Political Wire

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

Can Trump Deliver on North Korea?

May 22, 2018 at 7:14 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Associated Press: “Going into the North Korea meeting, senior administration officials say, the president has been almost singularly focused on the pageantry of the summit —including the suspenseful roll-out of details. He has not been deeply engaged in briefing materials on North Korea’s nuclear program, said three people with knowledge of the White House efforts.”

Washington Post: “Trump advisers have expressed alarm at Pyongyang’s hostile rhetoric and actions over the past week, questioning whether Kim is committed to pledges to seriously discuss denuclearization.”

Ryan Facing Growing Doubts About Hold on Speakership

May 22, 2018 at 7:09 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Top House Republicans are privately questioning whether retiring Speaker Paul Ryan can make it through Election Day. No one’s plotting to take him out at this point, and Ryan insists he’s not going anywhere. But rank-and-file Republicans, including moderates who’ve been unflinchingly loyal to Ryan during his three-year tenure, have become increasingly willing to defy the lame-duck leader. And White House officials have also discussed whether Ryan should remain in the job, administration sources said, though there is no effort by the Trump White House to push out Ryan.”

“The doubts have been fueled by a series of high-profile embarrassments for the Wisconsin Republican. The most recent was the collapse of the Republican farm bill on the House floor Friday. But centrist Republicans have also backed Ryan into a corner on immigration, the most contentious issue facing the party. And this week, those moderates are expected to reach the 218-vote threshold needed to force bipartisan votes to protect Dreamers — despite Ryan’s effort to stop them.”

Candidate Refuses to Quit After Abuse Discovery

May 21, 2018 at 8:39 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Archie Parnell (D), a Democratic congressional hopeful who earned national attention after nearly winning in deep red South Carolina last year, is resisting pleas to withdraw after his campaign staff discovered that he physically abused his ex-wife in the 1970s,” the Charleston Post & Courier reports.

“In October 1973, Archie Parnell, then a University of South Carolina student, was locked out of a friends’ apartment to protect Kathleen Parnell, who was staying there. At 2 a.m., Archie Parnell used a tire iron to break a glass door, the complaint said. He made more unspecified accusations to Kathleen Parnell before striking her several times. She said she was beaten again later that evening.”

Unknown number calling? It’s not random

The BBC caught scam call center workers on hidden cameras as they laughed at the people they were tricking.

The BBC caught scam call center workers on hidden cameras as they laughed at the people they were tricking. One worker bragged about making $250k from victims. The disturbing truth? Scammers don’t pick phone numbers at random. They buy your data from brokers.

Once your data is out there, it’s not just calls. It’s phishing, impersonation, and identity theft. That’s why I recommend Incogni: They delete your info from the web, monitor and follow up automatically, and continue to erase data as new risks appear. Try Incogni here and get 55% off your subscription with code POLITICALWIRE.

Note to readers: I use Incogni myself and highly recommend it.

Trump’s Strategy Is to Limit and Attack Investigators

May 21, 2018 at 8:28 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Frustrated and impatient, fed up with waiting and eager to fight back, President Trump has embarked on what amounts to a two-prong strategy to contain the threat and undercut the credibility of the escalating investigations targeting him and his associates,” the New York Times reports.

“The blizzard of Twitter messages combined with a string of public statements by his attorney, RudyGiuliani, in recent days seemed aimed at turning the focus away from the conduct of the president or his team to that of their pursuers while laying out a series of red lines to limit the reach and duration of the primary inquiry.”

China Calls Trump’s Bluff

May 21, 2018 at 8:23 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Chinese negotiators left Washington this weekend with a significant win: a willingness by the Trump administration to hold off for now on imposing tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese imports. China gave up little in return, spurning the administration’s nudges for a concrete commitment to buy more goods from the United States, and avoiding limits on its efforts to build new high-tech Chinese industries.”

“The trade fight is far from over. And large Chinese technology companies in particular could be vulnerable if the United States starts punching again, with administration officials appearing to back away from Mr. Trump’s pledges to help ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications company hit with severe American penalties.”

“Still, the latest round of negotiations showed that a confident China could be more than a match for divided American officials who have made often discordant demands.”

Trump Backs Down on Justice Department Threat

May 21, 2018 at 8:21 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The White House and the Justice Department have put off a high-stakes confrontation over the FBI’s use of a confidential source to aid an investigation into the Trump campaign, after top law enforcement and intelligence officials met with President Trump on Monday to discuss the brewing controversy,” the Washington Post reports.

Instead, Chief of Staff John F. Kelly plans to convene another gathering between the officials and congressional leaders to “review highly classified and other information” about the source and intelligence he provided.

FBI Asking Lawmakers About Tactics by Greitens

May 21, 2018 at 7:51 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

FBI agents have been questioning Missouri lawmakers about possible coercive tactics by associates of Gov. Eric Greitens (R), as the state legislature is set to consider impeaching the embattled governor, CNN reports.

Trump Doesn’t Use a Secure Phone

May 21, 2018 at 7:14 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump uses a White House cell phone that isn’t equipped with sophisticated security features designed to shield his communications, according to two senior administration officials – a departure from the practice of his predecessors that potentially exposes him to hacking or surveillance,” Politico reports.

“The president, who relies on cellphones to reach his friends and millions of Twitter followers, has rebuffed staff efforts to strengthen security around his phone use.”

“The president has gone as long as five months without having the phone checked by security experts.”

Corker Declines Becoming Ambassador to Australia

May 21, 2018 at 7:13 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) turned down an offer to become next U.S. ambassador to Australia, the Tennessean reports.

Said Corker: “I had a number of conversations with both President Trump and Secretary Pompeo. At the end of the day though…it just felt like it wasn’t the right step.”

Arizona May No Longer Teach Evolution

May 21, 2018 at 7:11 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The teaching of evolution in Arizona classrooms could be taking a big step backwards,” KVOA-TV reports.

“School Superintendent Diane Douglas is apparently behind a rewrite of science standards for all Arizona school children that would delete references to evolution.”

Sanders Will Decline Democratic Senate Nomination

May 21, 2018 at 6:57 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has formally announced that he is running for reelection this fall, Seven Days reports.

“Sanders plans to seek the Democratic nomination in Vermont’s August primary. If he wins, she said, he would ‘respectfully’ decline the nomination and run as an independent in the general election. Sanders would, however, accept the endorsement of the Vermont Democratic Party.”

Backchannel to Trump for Sale

May 21, 2018 at 5:56 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Associated Press: “Trump fundraiser Elliot Broidy and his business partner, Lebanese-American George Nader, pitched themselves to the crown princes as a backchannel to the White House, passing the princes’ praise — and messaging — straight to the president’s ears. Now, in December 2017, Broidy was ready to be rewarded for all his hard work. It was time to cash in.”

“In return for pushing anti-Qatar policies at the highest levels of America’s government, Elliot Broidy and George Nader expected huge consulting contracts from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to an Associated Press investigation based on interviews with more than two dozen people and hundreds of pages of leaked emails between the two men. The emails reviewed by the AP included work summaries and contracting documents and proposals.”

Navarro Pushed Suspected FBI Informant for Trump Job

May 21, 2018 at 4:52 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump’s top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, “recommended appointing Stefan Halper, an academic and suspected FBI informant on the Trump campaign, to a senior role in the Trump administration,” Axios has learned.

“During the transition everyone involved in Trump’s presidential campaign were asked to submit resumes for administration positions. Halper, who already knew Navarro in the context of being a China scholar and interviewing for his anti-China book and film, pitched himself for an ambassadorship in Asia… Navarro says he submitted Halper’s name for the Asian ambassadorship — we have not been able to confirm the country — along with around a dozen other people for roles in the region.”

Mulvaney Wants Ryan to Step Down

May 21, 2018 at 4:16 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney “strongly endorsed the idea that House speaker Paul Ryan should step down in order to trigger an election that would force House Democrats to vote for unpopular Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi,” the Weekly Standard reports.

Said Mulvaney: “I’ve talked with Kevin about this privately but not as much publicly. Wouldn’t it be great to force a Democrat running in a tight race to have to put up or shut up about voting for Nancy Pelosi eight weeks before an election? That’s a really, really good vote for us to force if we can figure out how to do it.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

May 21, 2018 at 12:37 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I wouldn’t trust his silly ass to pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel.”

— Former Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), quoted by E&E News, on President Trump.

Obamas Will Produce Shows for Netflix

May 21, 2018 at 12:19 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former President Obama formally announced “a multiyear production deal with Netflix in which he and the former first lady, Michelle Obama, will produce television shows and films for the streaming service,” the New York Times reports.

“The deal will give Mr. Obama an international television platform during his post-presidency, allowing him to reach millions of people in the United States and internationally. The couple has created ‘Higher Ground Productions,’ a company to produce content for Netflix, the streaming service announced.”

Variety: “It is unknown how much the Obamas’ Netflix agreement is worth. In March, Penguin Random House signed the couple to a joint book deal that pays them a reported $65 million for their respective memoirs.”

Why Is Trump Freaking Out Now?

May 21, 2018 at 12:10 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jonathan Chait: “This weekend, the New York Times revealed that, in August 2016, Donald Trump Jr. met in Trump Tower with representatives of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who offered campaign help… The deeper question is how closely related the Gulf story is to the heart of the Russia question. Was it just another one of Donald Jr.’s legal misadventures? Or did Nader, Prince, and the Gulf States play a central role in facilitating a corrupt deal with Russia?”

“Trump’s furious lashing out, including his reckless escalation of a crisis with the Department of Justice this weekend, provides interesting clues. Trump has no poker face, no chill. The closer the investigators get to incriminating evidence, the more intensely he rages. He resembles a suspect at a crime scene screaming at the police not to go into the attic. And now that attic is looking awfully interesting.”

First Read: “Don’t get distracted — that reporting of a second Trump Tower meeting in 2016 was the biggest news from the weekend.”

19 Ratings Changes All Towards Democrats

May 21, 2018 at 12:06 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“After the latest round of changes, Inside Elections now has 68 Republican seats rated as vulnerable compared to just 10 vulnerable Democratic seats. And there are at least a couple dozen more GOP-held seats that could develop into competitive races in the months ahead.”

“That discrepancy in the playing field is reminiscent of previous ‘wave’ elections. In April 2010, there were 68 vulnerable Democratic House seats and 11 vulnerable Republican seats. Republicans gained 63 seats later than year. And in May 2006, there were 42 vulnerable Republican seats and 11 vulnerable Democratic seats. Six months later, Democrats gained 30 seats.”