The Hill’s Morning Report — Trump revisits ‘16 themes for ‘18 candidates

 

 

 

Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report, and happy Wednesday! This daily email, a successor to The Hill’s Tipsheet, is reported by Jonathan Easley and Alexis Simendinger to get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. (CLICK HERE to subscribe!)

President Trump was back in his comfort zone on Tuesday night, campaigning in Nashville for his own 2020 reelection and stumping for Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who is running for the Senate this year.

It was vintage campaign trail Trump in the Music City, where he urged his supporters not to be “complacent” and to show up for the 2018 midterm elections to vote for Republicans.

Trump didn’t touch the controversy around one of his high-profile supporters, Roseanne Barr, but here’s what he did say…

The familiar attacks

• The only way “Crooked Hillary” could draw a crowd was by inviting Jay-Z, and the rapper used “filthy” language.
• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is an “MS-13 lover.”
• “Crazy Bernie” Sanders (I-Vt.) still doesn’t know why he lost.
• Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) “thumbs down” on the floor of the Senate to sink the GOP’s ObamaCare repeal and replacement effort “cost our country a lot.”
• Former President George W. Bush is to blame for the “death and blood” in the Middle East.
• Democrats “had people infiltrating our campaign.”
• Trump has not lost his vigor for attacking the press. Rally-goers booed the media mercilessly after the president singled out the “fake news.”

The boasts

• Trump described himself as “the only politician who produced more than I said I’d produce.”
• The president’s speech focused on what he identified as his accomplishments, with highlights going to the economy, the jobless rate, the tax cuts, judicial appointments and moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
• Trump said his achievement include “surging” optimism, “restored respect” and “booming prosperity.”

A focus on immigration and safety

• From border security to gang violence, Trump is touting himself as the only person who will keep America safe.
• Mexico, in his telling, is still going to pay for the wall “and they’re going to enjoy it.”
• The U.S. is deporting “thousands and thousands” of MS-13 gang members. The crowd shouted “animals” at Trump’s prompting.
• “We’ve stopped it,” Trump said of chain migration.
• The president also said violent crime is down pretty much everywhere, except for Chicago. “If you want to be safe you’ve got to go out and get the Democrats the hell out of Congress.

Familiar notes for an enthusiastic crowd

• “We always proudly stand for our national anthem.”

•  “You won’t have a Second Amendment if the Democrats take over.”

•  “I love country music,” Trump said in the Music City. The president was introduced by country star and “The Apprentice” winner Trace Adkins, who performed songs focused on veterans and pride in the military.

LEADING THE DAY

INTERNATIONAL: The Hill: If a summit with North Korea is not off, it’s still on. The signs this morning continued to point toward a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un, possibly next month.

The Hill: To that end, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet with a top North Korean government official in New York City later this week. And Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on June 7 at the White House.

The Hill: Trump expressed his optimism early Tuesday about preparations with North Korea and with allies toward a possible historic summit to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

China: The Hill: U.S.-China trade tensions rise as the Trump administration warns it could impose $50 billion in new tariffs on Chinese imports within weeks.

North American Free Trade Agreement: Reuters: A reworked trade pact among the U.S., Canada and Mexico is “nowhere near close” and experts blame the U.S. team for delays and miscues.

Russia & media murders: Reuters: A prominent Russian journalist and critic of President Vladimir Putin, who was living in exile in Ukraine, was shot and killed in Kiev on Tuesday. Arkady Babchenko had fled to Kiev, saying he feared for his life.

Journalism is hazardous work for Russians, according to official and unofficial tallies of reporters who have turned up beaten, shot, drowned and plummeting off buildings since 2017.

Here are some of the deceased: Yevgeny Khamaganov, Nikolay Andrushchenko, Dmitry Popov, Andrey Ruskov, and Maksim Borodin. The Committee to Protect Journalists lists Popov, shot to death, and Andrushchenko, beaten and left on a street in St. Petersburg, as confirmed murder victims.

> Russia critic detained and released: The Associated Press: William Browder, a U.S.-born, Britain-based financier who spearheaded the Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law targeting Russian officials, was briefly detained this morning in Spain on a Russian warrant, which authorities later said had expired. He was released from a Madrid police station.

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POLITICS & INVESTIGATIONS: Trump has opened up a new line of attack on Robert Mueller, this time accusing the special counsel of seeking to meddle in the midterm elections.

 

 

But this is the tweet that all Republicans will be able to get behind:

 

 

The GOP would much rather the president focus his attention on tax cuts and the economy, rather than railing against the special counsel probe, which will continue irrespective of Trump’s attacks.

The Hill: Trump steps up attacks on Mueller.

The New York Times: Trump asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse his decision to recuse himself from Russia probe.

The Hill: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) says the FBI’s use of an informant on the Trump campaign was appropriate.

There was one other interesting development in the investigation on Tuesday. Mueller has moved on to the sentencing phase for Richard Pinedo, a California man who has been cooperating with the investigation after pleading guilty to identity fraud in a scheme that helped Russian social media trolls purchase ads.

That comes less than a week after the special counsel moved to the sentencing phase for former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who was also cooperating with the investigation after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.

IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES

➔ ENTERTAINMENT: ABC News canceled the hit comedy show “Roseanne” on Tuesday just hours after star Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett, the former aide to President Obama.

“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.” – ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey.

Barr has also been dropped by her talent agency and reruns are being yanked from syndication — a stunning downfall for the actress whose rebooted television series had been received as a political and cultural triumph.

Barr is a Trump supporter who also played one on TV. The “Roseanne” reboot debut pulled in more than 18 million viewers, making it the most successful comedy launch in years. Critics raved over the show for its portrayal of a working-class family in the era of Trump. The president called Barr at the time to congratulate her.

“Look at her ratings,” Trump said in late March. “They were unbelievable, over 18 million people, and it was about us.”

On Tuesday, the White House declined to comment, saying the president is focused on more important things.

“We have to turn it into a teaching moment,” Jarrett said at a town hall event on MSNBC on Tuesday night.

The Memo: “Roseanne” storm revives debate over Trump.

➔ SUPREME COURT: The Hill: The Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place an Arkansas law that restricts medication-induced abortions. Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma were challenging the state law.

Among many pending decisions court-watchers await before the end of the term are another abortion case, Azar v. Garza, and Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, dealing with whether creative businesses have a constitutional right to refuse certain services.

One familiar question posed by a SCOTUS Blog reader on Tuesday: Any clues about possible retirements by justices?

Journalist Amy Howe’s response on the site’s live blog: “No news that I have heard. With the exception of Justice [Sandra Day] O’Connor [in 2005], virtually all of the justices who have retired recently have announced their retirements in April or early May, which sets up a schedule that would allow a replacement to be confirmed by the time the justices return from their summer recess. But obviously the justices can do whatever they want.”

➔ POLITICS & CONGRESS: ***BREAKING LATE TUESDAY*** … Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) has resigned amid a sex scandal and felony charges … the former Navy SEAL and rising GOP star claims innocence in resignation speech.

The Kansas City Star: Greitens resigns, ending political career once aimed at the presidency.

Reuters: St. Louis prosecutor will disclose details of a deal she reached with the disgraced governor on a felony charge.

2018: Former President George W. Bush’s ethics chief Richard Painter is running as a Democrat to fill former Sen. Al Franken’s (D) seat in Minnesota. Painter has raised his profile with searing Twitter attacks against Trump, but faces an uphill battle against Sen. Tina Smith (D), who was appointed to the seat after Franken’s resignation (The Hill).

The New York Times: In California’s farm country, tide of resistance runs dry ahead of the primary.

2020: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), whose insurgent 2016 primary campaign against Hillary Clinton (D) electrified the left, is considering running for president again (The Hill).

Quote of the day:

“I’m not there.” – Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on “The View” when asked whether she believes Trump should be impeached.

Congressional rundown … Senators are under growing pressure to take up prison reform, which the House passed overwhelmingly and is a top priority for Jared Kushner (The Hill) … Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) is confident the House will overcome the disagreement on the discharge petition and pass immigration reform (The Hill).

➔ WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION:  West Wing staff and the administration writ large are juggling staffing, policy and political challenges this week.

National Security Council: Trump’s new adviser, John Bolton, is hiring more hand-picked loyalists at a particularly intense time for the NSC (Bloomberg).

Immigration: The Hill: Trump adviser Stephen Miller defended an administration enforcement policy that results in the separation of some migrant children from their parents. During a briefing Tuesday, Miller said, “If people care about stopping child smuggling they’ll close the loopholes. We cannot have an immigration system where you get a free pass if you smuggle a child.”

> Separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border: The Washington Post: Fact checking the controversy.

> The Washington Post: Migrant children in U.S. custody surged 21 percent to 10,773 in the past month, a result of administration immigration enforcement.

Dueling falsehoods and Twitter wars: The Associated Press: The president on Tuesday pounced on an error by liberal activists, who tweeted photos of young-looking immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border detained in steel pens. The president’s critics blamed the Trump administration for harsh immigration policies, illustrating their messages with photos taken in 2014 by AP — when President Obama was in charge.

 

 

> How do you beat a liar? You do not play his game: The Hill opinion, by Fox News contributor Jessie Tarlov.

Trump as a role model?: The Hill: Fewer Republicans say that moral leadership is very important in a president, according to a new Gallup poll. But that has not discouraged some GOP leaders from publicly distancing themselves and their families from Trump when it comes to his suitability as a role model.

Utah Senate candidate Mitt Romney: Trump is not a role model for my grandchildren.

Oklahoma’s Sen. James Lankford (R): Trump is not a role model for my children.

Homeland Security: McClatchy: Embattled Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen approved spending $1.7 billion in grants for communities, including “sanctuary cities,” despite Trump’s promise to stop funding sanctuary cities.

State Department: Ronald Mortensen, tapped by Trump to become assistant secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, is being assailed by pro-immigration advocacy groups as a poor fit for that role. FWD.us President Todd Schulte urged leading GOP senators Tuesday to oppose the nominee based on his record as a fellow with the Center for Immigration Studies, which Schulte called “an anti-immigration policy center and hate group.”

EPA: Bloomberg: The agency’s science advisers fault the EPA for ignoring its own science while seeking to roll back auto emissions standards.

Puerto Rico’s death toll in 2017 from Hurricane Maria: A new study published by The New England Journal of Medicine found that 64 officially reported deaths tied to that natural disaster was a “substantial undercount.” The revised impact? A death toll of 4,645.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: The Washington Free Beacon: Acting head Mick Mulvaney is filling a position he cannot continue to hold beyond June 22. Political battles are ahead.

The Morning Report is created by journalists Jonathan Easley jeasley@digital-stage.thehill.com & Alexis Simendinger asimendinger@digital-stage.thehill.com. Suggestions? Tips? We want to hear from you! Share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE!

OPINION

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s restructure is a step in the right direction, by J.W. Verret of George Mason University and the Mercatus Center. https://bit.ly/2LJq27A

North Korea summit depends on closing gaps in talks, by Scott Snyder of The Council on Foreign Relations. https://bit.ly/2snvgND

WHERE AND WHEN

Congress is in recess until the week of June 4.

The president at midday will sign a “right to try” bill that permits access to experimental drugs by terminally ill patients. Later, Trump will meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and participate in the White House Sports and Fitness Day on the South Lawn.

ELSEWHERE

> Anti-bias training for employees temporarily closed Starbucks stores on Tuesday afternoon, by Niv Elis, The Hill.

 

> Data and communications firm Precision Strategies celebrated its fifth birthday last night with a rooftop party at its Washington offices hosted by founders Stephanie Cutter, Teddy Goff and Jen O’Malley Dillon. Among those in attendance: Dan Balz, Tiernan Sittenfeld, Dave Willett, Josh Dawsey, Jackie Calmes, Eric Schultz, Ian Sams, Jeff Zeleny, Patrick Dillon, Mary-Alice Parks, Tyrone Gayle, Liz Sidoti, Miryam Lipper (happy birthday, Miryam), Christopher Jerrolds, Bob Calamari, Jack Quinn, Steve Elmendorf, Brenna Williams, Jeff Solnet, Thomas Winslow, Caroline Ciccone, Catherine Bohigian, Debra DeShong, Dori Salcido, Kathy Mckiernan, Macon Phillips, Mitch Stewart, Kiki McClean, Al Hunt and Don Baer.

> People’s House Project founder Krystal Ball, co-host of The Hill TV’s digital program “Rising,” announced she will be joined by Melissa Harris-Perry and James Perry, newly named senior advisers helping Ball’s hybrid PAC, which recruits and supports candidates with working-class backgrounds. 

THE CLOSER

And finally … let’s be inspired by three first responders, trained and untrained, hailed as heroes at the start of this turbulent week. Two lost their lives while trying to help others in distress.

In Illinois, rescue diver Juan Bucio, a 46-year-old husband and father of two sons and a veteran of the Chicago Fire Department, died Monday while searching the Chicago River for a missing boater, who also did not survive.

In Maryland, Sgt. Eddison Hermond, 39, a National Guardsman, was in Ellicott City during a flash flood Monday and was swept away while trying to help a shop owner who was struggling to find an escape route during the torrent. His body was found Tuesday in Maryland’s Patapsco River.

And in France, Mamoudou Gassama, 22, earned the nickname “Spider Man” when he quickly scaled the side of a Paris apartment building to yank a dangling four-year-old boy to safety. Stunning video, captured by the crowd, went viral. Gassama’s life-saving instincts inspired French President Emmanuel Macron to offer the Mali immigrant, who had been in the country without legal permission, French citizenship on Monday. “I did it because it was a child,” Gassama explained.