| | | | The simple reason Donald Trump endorsed Roy Moore | | On Monday morning -- while I was still sleeping -- President Donald Trump removed any doubt: He's 100% behind Roy Moore's Senate campaign.
Tweeteth Trump: "Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!"
Trump followed that tweet up with a call to the embattled Alabama Republican that reportedly ended with the President urging, "Go get 'em, Roy!"
If you are shocked by the President of the United States endorsing the candidacy of a man who stands accused of pursuing sexual relationships with a number of women between the ages of 14 and 19 when he was in his 30s, you don't know much about Trump.
Trump, as he edged toward a Moore endorsement last week, made clear that despite the allegations, Moore had denied all of them. Sort of like how Trump denied the accusations of sexual harassment leveled by more than a dozen women during the course of the 2016 campaign.
That's far from the only similarity between the two. Moore has repeatedly bested the political establishment in Alabama, just like Trump did nationally. Moore positions himself as a warrior against political correctness. Same for Trump. Moore is at war with the liberal media. Ditto Trump. And so on.
In Moore, Trump sees a kindred soul. And now, with Moore bouncing back in polls and seemingly with the momentum in his race against Democrat Doug Jones, Trump wants to be in on the Alabama race so he can claim credit if Moore wins.
Given all of that, it would have been far more surprising if Trump hadn't endorsed Moore.
The Point: Trump sees the world through one lens: "How does this affect me?" And he believes a Moore win is good for the sort of anti-establishment politics they both practice. That, plus the prospect of being associated with a winner, drives Trump's logic in this decision. And all his decisions.
-- Chris | | IF THE PRESIDENT DOES IT...? | | Trump was mostly mum last Friday as former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. It was also revealed then that Flynn was now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller.
Then Saturday came -- and with it, that tweet, from 12:14 p.m. ET:
"I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!"
As lots of people quickly pointed out, this could mean that Trump knew Flynn had lied to the FBI when, according to former FBI director James Comey, he asked Comey during a private conversation to take it easy on Flynn. And THAT, some experts believe, is grounds for a potential obstruction of justice charge.
(Deep breath ... now it really gets weird.)
Later Saturday, The Washington Post reported that Trump's personal lawyer, John Dowd, had drafted the tweet in question. On Sunday, Dowd confirmed that story to CNN.
Asked by CNN if Trump reviewed the tweet he (says he) wrote and White House social media director Dan Scavino posted, Dowd demurred. "Enough already," he said in an email. "I don't feed the haters."
Wait! There's much, much more.
On Monday, CNN's Kara Scannell reported on another complication in Trump's account. From her story:
"The White House's chief lawyer (Donald McGahn) told President Donald Trump in January he believed then-national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled the FBI and lied to Vice President Mike Pence and should be fired, a source familiar with the matter said Monday."
Which brings us to the end (for now). Has Trump put himself in a position to be charged with obstructing justice??
Nope, according to Dowd, who told Mike Allen of Axios in an interview that the "President cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under (the Constitution's Article II) and has every right to express his view of any case."
Hmmmm....
CNN's Stephen Collinson and Maegan Vazquez followed up with a story headlined: "White House turns to above-the-law political defense."
Stay tuned... | | CONYERS ANNOUNCEMENT COMING | | | "I sent three pairs of Big Ballers to 1600 Pennsylvania.
One in red, one in white and one in blue to show we're patriotic."
-- LaVar Ball, father of the Lakers' Lonzo Ball, now former UCLA star LiAngelo Ball and high schooler LaMelo Ball, via ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell.
LiAngelo was among the UCLA players detained for shoplifting during the team's trip to China. Trump reportedly hastened Ball and his teammates' release, but got wound up when LaVar wasn't sufficiently grateful, setting off a minor media scrum. | | ROMNEY WEIGHS IN ON MOORE | | So, on the same day Trump formally and openly endorsed Moore, and a little after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell backed off his opposition to the nominee ... here comes Mitt Romney with some pushback of his own:
(Coincidentally or not, Trump has become a big fan of Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch lately. That's likely in part because of Hatch's work moving along GOP tax cuts, but maybe also because Romney is expected to bid for Hatch's seat if the latter decides not to run again in 2018...) | | | The one and only Brenna Williams is joining The Point! Brenna, whose GIFs have been featured in this newsletter since the day we started, will now be a formal part of the newsletter squad and will also be working to create original video content with Chris! Welcome Brenna! | | A VERY SCARY NUMBER FOR THE GOP IN 2018 | | A political home truth from Chris here: "One of the best ways to gauge the relative health of a political party's brand is to see how willing people are to say they identify with the party."
That said, consider this, also from his story today:
"Just 37% of people identify as Republicans or leaning toward the Republican Party, compared with 44% who identify as either leaning toward the Democratic Party or as solid Democrats. Another 14% say they are independents and don't lean to either party."
The numbers come from Gallup -- look here at how they've fluctuated over the last few years (and bear in mind, there's time for the GOP to flip the script ahead of the midterms):
 | | | Ted Leo update: Still awesome. | | First, House Republicans passed their tax bill. Then, early Saturday morning, the Senate did the same. But the legislation itself isn't exactly the same. Now the two chambers will pick teams to sit down and hammer out a single bill. (Then they get to vote all over again!)
So, what will the conference committee have to reconcile? CNNMoney's Jeanne Sahadi broke down where the bills differ and explained why it matters. Here are three (of 13) big ones:
Tax brackets and rates
Senate: Keeps seven tax brackets but changes, and -- in most instances -- lowers the rates. The new rates would be: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 38.5%.
House: Calls for four brackets: 12%, 25%, 35% and 39.6%.
When the individual provisions expire
Senate: Most expire in 2025.
House: Most are permanent.
Estate tax
Senate: Shields more people from it by doubling the exemption levels to $11 million for individuals and $22 million for couples.
House: Doubles the exemption levels for six years then repeals the estate tax in 2024.
All the rest, right here. | | The latest here from the (increasingly lucrative!) anti-Trump cottage industry -- a quiz book that asks ... well, you can see it above.
On Monday, we received an email addressed to "Trump sufferer," with the following note, in case you're into this but don't want to shell out the $11.99:
"A daily sample quiz from the book can be found on the new TheDumpTrumpDump.com website along with daily news updates on Trump offenses like The Daily Lie, Who He Screwed Today (and how to help them) and a count of his days spent playing golf." | | PRIMARY PAIN FOR MENENDEZ IN NEW JERSEY? | | Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who survived a federal corruption trial (deadlocked jury = mistrial) this fall, might have another threat to his seat coming down the pike.
Michael Starr Hopkins, an attorney and Clinton campaign staffer in 2016, is exploring a primary challenge, he said today. Polling suggests he might have a shot, too, as 50% of voters in a Quinnipiac poll from September said Menendez didn't deserve to be re-elected. (That survey began right as his trial did, so take it with a pinch of salt.)
Here are a few noteworthy jabs, from Starr's announcement:
"I believe New Jersey deserves a fresh start, the chance to vote for someone who hasn't been tainted by the culture of corruption in Trenton and Washington..."
"Nominating Menendez wouldn't just hurt the chances of Democrats winning in New Jersey, however. It would damage our entire party everywhere in the country."
And one seemingly aimed at Menendez and Republicans:
"I can no longer stand on the sidelines and watch the country that I love flounder under morally and ethically corrupt leadership."
Game on. | | After he all but begged establishment GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch to run again next year, Trump gave another Utah Senator, Mike Lee, a little shoulder rub.
(It wasn't all love out west. Chris eyeballed one memorable protest sign: "Tiny hands off our lands." Here's the backstory.)
Tell everyone you know to subscribe to The Point. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | | | | |
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