Washington Post: “The segment is slated to run later this month, according to people involved in the show. Networks go to great lengths to secure interviews like this — with its promise of salacious new insights into an alleged affair between a president and a porn star, set against the roiling #MeToo movement — and promote them heavily.”
Trump Will Soon Oust His National Security Adviser
President Trump “has decided to remove H.R. McMaster as his national security adviser and is actively discussing potential replacements, according to five people with knowledge of the plans, preparing to deliver yet another jolt to the senior ranks of his administration,” the Washington Post reports.
“Trump is now comfortable with ousting McMaster, with whom he never personally gelled, but is willing to take time executing the move because he wants to ensure both that the three-star Army general is not humiliated and that there is a strong successor lined up.”
“The turbulence is part of a broader potential shake-up under consideration by Trump that is likely to include senior officials at the White House, where staffers are gripped by fear and uncertainty as they await the next move from an impulsive president who enjoys stoking conflict.”
Vanessa Trump Files for Divorce
Vanessa Trump has filed for divorce from Donald Trump Jr., the New York Post reports.
Pennsylvania Lawmaker Mulls Retirement
Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA) is considering retirement, several state and national officials in GOP politics have told ABC News, a move that would boost Democratic hopes in their quest to retake control of the House.
Flake Says Romney Could Create New ‘Power Center’
Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) told Roll Call that the Senate needs someone like Mitt Romney to be an “independent voice.”
Said Flake: “We need Mitt Romney in the Senate. We need an independent voice, somebody who will enter the Senate chamber with immediate gravitas and someone who can work across the aisle, and actually, I think, create a whole new power center in the Senate. I think that’s desperately needed.”
Mnuchin Spent $33K to View Solar Eclipse
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s infamous trip to Kentucky to watch the solar eclipse last August cost taxpayers $33,000 because the secretary traveled on a military aircraft rather than on a commercial flight, the Daily Beast reports.
Records show that the government has already spent nearly $1 million for Mnuchin’s flights on military aircraft.
More Personnel Shake-Ups Loom at White House
New York Times: “And the purge at the top may not be over. Mr. Trump, who is famously fickle, appears to have soured on additional members of his senior leadership team — and his frequent mulling about making changes has some people around him convinced that he could act soon.”
“Mr. Trump could act as early as Friday to remove one or more of them, though the president is known to enjoy keeping people off kilter.”
Trump Looks to Fox News Host to Head Veteran’s Affairs
“Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, a conservative voice on veterans’ policy, has emerged as a leading candidate to replace embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, who has fallen from favor with the Trump administration,” the Washington Post reports.
Public Confidence In Mueller Remains Steady
A new Pew Research survey finds 61% of Americans say they are very or somewhat confident special counsel Robert Mueller will conduct a fair investigation.
“While opinions about Mueller’s probe – and other issues related to Russia’s alleged election meddling – are divided along partisan lines, nearly half of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (46%) are very or somewhat confident Mueller will conduct a fair investigation. Democrats and Democratic leaners are overwhelmingly confident Mueller’s investigation will be fair (75% very or somewhat confident).”
Mueller Subpoenas Records from Trump Organization
Special counsel Robert Mueller “has subpoenaed the Trump Organization to turn over documents, including some related to Russia,” the New York Times reports.
“The order is the first known time that the special counsel demanded documents directly related to President Trump’s businesses, bringing the investigation closer to the president.”
The Artifice of the Deal
Matt Bai: “Remember…when President Trump berated leaders of his own party, in front of a room full of cameras, for being afraid of the NRA, and he vowed to pass a bipartisan bill that would make it harder for kids to get assault rifles?…. that whole thing went away Monday with a mumbled ‘never mind’ from the White House. Apparently gun control is really hard…Why go through all that when you’ve already gotten the headline you were after.”
”But we’re still letting this president perform for the cameras as if he were actually planning to govern, without giving nearly as much attention to what happens on the issue once the cameras are gone…. Trump was dead right about our politics over the years — too much of it became a tired kind of stagecraft. But that kind of stagecraft was almost always designed to sell an agenda. And that’s the distinction between a serious politician and a con artist. The latter only sells himself.”
Trump Sanctions Russian Spy Agencies
Washington Post: “The financial sanctions seek to deter Moscow from targeting this year’s midterm elections. It’s a noteworthy step, as President Trump has shown reluctance to blame the Kremlin for tampering with the 2016 presidential race despite the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that Moscow did so.”
Will Gridlock Doom Republicans?
First Read: “Not only did Republicans pull back from their tax cut messaging in Pennsylvania — widely seen as a sign that the plan wasn’t resonating politically in the district — but they also aren’t really talking about any other 2018 policymaking before the midterms. It’s not even April, and it doesn’t feel like Republican legislators are ready to stomach much more legislating.”
“Yes, it’s an election year, when it can be notoriously difficult to get new bills passed by risk-averse members. And yes, Republicans have spoken generally about addressing issues like infrastructure and the opioid crisis, but the details of how and when they’ll take up those bills — particularly when they have tricky upcoming confirmation hearings for incoming State and CIA chiefs — are far from obvious.”
“Democratic candidates Lamb and Doug Jones were both successful in running against Washington gridlock, so doesn’t the GOP need to show that they can legislate and make Congress work more this year?”
Trump Regularly Mocked Tillerson
Washington Post: “Trump initially was drawn to Tillerson because of his stature as chief executive of ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest companies, and his work as a global dealmaker. He told friends that the broad-shouldered, silver-haired Tillerson could be a diplomat out of central casting.”
“Yet Trump quickly soured on Tillerson and made no secret of his dislike. He mocked his mannerisms and Texas drawl, saying his secretary of state talked too slowly. In conversations with advisers and friends, the president would often list others he said would do a better job than Tillerson, whom he frequently labeled ‘weak.’”
“One source of weakness, the president felt, was Tillerson’s media profile. Trump told one adviser he was ‘amazed’ at how much negative press Tillerson received.”
How to Beat Trump
Phillip Reines: “Yes, President Trump is the least-qualified person to ever hold the office and is cementing his ranking as the worst president in American history. Winning will be easy, right? Just have a positive message, don’t stoop to his level, be smart about email, thank your lucky stars you aren’t seeking the cursed third term and ride his unpopularity right into the Oval Office.”
“Oh, this may come in handy: EBay is a great place to get rid of prematurely purchased drapes.”
“Trump is a freak of political nature. He’s a political Weeble Wobble that never falls down. He makes Ronald Reagan’s Teflon look like Saran Wrap. He says whatever he wants, whenever he wants, wherever he wants. He could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot a porn flick. And as hard as it was for Hillary Clinton to run against him, our 2020 nominee will face something we didn’t: the power of incumbency.”
Trump’s Lawyers Prepping for Mueller Interview
President Trump’s lawyers “are gaming out possible questions and answers for a potential interview with special counsel Robert Mueller,” Politico reports.
“The preparations reflect an understanding that negotiations with the lead Russia investigator, which have been ongoing since January, will eventually culminate in a sit-down meeting between Mueller with the president. One source said the discussions about the terms of a possible interview may soon even reach a conclusion.”
Said a source: “I don’t think it’s months and months out. I don’t think it’s in a week. But I think it’s moving toward closure.”
Pelosi In Peril?
Mike Allen: “Top Democrats tell me that if they take back the House in November, a restoration of Speaker Nancy Pelosi is no longer guaranteed.”
“In fact, some well-wired House Democrats predict she will be forced aside after the election and replaced by a younger, less divisive Dem…. Pelosi has hung in through the minority, and remains the party’s most consistent fundraiser. As for whether she’ll return as Speaker, she has just said that it’s up to the members. (Her allies note that she has never lost a leadership vote.)”
Playbook: “Nancy Pelosi has thick skin. She would love nothing more than for Democrats to win back the House majority. If people dump on her en route to the majority, fine.”
Extreme Secrecy Surrounds Comey’s Book
“James Comey’s book is getting the Harry Potter treatment. A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, the upcoming memoir from former FBI director James Comey, is set for publication on April 18 — and with anticipation rivaling that of the cult children’s favorite, the publisher is taking extreme precautions to prevent potentially explosive revelations detailing Comey’s interactions with President Donald Trump from leaking,” Politico reports.
“Instead of circulating multiple print drafts among the editors and agents working on the book, the publisher, Flatiron Books, has implemented a password-protected electronic system so that only those involved in the project have access to it.”
