Up First from NPR Trump Cabinet, DHS Funding, CPAC, Trump and Iran
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Mar 27, 2026 
Elena Moore, NPR political reporter on campaigns and conservative activism, joins Tamara Keith, senior White House correspondent, and Sam Greenglass, congressional reporter. They dig into the Senate deal to reopen most of DHS, Trump’s shifting Iran deadline and unclear path forward, and the mood at CPAC as Republicans rally behind him while weighing the political risks.
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DHS Deal Ends Shutdown Without Immigration Changes
- The Senate deal reopens most of DHS without changing immigration enforcement, letting Democrats avoid voting for ICE funding while winning none of their demanded reforms.
- TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and cybersecurity get funded through September, but ICE and Border Patrol do not despite Republicans having already given ICE $75 billion last summer.
Trump Searches for an Iran Off Ramp
- Trump is treating a small sign of movement as leverage to extend his Iran deadline again while markets signal growing anxiety about a drawn-out conflict.
- He cited eight oil tankers passing through Hormuz as proof talks were real, even as Iran downplayed negotiations and U.S. stocks had their worst day since the war began.
CPAC Reveals Trump's Grip and GOP Fractures
- CPAC showed that Trump still serves as the glue holding the GOP together, even as the Iran war exposes tension inside his coalition.
- Nearly 8 in 10 Republicans approve of Trump's war handling, but Elena Moore found less support among young voters and independents who helped him win in 2024.