Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for February 27, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
The Latest
Donald Trump said he still hasn’t made a final decision on striking Iran. Ahead of a trip to Texas, where he’ll speak on energy policy (we think), the president told reporters that he was “not thrilled” with the way Iran was negotiating and that “they cannot have nuclear weapons.”
- Will there be a long conflict in the Middle East? “I guess you could say there’s always a risk. You know, when there’s war, there’s a risk in anything, both good and bad.”
- Will there be a regime change? “There might be, and there might not be. It’d be nice if we could do it without, but sometimes you have to do it with.”
Bill Clinton’s name and photo are all over the Epstein files, but he told the House Oversight Committee, “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
- This is why God made transcripts: Oversight Chair James Comer told reporters that Clinton testified that Trump never told him anything to indicate he was involved with Epstein. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said that wasn’t an “accurate description” of what Clinton said.
- Trump said he doesn’t like seeing Clinton deposed, “but, you know, they certainly went after me, a lot more than that.” (Narrator: He hasn’t testified before the committee.)
- Something else Trump won’t like: Ro Khanna said Democrats have the votes to subpoena Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Trending
The Hill
Nancy Mace will force a vote next week to compel the Ethics Committee to release every sexual harassment settlement and complaint involving a member of Congress or staff. Fellow Republican Anna Paulina Luna is backing the measure as well, but it could be an awkward vote for many.
Top Judiciary Committee Democrat Jamie Raskin is investigating potential conflicts of interest between Lutnick and his former firm Cantor Fitzgerald over Trump’s tariff policy.
The Administration
Trump ordered the federal government to stop using Anthropic in a Truth Social post. “WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic until 5:01 p.m. today to change its tune, or the Trump administration would invoke the Defense Production Act to take the model over.
The Campaign Trail
Kamala Harris endorsed and recorded a robocall for Jasmine Crockett in the Texas U.S. Senate primary, Patrick Svitek scooped for The Texas Tribune.
On the Republican side, all the candidates, including incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, are hoping for Trump’s endorsement. We are not sure posting this photo helps.
What The Hell Am I Doin’ Here?
Radiohead told DHS to stop using its song “Let Down” in a promo video for ICE. “It ain’t funny, this song means a lot to us and other people, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight. Also, go fuck yourselves.”
Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Matt Berman and Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.
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