memeorandum

8:40 PM ET, April 20, 2025

Top Items:

Hegseth Said to Have Shared Attack Details in Second Signal Chat — The defense secretary sent sensitive information about strikes in Yemen to an encrypted group chat that included his wife and brother, people familiar with the matter said. — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed information …

Discussion: The Hill, New York Magazine, The Guardian, The Verge, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Wrap, Mother Jones, Mediaite, Raw Story and The Independent

Paul McLeary / Politico:

Former Pentagon official warns department's dysfunction could topple Hegseth — “The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon,” John Ullyot, the former top Defense Department spokesperson, wrote in a POLITICO Magazine opinion piece. — The Pentagon is in “total chaos” …

John Ullyot / Politico:

Former Top Pentagon Spokesperson Details ‘Month from Hell’ Inside the Agency — The total chaos at the Department of Defense is becoming a major distraction for the Trump administration, writes John Ullyot. — It's been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

CNN:

Hegseth shared detailed military plans in second Signal chat that included his wife and brother — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared detailed plans about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a second Signal group chat that included his wife, lawyer and brother, three people familiar with the chat told CNN.

Discussion: Reuters and Politico

Zach LaChance / Washington Examiner:

Hegseth posted Yemen strike details in second Signal chat: Report — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed details on U.S. strikes on the Yemeni Houthis in a second Signal group chat that included members of his family, according to a report. — A New York Times report on Sunday revealed that the chat, titled “Defense |

Discussion: WUSA

Cherise Halsall / ABC News:

Van Hollen: ‘I am not defending the man, I am defending the rights of this man to due process’ — Senator says the Abrego Garcia case is about upholding the rule of law. — Sen. Chris Van Hollen speaks with ABC News while appearing on ‘This Week’ April 20, 2025.

Discussion: UPI, Breitbart, The Hill, WBAL Baltimore News and CNBC

Kaanita Iyer / CNN:
Sen. Chris Van Hollen argues Trump administration's actions in Abrego Garcia case 'threaten everybody's rights'

Discussion: New York Post, RedState, USA Today, The Hill, Twitchy, Politico, The Guardian, The Gateway Pundit and Mediaite

ABC News:
‘This Week’ Transcript 4-20-25: Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Trump Administration border czar Tom Homan & House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem JeffriesNEW!

Discussion: The American Conservative and Mediaite

Minho Kim / New York Times:
After Meeting Wrongly Deported Man, Van Hollen Accuses Trump of Defying Courts

Discussion: The Guardian, Washington Examiner, Need to Know, Associated Press, The Daily Wire, National Review and Bloomberg

Steve Peoples / Associated Press:
Anti-Trump resistance sees another leader in Van Hollen as Democrats' leadership carousel turns

Discussion: The Hill

Lauren Irwin / The Hill:
Emmer disagrees with Van Hollen, says Abrego Garcia was given due process

Discussion: Breitbart, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, Mediaite and Just Security

Alexandra Marquez / NBC News:
Sen. Chris Van Hollen says America is in a ‘constitutional crisis’ as Trump disregards court orders in the Abrego Garcia case

Discussion: New York Times, New York Post, The Hill, Washington Times, The Independent, Breitbart and Grabien

ABC News:
Homan: Trump administration ‘did the right thing’ deporting Abrego Garcia

Discussion: The Wrap, Washington Times, Grabien and WBAL Baltimore News

Peter Wade / Rolling Stone:
Van Hollen: If You Won't Fight for the Constitution, You Don't Deserve to Lead

Discussion: The Hill, Breitbart and Grabien

Edward Wong / New York Times:

Trump Administration Draft Order Calls for Drastic Overhaul of State Department — The draft executive order to be signed by President Trump would eliminate Africa operations and shut down bureaus working on democracy, human rights and refugee issues. — A draft White House executive order proposes …

Discussion: The Guardian, Bloomberg, NBC News, UPI, Rolling Stone, Fortune and emptywheel

Politico:
‘Bonkers crazypants’: American diplomats shaken by reports of possible cuts

Discussion: Raw Story and Semafor

Eric Katz / GovExec.com: Rubio denies that Trump will politicize the Foreign Service and slash embassies

Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:

GOP senator says Trump shouldn't send Americans to foreign prisons: ‘We have our own laws’ — Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said on Sunday he does not think the law would allow President Trump to send United States citizens convicted of violent crimes to Salvadoran prisons …

NBC News:
Sen. Kennedy says Trump's idea to send Americans to foreign prisons is not ‘moral’: Full interview

Discussion: Mediaite

Alexandra Marquez / NBC News:
GOP Sen. John Kennedy says Trump administration should not send Americans to foreign prisons

Discussion: Business Insider, The Hill, USA Today, Raw Story and Breitbart

NBC News:

As legal fight raged, ICE buses filled with Venezuelans heading toward airport turned around, video shows — At least 28 detainees were placed on buses Friday evening at ICE's Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, and then driven toward an airport about an hour away.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Douglas MacMillan / Washington Post: Immigrants forced to sleep on floors at overwhelmed ICE detention centers

Lauren Irwin / The Hill:

Zeldin says he can ‘absolutely’ assure public EPA deregulation efforts won't harm environment — Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said he can “absolutely” assure the public that the various deregulation efforts undergone by the agency will not harm the environment.

Discussion: RedState

CBS News: Transcript: EPA administrator Lee Zeldin on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” April 20, 2025

Vatican News:

Pope Francis meets with US Vice President JD Vance at Santa Marta — The brief meeting of Pope Francis with US Vice President JD Vance offered the opportunity to exchange Easter greetings. Yesterday Cardinal Parolin met with the US leader at the Secretariat of State.

Discussion: Axios, Washington Post, vaticannews.va, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, CBS News, Politico and Al Jazeera

Nicole Winfield / Associated Press:
Vance meets Pope Francis on Easter Sunday after tangle over migration, gets chocolate eggs for kids

Peter Wade / Rolling Stone:

‘F-ck You’: Nancy Mace Loses It in Public Argument With Constituent — The congresswoman posted a video of herself in a confrontation with a constituent who asked if she planned to hold any more town halls this year — Rep. Nancy Mace proudly posted a video of herself yelling, “Fuck you! …

Discussion: Salon, Advocate, AS USA, Washington Examiner, TMZ.com, Mediaite and The Gateway Pundit

Michael Lee / Fox News:
GRAPHIC LANGUAGE: Congresswoman's profane supermarket argument with constituent caught on camera

Discussion: New York Post and Crooks and Liars

Danyelle Khmara / Arizona Public Media:

U.S. citizen in Arizona detained by immigration officials for 10 days — IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS IN TUCSON ARRESTED THE 19-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM ALBUQUERQUE ON APRIL 8, SAYING HE HAD ENTERED THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY, BEFORE A JUDGE DISMISSED HIS CASE ON APRIL 17. — 19-year-old Jose Hermosillo …

Discussion: The Guardian and The Independent

Bangkok Post:

Boeing begins flying back planes refused by Chinese airlines — Beijing orders carriers to stop taking deliveries of US jets as part of its trade war strategy — The US plane manufacturer Boeing has begun flying 737 Max jets that were refused by Chinese airline customers back to the United States …

Discussion: Reuters, Fox Business and AIRLIVE

Dearbail Jordan / BBC:

DHL suspends high value US deliveries over tariffs — DHL Express is suspending deliveries to the US worth more than $800 (£603) because of a “significant increase” in red tape at customs following the introduction of Donald Trump's new tariff regime.

Discussion: The Hill, Reuters, UPI, New York Post and CityNews Toronto

Kristina Peterson / Wall Street Journal:

Tomatoes Become One of the First Everyday Casualties of Trade War — New fees will hit fresh tomato imports from Mexico starting in July unless a new agreement is reached — WASHINGTON—President Trump dialed back his trade war—but not on tomatoes. — Starting in July …

New York Times:

Kash Patel Embraces the Limelight, Unlike Recent F.B.I. Directors — Kash Patel's embrace of the spotlight appears to be a break from the recent past, as his predecessors typically did the job with little fanfare. — Kash Patel flew to Miami on Air Force One last weekend to watch …