White House confirmed it will scale back Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariff rollout, walking back plans for sweeping industry-specific tariffs and instead focusing on reciprocal duties targeting countries with persistent trade imbalances. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measures will hit a “dirty 15” list of nations, but didn’t specify who. Trump added that some countries may receive breaks and hinted that tariffs on autos, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors could still come “very soon” – but likely not on April 2. (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Axios / NBC News / CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg)

  • Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all trade with countries that buy Venezuelan oil or gas starting April 2. He offered no evidence for claims that Venezuela “deceitfully” sent violent gang members into the U.S., including members of Tren de Aragua. The measure appears aimed at China, Venezuela’s top oil customer, and adds to Trump’s existing tariffs on Chinese goods. The U.S. also buys Venezuelan oil through Chevron. It’s unclear how the tariff would apply to U.S. purchases or how enforcement would work. (CNBC / Bloomberg / Politico / CNN / The Hill)

9/ The U.S. could default on its debt as early as July if Congress fails to act on the debt ceiling, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. The estimate is based on shifting variables like tax receipts, disaster spending, and temporary accounting moves by Treasury, which officials admit are imprecise. Secretary Scott Bessent warned of “unavoidable uncertainty” and continued suspending federal retirement fund investments to buy time. Despite repeated warnings, Congress remains stalled, with no clear resolution in sight. (New York Times / The Hill / Washington Post)

poll/ J.D. Vance is polling worse than any modern VP at this point in office, with a net favorability of -3.1%. His numbers trail Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, and Dan Quayle – long considered a benchmark for early unpopularity. (Washington Monthly)

The midterm elections are in 589 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. Colorado will remove Trump’s portrait from the state Capitol after he claimed it was “purposefully distorted” and “truly the worst.” The painting, on display since 2019, was commissioned by Republicans, but Trump said “I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one.” Colorado Democrats confirmed the removal, saying it was done “at the request of Republican leaders.” The internet mocked Trump’s reaction, calling him “a petty, insecure baby” and “the most fragile, sensitive snowflake in history.” A spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis responded dryly: “The President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork.” (Politico / The Guardian / Axios / NBC News / HuffPost)

  2. Trump appointed Alina Habba – his former personal attorney and current White House counselor – as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey. Habba has no prosecutorial experience and previously led Trump’s failed lawsuits against the New York Times, Hillary Clinton, and others. Speaking outside the White House, Habba accused Democrats of enabling “corruption,” but offered no evidence. “We will end the weaponization of justice,” she said, echoing Trump. (ABC News / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / New York Post / Axios / New York Times)

  3. The Small Business Administration will take over management of the $1.6 trillion federal student loan program from the Education Department, affecting over 40 million borrowers. The move follows Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Education Department even though its elimination requires congressional approval. (NBC News / New York Times)

  4. Columbia University agreed to sweeping federal oversight and campus policy changes to regain $400 million in frozen funding after the Trump administration accused it of failing to protect Jewish students. The school will ban protest masks, empower campus police to arrest students, and restructure oversight of Middle East studies, aligning with White House demands. (Wall Street Journal / Axios / Washington Post)

  5. Trump rescinded an executive order targeting law firm Paul Weiss after it agreed to drop diversity hiring practices and provide $40 million in pro bono legal services aligned with White House priorities. The firm also committed to politically neutral hiring and representation. Trump targeted the firm largely because of its past ties to attorney Mark Pomerantz, who had worked on the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into Trump’s finances and hush money payments. Trump also cited the firm’s involvement in litigation related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including a lawsuit filed by the D.C. Attorney General against individuals involved in the attack. (Politico / Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / The Hill / Wall Street Journal)

Three years ago today: Day 429: "What will stop him."
Four years ago today: Day 64: "An existential threat."
Eight years ago today: Day 64: Ultimatum. Art of the deal.