Political Wire

Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!

What Will Cause the Next Recession?

August 4, 2018 at 5:09 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Neil Irwin: “The economic expansion in the United States celebrated its ninth birthday last month. If it survives another year, it will be the longest on record.”

“But eventually something will kill it. The question is what, and when.”

“While it’s impossible to predict the details or timing of the next recession with any confidence, we can identify some emerging threats to the expansion — and with a bit of imagination, picture how the recession of 2020 (or 2022, or whatever year it ends up being) may unfold.”

Privately Brooding and Publicly Roaring

August 4, 2018 at 4:33 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“In private, President Trump spent much of the past week brooding, like he often does. He has been anxious about the Russia investigation’s widening fallout, with his former campaign chairman now standing trial. And he has fretted that he is failing to accrue enough political credit for what he claims as triumphs,” the Washington Post reports.

“At rare moments of introspection for the famously self-centered president, Trump has also expressed to confidants lingering unease about how some in his orbit — including his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. — are ensnared in the Russia probe, in his assessment simply because of their connection to him.”

“Yet in public, Trump is a man roaring. The president, more than ever, is channeling his internal frustration and fear into a ravenous maw of grievance and invective. He is churning out false statements with greater frequency and attacking his perceived enemies with intensifying fury.”

Shade

August 4, 2018 at 2:03 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This looks really great: Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents by Pete Souza.

“Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions. Here, more than one hundred of Souza’s unforgettable images of President Obama deliver new power and meaning when framed by the tweets, news headlines, and quotes that defined the first 500 days of the Trump White House.”

Trump Slams LeBron James After Interview

August 4, 2018 at 10:55 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump hurled insults at Lebron James in a Friday night tweet after the basketball star criticized him in an interview with CNN.

Said Trump: “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do.”

He concluded with an apparent reference to basketball legend Michael Jordan and the debate of who is the best basketball player of all time, saying: “I like Mike!”

The Democrats Most Likely to Win In 2020

August 4, 2018 at 10:33 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

It’s important to acknowledge up front that President Trump has a very good chance to win reelection, primarily because every president has a very good chance to win reelection. Most incumbents win a second term unless the country is mired in recession or war.

Join now to continue reading.

Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

Quote of the Day

August 4, 2018 at 9:20 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The most bizarre thing I’ve ever been a part of.”

— Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap (D), quoted by the Washington Post, on President Trump’s “voter fraud” panel.

The Newseum Is Selling ‘Fake News’ T-Shirts

August 4, 2018 at 9:18 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Newseum in Washington, D.C., which is “dedicated to the importance of a free press and the first amendment,” sells “You are very fake news” T-shirts on its website, the Washington Post reports.

“The museum also sells Make America Great Again hats and other items that could appeal to supporters of President Trump, who popularized the term ‘fake news’ and frequently battles with news outlets and reporters he says are unfair to him.”

Senators Complain About Shortened Recess

August 4, 2018 at 9:10 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “Veteran senators on both sides of the aisle are angry about the decision because it feeds the idea that they just want a long vacation and that Congress is a lazy institution that just needs to work harder.”

“For western state senators, such as Murkowski and Murray, it’s a major disruption to their routine and affects their interactions with constituents. This will make them, they say, worse off as senators, less understanding of their constituents’ needs.”

“Most lawmakers agree that the problems of this Congress will not be solved by more days in session and more time together. Instead, they say the institution needs to foster better relations so the two sides work better together — which would, most likely, lead to less time in the Capitol and a more productive body.”

U.N. Says North Korea Has Not Stopped Nuclear Program

August 4, 2018 at 8:51 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new United Nations report finds that North Korea “has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and is violating U.N. sanctions including by ‘a massive increase in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products,'” the AP reports.

“A summary of the report by experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against North Korea, which was sent to the Security Council Friday night… said North Korea is also violating sanctions by transferring coal at sea and flouting an arms embargo and financial sanctions.”

Warren Says Justice System is Racist ‘Front to Back’

August 4, 2018 at 8:44 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) delivered what she called “the hard truth about our criminal justice system: It’s racist… I mean front to back,” the AP reports.

“While speaking at a historically black college, the Massachusetts senator identified some of the system’s failures: disproportionate arrests of African-Americans for petty drug possession; an overloaded public defender system; and state laws that keep convicted felons from voting even after their sentences are complete.”

Democrats Warned Not to Use ZTE, Huawei Devices

August 4, 2018 at 8:27 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Democratic National Committee warned party candidates running in November elections not to use devices made by Chinese telecommunications companies ZTE Corp and Huawei Technologies because they pose a security risk,” Reuters reports.

GOP Grumbles as Trump Hits Campaign Trail

August 4, 2018 at 8:08 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump’s strategy of becoming aggressively involved in the midterm elections is prompting concern among some Republicans who worry he’s complicating the political calculus for GOP candidates trying to outrun his popularity,” the AP reports.

“Those Republicans worry their statewide candidates may rise or fall based on Trump’s standing, muddling their path to maintain control of Congress.”

“But Trump has no plans to step out of the spotlight. He will hold a rally Saturday in Ohio and plans to host two fundraisers at the Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey, next week for House and Senate candidates.”

A Trump Pardon Looks Like Manafort’s Best Bet

August 4, 2018 at 6:04 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

HuffPost: “Amid the headline-grabbing details about Manafort’s extravagant spending ― the $15,000 ostrich jacket, the thousands of dollars worth of suits, the red flowers in the shape of an ‘M’ ― prosecutors’ narrative about Manafort’s shady financial dealings is going to be difficult to refute.”

“Given the way the trial is unfolding ― and with yet another trial still on the agenda for Manafort in the District of Columbia ― hoping for a pardon or commutation from Trump might be Manafort’s best bet.”

Warren Hints at 2020 Bid

August 3, 2018 at 10:40 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“During her Friday afternoon keynote address at Netroots Nation, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) seemingly hinted at the possibility that she could run for president in 2020,” the Daily Beast reports.

Said Warren: “It won’t be easy. We’re going to have to fight uphill. Me? I’m going up that hill. And I hope you are, too. And I hope that you’ll reach your hand out and bring someone else along for the climb.”

Files Contradict Trump’s Claims of Voter Fraud

August 3, 2018 at 10:37 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “A review of nearly 2,000 documents from President Trump’s now-defunct Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity contradicts claims of widespread voter fraud, Maine’s secretary of state said Friday.”

“Matt Dunlap, who was a part of the commission’s board, said the files showed no evidence to support such assertions.”

Manafort Was Deep In Debt When He Joined Campaign

August 3, 2018 at 10:33 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Mr. Manafort’s work running the campaign is the backdrop to his federal bank and tax fraud trial in Northern Virginia. Prosecutors are not addressing that work. But as they present evidence that he was growing desperate for money, the question of why Mr. Manafort, now 69, agreed to an unpaid job for Mr. Trump has become increasingly tantalizing.”

“While his trial is unlikely to reveal the answer, there is evidence that Mr. Manafort saw Mr. Trump’s campaign as a potential loss leader — an upfront freebie that he could use to boost his stature and eventually parlay into more work for foreign clients. After working decades earlier for Bob Dole, George Bush, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, Mr. Manafort viewed the Trump campaign as a chance to return to prominence on the biggest stage in American politics, his associates said.”

Alleged Russian Agent Socialized with Trump Aide

August 3, 2018 at 10:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Maria Butina, the Russian gun-rights activist who was charged last month with working as an unregistered agent of the Kremlin, socialized in the weeks before the 2016 election with a former Trump campaign aide who anticipated joining the presidential transition team, emails show, putting her in closer contact with President Trump’s orbit than was previously known,” the Washington Post reports.

“Butina sought out interactions with J.D. Gordon, who served for six months as the Trump campaign’s director of national security before leaving in August 2016 and being offered a role in the nascent Trump transition effort.”

Trade Deficit Soars Under Trump

August 3, 2018 at 5:49 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The United States trade deficit widened in June and is on track to be the biggest in a decade despite President Trump’s efforts to slash it,” the Washington Post reports.

“For the first half of 2018, the trade deficit in goods and services hit $291.2 billion, the federal government reported Friday, which is higher than last year and puts the nation on track to have the largest annual deficit since 2008.”