Rep. Mark Walter (R-NC), a top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, is seeking more details from the Navy on recent reports of so-called “unidentified aerial phenomenon,” including what resources it is applying to investigate the mysterious sightings and whether it has “found physical evidence or otherwise” to substantiate them, Politico reports.
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Trump Says He Wants to ‘Rein In’ Intelligence Agencies
President Trump defended his choice for the next U.S. spy chief as someone who could “rein in” intelligence agencies that “have run amok,” fueling concerns Trump seeks assessments that support his own views, Reuters reports.
Said Trump: “I think we need somebody like that in there. We need somebody strong that can rein it in. Because, as I think you’ve all learned, the intelligence agencies have run amok. They have run amok.”
Trump Says ‘Everybody Is Called a Racist Now’
President Trump told C-SPAN that he is not a racist and that the word is “overused” even as he continues to deploy it against his critics.
Said Trump: “I think the word has really gone down a long way because everybody’s called a racist now.”
He added: “The word is so overused. It’s such a disgrace. And I can tell you I’m the least racist person there is in the world, as far as I’m concerned.”
Eliot Engel Backs Impeachment Inquiry
“Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), who chairs the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, called for a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump on Tuesday, becoming one of the highest-ranking members of Congress to do so,” the New York Daily News reports.
“Engel, whose committee is one of six House panels probing Trump and his administration for various wrongdoing, said in a statement that former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony last week made him jump on board the impeachment train.”
Reagan’s Long-Hidden Racist Conversation with Nixon
Tim Naftali: “The day after the United Nations voted to recognize the People’s Republic of China, then–California Governor Ronald Reagan phoned President Richard Nixon at the White House and vented his frustration at the delegates who had sided against the United States.”
Said Reagan to Nixon: “Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did. To see those, those monkeys from those African countries—damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes!”
“The exchange was taped by Nixon, and then later became the responsibility of the Nixon Presidential Library, which I directed from 2007 to 2011. When the National Archives originally released the tape of this conversation, in 2000, the racist portion was apparently withheld to protect Reagan’s privacy.”
Are Democrats Moving Too Far Left?
“So far, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds, the answer is no. Views of the Democratic Party, in fact, haven’t really budged in more than four years. The share of Americans calling the Democrats ‘too extreme,’ which stood at 41% in November 2014, now stands at an identical 41%, with only minimal fluctuation in the interim.”
McConnell Cranks Up Pressure on Budget Vote
“Senate Republican leaders and President Trump are working to whip up support for their bipartisan, $2.7 trillion budget deal, hoping to stave off embarrassing defections ahead of a vote that’s splitting the party,” Politico reports.
“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Whip John Thune are trying to persuade undecided rank-and-file senators to avoid a replay of last week’s debacle in the House, when roughly two-thirds of House Republicans opposed the deal… Trump is ‘strategically’ making calls to on-the-fence members.”
Trump May Want to Focus on New Spy Chief’s District
If Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) is responsible for poverty and crime in his congressional district, as President Trump has claimed for the last few days, then the Washington Post notes there is some bad news for the president about his pick to be Director of National Intelligence, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX): On a number of metrics, Ratcliffe’s district is doing even worse.
Trump Shares Twitter Accounts Linked to QAnon
“President Trump on Tuesday promoted two Twitter accounts that have shown support for the online conspiracy theory known as QAnon, amplifying the fringe accounts to his millions of followers,” the Washington Post reports.
The backstory: “QAnon centers on the idea that an anonymous government official, or ‘Q,’ has been secretly sharing messages and symbols that serve as evidence of a hidden plot to overthrow Trump. Those who believe in QAnon parse tweets, photos and other online content for hidden meanings, or ‘crumbs’ — and signs that Trump knows and supports their cause.”
McConnell Incensed with ‘Moscow Mitch’ Nickname
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “is usually impervious to criticism, even celebrating the nasty nicknames that have been bestowed on him by critics,” the New York Times reports.
“But Mr. McConnell is incensed with his new moniker, ‘Moscow Mitch,’ and even more miffed that he has been called a ‘Russian asset’ by critics who accuse him of single-handedly blocking stronger election security measures after Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“There’s no strategy. I have no strategy. There’s zero strategy.”
— President Trump, quoted by The Hill, on his ongoing attacks on Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and the City of Baltimore.
Trump Thinks Biden Will Win Democratic Nomination
President Trump predicted that Joe Biden would win the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, The Hill reports.
Said Trump: “I think right now, it will be ‘Sleepy Joe.’ I feel he’ll limp across the line.”
He added: “So, what I think doesn’t mean anything, but I know the other people, I know him. I think he’s off his game by a lot, but personally, I think it’s going to be ‘Sleepy Joe.'”
Newsom Will Sign Trump Tax Return Bill
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) tells Yashar Ali that he has decided to sign a bill that would require all presidential and gubernatorial candidates to submit five years of tax returns in order to qualify for the primary ballot in California.
“This is unquestionably a bill directed toward and inspired by President Trump’s refusal to release copies of his tax returns. When Newsom signs the bill today, California will become the first state to require such a disclosure by law.”
Veering Left Might Just Work
John Harris: “Put a bunch of Democrats on the stage and they can’t help but go off the rails: They compete with each other to win the favor of liberal activists, and saddle themselves with unrealistic positions that could leave a nominee vulnerable in the general election.”
“That was a prevailing Washington media and political class narrative after the first round of Democratic debates in Miami a month ago. But as Democratic contenders gather on the stage again this week, a competing analysis is gaining power: Going a bit off the rails may be an entirely reasonable track to victory.”
Said pollster Stan Greenberg: “Candidates who look like they are cautious, modulating, have their foot on the brake, are missing the moment.”
“The moment, according to Greenberg’s polling and focus-group work, has left voters of all stripes clamoring for disruption. Cultural and ideological currents in society—more profound than any given day’s Trump uproars—are giving progressives a better opportunity than they have had in decades to play offense.”
DNC Rejects Yang Poll for Next Debate
The DNC has rejected a poll that Andrew Yang submitted to qualify for the September presidential debate, meaning the tech entrepreneur has yet to make the stage for the crucial showdown, The Hill reports.
“To qualify for the September debates, candidates must get 2 percent in at least four polls and receive support from 130,000 donors. Yang has met the donor threshold.
“Only seven candidates have qualified for the September debate so far, as the thresholds for making the stage are higher than those for the party’s earlier debates.”
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McSally Backs Nominee Accused of Sexual Assault
Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ), “who has spoken of her experience being sexually assaulted in the military, said that she does not believe the sexual assault allegation against President Trump’s nominee for vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” The Hill reports.
“McSally said Tuesday at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee that she had ‘full confidence’ in Gen. John Hyten, who has been accused by Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser of unwanted sexual advances, including kissing, hugging and rubbing, in 2017.”
Majority of Trump’s Trade Aid Went to Biggest Farms
A new study finds more than half of the Trump administration’s trade-war aid for farmers went to just one-tenth of the recipients in the program, Bloomberg reports.
