An earlier version of this article was first published in the On the Trail 2024 newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox on Friday mornings here.
Hello, friends. My name is Cami Mondeaux, your D.C. correspondent reporting from Capitol Hill in Washington. I’ll be taking over this newsletter from the great Samuel Benson, who did a masterful job at informing you over the last few years.
As I take the reins, here’s what I’ll focus on — I spend a lot of time on Capitol Hill chasing lawmakers down hallways and staking out closed-door meetings between top political leaders, and I’m excited to give y’all a front-row seat to all the action. One of my favorite parts of this job is pulling back the curtain to show you how these big decisions are made and what deals were agreed upon to get there.
I hope to make Washington make sense — and I’ll need your help to know how best to do that! More on that at the bottom of this edition. But in the meantime, let’s get to the biggest stories from this week.
The big idea
GOP goes virtual to avoid protesters
House Republican leaders are encouraging members to conduct events with their constituents through virtual calls due to an increase of protests at in-person meetings. The protesters are frustrated with DOGE cuts and other Trump administration policies.
Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee, advised GOP lawmakers in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday to steer clear of in-person events and opt for tele-town halls instead, members inside the room told the Deseret News. The advice comes after several GOP-led events have been bombarded by those with concerns about government layoffs and spending cuts — with some Republicans saying those protests have extended beyond official events.
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, has seen his fair share of DOGE-related concerns at his in-person and tele-town halls, which he says have been both “widely attended and productive.”
“I think every member should do what’s best for their district and constituents, and if the tele-town hall option allows members to reach more people while facilitating a discussion, then that’s helpful,” Moore told the Deseret News. “I look forward to hosting more in-person and tele-town halls in the coming months.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., told reporters she has witnessed protesters coming to her personal home and “verbally attacking and insulting my children and family.”
“For me personally, it’s just not safe to do an in-person town hall because I don’t know what to expect,” Boebert said.
Democrats were quick to target GOP leadership over their advice, accusing Republicans of hiding from their constituents amid an ever-changing political atmosphere.
“So House Republicans’ political strategy is ‘see no families nor workers,’ ‘hear no protesters’, ‘speak to no one’ and hope everyone gets less angry at them when they rip away Americans’ health care? Got it,” said Viet Shelton, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Democrats’ chief fundraising arm.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended leadership’s advice by claiming many of the protesters seen at Republican events are paid by “George Soros-funded groups” and other Democrats to make a scene “for the cameras.”
“Democratic activists who don’t live in the district very often will show up for these town hall events and they’ll go in an hour early and they’ll fill all the seats so the constituents and the people from the community that are actually represented don’t even get a seat,” Johnson said. “I’m not saying all the Democrats in these town halls that you’ve seen on television were not from the local area, but there are people who do this as a profession. … So why would we give them a forum to do that right now?”
Meanwhile, Democrats are leaning into Republicans’ attempts to get a handle on the backlash — but being sure not to leave any fingerprints.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has denied any Democratic involvement in recent protests, arguing “we don’t need paid protesters. The American people are with us.”
3+ things to know
- From the Hill: Lawmakers are still hashing out a government funding deal just one week before shutdown. … The House reprimands a Democratic lawmaker for interrupting Trump’s speech.. … Senate Democrats block debate on a bill to ban transgender women from female sports.
- From the White House: Trump once again pauses tariffs for Canada and Mexico, citing concerns for a trade war. … Trump administration reportedly plans to cut 80,000 employees from Veterans Affairs. … Vice President JD Vance visited the southern border this week.
- From the courts: The Supreme Court upheld a decision in a murder case decided by the Utah Supreme Court in 1985. … SCOTUS blocks Trump’s request to halt USAID funding in 5-4 ruling.
Trump gives longest speech to Congress in history: Here are the highlights
Trump gave his first joint address on Tuesday night in what ended up being the longest presidential speech to Congress in U.S. history. Here’s my live coverage from that speech as I sat in the front row of the press balcony.
Here are some of the highlights from that speech that didn’t make it in my first pass:
- Trump designates 13-year-old cancer survivor D.J. Daniel as an honorary member of the Secret Service.
- Trump announces the capture of a top Islamic State leader who was behind the 2021 attack on the Kabul airport that killed 13 American service members, including a Utahn, during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
- Trump renames a wildlife sanctuary after 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was killed last year by two migrants in the country illegally. The refuge is in Houston, Texas, where Nungaray lived.
And in case you missed it, here’s a recap of the Democratic response by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, written by our very own Gitanjali Poonia.
What’s next
That’s a wrap on my first edition, thanks for making it through to the end! As we start to refocus our coverage, I’d love to hear from you on what you want to see included. Do you have any burning questions for your representative?
Have you always wanted to know what the hottest trends are for lawmakers? (Check out this story I wrote last year about an energy drink that is all the rage among staffers and lawmakers alike.) Ask away, and I’ll do my best to bring you all the inside knowledge.
In the meantime, reach me by email or follow me on X for more timely updates from the Hill.