Washington, DC

1. Iran deal teeters
2. Türkiye’s F-35 options
3. Syria designation over?
4. Trump meets Zelenskyy
5. Post-Platner plans
6. New Dem endorsements
7. Global AI anxiety

PDB: Trump tells Bessent to cut off trade with “terrible partner” Spain

Trump holds press conference before departing NATO … Vance in Wisconsin to tout anti-fraud efforts … Danish prime minister says Denmark ready to defend Greenland

US-Iran tensions reignite over Hormuz

President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was “over” as both sides traded fire, a major setback in the administration’s efforts to move past the conflict. Oil prices jumped 6% after Tehran mounted attacks on US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain overnight, leading Trump to tear into Iranian leaders at the NATO summit in Ankara, telling reporters “they’re liars, they’re cheats, they’re sick people. Now I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it.” US Central Command on Tuesday launched “powerful strikes” against Iran in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which remains a key sticking point in talks. Iran is using mines in the strait to exercise control of the key waterway, Bloomberg reported. The Trump administration on Tuesday revoked licenses that allowed Iran to sell oil as part of the June memorandum of understanding.

Disabling Russian tech is option in Türkiye F-35 talks

As Trump administration officials discuss ways to restore Türkiye’s access to F-35 fighter jets, one option that’s been raised is asking its government to disable elements of its Russian air-defense technology, Semafor’s Shelby Talcott reports. The idea of effectively disabling Türkiye’s Russian S-400 system in order to comply with congressional restrictions on F-35 sales is not new — the administration reportedly considered it last year — and officials have not settled on it. But the fact that the option is being raised again signals that the administration is moving forward with finding a way to sell F-35s to Ankara, as Trump confirms he’s open to the idea. Still, Trump’s push to sell to Türkiye is already being met with opposition on Capitol Hill, and some lawmakers are indicating they view the law as prohibiting any possession of the Russian system by Türkiye, period.

Trump to lift Syria terrorism designation?

Advocates for fully normalized US-Syria relations are bullish that Trump will lift the country’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism as soon as today when he meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Semafor’s Eleanor Mueller scoops. Ditching the label would clear the way for private-sector investment in the country, bolstering al-Sharaa’s government and helping Trump grow the US’ foothold in the Middle East. Trump directed a review of the designation last June that is still ongoing, according to a State Department official, and “a number of steps” would have to be taken before the decades-old designation can be removed. Yet there’s also emerging evidence that keeping the designation in place has held back Trump’s goals in the region. Companies “want to make investments, but the designation is an impediment,” Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said.

Trump, Zelenskyy meet at NATO summit

US allies in Europe will get a better sense of how serious Trump is about making another run at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine later this morning when he meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It’ll be the first time the two leaders have held an extended meeting in months; the Iran war has consumed Trump since February, but finding an end to Russia’s onslaught remains an objective. “They both want to get it settled now,” Trump said yesterday of Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, despite the latter offering few signs he’s ready to end the conflict. The path forward remains unclear; senators pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on a stalled bipartisan sanctions package that would put more pressure on Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported. Zelenskyy is sure to raise Ukraine’s need for key weapons, like Patriot interceptors, to defend against Russian attacks.

The hunt for Platner’s replacement in Maine

Maine Democrats accused Graham Platner’s Senate campaign of putting a “thumb on the scale” in the debate over how to replace him, as nearly all of his endorsers deserted him. “We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee,” said Devon Murphy-Anderson, the party’s executive director, on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Platner’s erstwhile progressive allies urged Democrats to replace him with former gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson — like Platner, a progressive endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Jackson filed paperwork to explore a run on Tuesday, and Nirav Shah, who got more votes than Jackson for governor, told Semafor that the party should have an open process after Platner quits. “Every moment that passes where he has not exited the race means that the eventual nominee has less time to build a coalition.”

— David Weigel

Centrist Democrats back more candidates

The centrist New Democrat Coalition’s political arm is backing more Democratic House candidates, including several in competitive primaries. Democrats Marlene Galán-Woods in Arizona, Richard Pan in California, Bale Dalton in Florida, Lindsay James in Iowa, and Jeremy Moss in Michigan are picking up support from the New Democrat Coalition Action Fund, according to details shared first with Semafor. The bloc’s chair, Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., argued their candidates are competing where it matters to take back the House majority: “Winning a D+60 primary doesn’t win the majority; it just makes headlines and blue seats bluer.” The bloc’s backing could provide a boost to Galán-Woods, who is vying for the nomination for one of the most competitive seats in the country. She already has backing from the DCCC, though 2024 nominee Amish Shah is hoping for another shot at Arizona’s swingy 1st District.

— Nicholas Wu

AI anxiety spreads in China

Americans aren’t the only ones worried about losing their jobs to artificial intelligence. Anxiety about the technology is on the rise in China, despite its status as a nation of techno-optimists, Semafor’s Andy Browne writes. For the first time in living memory, the arrival of a new technology has inspired apprehension, rather than unrestrained enthusiasm. The concerns go beyond job losses: In a country of strivers, AI is feeding a morbid obsession with being left behind. A desperate attempt to keep up with the latest advances in AI is adding to psychological stresses on citizens in a hypercompetitive society, where kids bury themselves in books for make-or-break high school exams and tech workers routinely put in 72-hour workweeks. The founder of one independent research and advisory firm called it FOBO: fear of being obsolete.

Blindspot: White nationalists and George Washington

Stories that are being largely ignored by either left-leaning or right-leaning outlets, curated with help from our partners at Ground News.

What the Left isn’t reading: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., called for a probe into a white nationalist group after they marched in DC, claiming the Biden administration “never investigated” the group. 

What the Right isn’t reading: President Trump shared untrue stories about George Washington and the Panama Canal during a July 4th speech, CNN reported. 

On Wednesday, July 22, Katy George, Corporate Vice President of Workforce Transformation at Microsoft, will join Semafor’s The World of Work in Washington, DC to unpack how institutions are adapting and thriving in an increasingly fragmented economy.

As companies face rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, and shifting workforce expectations, leaders are rethinking performance, trust, and long-term success. To explore how AI adoption, workforce transformation, and evolving leadership demands are reshaping the future of work, Semafor editors will sit down with policymakers, business executives, and workplace innovators including Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); Claire MacIntyre, Chief People Officer, Sam’s Club; Mary Moreland, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Abbott; Allison Peek Bebo, Chief Human Resources Officer, Pearson; and more.

July 22 | Washington, DC | Request Invite

Beltway Newsletters

Punchbowl News: Retiring congressman Jared Golden, D-Maine, will not run in the Maine Senate race, his spokesman confirmed, saying: “If Congressman Golden wanted the nomination, he would have put his name forward many months ago.”

Playbook: A new poll for House Majority PAC has Democrat Cait Conley ahead of Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., 51% to 45%, in their race for a competitive New York district.

Axios: “Republicans are dramatically boosting campaign spending on Senate races in red states that, until recently, looked safely out of Democrats’ reach in the November midterms.”

White House

• President Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off trade with Spain, calling Madrid a “terrible partner” in NATO at the summit on Wednesday. Spain has declined to agree to the alliance’s new defense spending target of 5% of GDP. — Reuters
• Trump also revisited his grievances with Europe over his efforts to control Greenland and threatened to withdraw US troops from the continent, even as NATO members announced billions in defense deals to satisfy him.

Congress