Hello readers and welcome back to On Politics. Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional reporter. It's Thursday, and an unusually busy day in the Senate. Let's get into it.
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Trump blasts 'bad Republicans' who voted against Iran war
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"Who would do such an unpatriotic thing?" he asked on social media today. "They know where the negotiations stand."
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The public tongue-lashing represented a typical response to GOP resistance to Trump's second-term White House, particularly to the president's Middle East intervention. Whether the bashing has any immediate political implications for the lawmakers remains to be seen.
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Mostly, the post demonstrated how the president, who has flexed his political muscle in recent primary races, is not taking kindly to growing congressional unease with the conflict.
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The offenders in Trump's eyes were: Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. The president called them "bad Republicans."
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Republican Rep. Tom Barrett addresses supporters at his campaign office in Brighton, Michigan, on April 17, 2026.
Rebecca Cook, REUTERS
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Daily photo gallery: From the DNC to HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s political career in photos
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The Senate kicked off a legislative marathon this morning to try to pass more than $70 billion in immigration enforcement funding.
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Democrats are using the opportunity to force Republicans into tough votes in a midterm year. Case in point: Much of the morning was spent considering an effort led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, to effectively kill President Trump's so-called "anti-weaponization" fund.
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Though the fight wasn't over by the time this newsletter went out, Schumer's amendment had narrowly failed, 49-50. Three Republicans, all in competitive contests, crossed party lines: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Jon Husted of Ohio.
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Don't let that vote deceive you, though. More Republican senators are open to banning the fund through legislation.
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Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana had already offered their own amendments to ban the fund. We'll see how those play out. (Tillis' try, which would've rerouted money to the DOJ's anti-fraud division, failed.)
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Former Trump adviser John Bolton reaches plea deal in documents case
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Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to one count of retaining national security information, the person said. If a judge accepts the deal, Bolton will pay a $2.25 million fine and may serve up to five years in prison, although he could avoid prison altogether.
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The Justice Department declined to comment and referred USA TODAY to the docket for Bolton's criminal case, which states that he will have a "rearraignment" on June 26, but doesn't provide details about any plea agreement.
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💬We also want to hear from you! What questions do you have for our team as we get closer to November? Is there a race you’re watching closely? Let us know by jumping in the comments on Reddit or responding to this newsletter. And you can find our answers here, including my explainer on each party's views on ICE funding.
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Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
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Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has reached a plea deal in the criminal case over his handling of documents.
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A series of setbacks for Trump with Republicans in Congress and in the courts have plagued a president already struggling in polls.
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