| | | | Trump's week: From Supreme Court to royal court | | It was a week like, well, many others.
It was only Monday when President Donald Trump introduced his second Supreme Court nominee in as many years, only Wednesday that he heaped scorn on NATO, and just (checks calendar) today that his White House and his personal lawyer, respectively, responded defiantly to news that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into 2016 election meddling had yielded the indictment of a dozen Russian nationals.
Another pitched drama we're sure to forget in 3... 2... 1... Trump this week took some shots at UK Prime Minister Theresa May over her handling of Brexit negotiations, a mushrooming mess that has already led to a pair of high-profile resignations by top cabinet officials including Boris Johnson, who Trump told The Sun newspaper, "would be a great prime minister," before -- and this is when things get really weird -- he is now said to have offered an APOLOGY to May.
It happened during a subsequent, private meeting. We don't know exactly what was said, but a source tells CNN that Trump seemed "genuinely contrite." Mind you, this came after a more public non-apology apology and his denying, publicly, that he criticized May in the first place.
Next up: a one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland. But that's not for a few days.
The Point: Enjoy the World Cup final on Sunday (yeah, the one in Moscow!) because next week -- with the Trump-Putin summit on Monday, a ramping up of the Supreme Court fight and who knows what else -- figures to be another doozy.
To relive this one, see a roundup below:
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: | | "All patriotic Americans should understand that Putin is not America's friend, and he is not the President's buddy. We should stand united against Putin's past and planned future attacks against us."
-- Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a Republican, said this after the indictments came down and before Trump's planned one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. | | | FROM THE DEPT. OF AWKWARD TIMING | | Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (above) delivered the news, but it was the probe run by special counsel Robert Mueller that delivered the detailed indictments of a dozen Russian nationals as part of the wider investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, Friday morning.
Here are some key details, via CNN's Katelyn Polantz and Stephen Collinson:
1. They are being accused of engaging in a "sustained effort" to hack Democrats' emails and computer networks.
2. All 12 defendants are members of the GRU, a Russian federation intelligence agency within the main intelligence directorate of the Russian military, who were acting in "their official capacities."
3. Eleven are charged with identity theft, conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to commit computer crimes. Two defendants are charged with a conspiracy to commit computer crimes.
4. The DOJ says the hacking targeted Hillary Clinton's campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, with the intention to "release that information on the internet under the names DCLeaks and Guccifer 2.0 and through another entity."
5. Per the indictment, the Russians hit more than 300 people connected to the Clinton campaign and Democratic political groups in a two-part operation that began with a "spearphishing" effort in early 2016.
So what do the White House and Trump team have to say about it?
About what you'd expect.
"Today's charges include no allegations of knowing involvement by anyone on the campaign and no allegations that the alleged hacking affected the election result," Lindsey Walters, the White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement. "This is consistent with what we have been saying all along."
Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani responded via Twitter: | | Is truth's fate sealed? WaPo's Carlos Lozada investigates.
From CNN's Daniel Burke: Why some African-Americans are skeptical about the new investigation into Emmett Till's death.
Even the President wasn't immune. In Twitter purge, top accounts lose millions of followers.
Though departed from the World Cup stage, Cristiano Ronaldo still won headlines this week with his departure from Real Madrid. The Guardian's Sid Lowe bade him a remarkable farewell.
Bloomberg goes inside Turnberry, Trump's Scottish golf club, where he'll be spending the weekend. | | | "Let's Get Together" from Disney's (original) "The Parent Trap." The theme song of successful newsletter collaboration between Greg and Brenna. (Greg enthuses: "Sure, why not.") | | | Today's topic, tackled by Brenna: Looking ahead to next week's big stories. | | MCCONNELL SETS COURT DATE | | And some expectations.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell predicted Friday that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would be robed 'n' ready (our term; not his) by October 1, when the court's new term begins. Confirmation hearings could begin as soon as late next month or early September, McConnell predicted.
Here's more from McConnell, from CNN's Ted Barrett:
"'I think we will succeed, yes,' the Kentucky Republican replied when asked at a news conference in Louisville if he thought Kavanaugh would be confirmed.
McConnell said he believes there are 'only a fairly small number of people who are genuinely undecided' and that key Republican senators -- like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska -- whose votes are needed if no Democrats support Kavanaugh, won't make up their minds until after the hearings."
That's the ballgame right there: For all the GOP's bluster and the Democrats' protests, Kavanaugh's fate (and all that follows) seems destined to come down to how Collins and/or Murkowski vote.
| | LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS EPISODE OF 'THE CROWN' | | President Trump and the first lady met Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on Friday. The President and the Queen inspected the Guard of Honour before taking tea together inside.
Queen Elizabeth II has met every US president since 1952 except for LBJ. Read more from CNN's Kate Bennett and Betsy Klein. | | Nearly $341,000 -- that's how much erstwhile Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price wasted, according to an inspector general probe, on travel during his short time in the job.
From the watchdog report: "We determined this cost difference was extravagant, careless, or needless and thus considered it waste."
Wait, wait, there's more. Via CNN's Gregory Wallace:
"The report put the total price tag of his 21 trips -- including charter and military aircraft -- at $1.2 million.
'Of the 21 trips, we determined that for one trip all applicable Federal requirements had been followed,' the report said. 'The remaining 20 trips did not comply with Federal requirements, including all 12 chartered aircraft trips.'
The report reveals that when Price flew on charter aircraft, his aides did not compare the cost of a charter to the cost of flying commercial. Required authorization paperwork was completed on time for only one trip, and for several, a legal review of the trip was completed either during the trip or after it concluded, the report said. In addition, several charter trips either began or ended in his home state of Georgia."
| | First lady Melania Trump did some lawn bowling in the United Kingdom today. One of the most British things you can do, other than cricket, which would probably be hard to do in a dress. Something else that is easier than playing cricket in a dress: telling everyone you know to subscribe to The Point.
(And check out Brenna's roundup of this week's best political GIFs.) | | 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.
Sign up to get updates on your favorite CNN Original Series, special CNN news coverage and other newsletters. | | | | | | |
Post a Comment