Washington, DC

1. Threats to Trump’s life
2. Blanche’s uncertain fate
3. Saving daylight?
4. Iran infrastructure threat
5. Open-source AI moves
6. Tariff refunds squeeze US
7. Trump’s Pennsylvania pitch
8. Sun vs. Moore

PDB: Vance on the Hill

Clayton sits for DNI confirmation hearing … Vought, Warsh testify on Capitol Hill … Lisa Cook speaks at Exchequer Club

How Trump really sees threats to his life

President Donald Trump has been publicly referencing the fresh assassination threat he faces from Iran, but in private, he rarely brings it up, oftentimes using fatalistic humor when he does address the topic, Semafor’s Shelby Talcott and Burgess Everett report. One White House official said Trump will often say “Nobody told me how dangerous it is to be president, and if they had told me, I probably wouldn’t have run.” Aides insist the security threats are not playing a role in policy — though they have influenced how he sees his presidency, particularly after the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Still, the need for security precautions can frustrate Trump: In Turkey, concerns reportedly forced him to switch planes from his new model to an older one. “They didn’t just do that because they didn’t like the color of the seats,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.

Blanche’s mission: Convince free agents

Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche has a tough task in front of him at his confirmation hearing today: winning over two Republican senators who still have reservations about his nomination. Both Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Semafor on Tuesday that they will have some hard questions for Blanche, particularly after Judge Kathleen Williams upbraided him this week for the deal that gave Trump tax immunity and created the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Cornyn wants to know how that deal came together, though his current position on Blanche is inscrutable. Tillis said he’s “working hard to maintain my yes position” — but only if Blanche stomps on the grave of Trump’s supposedly defunct $1.8 billion fund. “I have to be convinced that there is no way that that zombie can come out of a closet,” Tillis said.

— Burgess Everett

Daylight saving bill hits wall in Senate

Legislation making daylight saving time permanent will face turbulence in the Senate after sailing through the House. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has previously opposed the bill, citing potential harms to schoolchildren commuting in the dark and people working outdoors in the early morning without sunlight. He “has the same concerns he’s had for years about this proposal,” according to a senior GOP aide. A bipartisan bloc of senators opposed similar legislation in the Commerce Committee, the aide said. Still, the White House said Trump would support the legislation as “a popular, common-sense reform” to protect evening daylight. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said it would not be able to pass by unanimous consent and told reporters “we had passed something like that once before. Then the House hit the snooze alarm on it, [so] we’ll see what happens when it gets here.”

— Nicholas Wu and Burgess Everett

Trump threatens Iranian infrastructure

Trump renewed his threat to attack Iranian civil infrastructure, including bridges and power stations, unless Tehran resumes peace talks. A month-long ceasefire has effectively collapsed, with the US and Iran exchanging fire for four consecutive days. US Central Command said late Tuesday it had hit dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz. “Next week it gets really bad for them,” Trump said in a Fox News interview. “We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.” The renewed fighting has driven oil prices to four-week highs as producers scramble to find alternative transportation routes that avoid the strait: The UAE is reportedly looking to build a port on its east coast, beyond the pinch point of the strait, and is racing to build a new overland pipeline.

WH could still act on open-source AI models

The Trump administration is leaving the door open to future executive action that would address China-related concerns over open-source AI models, an unnamed senior White House official signaled Tuesday, referencing “plenty of ongoing work” beyond an executive order signed by Trump last month. That order, which established a voluntary review process for AI models, “also includes open-source scanning and deconfliction,” National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross told reporters during a briefing on the process’ July 2 launch. “We cannot achieve the president’s vision without securing and bolstering our open-source ecosystem.” His remarks reflect a desire by the administration to bolster the US’ nascent open-source industry, which is increasingly concerned about losing ground to China. Firms like Reflection AI recently pitched the Trump administration on a new framework for open-source AI models, sparking rumbles of an executive order or other related guidance.

— Eleanor Mueller

Who’s benefiting from tariff refunds?

Tariff refunds are squeezing the federal budget. The US paid out $26 billion more in refunds than it collected in June after a February Supreme Court decision struck down most of the Trump administration’s levies, contributing to a widening $120 billion monthly deficit. The White House justified tariffs partly as a way to close the budget gap, but the administration has paid back more than $80 billion to companies — which now must figure out what to do with the windfall. Mentions of tariff windfalls on quarterly earnings calls have risen 130% in the last 90 days, with the second quarter’s earnings season still just beginning. Companies like Nike, which raised prices to cover tariff bills and which now expects a nearly $1 billion refund, will face fresh calls to share that money with customers.

— Jake Angelo

Trump on defense in Pennsylvania

Trump heads to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, today for a national security summit organized by Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., as he seeks to earn back voters’ trust on the economy ahead of midterms. A White House official told Semafor the summit will “highlight the revitalization and reindustrialization in areas of the country, identify the obstacles to reaching them, and secure investments with Pennsylvania at the heart of this promise.” The summit is expected to “result in billions of dollars in investment and thousands of … jobs” for the swing state, the official added. House Democrats are targeting Pennsylvania Republicans like Rep. Scott Perry, also slated to speak at today’s event, in their bid to gain control of the chamber this fall. Other administration participants include CIA Director John Ratcliffe; Small Business Administration chief Kelly Loeffler; and top Pentagon officials.

— Eleanor Mueller

Baltimore Sun owner’s threat to sue Moore

The owner of The Baltimore Sun is threatening to sue Maryland Gov. Wes Moore over comments the Democratic governor made linking him to Jeffrey Epstein, Semafor’s Max Tani scoops. During an appearance on MS NOW last month, Moore was asked about the newspaper’s recent critical reporting on his administration and military record, which the Sun wrote has “gaps and discrepancies.” The governor dismissed the reporting as a political hit and tried to tie Sinclair’s executive chairman, David Smith, to the disgraced financier. In a letter sent the same month, seen by Semafor, a lawyer for Smith argued that Moore’s claims were potentially defamatory and demanded he retract them. The governor, meanwhile, is standing by his comments; on Tuesday, a personal attorney for Moore said that Epstein’s funds had owned several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of investments in Sinclair when Smith was the chairman and CEO.

Blindspot: Birthright citizenship and the Kennedy Center

Stories that are being largely ignored by either left-leaning or right-leaning outlets, curated with help from our partners at Ground News.

What the Left isn’t reading: Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced a bill that would end birthright citizenship for the children of immigrants in the US unlawfully.

What the Right isn’t reading: Officials installed at the Kennedy Center by President Trump “wasted taxpayer money on no-bid contracts that resulted in shoddy work at the performing arts venue,” according to a Senate Democrat.

On Wednesday, July 22, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), will join Semafor’s The World of Work in Washington, DC to unpack how institutions are adapting and thriving in an increasingly fragmented economy.

As companies face rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, and shifting workforce expectations, leaders are rethinking performance, trust, and long-term success. To explore how AI adoption, workforce transformation, and evolving leadership demands are reshaping the future of work, Semafor editors will sit down with policymakers, business executives, and workplace innovators including Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); Katy George, Corporate Vice President of Workforce Transformation, Microsoft; Claire MacIntyre, Chief People Officer, Sam’s Club; Mary Moreland, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Abbott; Allison Peek Bebo, Chief Human Resources Officer, Pearson; and more.

July 22 | Washington, DC | Request Invite