Prelude to a Midterm

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for May 27, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump’s Cabinet meeting included everything from updates on D.C. renovations (fixing the World War II Memorial fountain could be next) to new merch.

He said Iran is “negotiating on fumes,” reemphasizing that the country must meet his demands or the U.S. will “have to finish the job.”

• And about the unpopular war’s potential effect on how Republicans fare at the ballot box? “I don’t care about the midterms.” The president also called last night’s Texas runoffs a “prelude” to November.

New DHS chief Markwayne Mullin slammed the ongoing protests at a New Jersey ICE detention center, saying a detainee hunger strike is over not having access to “ethnic food” — and that the center “isn’t Holiday Inn.”

• Mullin also commented on Monday’s pepper-spraying incident involving Sen. Andy Kim: “You have one of the senators complain because he got splattered with a pepper ball. I’m sorry, you probably shouldn’t have been there.”

THE ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. and Mexico will kick off bilateral North American trade talks tomorrow in Mexico City. Jeffrey Goettman, a deputy U.S. trade representative, will lead the delegation instead of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

USCIS extended Lebanon’s Temporary Protected Status designation for six months — a rare move after the administration ended the designation for many other countries that previously received it. The agency cited the Iran war and DHS’s limited ability to “thoroughly review” the country’s conditions before the deadline.

ICE detainees are dying by suicide at an “alarming” rate, an AP investigation found.

THE HILL

Ahead of the Senate Commerce markup, Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell will release the Protect College Sports Act to establish clear NIL guidelines for student athletes, including a salary cap and transfer limit.

Last night, the NRSC deleted several press releases and digital ads criticizing Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton as part of a monthslong opposition campaign against the man it will now work to elect in Texas.

THE COURTS

Alabama made an appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn a federal ruling yesterday that blocked Republicans’ new congressional map. The request for an immediate stay goes first to Justice Clarence Thomas.

SILENT STATEMENT

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Missy Khamvongsa, Kate Nocera and Andrew Burton. 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 finalnotus@notus.com.