President Donald Trump offered "Trump 2028" hats to Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries during an Oval Office meeting, which they declined, according to a report from Punchbowl News at approximately 9:36 PM UTC. The exchange occurred during discussions that also involved Senator JD Vance, who reportedly responded "No comment" when asked about the hats, prompting laughter in the room. Meanwhile, in a development announced by the Department of War, Secretary Pete Hegseth has relaxed mandatory cybersecurity and controlled unclassified information training frequency for the Defense Department, as reported by Jim LaPorta on X. Earlier in the day, at approximately 9:33 PM UTC, Democratic Representative Madeleine Dean confronted Speaker Mike Johnson on the House floor regarding a continuing resolution (CR), healthcare, and President Trump's recent AI video. Dean criticized the video as "disgraceful" and "racist," stating Johnson should "call it out." Johnson, however, reportedly stated the video was "not my style." Separately, a new directive from President Trump, NSPM-7, which targets "anti-Christian," "anti-capitalism," and "anti-American" speech, has drawn scrutiny. Senator Elissa Slotkin, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, stated she had not read the directive. In national political developments, the potential for a government shutdown remains a point of contention. Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated that negotiations would not occur if the government were to shut down, stating, "The negotiation happens when the government's open, so let's keep the government open, and then we will have the negotiation." A campaign account, identified as @GovPressOffice, posted a message on X at approximately 9:35 PM UTC, asserting that Democrats are "voting to shut down the government over giving free healthcare to illegals" while President Trump signs an executive order to end childhood cancer. This statement contrasts with previous reports detailing President Trump signing an executive order to accelerate pediatric cancer research. Further political commentary emerged regarding polling and party direction. A source identified as Longwell warned against overreliance on polling, stating, "Stop testing. The testing is killing you guys," and advising against believing polls that suggest Americans are upset with Donald Trump's handling of immigration. Additionally, Woodbury, who worked on Kamala Harris's "Opportunity Agenda for Black Men," noted the agenda's failure to gain traction due to a lack of trust in Democratic promises and policies among the target demographic. In international news, an image was released on X by @AmichaiStein showing Prime Minister Netanyahu reading an apology letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Qatar. Separately, a news story from the War Department, titled "Unfit, Undertrained Troops No Longer Tolerated," was published. On the campus of Utah State University, an evacuation was ordered due to a "possible bomb threat" ahead of a Turning Point USA event, as reported by KVNU. President Trump also claimed in the Oval Office that the White House has "reached a deal" with Harvard University, according to The Harvard Crimson. During an Oval Office meeting, a sixteen-year-old childhood cancer survivor reportedly impressed President Trump with her story. The previous report mentioned a lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward and federal labor unions seeking to block potential mass firings threatened by OMB Director Russ Vought amid shutdown threats. U.S. District Judge William Young had previously ruled against the Trump administration's targeting of pro-Palestinian students for deportation.
