As Trump Threatened a Primary, a G.O.P. Holdout on Hegseth Flipped
The New York Times
Before Senator Thom Tillis voted to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, he worked with accusers to make the case against him in a bid to get G.O.P. leaders to scrap the vote altogether.
Four days after President Trump was sworn in for his second term, his nominee for defense secretary was teetering on the brink of defeat on the Senate floor, and the president was on Air Force One talking about political retribution.
Mr. Trump had gotten word that Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, planned to oppose Pete Hegseth, the former “Fox & Friends” weekend host who was his choice for Pentagon chief, and who faced accusations of excessive drinking and abusing women. If Mr. Tillis could not be brought to heel by that night, there would be enough Republican “no” votes to sink Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation, a humiliating defeat at the dawn of Mr. Trump’s second term.
Turning to a group of North Carolina lawmakers who were flying with him to survey storm damage in their state, Mr. Trump noted Mr. Tillis’s impending defection and posed a question: Which of them wanted his endorsement for a primary challenge to the senator next year?
The implication was clear: Mr. Tillis’s refusal to back Mr. Hegseth could cost him his seat. By that night, Mr. Tillis, who had been toiling behind the scenes for days to kill Mr. Hegseth’s nomination so he could avoid having to publicly cross Mr. Trump, would vote to confirm Mr. Hegseth to control the most powerful military force in the world.
The story of Mr. Tillis’s secret effort to persuade fellow Republicans to join him in opposing Mr. Hegseth — and his sudden turnabout when it became clear he would be the deciding vote to defeat the nominee — is a tale of political calculation and capitulation by a single G.O.P. senator.
But it also helps explain a broader dynamic at play with Mr. Trump back in the White House, as Republicans in Congress, fearful of reprisal by the president and his supporters, have put aside grave reservations and surrendered to his demands.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke at two Black churches in Queens and pushed back at those who “are dancing on my grave.”
President Trump is all about using whatever leverage he can to try to get the best deal for himself — or, he would argue, for the country. Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, explains some of his recent transactions, and how he’s defied norms to get his way.
The state required 177 cities and towns served by public transit to loosen their zoning rules so that more multifamily housing can be built. A number of them resisted.
To Michael Hirsch, the desecration of hundreds of graves was a shanda, a shame, a ghoulish crime. He wanted to do something about it.
Demoralized donors are frustrated with Democrats’ failings and worried about retribution from the president. Their frugality has left liberal groups struggling to fight the new administration.
Utah joined two other states in prohibiting collective bargaining for teachers, police officers and other public employees in a move that was seen as a possible blow to the country’s labor movement.
The decision to sue over the $80 million in seized funds comes as the New York City mayor has been accused of supporting the White House’s immigration agenda in exchange for legal leniency.
In Huntsville, a city fueled by defense and aerospace, there is anxiety but also cautious optimism that federal investment may still come its way.
H. Carl McCall, whose 2002 primary race with Andrew M. Cuomo became a racially charged clash, is urging the former governor to run for mayor of New York City.
Democratic donors and Jewish leaders are so unhappy with Jon Ossoff over his position on Israel that some have quietly urged Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, to run against him.
An increasingly influential group of conservative scholars has some drastic ideas about the president’s power.
In the New Jersey parking lot where high school students invented Ultimate Frisbee nearly 60 years ago, some of the original players are still throwing the disc every week.
As Democrats ponder how best to position themselves for a looming spending confrontation, they are finding novel ways to put Republicans on the spot.