This Morning's Political News: 4‑Minute Read
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Tuesday, April 28, 2026 · 8:00 a.m. ET
Federal Level
Cole Allen Charged with Attempted Assassination of Trump
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was formally charged on Monday in federal court in Washington with attempted assassination of President Trump, transportation of a firearm across state lines, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Prosecutors said Allen opened fire on a Secret Service agent at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, striking the officer’s vest, before being subdued. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said additional charges are expected. Allen faces a potential life sentence on the top count. 1, 2, 3
Rubio Dismisses Iran’s Hormuz Reopening Proposal
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the U.S. blockade is unacceptable, arguing that Iran’s terms amount to charging tolls on international waters. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Trump met with his national security team on Monday to review the Iranian offer, while adding that Iran’s conditions do not yet meet the administration’s requirements. The naval blockade remains in place. 4, 5
House Faces ‘Nightmare Week’ on DHS, FISA, and Budget
Republicans returned to Washington on Monday confronting a week of high-stakes legislative deadlines: a funding deal to permanently reopen DHS, a vote on the House’s budget reconciliation blueprint to fund ICE and Border Patrol, and the April 30 expiration of Section 702 of FISA, the key intelligence surveillance authority. Speaker Mike Johnson has not yet secured enough votes for any of the three measures. Senate Democrats continue to block DHS funding absent immigration enforcement reforms. 6, 7
Supreme Court Locks In Texas GOP Map, Netting Up to 5 Seats
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Monday to formally reinstate Texas’s Republican-drawn congressional map, overturning a lower court’s finding of racial gerrymandering. The map, approved by the Texas legislature in 2025 at President Trump’s urging, could convert up to five Democratic-held congressional districts to Republican control ahead of November’s midterms. The three liberal justices dissented. 8, 9
King Charles Arrives at White House for First U.S. State Visit
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House on Monday afternoon for a four-day state visit, the first of President Trump’s second term. The two leaders held a private bilateral meeting, and the royal couple attended a garden party at the British Embassy. On Tuesday, the king will address a joint session of Congress, the first by a British royal since Queen Elizabeth
State Level
Virginia Supreme Court Weighs Fate of Redistricting Referendum
The Virginia Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday on the Republican challenge to the voter-approved redistricting referendum passed on April 21, which could net Democrats four additional U.S. House seats in November. The justices questioned whether the Democratic-controlled General Assembly followed the state constitution’s procedural requirements in placing the amendment before voters. A lower court has already permanently blocked certification of the results; the high court’s ruling will determine whether those new district lines can take effect before the midterm elections. 12, 13
California Billionaire Tax Qualifies for November Ballot
Supporters of a proposed one-time 5 percent wealth tax on California billionaires announced on Monday that they had collected nearly 1.6 million signatures, well exceeding the approximately 875,000 required to qualify the measure for the November ballot. The initiative, backed by major labor unions, is designed to raise roughly $100 billion, primarily to offset federal cuts to Medicaid and other health programs. Governor Gavin Newsom and a number of Silicon Valley executives have pledged to oppose it. 14, 15
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Article Sources
1. NY Post, https://nypost com/2026/04/27/us-news/whcd-shooting-suspect-cole-allen-charged-with-trying-assassinate-president-trump/
2. CNBC, https://www.cnbc com/2026/04/27/cole-allen-whcd-arraigment-trump.html
3. TMZ / AP, https://www.tmz com/2026/04/27/cole-allen-arraigned-following-white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting/
4. ABC News, https://abcnews com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-rubio-dismisses-iran-peace-proposal/?id=132444768
5. CNBC, https://www.cnbc com/2026/04/27/trump-iran-war-strait-of-hormuz-rubio.html
6. CNN, https://www.cnn com/2026/04/27/politics/dhs-funding-fisa-farm-bill-johnson
7. NPR, https://www.npr org/2026/04/27/nx-s1-5798766/congress-under-pressure-to-end-dhs-shutdown-as-it-returns-to-session-this-week
8. Reuters, https://www.reuters com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-formally-reinstates-pro-republican-texas-voting-map-2026-04-27/
9. Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera com/news/2026/4/27/us-supreme-court-reinstates-republican-favoured-texas-electoral-map
10. NYT, https://www.nytimes com/live/2026/04/27/us/trump-news
11. Reuters, https://www.reuters com/world/uk/britains-king-charles-address-us-congress-april-28-2026-04-01/
12. KSAT / AP, https://www.ksat com/news/politics/2026/04/27/virginia-supreme-court-considers-whether-to-block-voter-approved-us-house-map-favoring-democrats/
13. Wikipedia / Democracy Docket, https://en.wikipedia org/wiki/2026_Virginia_redistricting_amendment
14. AP News, https://apnews com/article/california-billionaire-tax-09ef038f86019d4c62b76aeff707158d
15. Forbes, https://www.forbes com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/04/27/billionaires-tax-closer-to-california-ballot-heres-who-has-already-left/