Today in one sentence: Trump floated invoking the Insurrection Act to “get around” court orders blocking his National Guard deployments to Democratic cities; Attorney General Pam Bondi repeatedly refused to answer questions from Senate Democrats about the Justice Department’s indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, the review of Jeffrey Epstein’s files, or the closure of a bribery probe into border czar Tom Homan; the FBI used a grand jury subpoena in 2023 to obtain phone toll records for nine Republican lawmakers as part of its “Arctic Frost” investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election; the Trump administration plans to withhold back pay from furloughed federal employees after the government shutdown ends; flight delays continued nationwide as the government shutdown left air traffic controllers working without pay and short-staffed at major airports; ICE furloughed its entire Office of Detention Oversight during the government shutdown – the only team that inspects detention centers for safe and humane conditions; Trump blamed Democrats for the government shutdown, calling them “insurrectionists” and comparing their opposition to a funding bill that doesn’t include enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies to a “kamikaze attack”; Marjorie Taylor Greene broke with Republican leaders over expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits, accusing them of having “no plan” to stop insurance premiums from “DOUBLING” at the end of the year; the Supreme Court’s conservative majority signaled it may strike down Colorado’s 2019 ban on conversion therapy for minors, saying the law likely violates free speech protections; and the White House will host a UFC fight for Trump’s 80th birthday.

1/ Trump floated invoking the Insurrection Act to “get around” court orders blocking his National Guard deployments to Democratic cities. A federal judge temporarily blocked deployments to Portland, while another allowed the Chicago deployment to proceed for now, as Texas troops were expected to start patrols there as early as Tuesday. “We have an Insurrection Act for a reason,” Trump said. “If the governor can’t do the job, we’ll do the job.” (Reuters / Axios / Politico / NBC News / Washington Post)

  • Oregon Republicans posted a fake image on social media promoting Trump’s blocked plan to send National Guard troops to Portland, using photos taken years earlier in Ecuador and Brazil. The posts claimed Trump had “deployed 300 California National Guard troops” and featured a doctored photo combining riot police and flares from unrelated South American scenes. (The Guardian / New Republic)

2/ Attorney General Pam Bondi repeatedly refused to answer questions from Senate Democrats about the Justice Department’s indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, the review of Jeffrey Epstein’s files, or the closure of a bribery probe into border czar Tom Homan. Instead, Bondi attacked her questioners, telling Sen. Dick Durbin, “I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump,” saying to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, “Don’t you ever challenge my integrity,” and asking Sen. Adam Schiff, “Will you apologize to Donald Trump for trying to impeach him?” Pressed on who ordered FBI agents to flag Epstein records referencing Trump, she said, “I’m not going to discuss anything about that with you, senator.” Bondi said she was ending “the weaponization of justice,” while Democrats called DOJ the “Department of Revenge and Corruption,” and Republicans defended her while accusing the Biden DOJ of weaponization. (New York Times / Washington Post / Axios / CNN / CNBC / Politico / NPR)

3/ The FBI used a grand jury subpoena in 2023 to obtain phone toll records for nine Republican lawmakers as part of its “Arctic Frost” investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The records showed only who lawmakers called and when, not what was said; a routine investigative step that doesn’t require a wiretap. The document named Sens. Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, Josh Hawley, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson, Cynthia Lummis, Marsha Blackburn, and Rep. Mike Kelly. Chuck Grassley called the review “disturbing and outrageous political conduct,” while Josh Hawley claimed, “The FBI tapped my phone,” despite colleagues confirming that no call content was obtained. FBI Director Kash Patel said, “Under my leadership, the FBI will deliver truth and accountability, and never again be weaponized against the American people.” (Associated Press / The Hill / NBC News / Politico / New York Times)

4/ The Trump administration plans to withhold back pay from furloughed federal employees after the government shutdown ends. A draft memo from the Office of Management and Budget argues that the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, which Trump signed to guarantee automatic back pay after shutdowns, doesn’t apply unless Congress explicitly appropriates the funds. The move contradicts guidance from the Office of Personnel Management that says furloughed employees “will receive retroactive pay.” Trump, meanwhile, said some workers “really don’t deserve to be taken care of,” adding the decision “depends on who you’re talking about.” Union officials called the legal rationale “frivolous,” while Sen. Tim Kaine warned the administration to “prepare to face the American people in court.” (Axios / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / Bloomberg / NBC News)

5/ Flight delays continued nationwide as the government shutdown left air traffic controllers working without pay and short-staffed at major airports. The FAA said Burbank’s tower had “no” controllers for five hours, forcing reroutes through San Diego. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, meanwhile, acknowledged that the shutdown had caused a “slight tick-up in sick calls.” (NBC News / NPR / Washington Post / New York Times)

6/ ICE furloughed its entire Office of Detention Oversight during the government shutdown – the only team that inspects detention centers for safe and humane conditions. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the closure and said, “We hope Democrats will open up the government swiftly so that this office can resume its work.” ICE, meanwhile, said deportations and new detention contracts will continue, including a $100 million facility in Oklahoma. (Washington Post)

7/ Trump blamed Democrats for the government shutdown, calling them “insurrectionists” and comparing their opposition to a funding bill that doesn’t include enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies to a “kamikaze attack.” Trump said Democrats “started it” and “have nothing to lose” as the government shutdown enters its seventh day. While Republicans have demanded that Democrats must first vote to fund the government before any deal on Affordable Care Act subsidies can proceed, Trump suggested that he was “happy to work with” Democrats on health care to help end the government shutdown. “We have a negotiation going on right now with the Democrats that could lead to very good things,” Trump claimed, adding, “I’d like to see a deal made for great health care.” Democrats, meanwhile, said no talks were taking place but welcomed the idea. (Axios / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Politico / Associated Press / CNBC / ABC News / CBS News / Independent Journal Review)

  • ✨ Well, that’s fantastic. Marjorie Taylor Greene broke with Republican leaders over expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits, accusing them of having “no plan” to stop insurance premiums from “DOUBLING” at the end of the year. Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, dismissed her criticism, saying she “is probably not read in” on talks while the House is out of session during the shutdown. (CNN / The Guardian / Politico / NBC News / The Hill)

8/ The Supreme Court’s conservative majority signaled it may strike down Colorado’s 2019 ban on conversion therapy for minors, saying the law likely violates free speech protections. Conversion therapy is a discredited practice that claims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling or other interventions. States like Colorado have banned the practice to protect minors from treatment that research links to depression, anxiety, and higher suicide risk. Medical groups and the United Nations have also condemned conversion therapy as harmful and ineffective, with the UN calling it “torture.” Nevertheless, a Christian counselor brought the case, claiming she is “being silenced” for offering voluntary, faith-based talk therapy. Justice Samuel Alito called the law “blatant viewpoint discrimination,” while Chief Justice John Roberts said counseling remains “protected speech.” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson questioned why the court would reject Colorado’s law after upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-transition care, saying, “It just seems odd to me that we might have a different result.” The Supreme Court is expected to issue its decision by June 2026, at the end of the current term. (New York Times / The 19th / NBC News / Associated Press / CNN / Washington Post)

9/ The White House will host a UFC fight for Trump’s 80th birthday. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the event was “definitely going to happen” and said Ivanka Trump was helping organize it as part of the administration’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. (The Hill / HuffPost)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 7 days. The 2026 midterms are in 392 days.

Five years ago today: Day 1357: "I feel great."