| | | | What changed Trump's mind about Russian meddling? | | On Thursday in Poland, President Donald Trump was asked about Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.
"I think it very well could be Russia but I think it could very well have been other countries," Trump said. "I think a lot of people interfere."
On Friday in Germany, Trump "pressed" Russian President Vladimir Putin on election interference, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
So.........
That appears to be a 180-degree turn in the space of 24 hours. Trump wasn't even ready to concede that Russia was the prime mover in the extensive 2016 election meddling on Thursday. But, by Friday he was raising the issue directly with Putin in their first face-to-face meeting.
Did something change? Did Trump become convinced of Russia's role in the 2016 election sometime between Poland and Germany? If he did, what convinced him?
After all, Trump's decision to directly challenge Putin about election interference on Friday is a departure from his long-running skepticism about the idea that Russia was responsible for the meddling in the 2016 campaign. Time and again, Trump has refused to be definitive -- or anywhere close -- about that idea despite the fact that the CIA, FBI and Office of the Director of National Intelligence all agree that Russia meddled with the express purpose of hurting Hillary Clinton's campaign.
"We saw no evidence whatsoever that it was anyone involved in this other than the Russians," former DNI director James Clapper told CNN's Jim Sciutto on Thursday.
Tillerson offered no explanation for Trump's seeming change of heart. Neither did Trump or any other White House official.
But, make no mistake: Trump pressing Putin on Russia's meddling is a change. Why it happened -- and how long it lasts -- remains to be seen. | | | CNN's Liz Landers spotted a lot on the streets of Hamburg that others may have missed amid the G20 craziness. | | Here's her dispatch for The Point:
A stroll around Hamburg on Friday revealed a strange scene: a heavy police presence and mostly vacant avenues as international leaders continued to meet in the German city. The protesters flooded through the streets in waves, at one point preventing first lady Melania Trump from participating in a spouses' event.
Other moments were more quiet. Outside of the American press hotel, graffiti sprayed on a tour bus read: "G20 not happening." Windows in the ground floor of our hotel were also smashed by angry protesters. The leafy German town had pockets of open restaurants and cafes in a posh shopping district near canals. One antique silver store sent a message to the First Daughter Ivanka Trump. The sign read:"Dear Ivanka, please remind your father of the Paris Agreement."
Local shopowners outside of a café told me that they were closed for Friday and Saturday amidst security concerns that protestors would loot or smash windows. Even the Apple store lay barren: all electronic devices were hidden inside the locked and pristine white store. | | | Ah to be a fly on the wall for the conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel that produced this glorious Merkel eyeroll (reminds us a bit of CNN's Anderson Cooper infamous eyeroll). Saba's guess: Putin just mansplained something Merkel obviously already knew. ~Sigh~ | | CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE POINT? | | SOME GOOD BREWS FOR A CHANGE | | Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has some advice for social media haters: Have a beer and #chill.
Walker's advice was presumably in response to a WIRED article that criticized the Wisconsin governor's Instagram presence, saying his account's "mundanity is chilling, the repetitiveness dizzying."
To which Walker responded Thursday evening in a series of messages on Twitter: "Can I get you a beer?" The governor also recommended pairing the beer with Wisconsin's famous cheese curds. So in pursuit of good brews, CNN's Liz Stark reached out to the governor's office to get Walker's top five favorite beers. Here's what Jack Jablonski, Walker's deputy chief of staff for communications, told her: - Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy
- Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss
- New Glarus Spotted Cow
- Wisconsin Brewing Co. Badger Club Amber
- Miller High Life
| | In case you missed it, CNN Politics launched a new digital magazine called STATE earlier this year and -- BREAKNG NEWS! -- it's really good.
Chris' favorite piece from this month's "post-mortem issue," which published on Friday, is the cover: CNN's Jennifer Agiesta's story "He won. She lost."
Jenn, who is director of polling and election analytics at CNN, looked at "how Trump won, how Clinton lost and the factors that so many people overlooked as voters considered their options," CNN's Steven Sloan wrote in his note from the editor. | | Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is set to speak at a Story County Republican dinner tonight. We asked CNN's Eric Bradner: What are the chances Sasse -- or anyone else -- primaries Trump in 2020?
Here's his take:
Sasse's trip is the kind of trip that sparks speculation. Since the Nebraska senator has been one of President Trump's most outspoken critics within the party, this trip has people wondering: Will Sasse try to challenge the sitting president in the 2020 GOP primary?
Don't expect him to offer any hints he's considering it tonight. Sasse isn't going to confront Trump directly, a Republican familiar with his plans said. Instead, he'll focus his speech -- mostly an off-the-cuff riff from notecards -- on the themes of American exceptionalism and the country's broader culture setting the tone for its politics. These are familiar notes for Sasse, and they might ease the intra-party strains that were evident when Iowa GOP chairman Jeff Kaufmann declared in Cedar Rapids last month that if Sasse doesn't like Trump, "I suggest you stay on your side of the Missouri River."
To further tamp down any 2020 speculation, Sasse has two excuses for being in Iowa this weekend. His 13-year-old daughter is competing in a triathlon Saturday morning (!). And he lost a bet over Twitter on the Iowa vs. Nebraska football game -- so he's paying that bet off by driving for Uber around the University of Iowa.
For more, check out Bradner's #2020 Vision Memo. | | Everyone at CNN has '90s fever as we gear up to watch the latest CNN Original series, "The Nineties," on Sunday.
In honor of the series -- from executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, and Mark Herzog, in association with HBO -- we decided to share our own #FBF pictures showcasing our best '90s selves.
Chris: "This is my high school graduation photo. 'Beverly Hills 90210' was all the rage and, if you look closely, you can see I have sideburns down well past the bottom of my ears."
Saba: "Me and my parents w/ v cool sunglasses (they are still cooler than me)." | | | On July 7, 1996 the pro wrestling world changed. Hulk Hogan, the biggest face (good guy) in the history of the industry, turned heel (bad guy) -- signing on with Kevin Hall and Scott Hall in the New World Order (NWO). That heel turn made wrestling cool (and relevant) again. And it's been on a roll ever since. | | | Good-biden, and have a good weekend! Remind your friends to subscribe. And make sure to check out the audio version of The Point on Amazon Echo, Google Home and iTunes. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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