President Trump’s reelection campaign “is preparing an avalanche of TV ads targeting Joe Biden in early primary states — its most aggressive step yet to meddle in the Democratic nomination contest,” Politico reports.
Trump Floats Idea of His Own TV Network
President Trump proposed starting a news network to counter one of his favorite media targets, Politico reports.
Said Trump: “CNN is a voice that seems to be the voice out there. It’s a terrible thing for our country. We ought to start our own network and put some real news out there, because they are so bad for our country.”
He added: “We’re looking at that. We should do something about it, too. Put some really talented people and get a real voice out there, not a voice that’s fake.”
IRS Whistleblower Reported Interference in Audit
“An Internal Revenue Service official has filed a whistleblower complaint reporting that he was told at least one Treasury Department political appointee attempted to improperly interfere with the annual audit of the president or vice president’s tax returns,” the Washington Post reports.
“Trump administration officials dismissed the whistleblower’s complaint as flimsy because it is based on conversations with other government officials. But congressional Democrats were alarmed by the complaint, now circulating on Capitol Hill, and flagged it to a federal judge.”
The Mad King’s Enablers
Adam Serwer: “Elected Republicans know that Trump is unfit for office. The president’s own subordinates know that Trump is unfit for office. They know this, because when the president issues ridiculous orders, such as the demand that a leader of the opposition party be arrested, they ignore his demands. A nation in which the opposition cannot criticize the head of state without facing criminal sanction is not a democracy, but it is the kind of country over which Donald Trump would like to preside. The result is that American democracy rests on the willingness of bureaucrats to ignore the commands of their democratically elected chief executive.”
“Unable to defend the substance of the president’s extortion attempt, Republicans have turned to complaining about the process. But Thursday’s performance on the White House lawn renders those baseless complaints moot—the president just did publicly what the Democrats have accused him of doing privately. The only argument against removing Trump from office is that Trump’s raving is just Trump being Trump, and is not to be taken seriously. But the fact that the president’s madness must be ignored from time to time for America to continue to function as a democracy is an argument for, not against, his removal.”
“Although congressional Democrats and Republicans are divided on impeachment, there is vanishingly little disagreement on whether or not Trump abuses his authority or is fit to be president. The distinction is that, for the moment, Republicans appear not to care.”
Ukraine Envoy Told Giuliani Claims Weren’t Credible
Former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker told House investigators that he warned Rudy Giuliani, that Giuliani was receiving untrustworthy information from Ukrainian political figures about Joe Biden and his son, the Washington Post reports.
“Volker said he tried to caution Guiliani that his sources, including Ukraine’s former top prosecutor, were unreliable and that he should be careful about putting faith in the prosecutor’s stories.”
“Volker also said that he and other State Department officials cautioned the Ukrainians to steer clear of U.S. politics. Getting involved would open the nation up to allegations that they were interfering in an election and could be detrimental to Ukraine long-term.”
Pence Agrees Biden Should Be Investigated
Vice President Mike Pence offered a full-throated defense of President Trump’s call for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son’s dealings with Ukraine, Reuters reports.
Said Pence: “My predecessor had a son who was paid $50,000 a month to be on a Ukrainian board at the time that Vice President Biden was leading the Obama administration’s efforts in Ukraine, I think that is worth looking into.”
Pence also took aim at Democrats generally for what he termed as “endless investigations” of Trump.
Diplomats Warned About Withholding Ukraine Aid
In newly disclosed text messages shared with Congress, U.S Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker at the time wrote to a group of other American diplomats that “I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign,” ABC News reports.
“In the exchange, the concerns are expressed by Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine. Gordon Sondland, the United States Ambassador to the European Union, responds to Taylor, saying, ‘Bill, I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions. The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo’s of any kind. The President is trying to evaluate whether Ukraine is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that President Zelensky promised during his campaign.'”
“Sondland then suggests to the group take the conversations off line, typing ‘I suggest we stop the back and forth by text.’ It’s unclear if the conversation continues.”
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em — Move
Roll Call: “Former Texas Rep. Pete Sessions on Thursday became the third former Republican congressman to announce a 2020 comeback bid in a different district from the one he previously served, joining Darrell Issa of California and Bobby Schilling, who once represented Illinois and now is running in Iowa.”
White House Hints at U.S. Probe of Biden
The White House sent out its general-public newsletter “with a very conspicuous line buried in a series of talking points on the rapidly escalating scandal that has President Trump on the verge of an impeachment vote,” the Daily Beast reports.
From the newsletter: “This year, President Trump has asked Ukraine to fully cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation into the actions of former Vice President Joe Biden and his family in Ukraine.”
“No such investigation into the Bidens has been publicly announced, and neither the DOJ nor the White House responded to inquiries about the statement. But then, at some point… the version on the White House website was quietly edited. It now says that the president ‘has asked Ukraine to fully cooperate with any Justice Department investigation into the actions of former Vice President Joe Biden and his family in Ukraine.'”
Biden Makes Ad Buy in the Early States
“Joe Biden is committing to $6 million worth of television and digital advertising in the first four states on the 2020 election-year calendar,” the AP reports.
“Elizabeth Warren recently announced a $10 million advertising commitment in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, where Biden is now focusing his ad buys.”
The Impeachers
On my reading list: The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation by Brenda Wineapple.
A very timely book.
Schiff Says Trump Breached His Oath of Office Again
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) told reporters that President Trump’s call for China to investigate Joe Biden is “repugnant” and “ought to be condemned by every member” of Congress, Axios reports.
Said Schiff: “A president of the United States encouraging a foreign nation to interfere again to help his campaign by investigating a rival is a fundamental breach of the presidential oath.”
For members: My Conversation with Adam Schiff
Dissenting GOP Lawmakers Face Viral Disinformation
Washington Post: “The flood of baseless attacks and misleading innuendo buffeting Romney, which began after he became a rare Republican to express concern about Trump’s interactions with the Ukrainian president, serves as a preview of the viral attacks likely to be unleashed on GOP lawmakers if they buck their president during an impeachment showdown that Trump has denounced as a coup.”
“Holding the line on impeachment, particularly by pressuring Republicans to remain in lockstep behind Trump, has quickly become the core mission of a squadron of pro-Trump television personalities, talk radio hosts, conservative blogs, fringe Facebook groups and Twitter accounts. Together, these voices form an alternative worldview, built on hostility to mainstream media and capable of shaping the information consumed by core Republican voters.”
Ex-GOP Lawmaker Says Party on Wrong Side of History
Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) demanded that Republicans in Congress “unequivocally” condemn President Trump’s call for Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Biden and his son, The Hill reports.
Said Curbelo: “This is unacceptable. Republicans must condemn it unequivocally. Time is running out for them to get on the right side of history. Our institutions and being diminished in a very dangerous way.”
Trump Says McConnell Assured Him on Phone Call
President Trump says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told him he sees no problem with the phone call to the Ukraine president that is the center of an impeachment inquiry, McClatchy reports.
Trump told reporters McConnell considers Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “the most innocent phone call” that he’s read.
Trump Trails All Top Democrats In Ohio
A new Emerson poll in Ohio finds all three leading Democrats beating President Trump.
Bernie Sanders leads Trump 53% to 47%, Joe Biden is ahead 53% to 47% and Elizabeth Warren beats him 52% to 48%.
McCarthy Asks Pelosi to Halt Impeachment Probe
Within an hour of President Trump publicly declaring that the Chinese and Ukrainian governments should investigate Joe Biden and his son, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter to halt the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry.
Kamala Goes Small In Iowa
“Nine months ago, Kamala Harris launched her campaign in front of 22,000 fans — then followed up with town halls that spilled out of rooms,” Politico reports.
“Now she’s planning to have dinner with individual families in Iowa.”
“After a summer of backsliding in the polls, Harris has scheduled a series of intimate meetings designed to recapture the success of her earliest days as a politician.”
