DHS turns on border chief over $2M office renovation plan

17 January 2026 at 08:25

As DHS looks to increase deportations and build the wall, commissioner Rodney Scott requested a pricey office renovation project.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott is being blamed for slow progress on construction of a wall along the border with Mexico.

Confronted with thorny problems, Trump turns to the military

Politico | Defense

By Jack Detsch and Paul McLeary

17 January 2026 at 05:00

The president has used the armed forces during his second term as an initial option rather than a last resort.

President Donald Trump addresses a crowd of service members during a celebration open in honor of the Army's 250th anniversary on June 10, 2025, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The World Cup’s most dreaded gatecrasher isn’t a fan but a drone

Politico | Defense

By Sophia Cai

16 January 2026 at 20:00

Officials from 11 American host cities met with military and law-enforcement leaders to game out security threats to the summertime tournament.

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will be the site of the World Cup final match in July. Local law-enforcement officials from the New York-New Jersey region were recently trained by FBI officials in the use of counter-drone technology as part of security preparations.

Defense Department to overhaul military newspaper Stars and Stripes

Politico | Defense

By Cheyanne M. Daniels

16 January 2026 at 01:59

The paper, which traces its roots back to the Civil War, receives some funding from the Pentagon and its staff is Defense Department employees.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X that Stars and Stripes will be "modernized" to focus on “ALL THINGS MILITARY."

Senate Republicans derail effort to rebuke Trump on Venezuela

Politico | Defense

By Connor O'Brien and Jordain Carney

15 January 2026 at 07:55

Two Republicans who initially supported the measure flipped after extensive lobbying by the Trump administration.

Sen. Tim Kaine (left), listens as Sen. Rand Paul speaks with reporters at the Capitol, Jan. 7, 2026, in Washington.

Why Trump doesn’t need to own Greenland to build Golden Dome

Politico | Defense

By Audrey Decker

15 January 2026 at 07:00

Much of the president’s signature defense shield isn’t even supposed to be based on land.

President Donald Trump, (left) Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., listen as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks in the Oval Office about the Golden Dome initiative, May 20, 2025.

Denmark, Greenland failed to win the Trump team over

Politico | Defense

By Felicia Schwartz and Eli Stokols

15 January 2026 at 04:08

The U.S. allies hoped meeting senior Trump officials would diffuse tensions and tough talk on Greenland. It didn’t.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt speak at a news conference at the Embassy of Denmark, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington.

US personnel evacuated from Qatar base amid Iran tensions

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary and Nahal Toosi

14 January 2026 at 23:42

The move comes as the Trump administration weighs options to punish Tehran over its crackdown on protesters.

President Donald Trump arrives to address troops at the Al Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha on May 15, 2025.

Trump says he has many military options on Iran. He doesn’t.

Politico | Defense

By Jack Detsch， Paul McLeary and Joe Gould

14 January 2026 at 07:00

Many of the troops and ships once at the president’s disposal have shifted to the Caribbean.

Iranians gather during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Friday.

Trump to be briefed on range of options in Iran

Politico | Defense

By Sophia Cai， Felicia Schwartz， Paul McLeary and Jacob Wendler

12 January 2026 at 04:15

The options being presented to Trump would range from targeted strikes inside Iran to offensive cyber attacks.

Protesters participate in a demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, in support of the mass protests in Iran against the government Jan. 11, 2026.

The one issue where Democrats think Trump is right

Politico | Defense

By Jack Detsch， Paul McLeary and Joe Gould

10 January 2026 at 04:00

The president’s populist-style attack on defense industry executives is part of a larger Pentagon strategy to transform the role of suppliers.

An F35 Lockheed Martin fighter jet flies at the Paris Air Show on June 17, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris.

NSA taps new second-in-command Tim Kosiba after months of uncertainty

Politico | Defense

By John Sakellariadis

10 January 2026 at 00:51

The Pentagon spy agency has backed away from its original appointment of Joe Francescon as NSA deputy director in August.

Tim Kosiba is a 30-year veteran of the National Security Agency and the FBI.

Senate votes to limit Trump on Venezuela

Politico | Defense

By Connor O'Brien

9 January 2026 at 00:53

The procedural vote is a rare critique of Trump’s authority in the first test of GOP loyalty since last weekend’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Tim Kaine, co-sponsor of the latest war powers measure, prepare to speak with reporters after senators were briefed by Trump administration officials about Venezuela operations on Jan. 7, 2026.

US could run Venezuela for years, Trump says

Politico | Defense

By Gregory Svirnovskiy

8 January 2026 at 22:22

“We will rebuild it in a very profitable way,” he said in an interview with The New York Times.

Venezuelan government supporters hold dolls depicting late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, during a rally Wednesday, Jan. 7, in Caracas.

Trump calls for record $1.5 trillion defense budget, a 50 percent jump

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary， Connor O'Brien and Joe Gould

8 January 2026 at 07:25

The president offered few details in his post on Truth Social, other than to say the money would pay for his “Dream Military.”

President Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (left) and House Speaker Mike Johnson applaud on Jan. 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida.

GOP lawmakers denounce Trump’s threats to seize Greenland

Politico | Defense

By Connor O'Brien， Joe Gould and Leo Shane III

8 January 2026 at 05:07

“This is a topic that should be dropped," said Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker.

A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland on March 6, 2025.

Trump officials tell Congress: No troops in Venezuela

Politico | Defense

By Leo Shane III， Connor O'Brien and Joe Gould

8 January 2026 at 03:33

A closed-door Senate briefing with national security leaders about the capture of Nicolás Maduro did little to sway the entrenched positions of each party.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, center, arrives to brief members of Congress on Capitol Hill, Jan. 7, 2026.

CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames, who sold secrets to the Soviets, dies in prison at 84

Politico | Defense

By Associated Press

7 January 2026 at 09:38

His betrayals were blamed for the deaths of Western agents.

FBI agents arrest CIA officer Aldrich Ames, center, over car, in Arlington, Virginia, on Feb. 21, 1994.

Where Trump could strike next

Politico | Defense

By Sean McMinn

6 January 2026 at 18:55

From Venezuela to Greenland, Trump is exerting his global influence.

Venezuela operation magnifies Pentagon's shift west — and away from China

Politico | Defense

By Jack Detsch and Paul McLeary

6 January 2026 at 05:11

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro underscored the administration’s pivot toward the Western Hemisphere, further unraveling decades of bipartisan consensus that prioritized Beijing as America’s top global threat.

President Donald Trump, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth monitor U.S. military operations in Venezuela from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, Jan. 3, 2026.

Pentagon moves to punish senator for anti-Trump video

Politico | Defense

By Leo Shane III and Connor O'Brien

5 January 2026 at 23:23

The Pentagon has been investigating the retired Navy captain after he and other Democrats publicly called for troops to disobey illegal orders.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., refutes efforts by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to intimidate him and other lawmakers during a news conference at the Capitol on Dec. 1, 2025.

GOP hawks cheer Trump’s Maduro grab

Politico | Defense

By Joe Gould and Connor O'Brien

4 January 2026 at 01:21

Republican national security leaders framed the unprecedented seizure of a sitting foreign leader as a lawful arrest rather than regime change.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be Secretary of Defense, shakes hands with Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) after his confirmation hearing with committee in Washington, on Jan. 14, 2025.

Senate to vote on war powers measure following Maduro ouster

Politico | Defense

By Connor O'Brien and Jordain Carney

4 January 2026 at 00:38

"We’ve entered the 250th year of American democracy and cannot allow it to devolve into the tyranny that our founders fought to escape,” Sen. Tim Kaine said.