Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here.
In today’s issue:
▪ CDC director fired, other leaders resign
▪ Trump’s imprint grows in nation’s capital
▪ FBI: Minneapolis shooting a hate crime
▪ Republicans ready crime legislation
President Trump is in a rush to leave his mark on the nation’s capital.
He’s taken over policing and deployed the National Guard, directed Kennedy Center entertainment, put the federal government in charge of Union Station and ordered “anti-American ideology” be weeded out of Smithsonian museums.
Trump downsized the workforce inside Washington’s jungle of federal structures, even as he pored over renderings of a proposed 90,000 square-foot White House ballroom designed to seat 650 dinner guests and set to begin construction in September.
He tasked Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest migrants without legal status in the District, ordered the removal of homeless encampments and “slums” and has touted his plans for a Washington celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
“It’s embarrassing,” Trump told reporters in the White House briefing room earlier this month. “I don’t like being up here talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this once beautiful capital was, with graffiti all over the walls.”
▪ The Hill: Trump ramps up D.C. power grab.
▪ The Hill: National Guard in D.C. picking up trash and working on “beautification.”
▪ The Wall Street Journal: In his second term, a bolder president charges ahead unchecked.
Because the federal government occupies nearly a third of the land that makes up the nation’s capital and holds a unique sway over the governance of its 700,000 residents, the president wields considerable influence over the look and direction of the city.
As a real estate developer in New York City, Trump shaped his brand in part by rebuilding Manhattan landmarks and basking in the publicity and influence that accompanied his largesse. In his first term in D.C., he often visited the hotel emblazoned with his name near the White House.
“This is his last term and he’s interested in legacy in a way that he wasn’t in his first term,” presidency scholar and White House communications expert Martha Joynt Kumar, a professor emerita at Towson University, told Morning Report. “Brand is very important to him as an aspect of legacy, as it was in New York and in Florida, with Mar-a-Lago.”
Trump said on Inauguration Day he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker and has been publicly and privately lobbying for a Nobel Peace Prize, tallying his international conflict negotiations along the way.
The president views issues such as crime, safety and immigration as politically favorable to his party in next year’s elections, and potentially to his successor as the Republican presidential nominee. While he tests the powers of the presidency in court on a litany of issues, he is also pressing forward with his ambitions in a city where he has more control.
“He wants to see himself as one of the great presidents,” Kumar told Morning Report, “and to be a great president, it has to be a great city.”
Smart Take with Blake Burman
As President Trump considers sending his federal crimefighting model to new cities across the country, he also says work is beginning on a congressional crime bill. There aren’t any details available on a potential bill, but I asked Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) about the prospects of the concept.
“Speaker Johnson, you know, makes the impossible happen,” Gimenez told me. “For him, it’s kind of what happens every single day. And so, yeah, I think that we’re going to work on crime, and we need to work on crime, especially helping some of these bigger cities that have a huge crime problem,” he added.
New polling shows America’s views are mixed on the president’s crime-stopping tactics in major cities, but many believe the issue of crime in big cities deserves serious attention. There hasn’t been a major crime bill since Bill Clinton was in the Oval Office, but this could very well be the next major bill the president tries to push through.
Burman hosts “The Hill” weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.
3 Things to Know Today
1. Japan’s top trade negotiator canceled a trip to the U.S. today over trade deal issues. Tokyo wants the U.S. to amend its reciprocal tariffs.
2. Foreign students in the U.S. will be limited to four-year stays on visas, according to a new rule proposed by the Trump administration.
3. The Department of Homeland Security is barring states and volunteer groups that receive government funds from helping immigrants without legal status.
Leading the Day
CDC OUSTER: Susan Monarez, a longtime government scientist recently confirmed as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was fired from her position by the White House on Wednesday after she refused to resign amid a showdown over vaccine policy. The move to oust her sparked several high-profile resignations at the CDC.
Monarez’s firing came after a tense Monday confrontation in which Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to remove her, The New York Times reports. Monarez, who served in her role for less than a month, declined to resign.
Instead, the embattled CDC chief reached out to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate’s health committee and a physician, a move that reportedly further infuriated Kennedy. Cassidy said on the social platform X on Wednesday night that the high-profile departures at the CDC, including Monarez, “will require oversight” by his committee.
Monarez has hired Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell, two top lawyers who have worked with various figures in disputes with the Trump administration. After HHS announced Wednesday evening that Monarez was no longer leading the CDC, her lawyers said in a statement that she had not resigned or been fired. They accused Kennedy of “weaponizing public health for political gain” and “putting millions of American lives at risk” by purging health officials from government.
As a Senate-confirmed agency leader, the CDC director serves at the pleasure of the president. Zaid argued early Wednesday that Monarez legally remained in her role because Trump did not personally fire her.
Monarez came to the role with glowing commendations from former colleagues who described her to The Hill as “data-driven,” nonpartisan and an excellent coordinator of public-private partnerships.
She was confirmed a month ago after Trump’s first pick for CDC director, David Weldon, was pulled due to a lack of support on Capitol Hill.
At least four top officials at the CDC submitted their resignations on Wednesday, saying the recent changes and leadership at their agency are preventing them from fulfilling their duties as public health authorities.
“For the good of the nation and the world, the science at CDC should never be censored or subject to political paused or interpretations,” CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry wrote in her resignation email. “Vaccines save lives — this is an indisputable, well-established, scientific fact.”
COVID-19: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the next round of COVID-19 vaccines for the fall — but only for a smaller, high-risk group of people, Kennedy announced Wednesday. Those include adults 65 and older as well as children and adults with at least one medical condition that puts them at risk of severe illness.
The FDA further rescinded emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines, saying the move was made to end vaccine mandates. Prior to the change, the CDC recommended COVID-19 for everyone 6 months and older.
For individuals who don’t fall into the CDC’s approved groups, doctors may prescribe the vaccines off-label, a higher barrier to access than getting the shots at a pharmacy alongside a flu shot.
Susan Kressly, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, called the decision “deeply troubling.”
“As we enter respiratory virus season, any barrier to COVID-19 vaccination creates a dangerous vulnerability for children and their families,” Kressly said.
▪ Reuters: Which COVID-19 vaccines are FDA approved in the U.S.?
▪ CPR: What vaccines can, and should, I get this fall? A doctor weighs in.
TRAGEDY IN MINNEAPOLIS: The country on Wednesday mourned two schoolchildren who were shot and killed in the pews of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis where they were worshipping during their first week back at school after summer break.
The victims, ages 8 and 10, were killed in a shooting that injured 17 others, including 14 children. All 14 children are expected to recover.
“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
Police said the suspect, Robin Westman, 23, fired at the congregation from outside through the windows. Authorities say Westman acted alone and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is investigating the matter as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. The suspected shooter wrote incendiary messages on gun magazines, including one that read “Kill Donald Trump.”
“I have been fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”
GUN CONTROL: Democrats and some Republicans on Wednesday called for gun control measures, blaming the shooting on lax gun laws. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) swiped at those offering “thoughts and prayers,” which Democrats have mocked as a toothless Republican response to mass shootings.
There have been at least 57 shootings at K-12 schools in 2025, not including Wednesday’s shooting in Minneapolis, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy organization.
“Kids have only been back to their classrooms for a few weeks, and already this school year is scarred by multiple shootings,” the student-led gun control advocacy group March for Our Lives said in a statement Wednesday. “No parent should fear sending their child to school. No child should pray for safety in a church.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called Republicans “sick” in a social media post and accused the party of doing “absolutely nothing” to curb gun violence across the country.
“We cannot even make it through the first week of school without mass shootings,” Newsom wrote on the social platform X. “And the @GOP will continue to do absolutely nothing while our kids are being gunned down. This is sick.”
▪ The Minnesota Star Tribune: The Minneapolis shooter legally purchased a rifle, pistol and shotgun; local politicians call for action.
▪ The Hill: A 10-year-old describes a friend saving him in the Minnesota school shooting.
When and Where
• The president will receive his intelligence briefing at 11 a.m. Trump will sign executive orders at 3:30 p.m.
• The White House press briefing is scheduled at 1 p.m.
• The House will hold a pro forma session on Friday at 1:30 p.m. and will return to work in Washington on Sept. 2.
• The Senate will hold a pro forma session on Friday at 7 a.m.
Zoom In
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS: Democrats are turning to state executives at a time when their party has been rudderless and looking for leadership.
For months, Democrats say they have grown increasingly agitated with the lack of leadership in Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.).
Instead, governors — from Newsom to J.B. Pritzker in Illinois and Kathy Hochul in New York — have stepped up to the moment, showing a willingness to take on Republicans at a time when Democrats are craving a fight.
“I think after seven months of shouting into the wind, Democrats have to stop looking to congressional leadership for answers,” one frustrated strategist told The Hill’s Amie Parnes. “They’re just not up to the moment.”
SENATE LOGJAM: Senate Republicans face a high-stakes week as they attempt to settle on a plan of attack in their bid to change the rules to expedite the confirmation of hundreds of Trump’s lower-level nominees. Tensions still simmer nearly a month after senators left Washington for the August recess after failing to break the logjam.
“The expectation is to move a rule change fairly quick,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) told The Hill’s Al Weaver, noting that conversations in the conference are expected shortly after the Senate reconvenes. “The conference is going to have its input on it. We’ll probably have to massage it some.”
▪ The Hill: House Republicans are expected to take the lead as the GOP moves to fulfill Trump’s call for a “comprehensive crime bill” that coincides with his crackdown on Washington, D.C., and threats to extend his efforts to other cities.
▪ The Hill: Republicans in Congress want another go at closing a “loophole unintentionally created in 2018 that they say helped fuel a market for intoxicating products derived from hemp.
FED OUSTER: Vice President Vance said in an interview with USA Today that it would be “preposterous” if Trump couldn’t fire Fed board of governors member Lisa Cook, who is challenging her firing by Trump. The Federal Reserve has said it will abide by the court’s decision in the upcoming lawsuit from Cook.
Trump, who has a history of removing leaders of independent agencies, said he was firing Cook “for cause,” citing allegations of mortgage fraud. That distinction will prove crucial as the Fed seeks to maintain its independence.
The president’s move follows an effort to persuade the independent central bank to lower interest rates. Critics said Cook’s removal could destroy the Fed board’s credibility.
“The question is: Do we want a person who makes a mistake like that to be a person who sits on the Federal Reserve board, which makes important monetary policy for the entire country?” Vance said.
White House National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett — who is eyeing a spot at the Fed — on Wednesday told reporters “the president absolutely has the authority to fire a Fed governor for cause, and I think the accusations are serious.”
Hassett, like other White House officials, said Cook should go on leave until the accusations are resolved, and “the fact that she is not doing that suggests that she is partisan and is trying to make a partisan stance which is contrary to the independence of the Fed.”
▪ CNN: Immigration and Customs enforcement has deported nearly 200,000 people since Trump returned to office, on track for the highest number in a decade, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
▪ Chicago Sun-Times: Trump’s planned Chicago blitz using federal immigration agents and possibly the National Guard could begin next week with personnel positioning at a suburban naval base.
Elsewhere
ATTACK ON KYIV: Russia launched a major overnight attack on Kyiv that killed at least 14 people, three of whom were children, and injured 38. The strikes were the most significant to hit the Ukrainian capital since Trump upped the stakes to end Russia’s war.
But peacemaking efforts have stalled this week after recent high-profile summits between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders.
“Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,” Zelensky said in a post on X following the attack. “We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions.”
Efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine could hinge on Kyiv handing over a 2,500 square mile piece of territory that is strategically key to the country’s defense, and a major contributor to its economy. And for the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living there, the proposition could present an agonizing choice: Leave their only home, or risk life under Russian occupation.
▪ ABC News: Russian forces break into another region of Ukraine with peace efforts stuck.
▪ Reuters: Denmark’s foreign minister summoned the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen over intelligence reports alleging covert influence operations by U.S. citizens in Greenland that aimed to whip up opposition to Danish rule.
‘DAY AFTER’ IN GAZA: Trump held an hour-long Oval Office meeting to discuss a post-war plan for Gaza on Wednesday, even as a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas remains elusive.
In attendance were Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and top administration aides, CNN reports. White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, who first revealed the meeting on Tuesday evening, also participated.
Trump has spoken in broad terms about Gaza’s future — but not necessarily one that includes the Palestinians who call it home. He has mused about turning the territory into a luxury resort and displacing its residents elsewhere.
Large swaths of the territory, which is facing a dire humanitarian crisis as a result of Israeli aid blockades and military advances, have been destroyed by airstrikes. The 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza face famine conditions and internal displacement.
▪ The New York Times: How close is a ceasefire in Gaza?
▪ The Times of Israel: Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Washington on Wednesday.
Opinion
• The quiet collapse of America’s pandemic preparedness, by Britt Lampert and Anemone Franz, opinion contributors, The Hill.
• Shooting madness in Minnesota, by The Wall Street Journal editorial board.
The Closer
And finally … it’s Thursday, which means it’s time for this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Pondering the risks of commercial persuasion, we’re eager for some smart guesses about flops and failures when it comes to branding (and rebranding).
Be sure to email your responses to [email protected] and [email protected] — please add “Quiz” to your subject line. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday.
Which company decided this week to reverse course on a logo change, concluding an episode destined to be chronicled in the annals of consumer marketing?
1. South of the Border
2. Harley-Davidson
3. Cracker Barrel
4. PUMA
Which company announced a rebrand that was mocked on social media and in press coverage last week as “most surely no one watching”?
1. Ms. magazine
2. MS NOW
3. McDonald’s
4. Motorola
Young adults surveyed and interviewed since November say which is overdue for a brand and identity overhaul?
1. Democratic Party
2. Taylor Swift
3. TikTok
4. Netflix
After thumbs-down reviews, which state last year dropped its 5-year-old tourism slogan, “Honestly, it’s not for everyone”?
1. West Virginia
2. Alabama
3. Nebraska
4. Florida
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