| | | | |  | | By John Sakellariadis, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Robbie Gramer | | 
Former national security adviser John Bolton is one of several of Donald Trump's former aides now without 24/7 government protection they’d been receiving. | Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images | With help from Joe Gould and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric In his first week in office, President DONALD TRUMP revoked the security details of three former aides who guided his first term’s hawkish Iran policy — and who are now on Tehran’s hit list for it. Both Democratic national security experts and some Republicans on Capitol Hill are alarmed by the decision, fearing that politics is winning out over an ongoing threat. Former national security adviser JOHN BOLTON, former Secretary of State and CIA Director MIKE POMPEO, and BRIAN HOOK, the State Department’s former special representative for Iran, are all now without 24/7 government protection they’d been receiving. A former senior Pentagon official in the Biden administration said that as a general matter, it was improbable that Trump would have received a radically new intelligence assessment on Bolton, Hook and Pompeo so soon after swearing in. “It seems highly unlikely for the threat assessments to have changed in just a matter of days,” said the official, who worked on the protection of former DOD officials under threat from Tehran. The official was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive aspects of their work. A Democratic spokesperson on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the State Department, which provides for Hook and Pompeo’s protection, has not shared information with the panel indicating there is no longer a threat against them. “We've asked for further information and will continue to monitor the situation,” the minority spokesperson added. Bolton also posted on X this morning that the threats against him and others “have been confirmed as of a few days ago.” Overall, Republicans have kept a conspicuously low public profile — despite repeatedly accusing JOE BIDEN of politicizing decisions about who deserves protection from Iran’s assassins during his administration. Iran hawks like Rep. MIKE TURNER (R-Ohio), Sen. TOM COTTON (R-Ark.) and new Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO haven’t weighed in publicly on it. None of the three responded to NatSec Daily’s requests for comment. Still, there is an undercurrent of unease among Republicans that could burst to the surface soon. A senior Senate Republican aide said that there is “deep concern” within the GOP about Trump’s decision. The person said members felt particularly alarmed for the safety of Pompeo, a former congressperson, and Hook, who retain close ties with the Hill. “Many members believe the Iran threat is still real, and the idea that Iran could take out U.S. officials on American soil is horrifying,” said the aide, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press about the ongoing GOP discussions. The aide did not share details on what type of response members were discussing. Sens. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-Iowa), RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) and RON JOHNSON (R-Wisc.) last year pressed federal agencies to outline the “rubric” they use to determine which former officials do and don’t get protection. The move was sparked by worry some Trump officials — including former national security adviser ROBERT O’BRIEN — were on Iran’s hit list, but didn’t get government support. Asked if Grassley had any concerns about Trump’s decision to cut protection for Bolton, Hook and Pompeo, a spokesperson for the Iowa senator reiterated that “questions remain about the rubric” used to assign security details to former officials. Trump, for his part, has been a little blasé on the issue thus far and has not addressed whether there are ongoing threats to the three former aides. “When you have protection you can’t have it for the rest of your life,” he said when asked about Hook and Pompeo in the Oval Office on Thursday. The National Security Council and White House spokespeople did not reply to questions seeking for further explanation on the moves. Hook, Pompeo and Bolton also could not be reached for comment.
| | PAUSE ON FOREIGN ASSISTANCE: Rubio has issued new guidance pausing all U.S. foreign assistance for 90 days pending a review by the secretary, as Robbie, NAHAL TOOSI and Eric report. The order, which shocked State Department officials, appears to freeze funding for military assistance to Ukraine and key partners like Jordan and Taiwan, but specifies that foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt will continue. This requires the department officials to issue “stop-work orders” on all U.S. foreign assistance awards. That goes further than Trump’s recent executive order on foreign aid, according to two officials familiar with the guidance. The order shocked some department officials for its sweeping mandate. “State just totally went nuclear on foreign assistance,” one official told Robbie. A State Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — POLICY PLANNING STAFF CLEARED: That’s not the only change afoot at State. Career civil servants and foreign service officers who staffed the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff office were all let go and reassigned into limbo without clarity on their next jobs, according to three officials familiar with the matter who were granted anonymity to discuss internal matters. The Policy Planning office, known in State parlance as S/P, has historically served as the secretary of State’s in-house think tank and a source of independent analysis on top foreign policy issues. We asked a State Department spokesperson for comment on this as well, but didn’t get a response. LEBANON CEASE-FIRE TEETERS: It’s looking less and less likely that Israel will fully withdraw from southern Lebanon in accordance with the deadline set forth in November’s cease-fire deal with Hezbollah. As The New York Times’ PATRICK KINGSLEY, RONEN BERGMAN and NATAN ODENHEIMER report, Israel’s government hinted in a statement today that the Israeli military will continue to keep its troops in Lebanon past the deadline, which is Sunday. Israel argues that Hezbollah has not disarmed and the Lebanese army has not fully deployed to southern Lebanon. It’s unclear how Lebanon and Hezbollah will react if Israel fails to withdraw by Sunday. Hezbollah said it would not tolerate any “breach” of the deal from Israel, as it would be “a blatant violation of the agreement, an attack on Lebanese sovereignty and the beginning of a new chapter of occupation.” Read: Hamas has added up to 15,000 fighters since start of war, US figures show by Reuters’ ERIN BANCO BUDAPEST’S THREATS TO KYIV: Hungarian leader VIKTOR ORBÁN is vowing he’ll torpedo European sanctions against Moscow if Ukraine continues to block the movement of Russian gas through its borders. It’s an unusual step in light of Trump’s recent comments threatening Putin with more sanctions if he doesn’t end the war in Ukraine. Those comments have driven Russia to express an interest in talks with the White House, which haven’t occurred since Russia invaded Ukraine. Read: Kremlin wants to resume arms control talks with US ‘as soon as possible’ by our colleague CSONGOR KÖRÖMI. DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of the national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we’re featuring ALEX KISLING, vice president of communications at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. We met in his office outside the frigid and rock-salt covered downtown Washington and he reminisced on the summer months. “As we pine for warmer days, nothing beats a Fresh-Cut dry hopped Pilsner while sitting out in the sun,” he said. “What can I say, I just love a Pilsner.” Cold beer on a hot summer day sounds pretty good to us as we look at Washington’s weather forecast for the next week, so cheers to that, Alex! IT’S FRIDAY! WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at rgramer@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow Robbie and Eric on X @RobbieGramer and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s global security team: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, and @johnnysaks130
| | | | Power shifts, razor-thin margins, and a high-stakes agenda. We’ve transformed our coverage—more reporters, more timely insights, and unmatched policy scoops. From leadership offices to committee rooms, caucus meetings, and beyond, our expert reporting keeps you ahead of the decisions that matter. Subscribe to our Inside Congress newsletter today. | | | | | | | MARKEY’S TIKTOK BLUFF CALL: Sen. ED MARKEY (D-Mass.) wants the U.S. to put its money where its mouth is and declassify intelligence showing China’s ties to TikTok. In a statement shared with our colleague ANTHONY ADRAGNA, the Massachusetts Democrat said he’s “calling for the government to declassify the classified intelligence and present its case to the American people.” Markey’s comments follow his efforts earlier this month to pass legislation extending deadlines for the sale of the app as set forth in the law passed last year. It’s not an unpopular take on the Hill. Both the app’s opponents and backers believe that releasing more intelligence could help make their case. “It's a very seductive social media site, and a lot of people are on there, and they don't have any knowledge of what they're actually doing,” Sen. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas) told Anthony.
| | HEGSETH HEADS TO A VOTE: Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee, former Fox News host PETE HEGSETH, is expected to get a final confirmation vote tonight. The still-open question is whether additional Republican skeptics will join Sens. LISA MURKOWSKI of Alaska and SUSAN COLLINS of Maine in opposing the nominee. Sen. MITCH McCONNELL of Kentucky voted to advance the veteran’s nomination to a final vote, dashing hopes from Democrats that the former Republican leader would buck Trump more in his new chapter. But Trump seemed to signal he thought McConnell would vote against Hegseth in comments to reporters today and McConnell has voiced displeasure at some of the non-interventionists joining the Pentagon team. Another other potential holdout, Sen. JOHN CURTIS of Utah, has yet to give his final verdict on the nominee. At this stage, all signs point to this being a late night for the Senate’s potential tie-breaking vote: Vice President JD VANCE.
| | MEEKS SLAMS DEIA ORDERS: Rep. GREGORY MEEKS, the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s top Democrat, is condemning the Trump administration's decision to rescind a civil rights-era ban on discrimination in federal hiring and dismantle diversity initiatives at the State Department and USAID, our own JOE GOULD writes in. “I am deeply concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to remove protections for Americans from discrimination in federal hiring,” Meeks said in a statement Friday. “Diversity is not the dirty word MAGA Republicans make it out to be, but one of America’s greatest strengths.” Trump, in his first days in office, has launched a rollback of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility programs across federal agencies, accusing the Biden administration of forcing agencies to adopt “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.”
| | CUBAN CONSEQUENCES: Havana is making its displeasure with Trump’s decision to restore sanctions and restrictions on Cuba very clear. As The Miami Herald’s NORA GÁMEZ TORRES writes, the Cuban government suspended releases of political prisoners (which were part of its deal with the Vatican), in an apparent protest of the first-day move. Cuba has also resumed military exercises and vowed it will resist the “imperialist” move from Washington. It’s unclear what comes next for U.S.-Cuba relations, which have essentially reset to the low point reached at the end of Trump’s first term. Worries mount that Trump will restrict commercial flights to the island and clamp down on remittances from Cuban exiles as he did in his first term.
| | | | New Year. New Washington. New Playbook. With intensified congressional coverage and even faster delivery of policy scoops, POLITICO’s reimagined Playbook Newsletter ensures you’re always ahead of the conversation. Sign up today. | | | | | | | — LUDOVIC HOOD is now chief of staff and counselor to the Special Presidential Envoy for Russia and Ukraine KEITH KELLOGG. Hood, an 18-year State Department veteran, most recently was senior adviser for the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism and also worked for the office of Vice President KAMALA HARRIS. — RICKY GILL is now senior director for South and Central Asian affairs at the National Security Council and a special assistant to the president. Gill most recently headed up Gill Capital Group and was a policy adviser to TC Energy. He worked for the NSC on Russia and European energy security and at the State Department during the first Trump administration.
| | — CAMERON HUDSON, Foreign Policy: Only Trump can make peace in Sudan — GEORGE WILL, The Washington Post: There are ample reasons, not about his personal life, for rejecting Hegseth — JOSEF FEDERMAN, The Associated Press: Why Netanyahu’s political future is as fragile as the ceasefire
| | — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9 a.m.: A book discussion on “House of Huawei: The Secret History of China's Most Powerful Company" — Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program, 4 p.m.: A book discussion on :The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe." Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who is trying to remove our security details. Thanks to our producer, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing, who should be hired by the Secret Service. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
