Ira Glass

This is Ira Glass.

On This American Life, one thing we like is a good mystery.

Sometimes about really big things, but most times, the little mysteries are the best.

This is true.

Mysteries of every size, each week.

This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.

So in an overnight post on Wednesday, Trump made two demands.

They both show his relationship with Senate Republicans is breaking down.

Let's start with the first demand.

So why is he so controversial?

Yeah, he used his first role in the administration as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to assail folks who'd frustrated the president, like Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California and former Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Pulte accused Schiff of mortgage fraud, which Schiff denies, and Democrats are worried Pulte would do worse with access to the entire government surveillance toolkit.

Republicans are frustrated that he lacks any national security or intelligence background.

No, he says it's because he wants a backfill person in place.

But he also says the Senate is trying to deprive Pulte of a turn at the job.

Trump has said he wants Pulte to declassify 2020 election documents and fire folks at the DNI office.

The second is for Republicans to pass his election security law.

Senate Republicans have tried twice and failed twice because the Save America Act doesn't have enough support to become law.

As the top Senate Republican John Thune said, the U.S.

Senate is bound by arithmetic.