Trump eyes Iran war exit, may attend SCOTUS birthright citizenship hearing
Ahead of a prime-time address Wednesday night, President Donald Trump says the U.S. could end its offensive in Iran within weeks, even as forces surge into the region.
Plus, the Supreme Court takes up birthright citizenship as Trump says he may attend. He would be the first sitting president ever to appear at oral arguments.
And NASA targets a crewed moon launch tonight for the first time in more than 50 years.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Trump says US could exit Iran soon even if Strait of Hormuz stays closed
Could the war in Iran be nearing an end? President Donald Trump said it could end, and soon.
Ahead of a prime-time address Wednesday night, Trump said Tuesday the U.S. could wrap up its offensive in Iran within two to three weeks.
He also said reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil routes, is “not for us.”
“I think in two or three weeks we’ll leave because there’s no reason for us to do this. Look, the problem with the Strait, a guy can take a mine, drop it in the water, and say, oh, it’s unsafe. It’s not like you’re taking out an army, or you’re taking out a country; they can drop it. Or you can take your machine gun from the shore and shoot a little, a few bullets on a ship. Or maybe an over-the-shoulder missile, small missiles. That’s not for us, that’ll be for France, that will be for whoever is using the Strait. But I think when we leave, probably that’s all cleared up.”
— President Donald Trump
Even as the president talks about exiting, the U.S. is ramping up its military presence. Thousands of additional troops are heading to the region.
The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush deployed Tuesday along with three destroyers as part of a strike group of more than 6,000 sailors.
Trump’s April 6 deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait, or face strikes on power plants, still stands.
Iran’s foreign minister fired back, saying Tehran will keep fighting and rejects U.S. threats. Trump told allies struggling with oil supplies that the U.S. won’t step in, saying they were “not there for us.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. will host an international conference this week to address the Strait. He said 35 countries have already signed on
Trump plans to attend SCOTUS birthright citizenship hearing
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could redefine birthright citizenship, and Trump said he plans to be in the room.
The justices will consider his executive order that limits automatic citizenship to people with at least one parent who is an American citizen or a legal permanent resident.
Critics say the order conflicts with the 14th Amendment, which states that all persons born in the United States are citizens.
Trump argues that the amendment was written after the Civil War to grant citizenship to formerly enslaved people, not to the children of temporary or undocumented immigrants.
He has said before he would attend Supreme Court arguments, but backed off, saying he didn’t want to distract from the case.
If he shows up Wednesday, he would be the first sitting president ever to attend oral arguments.
Trump moves to create national voter list
Trump is already facing pushback over a new executive order on voting. The president signed the order Tuesday, directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to build a national list of U.S. citizens eligible to vote, using Social Security data.
The order also limits mail-in ballots, requiring the postal service to send them only to voters on state lists that align with the federal database.
The move follows Trump’s push for tighter election rules after Congress failed to pass his Save America Act.
“Cheating on mail-in voting is legendary. It’s horrible what’s going on,” Trump said. “And it’s very clearly covered. Very, very clearly so. I think this will help a lot with elections. We’d like to have voter ID, we’d like to have proof of citizenship, and that will be another subject for another time. We’re working on that.”
Election lawyer Marc Elias posted on X: “If Trump signs an unconstitutional executive order to take over voting, we will sue.”
Arizona’s secretary of state, Adrian Fontes, called the plan “a push to weaponize sensitive voter data,” and said his office will challenge it in court.
A White House official told CBS News that states that do not comply could lose federal funding.
Army pilots cleared after Kid Rock fly-by, Hegseth ends suspension
Just hours after the U.S. Army suspended the crews involved in a helicopter fly-by near Kid Rock’s home, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stepped in and reversed the decision.
Two Apache helicopters from Fort Campbell were seen hovering outside Kid Rock’s Nashville home on Saturday as the singer waved, saluted and pumped his fist.
On Tuesday, an Army spokesperson said the crews had been suspended from flight duties while officials reviewed what happened.
The questions: why they were near the property and why they were also flying close to a “No Kings” rally while on a training mission.
Each helicopter carries a two-person crew: a pilot and a co-pilot, known as a gunner.
But within hours, Hegseth stepped in.
In a post on X, he wrote, “Thank you, Kid Rock. U.S. Army pilots’ suspension lifted. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”
Thank you @KidRock.@USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED.
No punishment. No investigation.
Carry on, patriots.
https://t.co/Zqhv1Zx1iG
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 31, 2026
Kid Rock told a Nashville TV station he didn’t expect the fly-by but said he’s had interactions with military pilots before and called it “pretty cool.” He also referred to Trump as “my buddy … the commander-in-chief.”
Judge orders stop to White House ballroom construction, pending legal review
A federal judge has ordered a stop to Trump’s plan to build a huge new ballroom at the White House. The ruling came down Tuesday, stopping any further work on the project.
Judge Richard Leon said the president lacks the authority to proceed without congressional approval.
The project, estimated at $400 million, would be significantly larger than the current White House structure. It would include a 90,000-square-foot event space on the site of the demolished East Wing.
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images -
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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images -
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 22: A rendering of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed $250 million White House ballroom is displayed as he meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House on October 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. Less than a week after hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump is meeting with Rutte to discuss the war in Ukraine. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump has been personally involved in the design, calling it “the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world.”
In his 35-page opinion, Leon wrote: “The president of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of first families. He is not, however, the owner! (U)nless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!”
The judge said federal law allows maintenance and alterations, not the demolition and rebuilding of entire structures. He is giving the administration two weeks to appeal.
The Trump administration said it will challenge the ruling.
Trump responded on Truth Social, calling the group that sued “a radical left group of lunatics” and defending the project as under budget and privately funded.
The judge said Congress can still approve the project, but until then, construction remains on hold.
Artemis II sets course for first crewed lunar trip in 50 years
NASA is preparing to send a crew back to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. The Artemis II launch is scheduled for 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday from Cape Canaveral.
Four astronauts will board the Orion spacecraft for a 10-day mission around the moon, traveling farther into deep space than any humans have gone before.
They won’t land since this is a test flight, but it’s a crucial step toward returning people to the lunar surface later this decade.
“Artemis is building on an already solid legacy. If we look backward in time just a little bit, right now, our crews are on the International Space Station learning how to truly work off the planet. How does the human body perform? How do we resupply this International Space Station? These are lessons that will be critical on the moon as we look forward.”
– Reid Wiseman, crew commander of Artemis II
The crew offers decades of experience — including spacewalks, lengthy missions on the International Space Station and military flight operations.
The mission also includes the first non-American astronaut to travel beyond Earth’s orbit and one of the most experienced female astronauts NASA has ever flown. This will be the first time a woman will travel beyond low Earth orbit.
“When the president of the Canadian Space Agency called me and officially proclaimed to me that I would be flying on Artemis II and then sharing that with my wife and three kids was also a very special moment for me, watching their excitement as I pursue a dream of mine.”
– Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist for Artemis II
The journey will take them roughly 244,000 miles from Earth, swinging around the far side of the moon before Artemis II heads back home.
NASA says conditions look good, with about an 80 percent chance of favorable weather at launch.
If all goes as planned, it’s a big step for the space program in returning to the moon, and the start of what NASA hopes is a much longer stay next time.
More from Straight Arrow News:
Why Trump is threatening Kharg Island, Iran’s oil export hub
It covers a mere 8.5 square miles, but it’s where Iran ships out 90% of its oil exports. Kharg Island is a vital strategic outpost in the Persian Gulf, and it’s the latest target for potential military operations floated by President Donald Trump.
The U.S. has already struck Iranian military equipment on the island, but the latest threat from Trump suggests that attacks on energy infrastructure are on the table if Iran does not allow shipping traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Monday, Trump said that if Iran does not open the strait, the U.S. would respond by “blowing up and completely obliterating” Kharg Island as well as Iran’s power plants, oil wells and, possibly, desalination plants.
Trump has shown an interest in the obscure island since long before he was in a position to order an attack on it. In a 1988 interview with The Guardian, when he first talked about running for president, he was asked about his foreign policy regarding Iran, if he were elected.
“One bullet shot at one of our men or ships and I’d do a number on Kharg Island,” Trump said. “I’d go in and take it.”
Nearly four decades later, he may make good on that threat. Read the full story now>
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
