Today’s notice: The trials and tribulations of trying to get ahold of the State Department. A truly astounding amount of bad publicity for an undersecretary of public affairs. Sleeping at the office is back, sort of.
The Waiver That Never Was
The process of executive action, pushback to executive action, administration clarification of executive action, lawsuit over executive action and court order stopping executive action is, somehow, one we have now all witnessed several times in the opening weeks of Donald Trump’s second administration.
Theoretically, clarifications are a response to political pressure that things be put back how they were, and the court rulings are forcing the issue. But what really happens?
NOTUS got an inside look at one such case. When Marco Rubio clarified that some humanitarian aid would flow despite Trump’s USAID stop-work order, groups like InterAction, which represents more than 170 NGOs, were thrilled. The reality was different: The waiver existed, but almost no one could get through to anyone to figure out what exactly qualified. And those who could, couldn’t get the payment system to work.
NOTUS reviewed emails between InterAction and administration officials that went unanswered and spoke to NGO leaders who have struggled to find the people who used to handle funding. When the alliance’s CEO, Tom Hart, who is no stranger to the byzantine nature of the government-NGO relationship, reached out to the State Dept., which we have been told is now in charge, InterAction still got no response. (State did not respond to a request for comment.)
Asked about NGO frustrations at a press conference last week, Rubio blamed the groups for being incompetent or possibly trying to make the admin look bad. A federal judge stepped in Friday, blocking the Trump administration’s moves at USAID. Since then, some more groups have received paperwork allowing them to get their authorized aid money to implement. But as of Monday, the group knows of just two member organizations that have had any funding restored.
—Evan McMorris-Santoro | Read the story.
More Disturbing Posts From a Top Aide at State
Rubio’s acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, Darren Beattie, is a prolific poster, and there’s nothing diplomatic about any of it. NOTUS’ Haley Byrd Wilt culled through his online presence to find posts calling for mass “sterilization.”
“When a population gets feral, a little snip snip keeps things in control,” Beattie posted in 2023 under a video of people in an Atlanta neighborhood. “Could offer incentives (Air Jordans, etc.).”
This is just the tip of the iceberg; Haley found much more. She noted last week that he often posted praise for the oppressive acts carried out by the Chinese government, favorably comparing the tactics to the U.S. justice system.
The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Front Page
- Democrats Name Their Battlegrounds for State-Level Races: Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Alaska are on the list.
- Donald Trump and Elon Musk Are Reshaping South Africa Policy: Republicans say it’s fine.
- Jan. 6 Prosecutors Were Already on D.C. Crime Cases. They Were Fired Anyway.: Trump’s appointees seem poised to cut more prosecutors and investigators.
- Republicans Say They’re Not Bothered by Elon Musk’s Close Ties to China: The head of DOGE has close links to China through his companies.
The Republican Campaign to Get a Refugee Exemption
No, this one was not for Afrikaners. A group of House Republicans — with support from Democrats — have been quietly lobbying the White House to allow Afghan allies who helped U.S. military service members during the war into the United States.
Rep. Michael McCaul made the push for an exemption to Trump’s suspension of refugee entry programs public over the weekend, echoing what several Republicans told NOTUS’ John T. Seward — that pausing Afghan refugee resettlements was unintentional.
There are no hard feelings about the potentially life-threatening mistake, though.
“I’m convinced it’s a reset,” Rep. Jake Ellzey said. “They’re breaking stuff so they can put it back together in the way they want to.”
Get Used To That ‘Slept In’ Office Smell
Musk is making sleeping in a government office cool again, NOTUS’ Emily Kennard and Torrence Banks report. The hottest congressional GOP trend of 2017 is getting a revamp with Musk, who says sleeping at work is all part of a 120-hour workweek. Let’s not forget the practice fell out of favor in the Capitol over #MeToo concerns.
Still, there were plenty in Congress — who tend to fly in no earlier than Monday evening and fly out Friday while it’s still light out, all while taking much of the summer off — who told Emily and Torrence they like Musk’s work ethic.
But will it be replicated at the Capitol? “I hope it does. But I don’t see Congress doing a lot of work, no matter who’s in power,” Rep. Tim Burchett, a longtime office sleeper, said.
A House Office’s $25,000 Settlement
Only one lawmaker’s office settled a workplace discrimination complaint last year, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights’ annual reports show: Florida Rep. Carlos Giménez’s. The public record, first reported by NOTUS, says the office settled an employment discrimination claim to the tune of $25,000 last year. The report says little about the nature of the claim.
“I’m not going to comment on that. It’s pretty self-explanatory. I wasn’t involved in any way, shape or form,” Giménez, a Republican, told NOTUS’ Emily Kennard and Claire Heddles.
Not Us
We know NOTUS reporters can’t cover it all. Here’s some other great hits by… not us.
- The GOP Says They Love Elon. Privately, They’re Expressing Concerns. By Sam Stein and Joe Perticone at The Bulwark
- Mayor Adams to Top Commissioners: Don’t Criticize Trump, Don’t Interfere with Immigration Enforcement by Katie Honan for The City
- ICE Came for This Town’s Workforce. It Was Never the Same. By Jack Herrera for Texas Monthly
- ‘So dirty and rotten’: Candidate for NJ governor’s fundraising tactic confuses some donors by Matt Friedman and Madison Fernandez for Politico
Be Social
The only theater with more drama than the world stage…
It’s that famous maxim: Shoot for Secretary of State and you’ll land as Interim Executive Director of the Kennedy Center https://t.co/WzTypeVPG8
— Thomas Hochman (@ThomasHochman) February 10, 2025
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