Today in One Sentence. Trump demanded that Iran “Open the Fuckin’ Strait” in the next 48 hours or it would be “living in Hell” when he was done “blowing up the entire country” Iran rejected a U.S.-backed 45-day ceasefire Iranian forces downed a U.S. F-15E over Iran and hit a separate A-10 during the rescue effort Trump asked Congress to approve roughly $1.5 trillion for defense – a record request – while cutting non-defense programs by about $73 billion and the Supreme Court vacated an appeals court ruling upholding Stephen Bannon’s contempt of Congress conviction.

1/ Trump demanded that Iran “Open the Fuckin’ Strait” in the next 48 hours or it would be “living in Hell” when he was done “blowing up the entire country.” Trump said Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” warning that “There will be nothing like it!!!” He ended his Easter Sunday Truth Social post with: “Praise be to Allah.” At the White House on Monday, he doubled down, saying Iran had until 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday or else “every bridge in Iran will be decimated” and “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again” by “12 o’clock tomorrow night.” He added: “We may even get involved with helping them rebuild their nation.” Trump had already threatened to strike Iran’s power plants and other infrastructure, but postponed the action at least twice, first by 48 hours, and later by 5 more days, before resetting the deadline for Tuesday evening. Trump called another extension “highly unlikely.” When asked if the war with Iran is winding down or escalating, Trump responded: “I can’t tell you, I don’t know. I can’t tell you.” Democrats, meanwhile, called Trump “an unhinged madman” who was “dangerous and mentally unbalanced” for “threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies.” (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Axios / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Politico / Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / ABC News / NBC News / NPR / CNN / Associated Press / Washington Post)

2/ Iran rejected a U.S.-backed 45-day ceasefire, sending mediators a 10-point counterproposal that demanded a permanent end to the war, sanctions relief, reconstruction, and guarantees on passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump called the response “significant,” but “not good enough.” (NPR / Axios / Bloomberg / CNBC / Reuters / Axios / ABC News)

3/ Iranian forces downed a U.S. F-15E over Iran and hit a separate A-10 during the rescue effort, forcing its pilot to eject in or near Kuwaiti airspace. All three U.S. aviators survived. The F-15 pilot was recovered within hours, and the wounded weapons systems officer was rescued nearly two days later. Two rescue helicopters were also hit, but both returned safely. The U.S. had already lost three other F-15s earlier in the war to friendly fire. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly claimed that Iran had “no air defenses” and that the U.S. had total control of Iranian skies. Meanwhile, Hegseth forced out Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Gen. David Hodne, and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr. in the middle of the Iran war. (Axios / New York Times / Associated Press / Washington Post / Axios / Washington Post / NBC News / Axios / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / ABC News / Axios / Washington Post / New York Times / CBS News)

  • Trump threatened to jail journalists who reported that a second U.S. airman was still missing after an F-15E was shot down in Iran, saying his administration would demand that the unnamed news outlet reveal its source on national security grounds. He said the leak made the rescue of the second crew member “a much more difficult operation” by alerting Iran that an airman was still on the ground. (NBC News / Washington Post / Politico / Bloomberg)

4/ Trump asked Congress to approve roughly $1.5 trillion for defense – a record request – while cutting non-defense programs by about $73 billion. The proposal would direct more than $1.1 trillion through regular appropriations and another $350 billion through reconciliation, a move meant to bypass a Senate filibuster. The fiscal 2027 budget would also cut $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health, put a 15% cap on NIH indirect costs, and reduce HHS spending by 12.5%. The White House said it was eliminating “wasteful” or “woke” spending, but Congress rejected similar domestic cuts last year. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / New York Times / Associated Press / Politico / Axios / ABC News)

5/ The Supreme Court vacated an appeals court ruling upholding Stephen Bannon’s contempt of Congress conviction. Bannon, who was convicted in 2022 on two misdemeanor counts for defying a House subpoena from the Jan. 6 investigation, has already served his four-month prison sentence and paid a fine. The Trump administration told the court in February that dismissing the case was “in the interests of justice.” (New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Associated Press)

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