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AM|Morning BriefingWednesday, March 4, 2026 at 10:27 AM9 min read

DOJ Reversed Course in 24 Hours — Then Iran's Missiles Dropped From 90 to 20

Q: What was the TrumpMeter score for Wednesday, March 4, 2026?

The TrumpMeter score was 9/10. A DOJ reversal in under 24 hours, Iran's missile capability collapsing, Kurdish forces preparing a ground invasion, American citizens potentially stranded abroad, and a landmark legal brief unsealed — this is one of the most consequential news cycles of 2026 so far.

DOJ flip-flops on law firm cases in 24 hrs; Iran's missile barrage drops 78%; Kurdish forces prep ground op; DOGE releases 7 years of Medicaid data.

Chaos Index

9/10

MAXIMUM CHAOS

A DOJ reversal in under 24 hours, Iran's missile capability collapsing, Kurdish forces preparing a ground invasion, American citizens potentially stranded abroad, and a landmark legal brief unsealed — this is one of the most consequential news cycles of 2026 so far.

Key Developments

The Trump administration woke up this morning defending a reversal it made in under 24 hours.

Yesterday, the DOJ dropped its cases against four law firms — cases critics called politically motivated.

**Then, overnight, it reversed course entirely** and announced it would continue those same cases.

Legal commentator Tristan Snell posted on X: "Only 1 day after dropping attacks on 4 law firms for political reasons, Trump DOJ suddenly reversed course today and will continue unconstitutional cases." He called it "another embarrassingly unprofessional moment for Trump, Bondi, and their minions." That post drew over 1,200 likes.

The DOJ has not explained what changed in those 24 hours.

For you, this matters because it raises a simple question: who is actually running the Justice Department — and do they have a plan?

But the DOJ flip-flop is almost a footnote compared to what's happening 6,000 miles away.

Iran is in serious trouble.

**U.S. and Israeli strikes have cut Iran's ballistic missile launches from 90 on Saturday to just 20 by today** — a 78% drop in firepower in less than 72 hours, according to reports citing CENTCOM officials.

Stories Driving the News

Brief #1LEGAL▼ BEARISH

9/10

DOJ Dropped 4 Cases — Then Picked Them All Back Up 24 Hours Later

In one of the fastest U-turns in recent memory, the Trump DOJ reversed a decision in under 24 hours — and nobody's explaining why. Yesterday, the Department of Justice dropped its cases against four law firms, moves widely described as politically motivated targeting of firms connected to Trump opponents. Then, overnight, **the DOJ announced it would continue those same cases** — with no public explanation for the reversal. Legal commentator Tristan Snell posted on X: "Only 1 day after dropping attacks on 4 law firms for political reasons, Trump DOJ suddenly reversed course today and will continue unconstitutional cases. Yet another embarrassingly unprofessional moment for Trump, Bondi, and their minions." [1] The post drew over 1,200 likes — a significant signal of how widely it resonated. Trump allies pushed back, framing the continuation of the cases as appropriate legal action against firms they believe acted improperly. The administration has not issued a formal statement on why the reversal happened. The questions hanging in the air are significant: Was this a miscommunication inside the DOJ? A policy dispute that got resolved overnight? Or something else entirely? Here's why this matters to you — the Justice Department is supposed to be the most deliberate, careful institution in the U.S. government. A 24-hour reversal on a high-profile political case raises real questions about who is calling the shots and whether there is a coherent legal strategy guiding these decisions. [2]

[1][2][3]

Brief #2FOREIGN POLICY◆ MIXED

10/10

Iran's Missile Launches Collapsed 78% in 72 Hours — Now Kurdish Forces Are Massing

Three days ago, Iran fired 90 ballistic missiles in a single wave. Today, that number is down to 20 — and **CENTCOM officials say the trend is continuing downward** with each new wave smaller than the last. [3] CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward, reporting from the region, confirmed that Kurdish opposition forces are now preparing what's being described as a "ground operation" into western Iran — potentially beginning as early as tomorrow morning. President Trump personally spoke with one of the Kurdish leaders ahead of that announcement. The White House has not detailed what was said in that call. At the same time, photos emerged of Trump meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Mar-a-Lago during the Iran strikes, with Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and others watching from the Situation Room. [3] The U.S. Navy is also reportedly preparing to escort commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply flows. If Iran disrupts or closes that strait, oil prices spike globally within hours. Here's why this matters to you — the Strait of Hormuz is the single most important oil chokepoint on Earth. Any military escalation there doesn't stay in the Middle East. **It shows up at your gas station within days.** The Kurdish ground operation, if it proceeds, could dramatically escalate the conflict or accelerate Iran's military collapse — and nobody yet knows which.

[1][2]

Brief #3FOREIGN POLICY▼ BEARISH

8/10

Italy Evacuated Its Citizens. Rubio Says America Can't Do the Same

Italy got its people out. The United States, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, **cannot evacuate American citizens from the Middle East** because the airspace is closed and the administration says it does not have permission to land in the region. [10] The contrast went viral almost immediately. One commentator on X posted bluntly: "Italy has evacuated its citizens from the Middle East while Trump admin told Americans in Israel in a statement today that the US cannot evacuate or assist them." Another called the Rubio explanation "the dumbest thing I have heard today" and accused the administration of "abandoning Americans to die." Those are strong claims. The administration has not directly addressed the Italy comparison or explained why U.S. military assets — which routinely operate in contested airspace — could not be used for an evacuation. Supporters of the administration argue that the situation is more complex than critics are presenting, and that operating in active combat airspace carries significant risks for evacuation aircraft that civilian Italian flights may not have faced. The question of whether any Americans have been harmed as a result of the inability to evacuate has not yet been answered publicly. Here's why this matters to you — if you have family members, colleagues, or friends in Israel or the broader Middle East right now, **the U.S. government is telling them they are on their own.** That's a serious statement from the world's most powerful military, and it demands an explanation.

[1][2]

Brief #4POLICY◆ MIXED

7/10

DOGE Just Released 7 Years of Medicaid Data. Here's What They Want You to Find

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency just handed the public a shovel and pointed at a very large pile. DOGE released **seven full years of Medicaid spending data — covering 2018 through 2024** — and made it fully searchable by the public, according to a Newsmax report. [21] The move is part of the administration's ongoing effort to expose what it calls rampant fraud and waste in federal programs. Musk has publicly claimed there could be up to $1 trillion in fraud across the federal government — a figure that has not been independently verified but that continues to drive DOGE's aggressive posture. Critics of the data release argue that raw spending data without proper context can be misleading — that what looks like fraud from the outside often has a legitimate explanation when reviewed by program administrators. Supporters counter that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and that the public has every right to see how $800 billion-plus in annual Medicaid spending is being used. Rep. Tim Burchett has taken a new role on a DOGE subcommittee, signaling that Congress is beginning to engage more formally with the initiative — a potential sign of bipartisan interest in oversight, even if the politics remain sharply divided. [22] Here's why this matters to you — Medicaid covers over 80 million Americans. **If there is real fraud in the program, cutting it could either save taxpayer money or reduce coverage for people who genuinely need it** — depending entirely on where the fraud actually is. Now you can look for yourself.

[1][2]

Brief #5LEGAL◆ MIXED

7/10

Jack Smith's 165-Page Brief Is Unsealed — and the Election Case Just Got More Complicated

A 165-page legal brief from former Special Counsel Jack Smith was unsealed by Judge Tanya Chutkan in federal court — and it's reigniting one of the most polarizing legal battles in American history. The brief, **partially redacted**, explores how much of the original January 6th indictment against Trump can survive after the Supreme Court's landmark partial immunity ruling for presidents. [45] The revised superseding indictment keeps all of the original charges but narrows the focus specifically to Trump's alleged use of the Justice Department to advance claims of election fraud — stripping out the sections the Supreme Court ruled were off-limits as protected presidential acts. [42] Trump allies immediately called it another round of political persecution, pointing out that the case has been modified, delayed, and reshaped multiple times. On X, commentator Dawn Stensland described it as Trump facing a "new bout of political persecution" as the Biden-era DOJ moves forward. [46] Critics of Trump celebrated the move. One post on X read: "I applaud Jack Smith for filing a superseding indictment on Trump's J6 election fraud case. This is the case where Trump wanted to deprive Americans of having their vote counted." [47] Smith's team argues the adjustments show the case was always built on solid legal ground — it simply needed to be reshaped around the new Supreme Court framework. Here's why this matters to you — **this case is about what a sitting president can and cannot legally do.** Whatever the outcome, it will set the boundaries of executive power for every president who follows Trump.

[1][2]

Brief #6POLICY◆ MIXED

6/10

1,000 Students Stayed Home. Farms Are Short-Handed. The Deportation Economy Is Real

The numbers on deportation flights look like a scorecard to some and a warning sign to others. But on the ground in American communities, the effects of Trump's immigration enforcement sweep are showing up in places you might not expect — **empty classrooms, understaffed farms, and shuttered restaurant kitchens**. [82] Over 1,000 students stayed home in Massachusetts alone, according to a report shared widely on X, as families kept children indoors for fear of ICE arrests and deportation. Teachers reported struggling to manage the disruption to their classrooms and to the children who remained. [81] Across the agriculture and restaurant industries, the Christian Science Monitor reported that workers are staying away from jobs en masse, fearing arrest. Industries from farming to construction are feeling the labor shortfall in real time. [82] The Trump administration frames this differently: illegal border crossings are at historic lows, the administration says, pointing to enforcement numbers as proof the policy is achieving its goal. Photos of deportation flights have been released publicly, and arrest tallies are posted like a running scoreboard. Mother Jones noted that border crossing levels are actually "at their lowest levels in years" — suggesting the surge in enforcement is happening at a moment of already-declining crossings, raising questions about the targeting and scale. [78] Here's why this matters to you — **immigration enforcement doesn't happen in a vacuum.** It affects the price of food, the availability of workers in key industries, and the composition of American communities. Whether you support or oppose the policy, the economic and social effects are landing on everyone.

[1]

DOJ Reversed Course in 24 Hours — Then Iran's Missiles Dropped From 90 to 20

Key Developments

Stories Driving the News

DOJ Dropped 4 Cases — Then Picked Them All Back Up 24 Hours Later

Iran's Missile Launches Collapsed 78% in 72 Hours — Now Kurdish Forces Are Massing

Italy Evacuated Its Citizens. Rubio Says America Can't Do the Same

DOGE Just Released 7 Years of Medicaid Data. Here's What They Want You to Find

Jack Smith's 165-Page Brief Is Unsealed — and the Election Case Just Got More Complicated

1,000 Students Stayed Home. Farms Are Short-Handed. The Deportation Economy Is Real

Sources

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