Morning Report — Trump hails Education Department shrinkage 

In today’s issue:  

• Education Department a GOP talisman, and lesson
• Trump considers relinquishing NATO leadership
• Democrats face pushback at town halls
• Israel protests Netanyahu’s restarting of Gaza war

The Education Department will be dismantled and give states greater autonomy over education, President Trump vowed during a White House event Thursday intended to showcase a partial victory that has eluded conservatives since President Reagan’s administration.

An executive order Trump signed will reduce the department to its core federal functions and he urged Congress to help him finish the job legislatively. “I hope they’re going to be voting for it," Trump said of congressional Democrats.

The president has moved past Congress with steps that include cutting the department’s workforce in half, preparing to move some programs such as school loans to other agencies and turning to states with tips on best practices if or when they shed federal overseers. 

The Associated Press: Here’s what the Education Department does.

Senate Republicans announced support for legislation to abolish the department while Democrats reacted with prepared critiques, believing the battle ahead shifts the political debate their way and gives them traction among Democratic and independent voters who support the department in concept. The nation’s largest teachers’ union has promised litigation. 

House Education Committee ranking member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) called the president’s executive order “reckless” and said its impact would put “low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and rural students at risk.”

Trump’s strategy to act first and navigate around impediments, such as Congress and the courts, characterizes his 60-day blizzard of orders, directives and practiced confrontations attempting to remake domestic and international conditions to his liking.

But at least two big questions are surfacing to challenge Trump’s game plan. The first deals with costs. The second deals with politics. And they’re connected.

“INCREMENTAL PROGRESS”: The president told voters he would improve their financial wellbeing, their safety and basic freedoms with smaller government, lower taxes, better jobs and global leadership. Americans say they want to give Trump time to deliver, but polls suggest they’re worried about how he’s handling the economy, and specifically about his reliance on billionaire Elon Musk to plow through government operations, databases, contracts, foreign aid and employee protections while opining and advising on social media.

Vice President Vance, during an NBC News interview, defended Musk’s “mistakes,” adding, "You're going to see progress. I think it's going to be incremental progress. But I also think it's important to be honest with people that you don't get to $2 trillion deficits overnight."  

BEWARE THIRD RAIL: On Capitol Hill, Republicans have registered their dismay with the White House and Musk over shuttering Social Security Administration offices in their districts or even mentioning Social Security at all, which Trump vowed not to touch when he was a candidate. The political hazards are obvious, and in his New York swing district on Thursday, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler objected on social media.

“The decision to close the only Social Security hearing office in the Hudson Valley is a slap in the face to thousands of my constituents who rely on these services,” he wrote. “Telling my constituents that they now have to travel to Lower Manhattan, New Haven, the Bronx or Goshen is completely unacceptable.”

The Hill: A federal judge in Maryland on Thursday temporarily blocked the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing millions of Americans’ personal data stored by the Social Security Administration.

Trump’s on-again-off-again tariffs and uncertainties about inflation and financial markets spark unease among everyday voters. Taunts from Trump, Musk and some congressional Republicans to impeach federal judges are giving some GOP leaders heartburn. 

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is one. He faces few good options if rank-and-file Republicans push for an impeachment vote, which he knows would not get 60 votes in the Senate. The votes are not there in the House now. Impeachments of judges are rare, occurring 15 times in U.S. history, primarily for corruption or related misdeeds. This week’s target of Republican wrath is federal Judge James Boasberg, who challenged the administration over its deportation of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador without court hearings. 

Fox News: House GOP leaders are privately wary about a push to impeach federal judges.

TIME KEEPS ON SLIPPING: Boasberg argued Thursday that the administration knowingly “evaded” a court order to produce a timeline about its moves to deport Venezuelan migrants nearly a week ago instead of returning them to the U.S. as ordered. Boasberg instructed the administration to produce by today an update from someone directly involved in the discussions. 

Describing the Justice Department’s response as “woefully insufficient,” Boasberg said the department refused to meet a Thursday deadline to provide flight information he requested. The White House maintains it did not honor Boasberg’s verbal and written orders to return the migrants because the written ruling occurred when planes had exited the U.S. and were flying over international waters.

CBS News: The network obtained an internal government list of male Venezuelan citizens deported and flown to El Salvador on March 15. The 238 names were published by CBS. U.S. officials say 137 were expelled as "enemy aliens” under an 18th century wartime law, while 101 were deported under contemporary immigration laws. 

“DANGEROUS AND INCORRECT”: Trump, chafing at federal court hurdles, turned to his social media platform on Thursday to appeal to the Supreme Court to halt federal injunctions that block activities nationwide rather than in a single jurisdiction.

“Unlawful Nationwide Injunctions by Radical Left Judges could very well lead to the destruction of our Country!” Trump wrote. “These people are Lunatics, who do not care, even a little bit, about the repercussions from their very dangerous and incorrect Decisions and Rulings.”

Politico: House Republicans are looking at other ways to rein in federal judges.

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told SiriusXM journalist Julie Mason Wednesday that the administration appeared to be “intentionally picking a fight” with the federal judiciary.   

Gonzales, who served under former President George W. Bush, said Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was right in issuing a written statement to remind the president, the legal community and the American people that if “you disagree with a decision, you don’t criticize it so angrily, but instead, you go through the normal process of appeal.”

SMART TAKE with NewsNation’s BLAKE BURMAN: 

March Madness is officially underway, with 68 teams battling for the top spot in college basketball. West Virginia University was the last team left out, and that had the state’s governor fuming.  

“I've asked Attorney General [JB] McCuskey to launch an investigation into the NCAA tournament selection committee to determine if any backyard deals, backroom deals, corruptions, bribes or any nefarious activity occurred during the selection process,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) said during a news conference this week.  

Since a unanimous Supreme Court ruling against the NCAA in 2021 for violating antitrust laws, it can be argued that lawmakers sense an opening. For example, Tennessee, Virginia and the NCAA announced a settlement this week on a different issue.  

We’ll see what happens in West Virginia and what its attorney general decides to do next, but it could be a sign of much more to come.   

Burman hosts “The Hill” weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.

3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:

▪ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday he is canceling more than $580 million in contracts and grants that do not align with the Trump administration’s priorities.

▪ The Justice Department on Wednesday removed what it called “outdated” and “unnecessary” red tape for businesses to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

▪ The Taliban on Thursday released American hostage George Glezmann, 66, after holding him for more than two years in Afghanistan. The former Delta Airlines mechanic was freed following negotiations between U.S. and Qatari officials, acting as intermediaries.

LEADING THE DAY

© The Associated Press | J. Scott Applewhite

NATO: Trump is facing a standoff with Republican defense hawks over his plan for the United States to relinquish its military leadership of NATO, writes The Hill’s Alexander Bolton. The move raises serious questions about whether the alliance can remain an effective force in the future, given the relatively weaker militaries of European allies. 

Trump's desire to change the combatant command, combined with a proposed reduction in defense spending, is setting the stage for a conflict with defense-minded Republicans on Capitol Hill who have generally bent over backward to avoid conflict with Trump. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) issued a statement warning that any major changes to combatant commands must be done in coordination with Congress.

Wicker and Rogers said while they support Trump’s efforts to ensure that European allies increase their contributions to the NATO alliance, they warned against moves that “risk undermining American deterrence around the globe,” which would undercut “our negotiating positions with America’s adversaries.” Trump, however, appears unconcerned with the pushback so far.  

Financial Times: Europe’s biggest military powers are drawing up plans for the continent’s defense, including a pitch to the Trump administration for a managed transfer from NATO over the next five to 10 years.

CHINA: The Pentagon is scheduled to brief Musk on the U.S. military’s plan for any war that might break out with China. Musk, an unpaid government consultant, access to some of the nation’s most closely guarded military secrets would be a dramatic expansion of his extensive role advising Trump and leading DOGE.

TESLA: The White House is going to bat for Musk’s Tesla company, labeling vandalization of dealerships and cars as “domestic terrorism” and encouraging Americans to buy the company’s struggling stock. The level of support the Trump administration is putting behind the company is unprecedented, especially while Musk is a top White House adviser and is leading the efforts to cut federal workers and dismantle agencies. 

As she announced arson charges against people in Colorado, South Carolina and Oregon, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a news release: “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”

▪ The Guardian: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, appearing on Fox News on Wednesday, asked viewers to buy Tesla stock and “invest in Elon Musk.” Afterward, the stock fell. 

▪ The Hill: The administration is taking its first steps to expand Arctic oil and gas drilling, including in the national wildlife refuge in Alaska, as promised by Trump during his campaign. The changes require a lengthy regulatory process before implementation. 

FOREIGN AID: A nearly 400-page list provided to Congress may give rare insight into the scope of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development, which have already roiled the global humanitarian community and threatened lifesaving programs around the world. The Hill’s Laura Kelly reports some programs on the list of terminations appear to provide lifesaving services — such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria prevention, along with maternal and baby health — which would contradict a Trump administration commitment to continue such programs under the State Department’s umbrella. 

Ending those programs would also hurt Americans, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement to The Hill: “The Trump administration’s slash-and-burn approach to U.S. foreign assistance, including lifesaving programs, is putting Americans at risk from infectious diseases like Ebola and drug-resistant TB.”

FRUSTRATED VOTERS: It’s not just Republicans facing confrontational town halls over the congressional recess. Democrats are increasingly feeling the ire of the party’s liberal base over their response to the Trump administration at their town halls, The Hill’s Julia Manchester reports. Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) clashed with pro-Palestinian attendees at a town hall on Wednesday, leading police to shut down the forum. He warned that people “are going to decide not to come to town halls anymore because it’s not productive.”

That followed Rep. Glenn Ivey’s (D-Md.) town hall on Tuesday where he faced criticism for being too “calm” in the face of the Trump administration. The raucous Democratic town halls come as Democrats have sought to target their Republican counterparts using town halls to target GOP lawmakers in their own districts. 

“If you’re home, my town halls look like a Republican town hall. I’m not taking it personally. People are scared. They want to see us do something,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) told CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” 

▪ NBC News: Democrats are desperately searching for new leaders. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is stepping into the void.

▪ The New York Times: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has long had a tense relationship with the Democratic Party, suggested in an interview that more progressives should join him in running as independents.

WHERE AND WHEN

• The House will meet for a pro forma session at 4 p.m. 
  
• The Senate will convene at 3 p.m. on Monday.
  
• The president will meet in the Oval Office at 11 a.m. with the defense secretary and deliver remarks. Trump will depart the White House at 5 p.m. to travel to his property in Bedminster, N.J.

ZOOM IN

© The Associated Press | Julia Demaree Nikhinson

STATE WATCH: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) confirmed she is talking to lawmakers about including in the Empire State’s budget a public ban on face coverings (with some exceptions) to address concerns about public safety. 

New York City received a 30-day reprieve ahead of today’s Trump-ordered halt to congestion pricing. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the administration’s extension to continue discussions with the city. The governor initiated the toll program to ease traffic and raise additional revenue for the city’s public transit system and threatened legal action to continue it. 

Columbia University on Thursday prepared to meet Trump administration demands about handling campus protests in exchange for the restoration of $400 million in federal funding. 

North Dakota lawmakers want the Supreme Court to reverse its affirmative ruling on same-sex marriage. Similar efforts — which would not have any direct sway with the nation’s top courts — have been introduced in a handful of states this year. North Dakota’s resolution passed the Republican-led House in February but still requires Senate approval, which is not assured.

Nationwide Social Security office closures: Here’s a list compiled by The Associated Press of state-based Social Security leased offices that are scheduled to close under plans by the Department of Government Efficiency. 

Veterans Affairs Department Secretary Doug Collins, during a WTOP interview on Wednesday, defended nationwide federal layoffs of veterans, arguing the VA and other agencies with locations are not “employment services.” 

ELSEWHERE

© The Associated Press | Ohad Zwigenberg

GAZA: Israeli forces expanded their ground offensive in Gaza on Thursday, killing at least 80 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes, according to health officials in the enclave. Hamas fired its first rockets since Israel broke a two-month ceasefire and resumed heavy strikes on Gaza this week, killing more than 500. Israel's defense minister threatened earlier this week to open “the gates of hell” in Gaza if Hamas refuses to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands.

In Israel, protesters flooded the streets in opposition to Netanyahu’s restarting of the war. Demonstrators accuse the government of continuing the war for political reasons and ignoring the plight of the 59 hostages still held by Hamas.

“This government has now also started a war, once again, to protect itself, to divert the discourse from the things that bother the public in Israel. The government has lost all legitimacy on every possible level … They are failing,” said Eitan Herzel, chief executive of the Brothers in Arms protest movement.

▪ The New York Times: Netanyahu on Thursday formally fired the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, despite street protests.

▪ Axios: A senior Israeli delegation is expected to visit the White House next week for strategic consultations about Iran.

UKRAINE: Hours after agreeing to a partial ceasefire with Russia in a phone call with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted images of fires and damage in the country’s central Kirovohrad region. 

“Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, despite its propaganda statements, do not stop,” he wrote on Telegram. Russia launched almost 200 attack drones, including Iranian-made Shahed drones, Zelensky said. Four of the 10 people wounded were children, he added. On Thursday, Russian strikes hit Odesa, engulfing the port city in flames.

Ukraine, meanwhile, hit Russia’s Engels military airfield in the country’s southwest region with drones. This latest wave of tit-for-tat attacks follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s commitment to a 30-day halt of strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He did not agree to a full ceasefire.

▪ The New York Times: Trump wants to take over Ukraine’s nuclear plants. What would that mean?

▪ BBC: The United Kingdom on Thursday hosted a closed-door meeting of senior military leaders from the "coalition of the willing,” as they draw up plans for a proposed peacekeeping force for Ukraine.

▪ NBC News: