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Politico
4 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Iran's nuclear Rorschach test
With help from John Sakellariadis, Maggie Miller and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Eric Programming note: We'll be off this Thursday but will be back in your inboxes on Friday. Is Iran close to developing a nuclear weapon with its vast stockpiles of highly enriched uranium? The answer depends on who you ask. Israeli officials insist that new intelligence, shared with the United States, indicates that Iran was racing to build a nuclear weapon. Their U.S. counterparts are less convinced. In March, Director of National Intelligence TULSI GABBARD told lawmakers that 'Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,' in line with previous assessments shared under the Biden administration. So, which is true? Former U.S. intelligence officials said that two people could be looking at the same intelligence and reach different conclusions as to Iran's intent. 'Unless there is a smoking gun, everything is fragmentary and has to be put together,' said a former senior U.S. intelligence official. The former senior official, like others quoted, was granted anonymity to speak freely about the intelligence analysis process. Assessments also tend to get very technical very fast when talking about Iran's nuclear program. Tehran already has two of the three ingredients needed to deliver a nuclear weapon: missiles that could deliver a devastating nuclear warhead to its target and ample quantities of highly enriched uranium. Gabbard testified in March that Iran has unprecedented levels of enriched uranium for a country that is not a nuclear power. The third component requires advanced scientific and technical know-how to get highly enriched uranium to explode and create a sustained nuclear reaction. What Iran is capable of and looking to do in this arena is where much of the debate plays out. It's also the part of the process that's fiendishly difficult for foreign intelligence agencies to keep tabs on, as it can be masked as scientific research. 'The nightmare scenario for the last decade is that Iran makes us think that they have stopped work on the weaponization piece, and have found a way to do that completely clandestinely,' said a second former senior intelligence official. Intelligence analysis is an art, not a science. While Gabbard's topline assessment from March still stands, there is plenty of debate within America's spy agencies about Iran's intentions, a person familiar with the matter told NatSec Daily. Some parts of the intelligence community, the White House and Capitol Hill believe it's a matter of semantics, the person said, noting that Iran has all of the key components for a nuclear weapons program, even if it has not been formally described as such. That debate played out in the open on Tuesday when President DONALD TRUMP dismissed Gabbard's remarks in March. 'I don't care what she said,' Trump said. 'I think they were very close to having a weapon.' 'There's a tug of war going on over in the White House,' Sen. TIM KAINE (D-Va.), who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Eric on Tuesday afternoon. Trump is hearing from both supporters and opponents of military intervention, Kaine argued, 'and that explains why his own comments tend to go back and forth.' For now, Washington is waiting for Trump to decide what to do with all the information presented to him, including whether to strike Iran. The president told reporters today, 'I may do it. I may not do it.' 'Nobody knows what I'm going to do,' he said. The Inbox HYPERSONIC SHOW: Iran launched hypersonic missiles at Israel today, the first time the high-power weapon has been used in the most recent volley of airstrikes between the two countries. Amid the escalation, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem announced it is organizing evacuations of American citizens, Eric reports. WONG'S NEXT MOVE: Former deputy national security adviser ALEX WONG is expected to join the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, two people familiar with the move told our own John Sakellariadis. The move indicates that Wong — who was ousted from his National Security Council role last month amid the fallout over top officials using the messaging app Signal to discuss military strikes in Yemen — still maintains close ties to the Trump administration. While low-profile, the PIAB has previously weighed in on hot-button intelligence policy topics, like the reauthorization of a key foreign spy power under JOE BIDEN. It is currently headed by former Republican Rep. DEVIN NUNES, along with other close Trump allies. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Wong's potential move. THE MARSHAL MEETS TRUMP: Pakistani Army chief ASIM MUNIR had lunch with Trump at the White House today — a rare occurrence that suggests the Trump administration is looking to mend fences with Islamabad. The president opting to meet with any foreign military leader is rare, let alone a foreign military leader who is not currently the head of government or head of state of a U.S. ally. Pakistan's ties with Washington have also waned in recent years as the United States has pursued greater cooperation with India as a way to counter China in the Indo-Pacific. Moreover, the timing of the lunch is auspicious. Pakistan, which borders Iran, would be a critical player in any broader conflict with Iran as a potential entrepot for supplies and weapons for either side. And Pakistan's growing ties with China have led some Iran watchers to warn that Beijing could use Pakistan's territory as a way to funnel resources to Tehran in the event of a longer-term conflict with the United States and Israel. KELLOGG'S MINSK MISSION: While the administration is mostly focusing on the Middle East these days, Ukraine special envoy KEITH KELLOGG is meeting with Belarusian President ALEKSANDR LUKASHENKO, our own Felicia Schwartz reports. The overture to the leader of Russia's satellite state is surprising. But it signals the administration's desire to keep lines open with Moscow. Reuters' Gram Slattery and Humeyra Pamuk were the first to report on the planned meeting. IT'S WEDNESDAY: 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 ebazail@ and follow Eric on X @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on X and Bluesky at: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @ @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes TAKES A SIDE: A Chinese government-linked influence effort online is working to spread the narrative that Iran is the dominant force in the conflict between Tehran and Israel, according to a new report from social network analysis company Graphika. As our own Maggie Miller writes in, Graphika researchers found that influence groups online tied to the Chinese government began almost immediately posting content on Western and Chinese social media platforms after the Israeli attack on Iran last week, promoting narratives on Iran winning the war. These include promoting an artificial intelligence-generated video on X that gives evidence of a successful destructive missile attack on Israel, and Chinese state-linked media posting reports that Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU had fled to Greece during the strikes. Cyberattacks are also an increasing concern as the conflict continues, and U.S. critical infrastructure owners and operators are on high alert for a surge in Iranian-linked retaliatory attacks, as Maggie reported late Tuesday night. The Complex GRILLING HEGSETH: Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH faced tough questions from both Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee today about U.S. military plans for conflict with Iran, the deployment of the U.S. military to Los Angeles amid protests and the Pentagon's budget request. Testifying alongside Joint Chiefs Chair DAN CAINE, the Pentagon chief declined to comment on conversations within the administration about striking Iran. Hegseth also defended the military's deployment to Los Angeles and blasted appeals courts' efforts to limit 'national security policy.' He also faced questions from Sen. Tim Kaine about the renaming of several military bases that previously honored Confederate generals. Republicans weren't keen to give the Pentagon chief too many lifelines during the hearing. Armed Services Chair ROGER WICKER (R-Miss.) took Hegseth to task for the Pentagon's budget request, saying it 'leads me to question whether some officials in the administration plan to ignore congressional intent.' Related: Hegseth defers to general on Pentagon's plans for Iran by our own Jack Detsch and Paul McLeary FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — AUKUS ENHANCEMENTS EFFORTS: Lawmakers are looking to help Australia and the U.K. avoid defense manufacturing restrictions as part of the AUKUS pact. Sens. PETE RICKETTS (R-Neb.) and Kaine introduced the AUKUS Improvement Act today, which would exempt the administration from needing to tell Congress about overseas manufacturing if it involves Australia and the U.K. The bill also lifts a requirement that the State Department grant Third Party Transfer approval for any foreign military sales to State Department-vetted entities that have been approved as AUKUS Authorized Users. The bill has a good chance of becoming law. AUKUS enjoys widespread bipartisan support and the administration reaffirmed its commitment to the pact to build submarines with the two U.S. allies after meeting with British Prime Minister KEIR STARMER at the G7 summit this week. Related: EU and Australia to negotiate security and defense partnership by our colleague Giorgio Leali On the Hill FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — KILLING CAESAR (ACT): Two lawmakers are teaming up to sink a law that helped isolate the regime of former Syrian dictator BASHAR ASSAD to encourage the new government in Damascus to join its camp. Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) introduced a bill today that would repeal the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which imposed economic sanctions on Syria. Their bill would remove broad-based sanctions, while preserving some of the provisions in U.S. law that would allow Washington to hold Syrian officials accountable for future human rights abuses. Shaheen told NatSec Daily that 'we can keep the new Syrian authorities accountable without decimating the economy' and praised Trump's special envoy to Syria, Ambassador TOM BARRACK, for using diplomacy to yield 'tremendous results.' 'We must do everything we can to support the Syrian people's aspirations for democracy, stability and security,' she said. The bill is likely to pass, as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pushed the Trump administration in recent months to relax sanctions against Damascus and encouraged the White House's outreach towards Syria's new leader AHMED AL-SHARAA. Broadsides CARLSON CHEWS OUT CRUZ: Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas), one of the leading GOP advocates for a military intervention against Iran's nuclear program, sat down with conservative commentator TUCKER CARLSON for an interview. And Cruz didn't pass Carlson's pop quiz about Iran. As our own Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing reports, Carlson launched a softball at Cruz, asking how many people live in Iran. Cruz didn't know the answer and Carlson took him to task about it: 'You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple? How could you not know that?' When Cruz shot back that he doesn't 'sit around memorizing population tables,' Carlson got frustrated and proceeded to ask him more specific questions about Iran's demographics. 'You don't know anything about Iran,' Carlson said, as the two men began yelling over each other. 'You're a senator who is calling for the overthrow of the government and you don't know anything about the country!' The fiery exchange underscores the deep divisions within the Republican Party over the Trump administration's moves in Iran. Transitions — The president is tapping Adm. DARYL 'HONEY BADGER' CAUDLE to be the next chief naval officer. Caudle, a career submariner, is currently the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces. He was seen as a leading contender to replace Adm. LISA FRANCHETTI, whom Trump removed from her post earlier this year. The president also nominated Marine Gen. CHRISTOPHER MAHONEY, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, to be Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs. Both will face Senate confirmation before the Armed Services Committee. — Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine BRIDGET BRINK announced today she's running for Congress as a Democrat in Michigan's Seventh Congressional District. She'll be looking to unseat Rep. TOM BARRETT (R-Mich.) in what's expected to be one of the most expensive and competitive House races of the 2026 cycle. — Career U.S. intelligence official ADAM JONES is now the National Security Council's senior director for intelligence, three people familiar with the personnel move told John. Jones will fill an influential White House post previously held by BRIAN WALSH, who was ousted this April after Trump's Oval Office meeting with right-wing activist LAURA LOOMER. Jones joined the NSC in recent weeks, according to the three people, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters. A White House spokesperson declined to comment. — TODD BENSMAN is now a senior adviser to border czar TOM HOMAN. He most recently was a senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies. What to Read — Nahal Toosi and Eric Bazail-Eimil, POLITICO: State Department unveils social media screening rules for all student visa applicants — Richard Nephew, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: The United States may destroy the Fordow enrichment plant. It won't make the Iranian nuclear threat go away — Afshon Ostovar, Foreign Affairs: How Iran Lost Friday Today — Henry L. Stimson Center, 10 a.m.: Iran-Israel War: Update on the Israeli Campaign, Iranian Nuclear Program and the Civilian Toll — Atlantic Council, 10:30 a.m.: Addressing China's Growing Influence in Colombia — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 11 a.m.: Getting Started: The New Lee Jae-myung Government — Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 12 p.m.: The Bigger Picture in the Iran-Israel Conflict: Russia, Missiles, Militias, and More Thanks to our editors, Rosie Perper and Ester Wells, who should not be named to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.
Politico
6 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Retail stores are getting hit hard by cyberattacks
With help from Maggie Miller and John Sakellariadis Driving the day — Cyberattacks against retailers around the world are on the rise, leaving some store shelves empty and customer data at risk. HAPPY MONDAY, and welcome to MORNING CYBERSECURITY! To beat the gloomy weather this weekend, the Nickel household binged the 'Hunger Games' movies. I'm already excited for the next movie. Follow POLITICO's cybersecurity team on X at @RosiePerper, @johnnysaks130, @delizanickel and @magmill95, or reach out via email or text for tips. You can also follow @POLITICOPro on X. Editor's Note: Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Today's Agenda The Senate Intelligence Committee holds a closed briefing on 'intelligence matters.' 4 p.m. Happening This Week On Tuesday — The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on 'Protecting Older Americans from Transnational Crime Networks.' 10:15 a.m. The Senate Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee holds a closed hearing on proposed budget estimates for the intelligence community for fiscal year 2026. 10:30 a.m. On Wednesday — The Senate Intelligence Committee holds a closed hearing on 'intelligence matters.' 2:30 p.m. Industry Intel OUT OF STOCK — A recent spike of cyberattacks against major retailers in the U.S. and abroad is stoking fears that these breaches could seriously disrupt services and lead to less access to necessities like food or clothing. Last week, United Natural Foods Inc., one of the country's top food distributors and one of Whole Foods' largest partners, experienced a major cyberattack. In a filing with the SEC, the company stated that the attack affected its 'ability to fulfill and distribute customer orders,' leaving some store shelves temporarily barren. This attack on UNFI is just the latest in a string of attacks against the retail sector. Last week, Victoria's Secret announced that it had restored all of its systems after a cyberattack in May forced the company to pause online orders and temporarily take its website down. The North Face announced a breach earlier this month that had compromised thousands of customer accounts. In the U.K., retailer Marks & Spencer was hit with a cyberattack in May that hindered online shopping, and a cyberattack on grocery store chain Co-op led to empty shelves in some locations. — Operating with 'impunity': Retailers are prime targets for hackers due to the trove of valuable personal and financial data collected on customers. 'Retailers collect and store vast amounts of valuable personal and financial data, such as credit card numbers, payment details, home addresses and phone numbers,' said Fletcher Davis, senior security research manager at cybersecurity firm BeyondTrust. 'One breach can often yield a large amount of records that can be sold on dark web markets.' And similar to hackers targeting other areas like health care and education, these retail attacks are often carried out by ransomware gangs seeking a payout. 'Most cybergangs are geographically distributed and located in countries that have no reciprocal law enforcement agreements or cooperation with the United States,' said Darren Williams, founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm BlackFog, adding that the hacking groups are primarily linked to Russia and China. Bob Kolasky, senior vice president of critical infrastructure at cybersecurity firm Exiger, who previously served as the founding director of CISA's National Risk Management Center, told your host that the U.S. previously put pressure on nations that enabled ransomware activity, like Russia, to crack down on attacks from ransomware gangs — though it's unlikely they heeded the warnings. 'If you look at overall trends, it's really hard to see any evidence that these countries that we might consider adversarial have clamped down on ransomware activity,' Kolasky said. 'There's still a way too fertile ecosystem of ransomware actors who operate with some level of impunity.' — Real-world consequences: As these attacks grow more frequent, customers may notice more products missing from shelves and online ordering systems remaining down for weeks at a time. Williams told your host of the UNFI cyberattack that 'these kinds of incidents can disrupt critical logistics and jeopardize timely food access for millions.' These attacks can also leave customers' personal data exposed for future exploitation. James Turgal, vice president of global cyber risk, strategy and board relations at cybersecurity firm Optiv, told your host that the data collected by retailers can be attractive for nation-state threat actors to build 'comprehensive dossiers on U.S. citizens.' 'While retail data may not seem sensitive in isolation, in the hands of sophisticated threat actors, especially nation-states, it can become a powerful tool for intelligence, influence and cyberattack planning,' Turgal added. At the Agencies DATA-SHARING — The Department of Homeland Security now has access to personal data on millions of Medicaid enrollees, including their immigration status, as the Trump administration continues to ramp up deportations. The Associated Press reported on Saturday that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid gave DHS access to data on people living in Washington, D.C., Illinois, Washington state and California — all places that allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs. — The big picture: The push is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to provide DHS with data on immigrants. In April, the IRS agreed to share confidential taxpayer information — some of the most closely guarded data in the federal government — with DHS. As part of the agreement, immigration authorities can ask the IRS for information on undocumented immigrants, including their home addresses. The International Scene UNDER THE SEA — As China and Russia step up sabotage operations targeting undersea cables, a new report from the China Strategic Risks Institute found that the United Kingdom is unprepared to combat the growing threat. The report, out on Sunday, examined 12 incidents between January 2021 and April 2025 where U.K. authorities investigated alleged undersea cable sabotage. The majority of cases analyzed in the report found that Russia or China was directly linked to the alleged sabotage operations. The report also identified patterns that suggested possible coordination between China and Russia on undersea cable attacks — including Russian vessels in suspicious incidents near Taiwan and Chinese vessels in the Baltic Sea. — International data hub: Undersea cables are a big target for rival powers like China or Russia due to the massive amounts of data they carry. Around 99 percent of all data that moves around the world is transferred through undersea cables. The report identified the U.K. as a key hub in the Euro-Atlantic cable infrastructure, making it a likely target for future operations from Moscow or Beijing. AIRLINE ATTACK — Canada's second-largest airline is investigating a cyberattack that disrupted access to internal systems. WestJet said in a security alert on Friday that the airline is 'aware of a cybersecurity incident involving internal systems and the WestJet app, which has restricted access for several users.' The airline also said specialized internal teams are working with Transport Canada and law enforcement to investigate the breach and manage the impact. On Saturday, the airline issued an update that its operations 'remain safe and unaffected while we work towards resolving the situation.' Industry Intel STRENGTHENING POSTURE — As the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies, cyber groups are urging U.S. businesses to prepare for the potential of increased cyberattacks from Iran. The Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Ag-ISAC) and the Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC) issued a joint statement on Friday highlighting that Iranian state-sponsored hackers have previously targeted U.S. organizations in cyberspace during periods of heightened conflict. 'Even attacks not directly targeting the U.S. could have indirect effects and cause disruptions to companies in the U.S.,' the ISACs warned. 'Given the interconnectedness of networks, it is possible that cyber attacks targeting Israel itself could cause collateral damage to U.S. companies, even if the U.S. companies themselves are not the intended target.' Quick Bytes GENETIC DATA — As lawmakers sound the alarm over the fate of millions of Americans' genetic data in the wake of 23andMe's bankruptcy proceedings, TechCrunch's Aisha Malik breaks down how users can delete their data on the app. CYBERATTACKS CLIMB — Cybersecurity firm Radware reports that Israel's government websites, telecommunications firms and financial institutions are experiencing a spike in cyberattacks since the strike on Iran, The Jerusalem Post reports. Chat soon. Stay in touch with the whole team: Rosie Perper (rperper@ John Sakellariadis (jsakellariadis@ Maggie Miller (mmiller@ and Dana Nickel (dnickel@
Politico
10-03-2025
- Business
- Politico
Estonia's cyber ambassador weighs in
With help from John Sakellariadis Driving the Day — European officials are working to respond to the withdrawal in U.S. cybersecurity funds for Ukraine, and looking at moving forward without Washington. HAPPY MONDAY, and welcome to MORNING CYBERSECURITY! This newsletter may be focused on cybersecurity, but the real news today is the arrival of two new members of the POLITICO cyber family! The first is maybe a tad too young to write for us, but she IS the daughter of my colleague John Sakellariadis, who became a member of the dad club last week. John will be out for the next few months, and we can't wait to see photos of baby Lena in her POLITICO onesie. And, in another piece of amazing news, we're welcoming our new full-time Morning Cybersecurity writer, Dana Nickel, who starts today! Dana has already been a part of the POLITICO family as a digital producer, and we are all thrilled to have her on board! Reach out to Dana ASAP with tips and contact details. Follow POLITICO's cybersecurity team on X at @RosiePerper, @johnnysaks130, @delizanickel and @magmill95, or reach out via email or text for tips. You can also follow @POLITICOPro on X. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Today's Agenda The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security holds a meeting of the Emerging Technology Technical Advisory Committee. 9 a.m. The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology holds a virtual briefing on 'Strengthening U.S. Energy Infrastructure Cybersecurity.' 11 a.m. The Council on Foreign Relations holds a virtual discussion on 'Navigating the Gray Zone - Strategies to Address Hybrid Warfare.' 11 a.m. Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei speaks at a virtual discussion on 'the future of U.S. artificial intelligence leadership' hosted by The Council on Foreign Relations. 6:30 p.m. The International Scene FRIENDS?... IN THE NORTH — Cyber officials in Europe have been left reeling by the withdrawal of U.S. cyber funds for Ukraine, and may seek to move away from working with U.S. companies as the rift between Washington and Brussels widens, Estonia's cyber ambassador told your MC host. Tanel Sepp, the Estonian ambassador at large for cyber policy, said in a wide-ranging interview that following the Trump administration's recent pullback on funding and support for Ukraine, as well as for traditional European allies the European Union's cybersecurity officials are left a bit stunned — but also contemplating action. 'Everybody is trying to figure out and make sense of what happened,' Sepp said. 'We are going to have, within the EU, a cyber commanders and cyber ambassadors meeting under the Polish presidency, and there will be some other meetings coming.' Sepp said despite these upcoming convenings, there have not been any 'substantial discussions' about how to move forward on cybersecurity issues without U.S. involvement. But he noted that it's likely 'this moment will still come.' — Tangible impact: One part of the pullback in U.S. cyber support for Ukraine, as your MC host detailed in National Security Daily on Friday, is the evaporation of U.S. funding for the Tallinn Mechanism, a program established in 2023 to coordinate government and private sector cyber aid to Ukraine. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment on the funds. Sepp, one of the key leaders of the mechanism, said that half of the €200 million from donors and foreign assistance efforts was tied to the U.S. government, and that those funds had been cut. As a result, he said he is 'running around trying to find some cover' to fill the financial gap, such as speaking with other potential government donors that he declined to detail. 'I am working with the assumption we are not getting a dime from the U.S. government,' Sepp said. 'It's an extremely tricky situation, and I just don't understand the justification for this.' The ambassador also predicted that U.S. companies are likely to feel the sting of the Trump administration pulling support in Europe, as EU leaders will be less likely to trust them and may turn to alternatives for everything from cybersecurity to satellite services. — Active threat space: Estonia is the key nation in Europe that often leads on cybersecurity issues, and hosts annual NATO cyber warfare exercises in Tallinn. The nation has been forced to zero in on cybersecurity in the past two decades as Moscow has increasingly targeted Estonian networks. Sepp said there were 6,500 successful cyberattacks against Estonian systems in 2024, double 2023, and said most were likely tied back to Russia. Hybrid threats to the EU generally have already increased in the past year, including cyberattacks. In the face of these threats, Sepp said his nation and the EU had no choice but to persevere. 'We will stay calm and carry on,' Sepp said. 'There is no point in reacting to every single piece of news that comes from D.C., but it's confusing and it is sad to see that also these principled, allied values are kind of at stake here.' At the Agencies MORE CUTS — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week signed an order directing the end to eight federal advisory committees, including those focused on cybersecurity and AI issues, according to an order obtained by John. — Who's who: According to the order, the eight advisory committees set to be disbanded immediately are the Homeland Security Academic Partnership Council; the Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council; the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board; the Public-Private Analytic Exchange Program; the Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee; the Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee; the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council; and the Cyber Investigations Advisory Board. Noem in the order cited the need to comply with an executive order Trump signed in mid-February that directed agency leaders to identify federal advisory committees that could be cut as part of the overhaul of the federal government. Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for U.S. Secret Service, confirmed to your MC host that the Cyber Investigations Advisory Board, which USSS oversees, has been disbanded, but declined to comment further. Spokespersons for DHS and for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which has oversight of the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council, did not respond to requests for comment on the order. — Big picture: The move comes weeks after a slate of other advisory committees — including the Cyber Safety Review Board — saw their membership gutted by a previous order from DHS leadership, and as the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency continues to work through potential cuts to personnel at CISA. On The Hill STAY VIGILANT — The Republicans leaders of the House Homeland Security Committee want the Transportation Security Administration to be 'flexible' on how it approaches cybersecurity regulations for key critical sectors. Committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.), cyber subcommittee Chair Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), transportation and maritime security subcommittee Chair Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), and committee member Rep. Sheri Biggs(R-S.C.) late last week sent a letter to TSA Acting Administrator Adam Stahl urging the agency to take a careful approach to setting cyber standards. 'TSA must ensure that its cybersecurity framework is not only effective but also agile enough to respond to multiple simultaneous cyber incidents that impact different nodes of the transportation sector without compromising operational continuity,' the lawmakers wrote. — A whole lotta history: The letter was sent after TSA put out a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in November that would mandate some rail and pipeline companies to establish cyber risk management programs. It also comes years after the Biden administration put TSA at the forefront of creating regulations for these sectors following the 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline that temporarily left much of the U.S. East Coast without fuel. Many oil and gas pipeline operators pushed back against the 2021 effort by TSA, and the lawmakers in their letter stressed that 'we are concerned that the Biden administration did not take this pragmatic and balanced approach to regulation for the Transportation Systems Sector.' — Next steps: A spokesperson for TSA declined to comment on the letter. The House Homeland Security Committee's cyber subcommittee is set to hold a hearing on 'examining the opportunity to improve the cyber regulatory regime' on Tuesday. Industry Intel AI TEAM UP — Organizations including Cisco, IBM, Intel and Microsoft have teamed up to establish a new open source and standards group for developing artificial intelligence products. OASIS Open and the Data & Trust Alliance on Friday announced the upcoming launch of the OASIS Data Provenance Standards Technical Committee, with the tech companies serving as founding sponsors. The aim is to create standards for AI products aimed at strengthening trust and accountability. People on the Move Stefani Jones is now director of cybersecurity programs at the Aspen Institute, according to our friends at POLITICO Playbook. Jones most recently was senior policy adviser at CISA. Quick Bytes DOGE CONCERNS — Officials at U.S. Cyber Command are increasingly worried that the emails sent by federal employees to DOGE each week detailing their accomplishments pose a major cyber and national security risk, The Washington Post's Alex Horton and Warren P. Strobel reported. SO LONG — The technology teams at the General Services Administration are among those being targeted by DOGE for cuts, NextGov's Eric Katz and Natalie Alms reported. STRAIGHT TO JAIL — A federal jury in Ohio on Friday convicted a Texas man of sabotaging his company's networks by introducing malicious code that crashed systems, at one point impacting thousands of the company's users, the Justice Department announced. Chat soon. Stay in touch with the whole team: Rosie Perper (rperper@ John Sakellariadis (jsakellariadis@ Maggie Miller (mmiller@ and Dana Nickel (dnickel@
Politico
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Can Dems and GOP get along on China?
With help from John Sakellariadis, Maggie Miller and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — A former top Biden official headed to Capitol Hill today to help Democrats strategize about areas for bipartisan cooperation on China — likely a tall order these days even though there are plenty of Republican China hawks on the Hill. JAKE SULLIVAN, former national security adviser, met with Democrats on the House China Select Committee in a closed-door meeting on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter. The main topics of discussion were how Congress could support strengthening chip export controls and sustaining Taiwanese security assistance, the two individuals said. (Both were granted anonymity as they weren't authorized to publicly discuss the contents of the closed-door meeting.) The meeting underscores how Democrats, even in the minority and out of the White House, are working behind the scenes to map out new lanes — however narrow — for bipartisan policies to toughen America's stance on China that Trump's Republican party could get behind. Who Democrats in Congress lean on in the coming months and years as they work to rebuild their party's foreign policy platform — whether it's centrist Dems like Sullivan or more progressive foreign policy voices in the future — could give us more insights into that question. The meeting was convened by Rep. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-Ill.), the ranking member on the China panel. The China Select committee, established just over two years ago, has historically been a small haven of bipartisanship in a Washington otherwise gripped by toxic partisanship. Indeed, one of the few things that former President JOE BIDEN and new President DONALD TRUMP's teams agree on is that China constitutes the top security threat to the United States. So if Dems want to move the dial on any policies anywhere in Trump's Washington, China is probably a good (or an only) place to start. Krishnamoorthi and House China committee chair JOHN MOOLENAAR (R-Mich.) have a cordial working relationship, even if some longtime denizens of Capitol Hill question whether the China committee has lost the mojo that defined its first few years of existence. But the Trump administration wants to hit China through tariffs, and Trump himself has already signaled he's hesitant on defending Taiwan — and on banning the Chinese-owned social media giant TikTok, even though China hawks in Washington say the app poses a national security and privacy risk to Americans. Sullivan and Trump's national security adviser MIKE WALTZ established a good working rapport during the transition, but it's not clear which if any Democrats the Republicans will listen to on matters of foreign policy these days. The Inbox ISHIBA'S FIRST TRUMP TEST: Japanese Prime Minister SHIGERU ISHIBA visited the White House to meet with Trump today in their first face-to-face meeting and an opening test of how Trump will treat America's closest allies as he settles into the Oval office. Trump said he hasn't taken the idea of slapping tariffs on Tokyo, one of the United States' most important allies in Asia, off the table but says he hopes to downsize the U.S. trade deficit with Japan. But if timing matters, Japan has a leg up on other U.S. allies nervous about the next Trump era and what it means for their security and trade. Ishiba is just the second foreign leader to visit the White House during Trump's new term, after Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU on Thursday. Trump's team has made it clear they want to keep deepening ties with Indo-Pacific allies including the Quad (with Japan, Australia and India) — as a way of combating threats from China in the region. That makes Ishiba's meeting the latest sign that Japan may weather the coming Trump era relatively unscathed compared to others. SUDAN'S ARMY MAKES GAINS: Sudan's armed forces today said they recaptured large parts of the east African country's capital city, Khartoum, after years of fighting in the country's civil war. The news means the Sudanese army may finally get an upper hand in the conflict after months of relative deadlock; it says it has the momentum to fully break a two-year-long siege on the capital by the rival paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Fighting between the two factions has torn apart the country and pushed it into what is considered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Both sides have been accused of war crimes and the United States has said the RSF committed genocide. Sudan's civil war has also become the locus of proxy powers competing for influence, with the United Arab Emirates backing the RSF and other powers such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia backing the Sudanese armed forces. TRUMP'S MAN IN SERBIA? President Donald Trump is considering nominating former Illinois Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH, who served eight years in prison on corruption charges, to be U.S. ambassador to Serbia, our own Eric Bazail-Eimil and Amy report. The decision is far from final, with former Arizona Attorney General MARK BRNOVICH also in the running. If 'Blago' as he is perhaps best known, were to be confirmed, it would see the U.S. dispatch a former senior official convicted of corruption as the emissary to a country that has long grappled with — corruption. 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 AMY MACKINNON, POLITICO's brand new intelligence and national security reporter (who is also very generously co-authoring today's newsletter as Eric gets a well-deserved break!) Amy's drink of choice? 'A good gin and tonic, a cold pint or a nip of whisky can cover most occasions,' she says. As a fellow G&T fan, your lead NatSec Daily author couldn't agree more. Plus she can't forget her homeland of Scotland when she thinks about her ideal drinking spot: 'An icy cold pint of Innis and Gunn lager in a Glasgow pub with good friends. Heaven.' And what about during these cold winter months in Washington, an entire ocean away from the homeland? 'I love a smoky whisky, particularly in winter. A friend gifted me a bottle of Bruichladdich's Octomore a few years ago and it really packs a punch.' Drinks that pack a punch, what could be better on a Friday? Cheers to you, Amy! 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@ and ebazail@ 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, @ak_mack, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary,@reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, and @johnnysaks130 Keystrokes DOGE COMES FOR CISA: The federal cyber nerds on the front lines of America's digital battlefield against Russia, China and Iran have officially been offered a version of the Trump administration's deferred resignation plan, as our own John Sakellariadis and Maggie Miller report today in Morning Cyber (for Pros!). The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, was originally exempt on national security grounds from the big resignation plan put forward by ELON MUSK and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency scrutinizing all federal agencies. But CISA pulled a 180 and is now offering the deal. A former senior cybersecurity official, JOHN COSTELLO, warned that if large swaths of cyber staff decide to accept the resignation offers, then the agency risks 'exacerbating CISA's cyber talent gap — which runs counter to the Trump administration's objective in countering and reducing the Chinese cyber threat.' The Complex PAPERWORK WOES FOR DOD PICKS: The confirmation schedule for Trump's nominees to serve in top roles in the Pentagon remains conspicuously open. The big reason? Paperwork. Nineteen picks are awaiting confirmation hearings, and SASC leaders are blaming the backlog on delays in required paperwork for nominees, such as financial disclosures, ethics agreements and FBI background checks. 'We don't have their paperwork,' SASC Chair ROGER WICKER told our own Joe Gould. 'We're going to schedule the hearings when we get paperwork.' The committee has heard from only two Trump nominees so far, Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH and DAN DRISCOLL, who was tapped by the president to serve as secretary of the Army. Driscoll, who has bipartisan support, is still awaiting a floor vote in the Senate. ON THE HILL 'THE USAID BETRAYAL': The chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. BRIAN MAST (R-Fla.) is holding a hearing next week on the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle USAID titled 'The USAID betrayal' as our colleague Joe Gould reports today. The hearing set for next Thursday will feature former Florida Republican Rep. TED YOHO and BILL STEIGER, who served as the agency's chief of staff during the first Trump administration. The move isn't likely to mollify infuriated Democrats, who have railed against the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle a federally codified agency, calling it unconstitutional and warning of dire humanitarian consequences. Democrats have demanded an urgent hearing with Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO and PETER MAROCCO, State's director of foreign assistance and acting deputy USAID director. If lawmakers are looking for ammunition, they can point to a lawsuit filed Thursday and updated with new affidavits today. In it, USAID employees writing under pseudonyms described extraordinary upheaval to their lives, safety and personal well-being by the abrupt shutdown of the agency, our own Kyle Cheney writes in. One, who said she was 32 weeks pregnant, said her prearranged medical evacuation to Washington had been disrupted. Another described a disruption to medical care for his young children with special needs and facing the risk of eviction and unemployment prospect of sudden unemployment. 'This experience has been degrading, dehumanizing, and traumatizing for my family,' the employee, identified as 'Eric Doe,' wrote in an affidavit. SOUTH AFRICA BACKLASH: Republicans are ramping up criticism of South Africa after Rubio said he planned to ditch the upcoming G20 meeting the country is hosting and accused South Africa of 'anti-Americanism.' The latest knock: South Africa reportedly bowed to Chinese pressure to remove Taiwan's de facto embassy from its capital. Sen. JIM RISCH (R-Idaho), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reacted to the move on X, saying 'South Africa is a stooge for U.S. adversaries China & Russia, and it continues to bully Taiwan. This is unacceptable and it's time to put maximum pressure on' the current government. Broadsides MORE QUESTIONABLE CONDOM MATH: CNN anchor BORIS SANCHEZ was left stunned when Georgia Rep. BUDDY CARTER (R-Ga.) claimed live on air that the U.S. had earmarked $15 million in funds to provide condoms to the Taliban. 'Sir, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa — $15 million? $15 million for condoms for the Taliban?' asked Sanchez. The CNN anchor asked Carter if he was conflating previous statements from Trump and the White House spokesperson KAROLINE LEAVITT about tens of millions of dollars being used to send condoms to Gaza, a claim which several fact-checks have found no evidence to support. 'I am not. I am not. This is the type of thing that they're funding,' said Carter, who sits on the DOGE subcommittee in Congress. Transitions — ALEXEI BULAZEL is now the senior director for cyber on the National Security Council, the most senior cybersecurity role in President Donald Trump's White House. — CAMILLE STEWART GLOSTER, former deputy national cyber director for technology and ecosystem security under the Biden administration, has taken on the role of senior director of AI and resilience services at cybersecurity company Crowdstrike. What to Read — JAY CASPIAN KANG, The New Yorker: The Rise of China's Soft Power — JOSEPH MENN, The Washington Post: U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users' encrypted accounts — DAHLIA SCHEINDLIN, Ha'aretz: Euphoria and Fury: How Scenes of Returning Hostages Could Spark the Next Israeli-Palestinian War Monday Today — Atlantic Council, 9 a.m.: Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti: Shifts in the Horn of Africa — Foundation for Defense of Democracies, 12 p.m.: Turkey's Neo-Ottoman Resurgence Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who we're working with lawmakers to deter from further aggression. Thanks to our producer, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing, who is briefing the relevant committees on the threat posed by Heidi.
