Afternoon Sun: Relation-Chip Over

Good afternoon. This is the Afternoon Sun newsletter for Nov. 12, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump called for GOP senators to “IMMEDIATELY” move on the $350 billion military funding bill — remember Recon 3.0? — and “deliver for our Warriors. The Democrats never will.”

• Budget Committee Chair Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) told reporters that it’s good Trump has been “engaged” on the budget bill.

• “The vice president’s admitted we lost because of this war and because of the gas prices,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) said. “So the first thing we’re going to do, with only Republican votes, is fund the Iran war. I think it’s a terrible idea.”

THE HILL

Senate Republicans are moving with haste to replace the head of the Government Accountability Office before the party surrenders power next year. The Homeland Security Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing for Nov. 19, though it did not disclose who the nominee would be, nor has the White House formally submitted a name.

Democrats greeted Rep. Jim Jordan’s election to lead the House Republican conference as evidence that the GOP is doubling down on its most extreme flank even after sweeping midterm losses. But some suggested that their party shouldn’t underestimate the Ohio Republican based on his past and his flamethrower persona.

Senate Ethics found no issue with a top staffer for Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio)moonlighting as a state-level lobbying consultant, the senator’s office told The Sun.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) is defending his plans to pursue oversight investigations into the Trump administration after he got a threatening letter from a U.S. attorney with what he called “baseless” threats.

THE ADMINISTRATION

The Huang saga continues to unfold: Trump called for Tim Cook, the former CEO of Apple, to replace Jensen Huang, who resigned today as Nvidia’s chief executive.

• House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast (R-Florida) told reporters that Huang has agreed to sit before the committee before the Thanksgiving break.

• As Howard Lutnick’s future remains uncertain, a White House official said today in a statement that the secretary’s job is safe: “President Trump maintains complete confidence in the secretary and his ability to carry out the position as the most transformative Commerce Secretary in modern history.”

Trump says he’s pulling JD Vance off Iran talks to focus on investigating fraud, one week after the vice president blamed the conflict for poor GOP midterm showings.

Pete Hegseth honored a soldier who publicly reprimanded his entourage for making noise at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday.

THE WORLD

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country had detected new speed restrictions on Starshield in “temporarily occupied parts of Ukraine.” SpaceX denied any change in speed.

• “We are trying to get the details from the American side, but so far, we know very little,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “If someone in America is making decisions that basically treat Ukrainian territory as if it is not Ukrainian, then this tells us where things are going.”

THE COURTS

A federal judge in Manhattan denied FIFA’s attempts to block European soccer body UEFA from seeking discovery related to president Gianni Infantino’s World Cup private investor plan. UEFA lawyers are seeking evidence from JP Morgan and Josh Kushner’s firm in the case.

PEOPLE-WATCHING-GATE

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at newsletters@washsun.com.