Political Wire

Trump Backers Blame Republicans First

September 18, 2017 at 8:49 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “These churchgoers are at the heart of the dilemma nagging Republican leaders as they struggle to forge a path between the Grand Old Party and the Party of Trump. These voters don’t consider themselves Republicans. They are first and foremost supporters of the president.”

“They are quick to explain away the compromises the former real-estate developer and reality TV star has made and the inconsistencies in many of his positions. They describe Washington as a swamp and speak of Democratic and Republican congressional leaders with the same levels of frustration and disappointment — while describing Trump as if he were a longtime neighbor. They have high hopes for his presidency, but they also fear he might be held back by his party. And they don’t expect their devotion to the president to waver, even a tiny bit, any time soon.”

White House Officials Worry Colleagues are Wired

September 18, 2017 at 7:53 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “The uncertainty has grown to the point that White House officials privately express fear that colleagues may be wearing a wire to surreptitiously record conversations for Mr. Mueller.”

Trump Lawyers Overheard at Restaurant

September 18, 2017 at 7:45 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times reporter Kenneth Vogel was sitting next to two of President Trump’s lawyers at a Washington, D.C. restaurant as they “casually and loudly” discussed details of Russia investigation.

From the report:

Mr. Cobb was heard talking about a White House lawyer he deemed “a McGahn spy” and saying Mr. McGahn had “a couple documents locked in a safe” that he seemed to suggest he wanted access to. He also mentioned a colleague whom he blamed for “some of these earlier leaks,” and who he said “tried to push Jared out,” meaning Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, who has been a previous source of dispute for the legal team…

After The Times contacted the White House about the situation, Mr. McGahn privately erupted at Mr. Cobb, according to people informed about the confrontation who asked not to be named describing internal matters. John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, sharply reprimanded Mr. Cobb for his indiscretion, the people said.

Washington Post: “Trump and his aides have complained bitterly and often about leaks, including leaks from the White House. But who needs leaks when lunch reservations will suffice?”

Trump Allies Already Gunning for 2020 Rivals

September 18, 2017 at 7:30 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “Allies of Donald Trump have begun plotting to take down or weaken potential Democratic challengers in 2020, including several who will be on the ballot in next year’s midterms. The 2018-focused work ranges from a major donor-funded super PAC designed to blemish Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s image, to a full-scale effort to defeat Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown outright before he gets the chance to take on Trump. Beyond that, after months of monitoring dozens of potential challengers, Trump allies are building research files and crafting lines of attack on Democrats seen as most threatening to Trump and who will be on the ballot next November.”

“The patchwork push is less organized than past efforts orchestrated by presidential reelection campaigns. But it’s beginning to resemble Republicans’ successful attempt to drag down Hillary Clinton before she announced her 2016 run.”

Both Parties Move Against Facebook

September 18, 2017 at 7:22 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Mike Allen: “Members of Congress in both parties have begun exploring possible legislative action against Facebook and other tech giants, setting the stage for a potentially massive battle in the midterm election year of 2018.”

“Following revelations about fake news and paid Russian propaganda on Facebook during last year’s election, big tech has become a big target, with politicians across the spectrum declaring on Sunday shows that more scrutiny, transparency and restrictions are needed.”

“The shift against the companies has been sudden, and is one of the biggest stories of the year.”

McConnell’s Mortal Enemy Might Soon Be in His Caucus

September 18, 2017 at 7:10 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “Three words are striking fear in Senate Republicans these days: ‘Senator Roy Moore.’ The bomb-throwing former Alabama Supreme Court justice has vaulted to a hefty lead in Alabama’s Senate special election, lambasting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell every step of the way. A Moore victory promises to make McConnell’s tenuous 52-seat majority even more precarious, allies of the majority leader warn, potentially imperiling tax reform, raising the risk of default on the nation’s debt or even derailing routine Senate business.”

New Repeal Effort Still Doesn’t Have the 50th Vote

September 18, 2017 at 7:05 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“There’s a lot of skepticism in Washington over whether the latest Affordable Care Act repeal bill, proposed by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, can pass. One of the many reasons is that a lot of Republican senators’ states — particularly those that expanded Medicaid — would lose a lot of money,” according to Axios.

“Alaska is among the losers here, and it’s hard to see Sen. Lisa Murkowski getting on board with this bill or this process. Same goes for Sen. Susan Collins. Sen. Rand Paul has said he’s a no. Sen. John McCain was a “no” last time, largely on process grounds. The process hasn’t changed. And this bill would hurt his state.”

David Nather: “This has been building up for a while. Definitely worth keeping an eye on it, but still hard to see where they get the 50th vote. It’s not impossible that they get McCain. For everything he’s said about ‘regular order,’ he’s still friends with Lindsey Graham. But Rand Paul has been tweeting nasty stuff — it’s Obamacare Lite, etc. So unless you flip Collins or Murkowski, hard to see it happening.”

Schooling Trump on American Power

September 18, 2017 at 7:05 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Associated Press: “There, in the windowless meeting room known as ‘The Tank’, Trump was to be briefed on the state of America’s longest-running war as he and his top aides plotted ways ahead. But, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the meeting, it was, in reality, about much more.”

“Trump’s national security team had become alarmed by the president’s frequent questioning about the value of a robust American presence around the world. When briefed on the diplomatic, military and intelligence posts, the new president would often cast doubt on the need for all the resources. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson organized the July 20 session to lay out the case for maintaining far-flung outposts — and to present it, using charts and maps, in a way the businessman-turned-politician would appreciate. The session was, in effect, American Power 101 and the student was the man working the levers.”

House Democrats Break Campaign Fundraising Record

September 18, 2017 at 6:56 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The campaign arm of House Democrats has posted its highest off-year August fundraising haul ever,” the group told NBC News.

“While their Republican counterparts haven’t yet released their August results, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has outraised Republicans each of the three previous months — a result Democrats say bodes well for their prospects of winning the House in the 2018 midterm elections.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

September 17, 2017 at 10:58 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I guess I should say, at long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.”

— AlecBaldwin, quoting by CNN, while accepting his Emmy award for his portrayal of Donald Trump.

Trump Advised to Shrink National Monuments

September 17, 2017 at 10:55 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke “has recommended that President Trump modify 10 national monuments created by his immediate predecessors, including shrinking the boundaries of at least four western sites,” according to a copy of the report obtained by the Washington Post.

“The secretary’s set of recommendations also would change the way all 10 targeted monuments are managed. It emphasizes the need to adjust the proclamations to address concerns of local officials or affected industries, saying the administration should permit ‘traditional uses’ now restricted within the monuments’ boundaries, such as grazing, logging, coal mining and commercial fishing.“

Bonus Quote of the Day

September 17, 2017 at 7:32 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“He believes that television producers, especially of highly rated shows, understand what the public is interested in — what it fears, what it wants, what it loves. And so TV programming in some ways is a more accurate reflection of the public mood than polling. That’s his view, he said it to me. And that’s one of the reasons he watches a lot of television.”

— Tucker Carlson, quoted by the Daily Caller, recounting a conversation with President Trump.

Key Trump Adviser Will Testify to Senate

September 17, 2017 at 7:28 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Michael Cohen, one of President Trump’s closest business advisers, said on Sunday he would testify on Tuesday to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, as the panel investigates alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election,” Reuters reports.

CNN: “Cohen is not expected to be under oath during the appearance, but all witnesses appearing before congressional committees are required to tell the truth or potentially face criminal charges.”

TV Station Forced to Run Pro-Trump Programs

September 17, 2017 at 4:41 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The company that owns WJAR-TV is mandating the broadcast of multiple programs favorable to President Trump on the state’s most-watched television station,” the Providence Journal reports.

“Sinclair Broadcast Group, a rapidly growing media company that bought Channel 10 in 2014, produces ‘must-run’ segments and distributes them to its local stations nationwide. They must air during daily news programming.”

How Rex Tillerson Has Alienated Almost Everyone

September 17, 2017 at 4:37 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The most challenging task in Washington, these days, is finding somebody who’ll enthusiastically endorse Rex Tillerson. In just nine months, the Secretary of State has managed to alienate nearly every constituency that matters,” Jonathan Swan reports.

Said a former top Bush administration official: “He’s got no support from the left on management and no support from the right on policy.”

“Tillerson alienated his natural constituency — moderates who view him as a restraining influence on Trump — by what he’s done, or failed to do, managerially at the State Department. He’s surrounded himself by a tiny circle and hasn’t sought much advice from outsiders. And he’s got no ideological constituency on the right because he doesn’t embrace the forward-leaning posture on human rights, or the aggressive stance on Russia, that Republicans typically expect of their top diplomats.”

Senate GOP Tries Again to Repeal Obamacare

September 17, 2017 at 4:20 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his leadership team are seriously considering voting on a bill that would scale back the federal government’s role in the health care system and instead provide block grants to states. It would be a last-ditch attempt to repeal Obamacare before the GOP’s power to pass health care legislation through a party-line vote in the Senate expires on Sept. 30.”

“No final decision has been made, but the GOP leader has told his caucus that if the bill written by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has the support of at least 50 of the 52 GOP senators, he will bring it to the floor.”

Ernst Wants to Cut Perks of Former Presidents

September 17, 2017 at 1:36 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Being a former U.S. president brings the ability to pull down millions in speaking fees and book deals. And yet American taxpayers are still on the hook for providing those individuals with an annual pension, as well as picking up the tab for office furniture, travel expenses, staff salaries and communications costs,” the Omaha World Herald reports.

Said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) wants to end the payments: “They can make in an hour what our taxpayers are generously subsidizing them, so that’s completely unnecessary.

“Ernst’s bill does not curtail the Secret Service protection and security for former presidents. It would set their annual pension at $200,000 and cap the currently unlimited allowances for office space, staff, cellphones, etc., at a total of $500,000. That cap would be reduced over time, to $250,000.”

Quote of the Day

September 17, 2017 at 1:15 pm ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The current model of the Democratic Party obviously is not working. Republicans control the House, the Senate. They control the White House. They control two-thirds of the Governors’ offices throughout this country… What we need to do is reach out to Independents.”

— Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), in an interview on Meet the Press.