Good morning. Perhaps no one has a tougher job in Washington now than Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
The South Dakota Republican has a 53-47 majority. That means he can pass some tax and budget bills through the Senate along party lines, but he can't muscle a lot of things through because of a Senate rule.
What Senate rule? The filibuster rule.
It has been in place since the 1800s and requires 60 votes to procedurally move most things through the Senate. That demands cooperation from both parties because it's virtually unheard of for either party to control 60 seats in the Senate.
President Trump wants the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, which would change election rules. To do that, the Senate would need to toss the filibuster rule.
Trump has been pressing for this change for months (years, really, if you go back to his first term). On Monday he said that if Thune doesn't blow up the filibuster, Democrats will do it as soon as they retake the Senate in the future.
"The Dumocrats will do it on day one, and can't believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership," he wrote Monday on Truth Social. "Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!"
Setting that rhetoric aside, pressing to change the filibuster is a bit of a time-honored tradition. Democrats, when in power, have also debated whether to get rid of the filibuster (and, in fact, they essentially changed the filibuster rules to help confirm Senate nominees, something Republicans later expanded. It's a slippery slope, these rule changes).
The upshot is that Thune is in a boiling pot, and the temperature keeps rising. Break Senate rules to help Trump (the SAVE America Act still might not pass)? Or buck the president and deal with the political fallout?
This is an edition of the Politics newsletter, bringing you an expert guide to what's driving D.C. every day. If you're not subscribed, sign up here.
People and Policies I'm Watching
Lindsey Graham: The funeral for the late senator from South Carolina is to be held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Middle East: Iran and Oman are seeking an agreement on Hormuz in a bid to restart peace talks, using a lull in fighting to patch together a quick fix to reopen the strait, hoping it paves the way for substantive talks.
Elections: An election is being held in Georgia 13th congressional district to complete the term of Democratic Rep. David Scott, who died in April. South Dakota Republicans are voting in a gubernatorial primary runoff election.
Interest rates: The Federal Open Market Committee is to begin a two-day meeting, culminating in its decision on interest rates Wednesday, with Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh getting the "good family fight" he wanted.
Congress: The Senate is to hold a final vote on the nomination of Jay Clayton for the post of Director of National Intelligence. A vote is also to be held on whether to advance the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026.
Trump's Tuesday: The president is to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at 9:30 a.m. ET and with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 11 a.m., before attending the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham at the National Cathedral at 2 p.m. He is to participate in a tele-rally in the Oval Office at 6:30 p.m.
What I'm Following
How Trump changed his mind and embraced Ukraine. Trump will meet with Ukraine's Zelensky today amid a shift in his opinion on the Ukraine-Russia war. Trump has expressed fresh optimism about Ukraine and its leader in recent weeks, apparently impressed by his resilience as he takes the fight deep into Russian territory. Trump has also come to admire Ukraine's drone industry, especially its ability to defend against the same drones the U.S. faces in the Iran war. Zelensky is also to meet with senators.
The president thinks RFK Jr isn't moving fast enough on vaccines. The Health and Human Services secretary is known for his skepticism of immunizations, but it is Trump who is now pushing health officials to do more to probe for a link between vaccines and autism. Kennedy has been taken aback by Trump's move after having been told by White House officials to tone down his own vaccine skepticism ahead of the midterms.
What we learned from Anthony Fauci's private journal. The Covid-era diaries kept by the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases show his efforts to placate Trump while focusing on his media image. The journals were released by Sen. Rand Paul ahead of Fauci's testimony about Covid-19 before Paul's Senate committee on Wednesday. Paul's office didn't say how it obtained the writings.
What Else Is Happening
-- The Democratic Socialists of America have Wisconsin in their sights.
-- The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to let it enforce
new restrictions on mail ballots ahead of the midterms.
-- Mitch McConnell's office published a photo of the Republican senator, but
he's still not cleared for duty as he continues to recover after
hospitalization.
-- Brazil is pushing back against what it sees as a coordinated effort by
the Trump administration to shape its presidential election in October.
What I'm Reading
-- The Newcomer, Gov. Wes Moore. (The Atlantic)
-- Six Years Later, Fauci's Diary Confirms the Federalist Was Right About
Everything. (The Federalist)
-- How the Big Beautiful Bill Became Law: Late-Night Drama in the Senate.
(Washington Examiner)
About Me
I'm Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal's Washington coverage chief. I've covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. I've covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns.
WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what's driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you're reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Alistair Dawber and Michael Connolly. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.
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