March 18, 2026
Resignation and Election Results
Good morning, everyone!
A programming note: Everything Briefing will be out tomorrow and return on Friday as I tend to a personal matter.
Today, we will look at the Trump administration’s wrangling over the war against Iran and a series of historical snapshots.
Let’s get to it.
United States
-Joe Kent, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned his post yesterday, citing disagreements with the Trump administration’s decision to launch a military campaign against Iran.
In a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, Kent said that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation” and that the war started due to “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
View his full statement here:
The resignation is the highest-profile internal rebuke of the administration since the joint U.S.-Israel military operation against Tehran commenced on February 28.
In the initial days of the war, Trump said Iran posed an “imminent threat” to the United States and that the operation was a preemptive move. Defense officials have since told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that Tehran had no immediate plans to attack U.S. targets in the region unless provoked.
In an apparent response to Kent’s resignation, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that Trump is ultimately “responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat.”
View her full statement here:
Like Kent, Gabbard was a longtime opponent of U.S. military operations in the Middle East region prior to taking a senior role in the administration.
Addressing Kent’s resignation yesterday, Trump said he “always thought he was weak on security.”
View those comments here (11:23):
-Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate following yesterday’s vote, emerging from a crowded primary field.
She will now face off against Republican Don Tracy in the fall, entering the general election as the overwhelming favorite in the deep blue state.
Stratton, who was backed by Governor JB Pritzker, pledged during the campaign that she would not support Chuck Schumer for Democratic leader in the Senate.
Separately, Jesse Jackson Jr. lost a comeback bid to reclaim his old Chicago seat.
In the 9th Congressional District, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss bested progressive Kat Abughazaleh in the Democratic primary.
-The Senate began a marathon debate on the “Save America Act,” with Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressing doubts that the measure will secure the needed votes for passage.
In remarks yesterday, Thune said he was “pessimistic” that the bill would clear the upper chamber, despite fierce pressure from Trump.
View his remarks here:
Meanwhile, a band of House conservative lawmakers has led an effort to vote against even routine legislation in a bid to exert pressure on the Senate to pass the measure.
The proposal would mandate proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot.
Schumer has called the bill “Jim Crow 2.0.”
-The House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi, demanding she appear before the panel to testify before lawmakers on her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
-Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts condemned attacks on the judiciary, saying “personally directed hostility is dangerous and it’s got to stop.”
View his remarks here:
-Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today for a confirmation hearing.
-On this day in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson hosted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Cabinet Room of the White House, along with other civil rights and labor leaders, to discuss housing discrimination.
Two years later, Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act of 1968 into law, banning discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, or national origin.
Other Links:
Trump says a former president had an Iran confession. Aides to his predecessors deny recent contact - AP
White House details offer to end partial government shutdown - Washington Post
“We’re making people hurt”: Democrats adopt new tactic to win DHS shutdown fight - Axios
Republicans and Dems are aligned: Don’t mess with NIH funding - Politico
The Postal Service may be out of cash in 2027 without Congress’ help, postmaster says - NPR
In Maine, Janet Mills Slams Graham Platner in First Negative Ad - The New York Times
Flight cancellations and delays continue after US storms dump snow in the Midwest and head east - AP
United Farm Workers union cancels Cesar Chavez celebrations over what it calls serious allegations - CNN
Gunman killed and employee hospitalized after a shooting at a Georgia VA clinic, police say - AP
Africa
-Congo Republic President Denis Sassou Nguesso was declared the winner of last weekend’s presidential vote, extending his nearly 42-year-long grip over the Central African country.
The outcome was expected as Nguesso’s government has rooted out dissent and he faced little meaningful opposition in the vote.
Nguesso first assumed office in 1979 and served until his ouster in the 1992 presidential election. He then returned to power four years later after a four-month civil war and has ruled the country since.
He has subsequently won four elections against a scattered opposition.
At 82 years old, Nguesso is Africa’s third-longest-serving leader.
-The Trump administration is reportedly seeking better relations with a slew of military-led governments in West Africa, pitching the approach as “pragmatic.”
-Eswatini has rolled out a new HIV prevention drug to curb the spread of the disease.
-On this day in 1936, F.W. de Klerk was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
He would go on to be elected president and oversee the dismantlement of apartheid and the subsequent transition to democracy.
Other Links:
Gulf investors seen likely to keep funding Africa renewable energy despite the Iran war - AP
23 killed, 108 wounded in suspected suicide bombings in northeast Nigeria - AP
Nigeria’s president vows tougher action after deadly Maiduguri attacks - Africa News
Morocco central bank expects stable inflation as holds benchmark rate at 2.25% - Reuters
Zimbabwe’s lithium upgrade still runs through China - Semafor
Americas and the Caribbean
-President Trump said yesterday that he will be “doing something with Cuba very soon” as he ramps up Washington’s pressure campaign against the Caribbean island nation. The day before, he said he believed he would have the “honor” of toppling the country’s Communist government and that he can do “anything” he wants in regard to it.
Over the weekend, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said his government was in talks with the United States amid the mounting tensions.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has told Cuba that Díaz-Canel must step down for meaningful negotiations.
Díaz-Canel assumed office after the retirement of Raúl Castro, the brother of longtime Communist leader Fidel Castro, in 2018.
Separately, the Cuban government began to gradually restore power yesterday following an island-wide grid failure caused by Washington’s near-total oil blockade.
The grid collapsed on Monday, plunging the country’s nearly 10 million people into darkness.
-Lawmakers in El Salvador approved a constitutional amendment yesterday to allow for life sentences for charges of murder, rape, and terrorism as part of President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on criminal gangs in the Northern Triangle nation.
-Paraguay became the final South American country to ratify the Mercosur-European Union trade deal.
The landmark agreement—which includes the 27-member EU and the South American bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, with Bolivia joining in 2024—will establish one of the largest free trading zones.
Altogether, the pact will cover over 700 million people and roughly a quarter of the world’s gross domestic product.
The agreement will substantially lower trade barriers, with nearly all tariffs phased out over 15 years.
Other Links:
World Baseball Classic: Venezuela defeats U.S. 3-2 for first championship - NBC
Pentagon says lethal boat strikes are ‘just the beginning’ in South, Central America - Politico
Milei slams Iran on anniversary of Israeli Embassy bombing in Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires Times
Colombia’s Petro says 27 bodies found after bombings on Ecuador border - Reuters
Venezuelan opposition leader Machado to participate in Houston energy conference next week - Reuters
Peru’s prime minister resigns ahead of congressional confirmation vote - AP
Spanish king reopens debate on conquest of Mexico by acknowledging ‘abuse’ - BBC
Asia/Indo-Pacific
-President Trump said he is postponing a planned visit to China that was slated for later this month, saying he felt it was appropriate to do so amid the war in the Middle East.
Speaking in the Oval Office yesterday, he said he would make the visit in “about five or six weeks,” and that China was “fine with it.”
Since Trump launched the first wave of attacks against Iran last month, Beijing has heavily criticized Washington’s actions, describing them as “unacceptable.”
Despite their differences on the war and trade policy, Trump says he has maintained a close relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In his first term, Trump visited China in 2018 as part of a five-nation Asia tour.
-Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has entered a fourth week.
-New Zealand’s government will introduce legislation today to tighten the country’s immigration rules.
-Shigeaki Mori, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, has died at the age of 88.
In 2016, President Barack Obama made a landmark visit to the city where he memorably embraced Mori during a ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
-On this day in 2000, Chen Shui-bian was elected president of Taiwan, marking the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties in the self-governing island’s history.
Chen, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), advocated for Taiwan’s independence, angering Beijing, which regards the island as a renegade province.
In his inaugural address the following month, Chen said that he would not issue an independence declaration if Beijing did not use military force.
Other Links:
Sri Lanka declares all Wednesdays off to conserve energy - BBC
Philippines rejects Beijing’s claim to sovereignty over entire South China Sea - Reuters
Japan exports beat forecasts with 4.2% growth in February, but shipments to China and U.S. slump - CNBC
Samsung sees AI driving strong chip demand in 2026, executive says - Reuters
US sounds alarm over China’s humanoid robots amid security concerns - South China Morning News
Europe
-French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that Paris would not participate in an effort to escort oil tankers through the strategic Strait of Hormuz that has faced attacks by Iran, despite pressure from President Trump to do so.
He explained his position, saying, “We are not party to the conflict and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” adding that his country would assist in a post-war coalition to ensure the passage is reopened.
His remarks came at the start of a cabinet meeting in Paris.
Responding to the remarks yesterday, Trump dismissed Macron, saying he would soon be out of office.
Macron is set to leave office in May 2027.
-Trump hosted Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Oval Office yesterday, where the Irish leader gifted the president a bowl of shamrocks.
The tradition dates back to 1953, when Irish Ambassador John Joseph Hearne presented shamrocks—a primary symbol of Ireland—to President Dwight Eisenhower as a gesture of friendship.
Since then, the U.S. president has received a bowl of the clover each St. Patrick’s Day.
Addressing reporters in the Oval Office yesterday, Trump criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his lack of material support for the U.S. military operation in the Middle East, with Martin coming to Starmer’s defense.
-In an address to the British parliament yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “Europe is a global force – one the world cannot do without and that no one can stand against.”
View his full address here:
-On this day in 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first man to walk in space.
Other Links:
Ukraine targets Moscow with drones for 4th consecutive day - The Kyiv Independent
Ukraine strings nets over cities as killer drones turn streets into war zones - NPR
EU hopes Druzhba pipeline deal pushes Orbán to back Ukraine loan - Politico
Army general left classified maps of Ukraine war on train, watchdog finds - CBS
Europe’s Green Power Revolution Softens Iran Energy Price Shock - Bloomberg
Italy warns Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz could explode in Mediterranean - BBC
Middle East
-Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian political and security official, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday. The Iranian government later confirmed his death.
Larijani’s killing is the highest-profile since U.S.-Israeli airstrikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the opening day of the war.
Larijani served as the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and was a close adviser to Khamenei. He served as the country’s de facto leader following Khamenei’s death and prior to the selection of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, to succeed him.
Following Khamenei’s killing, Larijani said that President Trump would “pay the price.”
-Trump said yesterday that the U.S. military operation against Iran was “ahead of schedule.”
-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee appeared in a video yesterday after rumors spread online that Netanyahu had been killed.
Poking fun at the speculation, Netanyahu proceeded to show Huckabee what appeared to be a kill list of Iranian leaders.
View it here:
-A drone attack targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad yesterday.
-Global airlines have hiked fares as the war in the region has caused fuel prices to soar.
-On this day in 1974, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) lifted a five-month oil embargo on the United States.
The embargo, which sent gas prices soaring and caused a recession, was imposed by the Arab nations to punish Washington for its support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War.
Other Links:
Iran launches barrage of missiles after Israel kills 2 of its top officials - AP
UAE could join any US-led effort to secure Strait of Hormuz, says senior official - Reuters
Israel has ‘won’ war with Iran, foreign minister says, but goals remain unmet - Reuters
Trump’s Next Decision: Whether to Retrieve Iran’s Nuclear Fuel, Whatever the Risk - The New York Times
Iraqi government, Kurdish authorities reach deal to resume oil exports to Turkey’s Ceyhan port - Reuters
That’s all for today. See you on Friday.
And it carries on and on
Jason, I hope that everything is oky for y'all. Be sure to get proper rest.
That press conference by Trump with Taoiseach Martin surely tested the latter's statesmanship. Proud of my heritage when the Irish leader pushed back, ever so gently, on Trump; ¡Mr Martin must have kissed the Blarney Stone!. That Kent letter openly was welcome, if for all the wrong reasons (the anti-Semitism).