President Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, “is trying to prevent federal investigators from using materials the FBI seized in a search of his Manhattan office, apartment and hotel room this week,” the AP reports.
Warren Raises $3 Million In Small Donations
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), “the most prolific fund-raiser in the Senate, raised more than a million dollars a month in the first three months of the year, and more than 10 times what each of her Republican opponents raised during the same period,” the Boston Globe reports.
“Warren’s campaign says the $3.12 million amassed during the year’s first quarter gives her an eye-popping total of $15 million cash in the bank more than six months before Election Day.”
“Even more disheartening for her Republican rivals: Her fund-raising tally — and the gulf with her opponents — could easily grow larger.”
Jordan May Run for House Speaker
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), “a prominent and polarizing conservative leader, is strongly considering a run for House speaker in a bid that could upend the race to succeed Paul Ryan,” the Washington Post reports.
USA Today: “It is unlikely that Jordan could get enough votes to win the speakership himself, but he could get the support of dozens of his hardline colleagues which would make winning the speakership more difficult for other, more establishment candidates.”
How Will the Mueller Investigation End?
Asha Rangappa, a former FBI special agent and frequent CNN contributor, joins Chris Riback for a great discussion about where special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation is going and where it might end up.
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Thanks to the Cook Political Report for sponsoring this podcast.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I’m a germaphobe. There’s no way I would let people pee on each other around me, no way.”
— Donald Trump, as quoted by James Comey in A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, denying allegations made in the Steele dossier.
Trump Slams Comey as a ‘Slime Ball’
President Trump attacked former FBI Director James Comey on Twitter:
James Comey is a proven LEAKER & LIAR. Virtually everyone in Washington thought he should be fired for the terrible job he did-until he was, in fact, fired. He leaked CLASSIFIED information, for which he should be prosecuted. He lied to Congress under OATH. He is a weak and untruthful slime ball who was, as time has proven, a terrible Director of the FBI. His handling of the Crooked Hillary Clinton case, and the events surrounding it, will go down as one of the worst “botch jobs” of history. It was my great honor to fire James Comey!
Comey’s memoir, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, is out next week.
Cuomo Holds Big Lead Over Nixon
A new Marist poll in New York finds Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) leading challenger Cynthia Nixon (D) in a Democratic primary, 68% to 21%, with 11% still undecided.
Four years ago, when Zephyr Teachout (D) challenged Cuomo, he received 62% of the vote in the primary to 34% for Teachout.
Quote of the Day
“I’m very happy. I’ve not had a moment of regret or remorse. Every morning it’s hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, this is not my problem.”
— Former Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), in an interview on the Today Show, about retirement.
Americans Overwhelmingly Back Mueller’s Investigation
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds the public by a broad 69% to 25% supports special counsel Robert Mueller’s initial thrust, to investigate possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russian government attempts to influence the 2016 election.
Backing for Mueller’s work goes further: Americans by 64% to 32% also support his investigating Trump’s business activities. And by 58% to 35% support investigators’ latest apparent direction, looking at allegations that Trump’s associates paid hush money to women who say they had affairs with him.
Republicans Move to Shore Up Deep Red Seats
“Republicans are rushing to shore up congressional seats deep in the heart of Trump country as they come to an alarming realization: In this midterm election, few GOP lawmakers are safe,” Politico reports.
“GOP leaders are pressing Republicans lawmakers in conservative areas to get their sluggish campaigns in order. They’re pleading with major donors to open their wallets for incumbents in seats previously thought to be secure. And they’re polling districts President Trump won comfortably just a year-and-a-half ago, searching for signs of trouble.”
“While most of the party’s efforts have been focused on defending swing districts, Republicans are increasingly turning their attention to more conservative areas, from suburban Phoenix to rural Virginia, fearful that they too could be casualties of a midterm bloodbath.”
White House May Try to Claw Back $60 Billion
Politico: “The White House is ignoring warnings from worried Hill Republicans and moving ahead with plans to cut billions of dollars from the massive spending bill that Congress passed in late March, after President Donald Trump has spent weeks grousing about the legislation.”
“These officials anticipate the White House could propose slashing anywhere from $30 billion to $60 billion dollars from the $1.3 trillion dollar spending bill passed for this year — even as Republican lawmakers are openly asking the president not to re-open the negotiation.”
Playbook: “There is not enough appetite in Congress, particularly in the Senate. The House will take this up. The Senate will ignore it. And it won’t become law.”
Trump Will Likely Pardon Scooter Libby
President Trump is poised to pardon Scooter Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, ABC News reports.
“The move would mark another controversial pardon for Trump and could raise questions as an increasing number of the president’s political allies have landed themselves in legal jeopardy. The White House has repeatedly said that no pardons are currently on the table for people caught up in the Russia investigation.”
Cohen May Have Taped Conversations
President Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen “sometimes taped conversations with associates… and allies of the president are worried that the recordings were seized by federal investigators in a raid of Cohen’s office and residences this week,” the Washington Post reports.
“Cohen was known to store the conversations using digital files and then replay them for colleagues.”
Trump, Cohen Seek Pause of Stormy Daniels Lawsuit
President Trump and his personal attorney Michael Cohen “will be filing an application on Friday to pause the Stormy Daniels lawsuit,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“The case appeared to be headed towards arguments about whether it should be arbitrated, but thanks to a stunning FBI raid on Cohen’s office and residence earlier this week, the lawsuit is now taking an abrupt turn.”
In a filing in California federal court today, the parties told the judge that the application to stay the case will be made “on the grounds that an ongoing criminal investigation overlaps with the facts of this case, and implicates Defendant Michael Cohen’s Fifth Amendment rights.”
Indiana Republican Locked Out of Database
Indiana U.S. Senate candidate Todd Rokita (R) “likely violated ethics laws as Indiana’s secretary of state by repeatedly accessing a Republican donor database from his government office, prompting party officials to lock him out of the system until he angrily complained,” the AP reports.
Trump-Mueller Interview Talks Dissolved After Raid
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office and President Trump’s legal team “are now proceeding with strategies that presume a presidential interview will likely not take place as part of the Russia investigation, after months of talks between the two sides collapsed earlier this week,” NBC News reports.
“The prospects for a presidential interview drastically dimmed once the FBI raided the home, office and hotel room of Trump’s long-time personal lawyer, Michael Cohen on Monday… The president criticized the raid as out of bounds in Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump aides.”
Republican Holds Lead In Arizona Special Election
A new Predictive Insights poll in Arizona finds Debbie Lesko (R) leading Hiral Tipirneni (D) in the Arizona 8th congressional district special election, 53% to 43%.
Court Questions Dual Roles of Mulvaney
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney “privately fumed on Thursday that his own staff had been leaking confidential information ‘to make me look bad,’ hours after a federal appeals court questioned whether he could legally run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while simultaneously heading the budget office,” the New York Times reports.
“The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit expressed support for the president’s legal right to appoint an interim director of the consumer agency. But two of the three jurists — Patricia A. Millett and Judith W. Rogers, both Democratic appointees — raised doubts about Mr. Mulvaney’s dual roles, citing the legal provision that created the bureau, which called for it to be completely independent from other agencies.”
