Washington, DC

1. Trump to speak on Iran
2. SCOTUS hears birthright case
3. GOP reaches DHS deal
4. No funding, no escorts
5. Martyrdom politics gets messy

SpaceX files confidentially for an IPO, aiming to raise $40-$80 billion.

Trump to speak in primetime on Iran

President Donald Trump’s primetime address tonight on the war with Iran will include “an operational update” on the war’s progress, a White House official said. Ahead of the remarks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a short video laying out the administration’s argument for striking Iran, saying Iran was building “a shield of missiles and drones” designed to protect its nuclear efforts. “This was our last, best chance to eliminate” that threat, he said. Don’t expect Trump to announce a full end to operations today: He’ll likely repeat the two-to-three-week timetable he referenced earlier this week, according to the official. Iran sent its own message ahead of Trump’s speech, claiming in a letter to the American public that Tehran has never “chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination.”

— Shelby Talcott

Justices skeptical as Trump looks on

A majority of Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical during oral arguments today of the Trump administration’s case for limiting birthright citizenship. In a telling exchange, Solicitor General D. John Sauer warned the court, “We’re in a new world where 8 billion people are one plane ride away from having a child who’s a US citizen,” to which Chief Justice John Roberts replied: “It’s a new world. It’s the same Constitution.” Trump attended the proceedings, a first for a sitting president, and listened to the government present its case. Despite his presence, the justices — three of whom he appointed — asked probing questions of both sides, suggesting they’d be willing to deal him a political blow, regardless.

Republicans follow Trump’s lead on ending DHS shutdown

Republican leaders in Congress announced they’re resurrecting a plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security, a few hours after Trump set a deadline of June 1 to send him a bill. Trump appeared to back the Senate’s approach of funding most of the agency and leaving thornier questions of ICE and CBP funding for a future reconciliation bill. In a joint statement, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson said they’d follow Trump’s suggestion, and then would aim to fund immigration and border enforcement “for the next three years.” Senate Republicans could attempt to pass a DHS funding bill by unanimous consent during tomorrow’s pro forma session and send it back to the House. But a party-line bill is still a big lift for Hill Republicans, especially if it includes funding for the war with Iran.

— Nicholas Wu

DHS reminds Congress: TSA perks still on hold

TSA agents were paid this week, but DHS is still withholding a special airport service for lawmakers until they pass a bill to fund the agency. “Because of the Democrats’ reckless shutdown, suspension of all TSA courtesy escorts at airports for members of Congress remains in effect,” a DHS spokesperson told Semafor. Making travel less comfortable was supposed to pressure members of Congress to act, but they left Washington without passing a funding bill anyway. One possible reason: Airport travel is still easier for lawmakers than for the general public. At DC-area airports, US Capitol Police officers handle airport logistics for lawmakers, including helping members of Congress bypass standard TSA screening processes. And airlines offer dedicated phone lines for lawmakers and their staff, who can book and release flights under special rules not available to the public. 

— Lauren Morganbesser and Nicholas Wu

View: What Musk-funded mural backlash says about martyrdom politics

There were few complaints at first about a crowdfunded campaign, bolstered by $1 million from Elon Musk, to install public murals of the fatally stabbed Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska — until a Democratic mayor in Rhode Island joined critics in pushing back and got one taken down. As conservatives excoriated those objecting to the murals, Semafor’s David Weigel writes, the entire flap showed just how messy the Zarutska-martyrdom effort has become. Its implicit policy goal was blurred by Trump himself, who incorrectly described the Black man charged with Zarutska’s murder as an immigrant. Instead, the real objective of the Zarutska campaign is to lionize victims of violent crime, another Trump priority — one that traces back to the nationwide protests after the 2020 murder of George Floyd. But unlike the Black Lives Matter movement, advocates for harsher sentencing have a president who’s wholeheartedly behind them.

Cristiano Amon, President & CEO, Qualcomm Incorporated; Jason Buechel, VP, Amazon Worldwide Grocery & CEO, Whole Foods Market; Sheldon Whitehouse, Senator, D-RI; Kunal Kapoor, CEO, Morningstar; Jack Clark, Co-Founder & Head of Public Benefit, Anthropic PBC; and more will join the Building Intelligent Enterprises session at Semafor World Economy. This session will examine how AI is reshaping enterprise operations and decision-making, widening the gap between leaders and late adopters, and forcing companies to rethink organizational design.

April 13, 2026 | Washington, DC | Apply to Attend

Iran

• President Trump threatened to cut off weapons to Ukraine if Europe doesn’t assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. — FT
• The UAE launched a broad crackdown on Iranian residents, canceling visas and closing institutions.
• Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., said an Iranian state actor targeted him with a phishing scheme disguised as a TV interview request. — Fox

Courts

• The Trump administration asked a judge for approval to fire about half of the remaining workers at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, rather than 90%. — NYT
• A judge ruled this week that the Department of Housing and Urban Development must reopen applications for homeless grants, calling requirements that groups comply with unrelated Trump administration policies like those on immigration enforcement and trans rights illegal.
• With bases under attack by Iran, the military has moved some US troops in the Middle East to hotels for safety, a decision that’s raising legal questions. — NYT

World

• The Pentagon is negotiating with Denmark for access to three additional military bases in Greenland. — NYT

Politics

• Democrats are introducing the war in Iran as an issue in the midterm elections. — NYT

Immigration

• The death of blind Rohingya refugee Nurul Amin Shah Alam, who got dropped off by federal border agents miles away from his Buffalo home in cold weather, was ruled a homicide by the Erie County medical examiner.

Health

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has temporarily paused testing for rabies and other pox viruses amid staffing shortages. — NYT

— Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut on the Artemis II mission, posts a video of the countdown to liftoff clock on X.

Laura McGann, editor

With help from Elana Schor, senior Washington editor, and Morgan Chalfant, Washington briefing editor

Graph Massara and Lauren Morganbesser, copy editors

Contact our reporters:

Burgess Everett, Eleanor Mueller, Shelby Talcott, Nicholas Wu, David Weigel