Washington, DC

1. Trump trashes Pirro
2. Blanche’s path
3. US boosts yen
4. Autopsy debate reignited
5. Iran disputes talks

Japanese yen ▲ to 157 per dollar following historic US intervention.

Pirro in jeopardy over Reflecting Pool case

The US attorney for DC, Jeanine Pirro, may not hold the role much longer following her decision to drop Reflecting Pool-related vandalism charges against a former Olympian. A White House official told Semafor today that Pirro is on thin ice after her Friday move to drop the charges, with her office blaming a “botched” job on the lining of the pool and suggesting the Interior Department failed to share information about the “flawed installation.” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum took issue with her office’s assessment, contending that vandalism caused growth of algae in the pool. President Donald Trump was unaware of Pirro’s plans on the case, CNN reported. Trump told reporters today that he’s “really disappointed” in Pirro, saying that “she choked” and “folded like an umbrella.”

— Shelby Talcott

Thune hopes to confirm Blanche this week

Todd Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general is set to clear the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow and could get through the full Senate by week’s end. After Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas said they’d support Blanche, Majority Leader John Thune said this afternoon that “hopefully” a final confirmation vote can happen before the chamber leaves Washington until September. “I’d like to figure out a pathway to get him done,” Thune said. With the absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Thune will need 50 of the 52 GOP senators to vote for Blanche (assuming full Democratic opposition). Without a time agreement among all 100 senators, and if Democrats fight Blanche as hard as they can, he wouldn’t get confirmed until Saturday. Still, Blanche’s confirmation prospects are looking much brighter.

— Burgess Everett

US yen intervention supports Trump trade stance

The Trump administration’s decision to help Japan strengthen its yen doesn’t just hedge against higher US borrowing costs; it also aligns with the president’s trade agenda. Weak Asian currencies encourage firms around the world to “keep their supply chains in Asia” rather than the US, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Brad Setser told Semafor. “So if you care at all about … trade balance, a stronger yen and its derivative effects throughout Asia kind of help you.” The rare move could also place additional pressure on the Japanese to make more concessions in its trade talks with the US, including more favorable terms for its investment arrangement. One outstanding question: why Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent elected to use euros, not dollars, in what some analysts called a “maybe unprecedented step.” Treasury did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

— Eleanor Mueller

Deleted Democratic ‘autopsy’ chapter surfaces

A fresh round of recriminations erupted on the left after The New York Times reported that the Democratic Party omitted a chapter when it released its 2024 “autopsy” a few months ago. Entitled “What Happened,” the deleted chapter questioned whether former President Joe Biden should have run for a second term, analyzed the party’s support among Latino and Black voters, and raised the rise of wealthy consultants as a possible liability. Paul Rivera, the author of the autopsy, said he included the chapter in a draft he submitted personally to Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, who claimed he never saw it. At the same time, other DNC watchers questioned the underlying value of the document. “I think the DNC and Democrats generally have a lot of issues, but the autopsy wasn’t good,” Nate Silver said.

Iran denies agreeing to US talks

Iran denied talks are underway with the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, an announcement that elicited a heated response from Trump today: “Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!,” he posted on social media. Trump had said he held back striking the country this weekend to create an opening for negotiations, which were supposed to take place this afternoon. Iranian officials said they are still in talks with Oman about a plan to administer trade through the strait. The latest drama underscores Trump’s predicament in Iran. The president said today to reporters that the problem is “not very complex,” but an enduring agreement to end the conflict nonetheless has proved elusive. Oil prices had dropped on Trump’s announcement of talks and remained steady even as the near-term future remains unclear.

White House

• Trump’s planned triumphal arch would alter views of dozens of historic sites around the nation’s capital, according to a review by the National Park Service. — NYT

Congress

• The House Ethics Committee recommended Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., be censured after the bipartisan panel “concluded there was substantial reason to believe Representative Edwards violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces.”

Courts

• Prosecutors are also dropping charges of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool against three other people. — NYT

Campaigns

• Maryland lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment that could let Democrats redraw congressional maps before 2028.

National Security

• Jay Clayton was sworn in today as director of national intelligence, ending Bill Pulte’s short stint as acting director, in which he declassified documents related to foreign meddling in elections and eliminated positions.

World

• The Trump administration is restoring some funding for international humanitarian and health aid eliminated last year. — NYT
• Chinese state-run trading companies bought about 1 million tons of US soybeans, taking advantage of lower prices ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the US next month.
• Cuba experienced its sixth islandwide blackout this year.

Housing

• JPMorgan announced an initiative to support the construction of one million affordable housing units by 2035. — WSJ

Education

• The Trump administration is planning a dramatic overhaul of the early education Head Start program, reducing federal quality standards and giving states more control. — AP

Immigration

• Acting ICE Director David Venturella divested his stocks in a private prison company and recused himself from “all contracts and obligations related to detention” after receiving a letter from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., asking about his financial interests. —WSJ

Health

• Michigan health officials reported two residents with “significant underlying health conditions” died after contracting cyclosporiasis.

Outside the Beltway

• Wildfires in Washington state have destroyed at least 600 structures and forced 60,000 people to evacuate.

— President Trump answering a question about his call for Big Oil to lower pump prices.

Laura McGann, editor

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

Lauren Morganbesser, copy editor

Contact our reporters:

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