By Damian Paletta
Good morning. Tulsi Gabbard is one of the most fascinating figures in the Trump administration. Full stop.
She is the director of national intelligence. That's a big, big job given that the White House is spreading its influence across every continent, using methods both public and secret.
She's a former Democratic member of Congress, and she is an Army veteran, having served in Iraq and Kuwait.
Yes, she's controversial and doesn't appear to be by Trump's side during big moments on foreign policy. But she hasn't broken with him in public, yet, and the Iran war seems to pose the biggest test of how she will continue to fit in. Does she support it? Would she ever draw a line?
Gabbard came out of her military service quite critical of U.S. involvement in foreign wars. During the 2024 election, this also was Trump's position. She initially had like-minded allies in the Trump administration. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were also veterans who seemed to represent a much different approach from the way George W. Bush and Dick Cheney looked at the world in the early 2000s.
As the whole planet reported on Tuesday, Joe Kent resigned as head of the National Counterterrorism Center. The letter was on letterhead from Gabbard's agency. Kent was critical of Trump's decision to get involved in the Iran conflict.
Eyes quickly shifted to Gabbard. Would she be critical of Trump, too? She testified Wednesday before the Senate and stayed in lockstep with Trump, refusing to defect. She will face another test Thursday, when she testifies before a House committee.
This is an edition of the Politics newsletter, bringing you an expert guide to what's driving D.C. every day. If you're not subscribed, sign up here.
People and Policies I'm Watching
Iran war. Follow live updates as oil soared past $115 after Iran strikes, escalating attacks on Persian Gulf oil-and-gas infrastructure send the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran into a dangerous new phase and the Pentagon grows more reliant on land-based missiles in its war plans.
House Intelligence Committee. Scheduled witnesses for the annual "world wide threats assessment" hearing at 8: 30 a.m. Eastern time include Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Trump's Thursday. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is visiting the U.S. Trump is scheduled to greet her at 11 a.m. at the White House, participate in a bilateral meeting at 11:15 a.m., take part in a policy meeting at 3 p.m., greet Takaichi again at 7 p.m. and sit down for a dinner with her in the State Dining Room at 7:15 p.m.
What I'm Following
Sen. Markwayne Mullin's Senate confirmation hearing was a bit tetchy. The Trump ally nominated to be the next DHS secretary promised a more collaborative and lower-key approach than his high-wattage predecessor, Kristi Noem, but he nevertheless faced sharp questioning. He refused to withdraw past unkind comments he had made about Sen. Rand Paul -- he once said he understood why Paul was assaulted in 2017 -- and he ultimately agreed to reconvene to a secure facility to discuss a previously undisclosed 2015 classified, mysterious-sounding trip.
We learned a few things from the March primaries. Looking ahead as the midterm nomination season heats up in May, it seems like record amounts of money will be spent on advertising, appeals to Hispanics will pay off and Republican incumbents who cross Trump will find themselves on shaky ground. The turnout energy is also with Democrats so far this year, and Aipac's record in backing primary winners turned out to be mixed.
A meeting between Attorney General Pam Bondi and lawmakers on the Epstein files fell apart. Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, offered the meeting amid the bipartisan criticism over their handling of the files, but Democrats stormed out of the closed-door briefing, saying they didn't trust Bondi to fully answer their questions unless forced to do so under oath. Several Republicans on the House Oversight Committee joined Democrats in voting to subpoena Bondi, but Bondi and Blanche have called it unnecessary, saying they have invited lawmakers to view unredacted files at the Justice Department building and made themselves available to answer their questions.
What Else Is Happening
-- Groups with ties to Cesar Chavez are distancing themselves from the
Hispanic labor and civil-rights icon who died more than 30 years ago,
after allegations that he abused women and girls in the 1960s and '70s.
-- The Fed held interest rates steady and preserved a path to cutting rates
this year.
-- Lego -- yes, Lego -- has become a go-to meme of the propaganda wars.
-- Joe Kent's exit from his top counterterrorism post has resonated with the
isolationist faction of influencers and podcasters who shape much
MAGA-world discourse.
-- Vice President JD Vance, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior
Secretary Doug Burgum and bipartisan leaders in Congress and governors
are expected to meet Thursday with the oil industry as the White House
looks for ways to address surging fuel prices. (Here's our blog post.)
What I'm Reading
-- Left Turns on Cesar Chavez After Horrific Allegations of Rape, Sexual
Abuse (Washington Times)
-- U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette Walloped by Democratic Socialist at County
Assembly. Does This Spell Trouble for Incumbents? (Denver Post)
-- Markwayne Mullin Says He Regrets Calling Alex Pretti a 'Deranged
Individual' After Shooting (Minnesota Star Tribune)
About Me
I'm Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal's Washington coverage chief. I've covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. I've covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns.
WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what's driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you're reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Joe Haberstroh and Mali Michelle Fleming. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 19, 2026 06:55 ET (10:55 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
