Trump Leaves Behind a Reeling Washington
“President Trump is heading to Asia on Friday evening at a moment of turmoil at home: He has deployed an aircraft carrier to Latin America, cut off trade talks with Canada, razed the East Wing of the White House, cheered on the closure of the federal government and sent the National Guard to several American cities,” the New York Times reports.
“But for the next six days, Mr. Trump is putting down his sledgehammer and embarking on a diplomatic tour, testing his role as a statesman and negotiator as he pursues a trade deal with China to end a dispute that has harmed both economies.”
Mike Johnson Marginalizes Congress and Himself
New York Times: “Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to put the House on an indefinite hiatus that is now stretching into its second month while the government is shut down is the latest in a series of moves he has made that have diminished the role of Congress and shrunken the speakership at a critical moment.”
“It’s an approach born of political expedience that could have far-reaching consequences for an institution that has already ceded much of its power to President Trump. And Mr. Johnson, who without the president’s backing wields little influence over his own members, has chosen to make himself subservient to Mr. Trump, a break with many speakers of the past who sought in their own ways to act more as a governing partner with the president than as his underling.”
Axios: House lawmakers flirt with COVID-era work levels.
Trump Pitches Meeting With Kim Jong Un
“Departing for his first Asia trip of his second term, President Trump publicly called for a meeting with a regional leader not on his diplomatic itinerary: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to Malaysia, reiterated his openness to meeting Kim, asking the media to ‘put out the word.’ Trump concludes his multi-stop trip to Asia in South Korea, where the president would be within roughly 250 miles from the Korean Demilitarized Zone—site of the two leaders’ last face-to-face encounter in 2019.”
Justice Department Will Monitor Elections
“The Trump administration said on Friday that the Justice Department will monitor polling sites in California and New Jersey ahead of the Nov. 4 election, amid requests by Republican Party officials in those states,” the New York Times reports.
“Although election monitoring by the Justice Department is not uncommon, it will likely heighten tensions as voters weigh in on some of the nation’s most closely watched races. President Trump has pushed the Justice Department to pursue parts of his agenda, including going after his political enemies, which has eroded its traditional independence.”
Republicans Unaware of Candidate’s Views on Women
A Kentucky Republican official said the committee that recently selected Calvin Leach (R) as the GOP’s state Senate District 37 nominee was not aware of a blog post he authored that described women in vulgar and sexist terms, the Louisville Courier Journal reports.
Leach lamented his “encounter with the dating scene” and referred to women as “promiscuous skanks” who have been “put on a pedestal by society” and only date for personal gain.
He added: “These girls are soulless parasites. Don’t walk away. Run.”
The Populist Who Won’t Step Aside
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Can You Get a Perfect Score?
So far, just 8.9% of today’s news quiz takers have gotten every question right. Can you compete?
Ontario to Pause Anti-Tariff Ad
“The Ontario government plans to stop running the anti-tariff advertisement that irked President Donald Trump after airing it during broadcasts of baseball’s World Series,” Bloomberg reports.
“The government-funded ad, which featured excerpts of late US President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs, will stop appearing after Friday and Saturday’s games, following Trump’s criticism of it.”
Eleanor Holmes Norton Scammed in Her Home
Washington, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) was scammed in her home by people who said they were part of a cleaning crew, NBC Washington reports.
The suspects charged almost $4,400 to her credit card for work they did not perform.
A police report described Norton as having the “early stages of dementia.”
Minor Parties Gain Ground as States Ease Restrictions
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Trump to Name Ballroom After Himself
President Trump will likely name his new $300 million White House ballroom after himself, ABC News reports.
Already, officials are referring to it as “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom.”
Trump Sanctions Colombia’s President
President Trump’s administration announced sanctions on the president of Colombia, intensifying a clash with the Latin American country over alleged drug trafficking, Bloomberg reports.
Trump has assailed Colombian President Gustavo Petro as an “illegal drug leader,” accusing him of allowing narcotics trafficking to flourish under his reign and threatening to impose U.S. sanctions on Colombian exports.
Speaking of Inflation
President Trump has now raised the estimated price of his White House ballroom construction to $350 million.
It was $200 million just a few days ago.
Trump Pushes for ‘Golden Fleet’ of Navy Warships
“President Trump has said he wants a whole new fleet of warships. And now they have a name,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Senior White House and Navy officials are in early discussions to replace the current mix of warships with a new ‘Golden Fleet’ that would be better suited to counter China and other potential future threats.”
“Trump, who has previously criticized the look of modern warships, is involved in the plans and has had multiple conversations with Navy officials about the new vessels.”
White House Says Hands Tied on Food Stamps
“The Trump administration does not believe it can shuffle money around to fund SNAP benefits into November,” Punchbowl News reports.
“The White House has spent the last few weeks trying to figure out if it could backfill SNAP accounts before they run out of money Nov. 1. But White House officials determined they do not have the authority to do so… Democrats will certainly disagree with this analysis.”
Axios: USDA says it can’t use emergency funds for food stamps.
Trump Clears the Way for New China Tariffs
“Donald Trump triggered a new bout of global trade turmoil on Friday, as his administration cleared the way for new tariffs on China and the U.S. president lashed out at Canada, a day after having cut off talks with his country’s northern neighbor,” the Financial Times reports.
Trump Rips Out Presidents’ Historic Trees
Daily Beast: “Satellite imagery shows that six trees, including southern magnolias commemorating presidents Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt, were axed or removed from the White House grounds this week as Trump abruptly demolished the East Wing.”
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