| | | | "I guess he's running things,
so something should happen." -- President Donald Trump, after labeling Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons on his own people "a disgrace to humanity" while aboard Air Force One en route to Mar-a-Lago. | | | Trump hears military options after Syria chemical attack | | President Donald Trump is weighing his options on how to deal with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in the wake of this week's chemical attack, which US officials say he perpetrated. "I think what Assad did is terrible. I think what happened in Syria is one of the truly egregious crimes. It shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't be allowed to happen," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. "I think what happened in Syria is a disgrace to humanity. He's there, and I guess he's running things, so something should happen."
Now it's up to Trump to decide: What will happen? The United States has led a coalition bombing campaign against ISIS targets in Syria and has special operations forces posted there, but has resisted any direct military action against the Assad regime.
Trump is hearing his options today. Defense Secretary James Mattis will lead Trump through his available options, including what the potential consequences for military action could be. The White House official confirmed that in addition to Mattis, three other Cabinet secretaries are in Mar-a-Lago, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
If the decision is made to strike, the US military has warships and aircraft in the area ready to go. Two US Navy warships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles -- the USS Ross and the USS Porter -- are stationed in the Mediterranean. The United States could also fly stealth aircraft B-2 bombers with relative safety to strike targets. CNN's Dana Bash, Jeremy Herb, Barbara Starr and Jeremy Diamond have more.
Hillary Clinton weighs in: "Assad has an air force, and that air force is the cause of most of these civilian deaths, as we have seen over the years and as we saw again in the last few days," Clinton said in a speech at the "Women in the World" summit in New York. "And I really believe that we should have and still should take out his airfields and prevent him from being able to use them to bomb innocent people and drop sarin gas on them." | | In other Mar-a-Lago news...
Trump is meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's Florida estate this weekend, CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports. The two arrived separately Thursday afternoon for their first series of face-to-face meetings about a long list of complex issues -- particularly the threat posed by North Korea. Trump predicted aboard Air Force One that "China will be stepping up" to help the United States put a stop to North Korea's nuclear program. He also pressed forward with his rhetoric that the United States has been "treated unfairly" on the trade front.
Inside Trump's White House...
Paranoia and unrest: As the President openly questions the makeup of his senior staff, his top aides have begun taking sides. A schism has emerged, which pits those aides who consider themselves the nationalists -- including the controversial chief strategist Steve Bannon -- against a more global-minded wing, led by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, according to two sources familiar with the situation. The ideological battle could determine what direction this White House heads as Trump faces new challenges at home and abroad. CNN's Kevin Liptak, Gloria Borger, Jamie Gangel, Jeff Zeleny and Jim Acosta have the story. | | | 'More effective theft even than Watergate': Hillary Clinton referred to Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election as an "act of aggression" on Thursday, in her most extended comments yet about the controversy. "I am deeply concerned about what went on with Russia," Clinton said at the "Women in the World" summit in New York. "A foreign power meddled with our election and did so in a way that we are learning more about every single day." The Russian hackings, she said, appeared to be a "more effective theft even than Watergate." | | Senate GOP triggers nuclear option, vote set tomorrow | | A quick recap: The Senate triggered the so-called "nuclear option" that allowed Republicans to break a Democratic filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. The chamber is now expected to vote to confirm Gorsuch on Friday. The controversial change to Senate rules, made along partisan lines, allows filibusters of Supreme Court picks to be broken with only 51 votes rather than 60.
The actions on Thursday and Friday cap more than a year of tension over an empty Supreme Court seat, as both parties in the Senate are poised to take action leading to an outcome neither party wants. It's a situation loaded with nuance, procedural twists and Senate history -- not to mention a spot on the nation's highest court -- and a standoff that reflects a peak in polarization following a deeply divisive presidential election.
Gorsuch is expected to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, with a vote expected around 11:30 a.m. Here's more information on how this all happened from CNN's Ashley Killough and Ted Barrett. | | Devin Nunes recuses himself in the Russia probe | | House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes announced this morning he was temporarily stepping aside from leading the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 elections. He blamed a series of ethics complaints filed against him alleging that he violated terms of discussing classified material following his clandestine meeting at the White House just over two weeks ago. Nunes did not directly cite his trip to the White House in his decision, but the ethics complaints stemmed from his visit -- and the intense blowback from Democrats that followed.
"I believe it is in the best interests of the House Intelligence Committee and the Congress for me to have Rep. Mike Conaway, with assistance from Reps. Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney, temporarily take charge of the committee's Russia investigation while the House Ethics Committee looks into this matter," Nunes, a California Republican, said in a statement. More from CNN's Tom LoBianco and Manu Raju. | | This photo of President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is making the rounds -- and coming in for mockery -- on Twitter.
Kushner visited Iraq as a guest of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford to show Trump's support for the government of Iraq and US personnel in the country, Dunford spokesman Capt. Greg Hicks said. | | 2 things you might have missed today | | Cummings says he did not tell Trump he'd be one of history's "great presidents": Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings denied he told President Donald Trump he "will go down as one of the great presidents in the history of our country," disputing the President's version of a conversation between the two to The New York Times. More from CNN's Eugene Scott.
CBC chairman slams Sessions over review of police reforms: Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, is blasting Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he ordered the Justice Department to review police reform activities, including consent decrees. More from Eugene. | | | Meet Mike Conaway, the new sheriff on the Trump-Russia case. ... What military options does Trump have in Syria? ... Chelsea Clinton isn't running for office, but Donald Trump Jr. might. | | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Check out Five Things for Your New Day, CNN's morning newsletter. Give us five minutes, and we'll brief you on all the news and buzz people will be talking about. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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