Trump cancels livestreamed execution amid backlash

It’s Thursday. As always, there is a lot to cover today. Let’s dive in.

Programming note : We’re Claire Leibowitz and Abigail Walker, filling in for Cate today. Please send us your tips, comments and story ideas to cleibowitz@thehill.com or awalker@thehill.com .

President Trump on Thursday announced that the execution of Fort Hood shooter U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan would no longer be livestreamed .

“I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan but, many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president said that victims’ immediate families would still be able to view the Dec. 3 firing squad execution in person, adding, “They deserve to witness JUSTICE!”

Not a fan: Polling released Thursday found that the decision to livestream the execution was unpopular among Americans .

An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 80 percent of respondents opposed the choice and only 18 percent approved.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced last week that the execution of Hasan, who killed 13 people on the Texas Army post in 2009, would be public, prompting bipartisan backlash.

“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” Hegseth told Real America’s Voice last Thursday.

New polling from Fox News found Trump’s overall approval rating at its lowest ever across both terms, with Americans particularly frustrated with the economic matters.

The survey released Wednesday found that 36 percent of respondents approved the president’s job, while 64 percent disapproved.

Among key issues, Trump’s management of inflation was lowest, with only 22 percent approval compared to 36 percent in a Fox News survey done last summer.

Seventy percent of Americans were dissatisfied with the president’s overall handling of the economy and 69 percent disapproved of his tariff-related policies.

Trump scored highest on border security—where respondents were split 50-50 on his job.

The Fox News poll is the latest in a series of lackluster surveys and poses a potential bad omen for the GOP as the midterms quickly approach.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said she misinterpreted a question earlier this week about where she passed the bar exam to which she’d answered that she took the test after moving to China.

“I assumed the question was, ‘Where were you after law school?’” Zacharia told The New York Times on a Wednesday phone call.

“That’s all I could hear over the sound of Marine One,” Zacharia added. “And, wanting to respect protocol, the distance behind the president, kept me from moving closer to hear the question.”

The Hill’s Julia Manchester reports, “The development comes as Zacharia’s legal credentials have come under intense scrutiny after the left-leaning newsletter Popular Information reported that Zacharia is not licensed to practice law in the U.S. or Washington, D.C.”

The watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California state bar on Wednesday, accusing Zacharia of illegally inflating her legal credentials.

Thursday kicks off Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) two-day swing through Michigan with Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

Painting the town blue: The pair is stopping in redder parts of the state’s Upper Peninsula on Thursday that Trump won back in 2024. They hit Escanaba at noon, and are set to visit Iron Mountain at 2 p.m. and Marquette at 6:30 p.m.

On Friday, Ocasio-Cortez is venturing solo to a “Latinos for Abdul” rally in Detroit.

Is there more in Michigan for AOC?: This mini tour is a testing ground for the Democratic rep to see how her progressive messaging lands outside of New York.

The Hill’s Amie Parnes also wrote that a win for El-Sayed could strengthen the congresswoman’s potential bid for president in 2028.

“That will set the tone for the 2028 primary field and will do a lot to prove theories from all sides of the Democratic coalition,” according to Democratic strategist Joel Payne.

Vance is in Michigan, too: The VP will be the keynote speaker at a GOP rally this afternoon in Monroe, Mich.

A new AARP poll released Thursday found that Democrats lead Republicans by 3 points on a generic ballot against Republicans.

The poll found that 49 percent of respondents backed Democrats and 46 percent backed Republicans, while 5 percent were unsure about their choice of party.

The GOP has been facing backlash over the unpopular war in Iran, the rising price of diesel and gas, concerns about the cost of living and Trump’s slumping approval rating.

The federal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has escalated , according to The Associated Press , which reported Thursday that authorities seized her phone and issued many subpoenas, including to some of the Democrat’s family members.

Among those subpoenaed is Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, and at least one additional relative, per The New York Times .

On Monday, Homeland Security Investigations sent agents to search Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence as part of a criminal investigation announced by White House border czar Tom Homan in September.

Trump and other Republicans have accused the Minnesota lawmaker of fraud and questioned her immigration status, claims Omar has repeatedly denied.

Election officials in the three states reported that suspicious packages were sent to their offices ahead of November’s midterms.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said on Wednesday that U.S. Postal Service investigators blocked the delivery of a letter containing a “powdery white substance” to his office. He added that the FBI is handling an investigation.

Oklahoma’s Secretary of the Election Board Paul Ziriax said in a statement that the state’s office was evacuated Tuesday after receiving an envelope with “suspicious white powder.”

“We want to assure Oklahoma voters that today’s incident does not impact our ability to conduct elections,” he said. “Election officials remain committed to ensuring safe and secure elections.”

And Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry’s Baton Rouge office was evacuated after an election employee opened a package and discovered a “white powder” on Tuesday.

She later said law enforcement found “no evidence of harmful substances” after running tests on the substance.

Deja vu?: Election officials in five states back in 2024 were sent suspicious packages. There were no reports that they contained hazardous material.

The packages also contained a powdery substance and were sent to Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Iowa.

Trump dismissed reports that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is on thin ice. Politico had reported that she received negative feedback from his allies, but the president responded to the outlet with a statement that said, “TOTAL FAKE NEWS Politico doesn’t care about facts, integrity, or honest journalism — it’s why I kicked them out of the White House!”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) subpoenaed both Anthropic and OpenAI on Wednesday in the newest development in the federal investigation into the AI model’s potential harms to consumers. The subpoenas were first reported by Axios Wednesday and confirmed to The Hill by an agency spokesperson. The probe arrives following notable cases of cybersecurity breaches involving rogue AI agents.

A person of interest has been identified in connection with a sexual assault at a University of Chicago fraternity house near the campus that was reported Sunday. The Chicago Police Department is leading the investigation.

AP News : Doctors say Pope Leo’s lung has recovered well from surgery and say his post-operative tests normal

CNN : Government records reveal mechanical failures, faulty restraint bars and broken bones at Six Flags theme parks

NBC News : Harry and Meghan cheered on first joint appearance since returning to U.K.

Politico : Why Ukrainian strikes on data centers are a real problem for Russia — and beyond

The House and Senate our. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EDT)

12:30 p.m. : Trump hosts a Rose Garden lunch honoring first responders

1:20 p.m. : Vance to give remarks at Michigan rally

2 p.m. : Ocasio-Cortez participates with El-Sayed in town hall in Iron Mountain, Mich.

6 p.m. : Trump hosts a tele-rally with Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.)

6:30 p.m. : Ocasio-Cortez participates with El-Sayed in town hall in Marquette, Mich.

😠 Celebrate : Today is National Grouch Day. We’re pi—- off it’s not Friday yet…

⚾ The Dodgers lost to the Brewers 6-2 Wednesday night, and Los Angeles’s pitcher Blake Snell gave away three home runs… This takes the Brewers up 3-0 in the National League Championship Series.

🐼 Because you made it this far, here’s a panda munching on some bamboo.

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