By Lara Seligman, Alexander Ward, Matt Berg and Eric Bazail-Eimil

The Pentagon is stepping up its efforts to pressure Sen. Tommy Tuberville to release his nine-month Hold on military promotions. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

With help from Connor O’Brien, Jordain Carney, Burgess Everett and Daniel Lippman

Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt

Now that Congress is back in town, the Pentagon is stepping up its efforts to pressure Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-Ala.) to finally release his nine-month hold on more than 300 military promotions, our own LARA SELIGMAN, PAUL MCLEARY and CONNOR O’BRIEN report.

The Defense Department dispatched the civilian leaders of three branches of the U.S. military to slam the senator for the blockade, first in a Washington Post op-ed Monday and then during a CNN interview Tuesday. Earlier today, DOD took the rare step of putting out a news story highlighting the hold’s impact on its official media webpage. Also this week, the Pentagon released a slate of new Senior nominations, including for the Air Force vice chief of staff.

During the CNN interview, Navy Secretary CARLOS DEL TORO — a Cuban-born Navy veteran — went so far as to accuse Tuberville of “aiding and abetting communists.”

“For someone who was born in a communist country, I would have never imagined that actually one of our own senators would actually be aiding and abetting communists and other autocratic regimes around the world,” said Del Toro, speaking alongside Air Force Secretary FRANK KENDALL and Army Secretary CHRISTINE WORMUTH.

While DOD leaders have continued to talk publicly about the hold through the August recess, with Congress back the Pentagon is now engaged in a concerted effort to highlight to the American public how harmful the holds are, according to a senior DOD official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the strategy behind the media push.

“These holds are not tenable, and the longer it goes the more damaging it is to our readiness and to national security, and of course to our families who are in this limbo state,” said the official.

Meanwhile today, Marine Gen. ERIC SMITH, whose nomination to become the service’s top officer is among those blocked, added his voice to the chorus, telling an audience at the Defense News Conference in Washington that the situation “is not sustainable.” Smith, currently the Corps’ No. 2 officer, is also serving as the Marine commandant in an acting role until his confirmation goes through.

He said senior officers are often being forced to do two or three jobs due to the holds and unfilled positions, but “what doesn't stop is the clock. The adversary doesn't take a pause.”

For his part, Tuberville, who objects to the Pentagon’s new policy of reimbursing service members who must travel to obtain abortions and other reproductive care, has shown no signs of letting up despite the new pressure campaign. He shot back at Del Toro, saying attacking him "wasn't very smart to do."

"First of all, he should have called me. I have not talked to him about this," Tuberville told reporters today.

A message from Lockheed Martin:

Using Artificial Intelligence to help firefighters better detect, predict and fight wildfires.

Lockheed Martin is collaborating with commercial companies to integrate our technologies and expertise with their capabilities to help first responders detect, predict and fight wildfires. Learn more.

FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — SECRET UKRAINE INTEL BRIEFING: Senior Ukrainian intelligence officials privately briefed members of the Senate Intelligence Committee today, NatSec Daily learned (with our colleague BURGESS EVERETT’s help).

The discussion centered on Ukraine’s counteroffensive and Kyiv’s prospects for the war against Russia, one person familiar with its contents said. Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN’s hold on power after the Wagner Group’s mutiny, and YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN’s death, also came up.

Sens. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas) and JIM RISCH (R-Idaho) were in attendance, though we assume all, or nearly all, SSCI members showed up. We could not confirm who, exactly, briefed the lawmakers from the Ukrainian side.

The contents of closed SSCI sessions are rarely revealed. But the fact that the conversation took place shows how tightly connected Washington and Kyiv are. It also comes at an important moment for Ukraine as Congress weighs whether to pass $23 billion in more aid for the war effort.

DEPLETED-URANIUM TO UKRAINE: President JOE BIDEN's administration will send controversial depleted-uranium munitions to Kyiv for the first time as part of a new package of aid to be announced today, a U.S. official with knowledge of the discussions told Lara before the Pentagon formally announced the move.

The decision comes after months of debate over the armor-piercing rounds, which are expected to be highly effective against Russian tanks. While the U.K. has already sent the same type of ammunition to Ukraine to arm its Challenger 2 tanks, this marks the first time the U.S. is sending the rounds.

That coincides with Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN’s plan to announce more than $1 billion in new U.S. aid to Ukraine, including financial and humanitarian assistance, a senior State Department official told reporters, per The Associated Press. The Pentagon also announced a new $175 million military assistance package today.

Blinken visited Ukraine today amid a flurry of airstrikes, with one that killed at least 16 civilians after it hit a market in Kostyantynivka, an eastern city near the frontlines, Matt reports. Moscow also fired missiles at Kyiv overnight in the first aerial attack on the capital in almost a week, according to SERHII POPKO, head of the capital’s regional military administration.

RUSSIA-ARMENIA SPAT WORSENS: The Russian government is voicing its frustrations with Armenia after Yerevan and Washington announced they will hold major joint military exercises next week.

The move marks the latest escalation in a row between Armenia and Russia, as Yerevan seeks to distance itself from Moscow and forge better relations with the United States. Armenia also announced earlier this week that it sent aid to Ukraine and has been distancing itself from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Moscow-dominated NATO alternative Yerevan joined in the 1990s.

Kremlin spokesperson DMITRY PESKOV told reporters today that the drills are “cause for concern” and Moscow will “monitor the situation.”

The news also comes amid increased concerns within the U.S. government that neighboring Azerbaijan is committing genocide against the local Armenian population in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region located within Azerbaijan’s borders.

On Capitol Hill today, former International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor LUIS MORENO OCAMPO told lawmakers that U.S. inaction could constitute “complicity” in a genocide under international law.

Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of the first episodes in September – click here.

IT’S WEDNESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at [email protected] and [email protected], and follow us on X at @alexbward and @mattberg33.

While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, @JGedeon1 and @ebazaileimil.

TRUMP PROSECUTIONS: Former President DONALD TRUMP was warned that the FBI could search Mar-a-Lago, his residence in Palm Beach, Fla., as part of the government’s probe into his handling of classified documents, according to ABC’s KATHERINE FAULDERS and MIKE LEVINE.

According to voice notes created by ex-Trump attorney EVAN CORCORAN, which were reviewed by ABC News, Corcoran’s colleagues on the Trump legal team then advised Corcoran that Trump would go “ballistic” if pushed to comply with the subpoena. Prosecutors are alleging that those interactions were part of a conspiracy by the former president to hide the existence of classified documents from the FBI and Corcoran himself.

The revelations come as Vice President KAMALA HARRIS today defended efforts to hold Trump accountable for his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to The Associated Press’ CHRIS MEGERIAN. Speaking with the AP in Jakarta, Harris, a former prosecutor, said that “people should be held accountable under the law. And when they break the law, there should be accountability.”

‘DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED’: A coalition of civil liberties and privacy groups are laying out goalposts ahead of a meeting Thursday with Director of National Intelligence AVRIL HAINES and other intelligence community officials, saying they’ve been “deeply disappointed by the failure of government officials thus far to propose meaningful reforms to surveillance activities.” (Read the full letter, which hasn’t been previously reported.)

The letter concerns Section 702, a surveillance authority meant to target foreigners abroad, but which has caused controversy because it can also sweep Americans. Among the changes the outside groups are pushing for, our own JORDAIN CARNEY scoops, is a warrant requirement for U.S. person searches, preventing law enforcement from being able to purchase Americans’ “sensitive data” and other legislative or judicial safeguards.

The meeting is part of a broader effort by the outside groups to ramp up their 702 reform efforts as they try to make the case for significant changes ahead of an end-of-the-year deadline to reauthorize the program. And while the FBI has made reforms to the program in recent years, the letter underscores the gap that remains between the two sides of the debate (including their respective allies on Capitol Hill) in what is expected to be a contentious legislative fight.

MANILA DEVELOP: The Philippine navy is adding two former American boats to its fleet, just weeks after another clash with the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea, our friends at Morning Defense report (for Pros!).

The two former Cyclone-class patrol vessels, which the U.S. mainly used to patrol the Persian Gulf, will transform into Alvarez-class boats once they’re christened Sept. 11, according to the Philippine navy. The boats will join a fleet that is increasingly busy fighting off Chinese claims to disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea. In August, Chinese coast guard ships used water cannons to attack Philippine ships attempting to resupply the BRP Sierra Madre, a WWII-era transport ship.

The U.S. 7th Fleet’s Vice Adm. KARL THOMAS joined military leaders from Australia and Japan in Manila just days after the incident, where he said “our relationship with the Philippines is one of our most enduring. … There’s no country more aware of the threats being posed in the South China Sea. We will continue to strengthen our partnerships and look for more creative ways to operate together.”

MORE NOMINEES COMING: The Senate Armed Services committee plans to hear from two more of Biden's Joint Chiefs picks next week, our own CONNOR O’BRIEN writes in.

Gen. DAVID ALLVIN, nominee to be chief of staff of the Air Force, will testify at a hearing Tuesday. And Adm. LISA FRANCHETTI will appear at a confirmation hearing next Thursday. Both are certain to be caught in Tuberville's hold — and Franchetti is already leading the Navy on an acting basis.

Biden has also tapped Lt. Gen. JAMES SLIFE to succeed Allvin as the Air Force's second ranking officer.

CHRISTIE SLAMS GOP ON PUTIN: Former New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE slammed GOP rivals Trump, RON DeSANTIS and VIVEK RAMASWAMY on Tuesday night for their “naivety” toward Putin. The comments come as Christie and other more moderate Republican presidential candidates attempt to draw a contrast with their conservative rivals on foreign policy.

In an interview with CNN’s ANDERSON COOPER, Christie, who has visited Ukraine and has pledged to continue supporting Kyiv, said that Trump, DeSantis and Ramaswamy “all think they're going to go talk to Putin, and they're going to convince him to go away,” before arguing the U.S. needs to show Putin that “the juice is not worth the squeeze.” Christie also insisted the U.S. must stand up in the face of Russian atrocities in Ukraine.

JOIN US ON 9/12 FOR A TALK ON THE NEW AGE OF TRAVELING: In this new era of American travel, trending preferences like wellness tourism, alternative lodging and work-from-anywhere culture provide new but challenging opportunities for industry and policy leaders alike. Join POLITICO on Sept. 12 for an expert discussion examining how the resilience of the tourism and travel industries is driving post-pandemic recovery. REGISTER HERE.

— FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY: ROB GREENWAY has been promoted as director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense. He joined the conservative think tank in August as a senior adviser to VICTORIA COATES.

— SUE GORDON is joining the Pallas Foundation as president of the board of directors. Gordon retired in 2018 as principal deputy director of national intelligence.

— DARA MASSICOT will join the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program in mid-September. She is currently a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation.

— SCOTT BRAY was named NATO’s next assistant secretary general for intelligence and security. He’ll leave his post as the acting director of naval intelligence in the United States, where he’s accumulated expertise on China’s maritime operations.

— COLE BAKER is now a congressional affairs specialist at FEMA. He most recently was a senior information officer in the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance at USAID.

— MICHAEL BEARD is now chief of staff of the Office of Global Affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services. He most recently was executive director for U.N. Foundation advocacy at the United Nations Foundation.

— JEROME PICKETT is joining McDonald’s as VP and global chief security and intelligence officer. He most recently was a senior adviser at The Chertoff Group and is an alum of the NBA and CLEAR.

— BEN PURSER will join the Institute for Security and Technology as VP for geopolitical risk. He most recently worked on Meta’s strategic response team and led public policy programs, and is also a State Department alum.

— MARGARITA KONAEV and OWEN DANIELS, Foreign Affairs: The Russians Are Getting Better

— HEMANT TANEJA and FAREED ZAKARIA, Harvard Business Review: AI and the New Digital Cold War

— DANIEL HANDEL, Vox: We’re finally figuring out if foreign aid is any better than handing out cash

— The Peterson Institute for International Economics, 8 a.m.: What's next for China's economy?

— The United States Institute of Peace, 9:15 a.m.: AI and the Next Generation of Peacebuilders

— Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10:30 a.m.: A hearing on FY2024 budget priorities for the Western Hemisphere

— The Brookings Institution, 11 a.m.: Should the U.S. pursue a new cold war with China?

— Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1 p.m.: Woman, Life, Freedom: Iran's Mass Protest Movement, One Year On

Thanks to our editor, Emma Anderson, whom we would happily bash in op-ed pages and on television.

We also thank our producer, Emily Lussier, about whom we can only say nice things.

A message from Lockheed Martin:

Using Artificial Intelligence to help firefighters better detect, predict and fight wildfires.

Lockheed Martin is collaborating with commercial companies to integrate our technologies and expertise with their capabilities to help first responders detect, predict and fight wildfires. Learn more.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings

This email was sent to [email protected] by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.