| | | | The Contradiction President |  | | One of the defining characteristics of Donald Trump -- the man and the President -- is how he seems to remake his policies (and those of his administration) on a daily basis. Taking directly contradictory positions -- either from things he has said previously or from the official line of his administration -- seems as natural to Trump as breathing.
This past week provides us with two sterling examples of Trump's many contradictions.
1) In the wake of the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London, Trump was asked his view of the effort to expose government secrets that Assange spearheaded. "I know nothing about WikiLeaks," the President replied. "It's not my thing and I know there is something having to do with Julian Assange."
Which is utterly contradicted by a series of plaudits Trump gave WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign, when the organization was releasing emails from the Democratic National Committee illegally obtained by Russians. "WikiLeaks, I love WikiLeaks," Trump said in October 2016.
2) On Thursday night, The Washington Post and other outlets reported that President Trump had pressured Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to bus undocumented immigrants arrested at the border to sanctuary cities in the congressional districts of Democratic members of Congress.
By Friday morning, the administration was dismissing the whole thing. "The idea was briefly and informally raised and quickly rejected," a White House official told CNN.
Enter Trump. "Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only," he tweeted. "The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy -- so this should make them very happy!"
What to take from all of these contradictions? In short: Nothing matters. In slightly longer: Trump is the only person whose opinion really matters in this administration. And he changes that opinion as often as a European soccer star changes hairstyles. (Which, for you non-soccer buffs, is A LOT.)
The Point: What Trump said yesterday is no predictor of what he will say today. And what he says today has no real bearing on what he says tomorrow. This is a day-by-day presidency.
-- Chris
Below, the week in 27 headlines.
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday
Thursday:
Friday: | | "Donald Trump is the arsonist who gets the credit for putting out the fire."
-- Beto O'Rourke describing the President's immigration policies, suggesting Trump is worsening the migrant issues at the southern border. | | |  | How long can Trump's hush money stay quiet? | | While the Mueller investigation has dominated the headlines, the ongoing probe into hush money paid to two women alleging affairs with Trump in the mid-2000s could be the real threat to the President.
Let us point you in the right direction: To The Point on YouTube! | | | Tame Impala's "Borderline." Have a good weekend! | | YOU KNOW NOTHING, JON SNOW | | It's fairly common to ask those in politics what TV show best describes their experiences, expecting a response like "Veep," "West Wing," or even "House of Cards."
But Hillary Clinton had a much darker (and more topical) answer when asked this week: Game of Thrones, which has its final season premiere this weekend.
"Oh, probably 'Game of Thrones,' " Clinton said at a moderated event in New York on Thursday, drawing laughter from the audience. "At least in my experience."
For what it's worth, Bill Clinton had a tamer response: "Madam Secretary." | |
LAUREN'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL SCHEDULER | | | Coming up next week: Pete Buttigieg (very likely) makes it official, still-undeclared Joe Biden heads to South Carolina, Andrew Yang rallies at the Lincoln Memorial and Beto O'Rourke traverses Virginia.
Saturday, April 13: - Cory Booker: Holds a hometown kickoff in Newark, New Jersey -- beginning the first national tour of his presidential run
- Amy Klobuchar: Closes out the University of Colorado Boulder's Conference on World Affairs with a moderated discussion on "wide range of pressing issues facing communities like Boulder across the country"
Sunday, April 14: - Marianne Williamson: Participates in the first back-to-back CNN Town Hall, airing at 6 p.m. Eastern
- Andrew Yang: Participates in the second back-to-back CNN Town Hall, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern
- Bernie Sanders: Holds a Pittsburgh rally and participates in a Fox News town hall
- Pete Buttigieg: Is expected to kick off his presidential campaign in a "special announcement" from a rally in his native South Bend, Indiana
Monday, April 15: TAX DAY - Andrew Yang: Holds a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC -- he'll be there in real life (rather than by hologram, which he plans to roll out and use in future campaign events).
- Elizabeth Warren: Holds a rally in Seabrook, South Carolina after a coastal community forum in Charleston and a private meeting with faith leaders
Tuesday, April 16: - Joe Biden: Travels to South Carolina to deliver the eulogy for the late Sen. Fritz Hollings
- Elizabeth Warren: Holds a town hall organizing event in Aurora, Colorado -- her first visit to the Centennial State as a presidential candidate
- Pete Buttigieg: Kicks off a two-day swing through Iowa, including two town halls
- Beto O'Rourke: Begins a two-day swing through Virginia
Wednesday, April 17: Thursday, April 18: - Eric Swalwell: Travels to New Hampshire to tape an interview and meet with local Democrats
Friday, April 19: - Kamala Harris: Kicks off a weekend-long campaign swing through South Carolina, where she will push her federal plan for boosting teacher pay
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