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How Trump is turning NATO into a cash machine
5 July 2026 at 19:00
The U.S. president has refashioned the alliance into something far different from its original intention.
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Yesterday — 5 July 2026Politico | Defense
Frustration roils lawmakers briefed on Pentagon's war request
2 July 2026 at 01:38
Even Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee emerged from the classified briefing urging Pentagon officials to give them more information.
Judge blocks Pentagon’s press escort policy
1 July 2026 at 04:45
It’s the latest legal victory for The New York Times against the Defense Department’s press crackdown.
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GOP infighting threatens critical defense bill
30 June 2026 at 03:13
The annual defense policy legislation, one of the few measures almost guaranteed to pass each year, is held hostage by a Republican battle over an elections overhaul.
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NATO chief’s playbook with Trump: Show him the money
26 June 2026 at 17:00
Mark Rutte's visit to Washington foreshadows the upcoming alliance summit, which will likely try to paper over U.S. antagonisms.
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House GOP presses ahead with Trump's Department of War name change
25 June 2026 at 06:35
The House Appropriations Committee became the third committee to endorse the Pentagon rebrand.
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Hegseth’s budget sales pitch falls flat with GOP lawmakers
25 June 2026 at 03:49
Some of the president’s biggest supporters in Congress expressed concern about the impact of increased military spending on the national debt.
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Rutte’s balancing act between Trump and 31 NATO allies
24 June 2026 at 17:00
The two leaders have a history of working well together, but Rutte has a narrow lane to work with between Trump’s demands and the alliance’s fiscal realities.
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Politico | Defense
- Senate threatens to freeze Hegseth’s travel in bid for boat strike videos, Iran school strike probe
Senate threatens to freeze Hegseth’s travel in bid for boat strike videos, Iran school strike probe
17 June 2026 at 22:29
Major defense legislation approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee freezes three quarters of the Defense Secretary’s travel budget until Congress gets what it wants.
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Before yesterdayPolitico | Defense
Hegseth's timeline for Strait of Hormuz is a bit murky
15 June 2026 at 00:44
The Secretary of Defense initially stated that the waterway would reopen "immediately" after a deal was signed, only to clarify his comment moments later.
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Ukraine is winning the drone war. Now it needs to win over Trump.
14 June 2026 at 19:00
Battlefield gains and drone deals with Europe have given Kyiv rare leverage heading into the G7 world leaders’ summit, even as Washington's attention is elsewhere.
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Trump’s missile diplomacy strategy backfires
12 June 2026 at 05:10
“You’re bombing what to get what at this point?” said a former Trump administration official.
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Pentagon resumes normal operations after lockdown
12 June 2026 at 01:56
The Hazardous Materials Team from the Arlington, Virginia, Fire Department was on the scene to assist Pentagon officials, the department wrote on X.
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Pentagon locks down over ‘air quality issue’
12 June 2026 at 00:01
The Hazardous Materials Team from the Arlington, Virginia, Fire Department was on the scene to assist Pentagon officials, the department wrote on X.
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Trump says US will resume 'attacking' Iran as negotiations stall
10 June 2026 at 22:27
“They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” Trump posted to social media Wednesday.
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- After Trump's Director of National Intelligence pick, knives are out for the whole office
After Trump's Director of National Intelligence pick, knives are out for the whole office
10 June 2026 at 04:59
The nomination of housing official Bill Pulte has stirred wider discussions about trimming the office back — or getting rid of it.
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More women, Democratic veterans running for Congress this year
9 June 2026 at 19:00
The number of veterans running for federal office this cycle is up 47 percent from 2024.
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NASA quietly talking to Congress about more moon money
9 June 2026 at 04:58
The agency has begun reaching out to lawmakers as it pushes to meet President Trump’s moon landing timeline.
© NASA
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- Pentagon walks back Latter-day Saints Church classification after pushback from Utah lawmakers
Pentagon walks back Latter-day Saints Church classification after pushback from Utah lawmakers
9 June 2026 at 03:32
In an update to faith codes, the Pentagon had classified the religion as separate from Christianity.
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House GOP endorses Trump's Department of War renaming
5 June 2026 at 20:52
The move by the House Armed Services Committee injects another partisan wedge issue into an already fraught defense bill.
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Ukraine aid package passes House, bucking GOP leaders and Trump
5 June 2026 at 08:32
Eighteen Republicans broke ranks to help pass the military assistance and Russia sanctions.
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Pentagon likely to cancel missile deal with Germany over fears of Russia
5 June 2026 at 03:30
The decision is part of a broader American retrenchment from the NATO alliance.
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House panel demands more information on military firings
5 June 2026 at 00:23
The move comes after the dismissal of multiple uniformed military leaders since President Donald Trump took office.
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Iran vote caps Trump’s congressional losing streak
4 June 2026 at 05:24
The House vote to halt the Iran war, while largely symbolic, further stymies the administration's political priorities during a week where the GOP has already scuttled several of the president’s goals.
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Trump’s intel pick delights MAGA and shocks nation’s spies
3 June 2026 at 05:38
Bill Pulte, the head of a housing agency, is set to take the reins as the Director of National Intelligence — raising alarms on the Hill even as it delights the MAGA faithful.
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Asia reckons with China as Trump pulls back
31 May 2026 at 23:49
America’s transactional approach to Europe is carrying over to Asia.
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Hegseth tempers China criticism at Asia forum
30 May 2026 at 11:50
The Pentagon chief, in a rare omission, avoided any mention of Taiwan in a speech to Asian officials.
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Trump’s moon mission at risk after huge rocket explosion
30 May 2026 at 04:11
The destruction of a Blue Origin launchpad could thwart key goals of the president’s.
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Pentagon puts building blocks in place for Cuba invasion
28 May 2026 at 05:15
The Navy’s presence in the Caribbean has not reduced despite the Iran war.
© Matias Delacroix/AP
