[Up First] Trump Signs Initial Deal With Iran, Trump Withholds DNI Nominee, Trump Approval Poll

President Trump and Iran’s president signed a preliminary agreement intended to end the war between the two countries and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic. The signing took place at the Palace of Versailles — a venue loaded with historical resonance, as it is where the treaty ending World War I was signed, a pact widely regarded as a failure. The U.S. has signaled it is prepared to lift decades of sanctions,

potentially allowing hundreds of billions of dollars to flow into Iran’s economy.

In return, Iran has renewed its long-standing promise never to build a nuclear weapon — a pledge U.S. officials have historically been skeptical of. Both sides agreed to a 60-day negotiating window to establish verifiable terms. The central sticking point will be the fate of nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium in Iran’s possession. While the memorandum calls for a freeze on both new sanctions and nuclear development during talks, the deadline can be extended if needed.

Notably, Trump used belligerent

language even while announcing the peace deal, openly reserving the right to resume military strikes. Israel, whose continued attacks on Lebanon have drawn open criticism from Trump, was excluded from the negotiations entirely, adding a layer of regional uncertainty to an already fragile agreement.

President Trump is once again placing Senate Republicans in a difficult position, this time by blocking the confirmation process for his own pick for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Jay Clayton. Trump says he will not allow Clayton’s Senate confirmation to proceed until a replacement is confirmed for the position Clayton is vacating — U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The standoff means Bill Pulte, Trump’s controversial temporary appointee, continues to oversee all 18 of the nation’s intelligence agencies.

Pulte drew sharp criticism from both parties during his earlier role leading the Federal Housing Finance Agency, where he used his position to assail

political opponents, including Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Democrats fear that Pulte, now with access to the full government surveillance apparatus, could do far greater damage. Republicans, meanwhile, are frustrated by his complete lack of national security or intelligence credentials.

Trump’s second demand is that Senate Republicans pass the SAVE America Act, an election security bill that has twice failed to clear the chamber’s de facto

60-vote threshold. Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged bluntly that the votes simply do not exist, underscoring a growing tension between the White House and its own party in the upper chamber.

A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll reveals that President Trump’s approval rating has dropped to its lowest point yet, driven largely by persistent dissatisfaction with the state of the economy. Americans across the political spectrum

continue to express frustration with economic conditions, and that frustration is now translating directly into weakened support for the president.

Particularly notable is the erosion of support among demographic groups that were instrumental in Trump’s electoral victory. These are voters who helped put him in office and whose continued backing has been central to his political coalition. Their declining approval signals that economic concerns are cutting across traditional partisan lines and may pose a longer-term challenge for the administration as it navigates ongoing trade and fiscal pressures.