Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Associated Press

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had “low confidence” in the potential Iranian assassination threat against President Trump that sparked a secret operation to fly the president on an unmarked plane. That’s according to new reporting from The Washington Post.

Apparently, Israel alerted U.S. intelligence of the threat, but CIA analysts were skeptical of it.

Yes, but: CBS News reports that U.S. and Turkish intelligence picked up on an Iranian plot to hit Air Force One with a surface-to-air missile — and believed it was credible.

New details of the operation are trickling out:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flew on the decoy Air Force One without the president, according to The Associated Press.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House aides Natalie Harp, Walt Nauta and Dan Scavino were on the secret plane with Trump.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is stepping down from her role.

Why?: To spend more time with her two young children. “The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary,” Leavitt posted.  Read Leavitt’s full post

Trump is the one to first make the announcement: Trump said Leavitt will now serve as one of his “top outside advisers.” He also noted her decision is one “I totally understand and respect!”  Read Trump’s full post

The BBC published a list of possible contenders to replace Leavitt as White House press secretary. The list includes: Alina Habba, Katie Miller, Anna Kelly, Sage Steele, Steven Cheung, Tricia McLaughlin and Scott Jennings. Read bios for each

However, CNN’s Stephen Collinson argues Leavitt “might be impossible for Trump to replace.”

How so?: “But she is far more than a spokesperson. Leavitt understands the Trump id. She’s been a leader in his second-term assault on Washington institutions of accountability — in this case, the Beltway press. Just like the boss, she broke the mold of her position. And with relentless trolling of reporters, she’s exposed the fractures of traditional journalism in the social media age.” Read more

Former Trump spokesperson Mike Dubke told CNN that he is “surprised” Leavitt is leaving without a replacement named. Dubke noted that when she was on maternity leave, there wasn’t a deputy taking over. Instead, a rotating cast of Trump administration officials jumped in.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) made an interesting comment about the future of the Democratic Party. She was asked about some of the more inflammatory comments from the left wing of her party. She responded, “Woke 1 was crazy,” and laughed.

That’s a quote from a New York City Council member, but Ocasio-Cortez’s laugh was telling.

Amie Parnes’s analysis: “The moment, political observers say, was consequential because while she borrowed the phrase, Ocasio-Cortez’s laugh underscored a shift of sorts by a Democratic Party that is trying to figure out how to move on from the woke era. It is a party that seemingly wants to rebuild itself with progressive positions but does not want to be defined by the most extreme examples of cancel culture.”

Read Parnes’s reporting: ‘Ocasio-Cortez signals Democratic intention to move on from woke era’

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong unexpectedly lost Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor this week despite polls showing her with a big lead.

Well, The Atlantic’s Helen Lewis argues this was a good thing for Democrats, arguing Hong was a “profoundly flawed candidate in an important race.”

Excerpt: “Even the leaders of her own faction of the Democratic Party recognized it, and stayed away: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders apparently know a lemon when they see one. Her narrow loss is a positive reflection on the progressive luminaries’ judgment, as well as a demonstration that the party mainstream eventually managed to sort out a messy and dispiriting primary.”

Read more: ‘AOC Knows a Lemon When She Sees One’

While the map still favors Republicans to keep control of the Senate, here are the current rankings of which Republican Senate seats could flip to Democratic control: North Carolina, Maine, Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, Texas, Kansas and Nebraska. Read our latest analysis

The Texas Senate race is neck and neck: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and state Rep. James Talarico (D) are essentially tied in the Texas Senate race, according to a new Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey. The margin of error is roughly 3 percentage points. This is one of the most closely watched and expensive races of the midterms.

Trump’s approval takes another hit: President Trump’s approval dropped again this week. Just 33 percent of respondents said they approve of how Trump has handled his job as president, according to the latest survey from The Economist/YouGov.  The full poll