SEB WANTS NCTC: Sebastian Gorka is angling to be the next head of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) following Joe Kent’s resignation, and he’s getting rave reviews from Trump national security alums. “Important to note Seb has done a hell of a job helping secure the release of detained Americans abroad,” James Hewitt, who worked in the second administration’s National Security Council (NSC), noted. “He was also instrumental in bringing one of the architects of the Abby Gate bombing to justice.”
CALVERT CAVALRY: An outside group supporting Rep. Ken Calvert (R., Calif.), Americans 4 Security PAC, raised $100,000 from Palantir’s CEO Alex Karp.
ENDORSEMENT ROLL OUT: Fellowship PAC, which is affiliated with Tether, rolled out its latest endorsements, including Sen. Pete Ricketts (R., Neb.), Rep. Mike Collins (R., Ga.), Rep. Julia Letlow (R., La.), Alan Wilson, Nate Morris, and Blake Miguez.
O’DONNELL MOMENTUM: Marty O’Donnell, who is challenging Rep. Susie Lee (D., Nev.) announced endorsements from Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Majority Leader Tom Emmer (R., Minn.), and House GOP Chair Lisa McClain (R., Nev.). O’Donnell came in fourth in the GOP primary to take on Lee last cycle.
DIPLOMATIC WIN: Sen. Jim Risch (R., Idaho), the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised Costa Rica’s government for designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxies in Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis, as terrorist organizations. Mike Waltz, America’s Ambassador to the United Nations, said that there is “more to follow” on this front.
CASH ON HAND: The Leading the Future super PAC announced that it has raised over $140 million since its launch last August. The group is expected to play heavily in the midterms in support of pro-AI candidates.
DNI VS. DEEP STATE: Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, declassified another series of documents that she said “expose how deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that Congress used to usurp the will of the American people and impeach duly-elected President Donald Trump in 2019.” Gabbard added that “Inspector General [Michael] Atkinson failed to uphold his responsibility to the American people, putting political motivations over the truth. And this, along with the politicization of the whistleblower process by a former CIA employee who was working hand in glove with Democrats in Congress, are egregious examples of the deep state playbook on how to weaponize the Intelligence Community.”
BIG BIRTH WEEK: Happy birthdays to Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, Hannah Eddins with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R., Ala.), Parker Armstrong with Rep. Erin Houchin (R., Ind.), Jon Brodo, and David Neuman.