Recent articles
May 12, 2026
Hegseth to face questions on Iran, Europe in defense budget hearings
The defense secretary will appear before Congress as a ceasefire with Tehran falters and lawmakers object to the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 7, 2026
Trump pledged to free Jimmy Lai. Now U.S. lawmakers want action at China summit.
The president previously committed to helping the 78-year-old Lai, a symbol of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement who has been imprisoned since 2020.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 2, 2026
Hegseth tightens control at Pentagon, defiant and more confident than ever
Trump’s combative defense secretary has grown more self-assured of his job security despite his early missteps in the role, people familiar with the matter said.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 1, 2026
Trump to downsize U.S. military presence in Germany
The decision coincides with a feud between the president and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has criticized the U.S. war in Iran.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 1, 2026
Trump says Iran conflict is ‘terminated’ as he hits congressional deadline
Trump’s statement came as the United States continues to enforce a naval blockade of Iran and as he declined to rule out additional strikes on the country.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 30, 2026
Hegseth faces Senate lawmakers split over Iran war, Pentagon firings
The hearing follows a marathon session in the House, where the defense secretary clashed with Democrats over the conflict and his purge of top military leaders.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 29, 2026
Hegseth clashes with Democrats over Iran war, dismissal of top military leaders
The defense secretary sought to rebut lawmakers’ criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of the conflict, which has cost about $25 billion so far.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 29, 2026
Johnson quells House GOP revolt to advance controversial surveillance bill
For more than two hours on the chamber’s floor, the speaker and fellow Republican leaders cajoled holdouts on that bill and others on DHS funding and farm policy.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 22, 2026
Clearing Strait of Hormuz of mines could take 6 months, Pentagon tells Congress
The Pentagon assessment, shared in a classified briefing for lawmakers, suggests gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated through the midterm elections.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 21, 2026
Pentagon details record $1.5 trillion budget request
The nearly 50 percent jump in spending would fund many of President Donald Trump’s new military projects, but the request has to get through a skeptical Congress.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 17, 2026
House votes to briefly extend warrantless surveillance law amid GOP divisions
Trump officials say the program is vital to national security, but skeptics — including some Republicans — have stonewalled its reauthorization without changes to protect civil liberties.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 16, 2026
House narrowly rejects resolution directing Trump to end ‘hostilities’ in Iran
The Senate turned back a similar measure Wednesday seeking to rein in the president as the unpopular war approaches the two-month mark.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 15, 2026
Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka seeks top counterterrorism job
The maneuvering comes a month after Joe Kent, the National Counterterrorism Center’s previous director, resigned in protest over the Iran war.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 15, 2026
War powers vote will test Senate’s support for Trump’s war with Iran
Some Republicans have expressed concerns about the war as it approaches the two-month mark, saying the administration must make the case for continuing it.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 11, 2026
Powerful surveillance program faces obstacles as renewal deadline looms
A recent classified court ruling on the bulk data collection of Section 702 raised concerns about the government’s use of the intelligence tool on Americans.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 8, 2026
Trump administration expected to slash Iran war funding request
The eventual ask of Congress is likely to fall between $80 billion and $100 billion, officials said, less than half the amount of an earlier proposal to offset costs of the conflict.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 27, 2026
U.S. uses hundreds of Tomahawk missiles on Iran, alarming some at Pentagon
More than 850 Tomahawks have been fired in just four weeks, people familiar with the matter said, alarming some Pentagon officials because the weapon’s supply is limited.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 25, 2026
Army paratroopers ordered to Middle East as U.S. weighs next Iran move
The Pentagon on Tuesday ordered a couple thousand paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy to the Middle East.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 18, 2026
Gabbard tells senators Iranian regime is degraded but still intact
The director of national intelligence provided the Senate Intelligence Committee with mixed messages about the state of Iran’s nuclear program before the war began.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 12, 2026
U.S. sailors injured in fire aboard aircraft carrier supporting Iran war
The incident, in a laundry room on the USS Gerald R. Ford, is another setback during the ship’s extended deployment.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 10, 2026
Democrats argue Trump’s China policy risks ‘strategic failure’
A new report, issued ahead of the president’s summit with Xi Jinping, takes aim at the administration’s record on trade, diplomacy and other aspects of American power.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 9, 2026
Early Iran strikes cost $5.6 billion in munitions, Pentagon estimates
The figure, accounting for the war’s first two days, is likely to intensify concerns in Congress that U.S. forces are churning through a scarce supply of advanced weaponry.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 6, 2026
Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say
The targeting information has included the locations of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the officials said.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 28, 2026
Democrats demand immediate vote to restrain Trump on Iran
Congress is expected to vote on two resolutions that seek to block further military action, the latest test of a long-shot strategy to reassert lawmakers’ war powers.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 27, 2026
Senator seeks to block Trump’s NSA pick, citing civil liberties concerns
Sen. Ron Wyden, a senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd was “not qualified” to lead the spy agency.
www.washingtonpost.com