| | | | Trump says 'next' to Acosta and the citizenship fight |  | | | The Trump administration scrapped two major things this week: its latest bid to get a citizenship question on the census -- and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta.
After a flurry of legal action late last week, President Donald Trump again reversed course, this time announcing that the administration would abandon its attempts to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census.
Instead, the Trump team is asking government agencies to provide records that could determine a head count of citizens without polling census-takers directly.
Trump made it clear on Thursday that he would not back down from obtaining some sort of count of those living legally -- and illegally -- in the United States, but he did admit the serious legal hurdles his administration needed to clear in order to get that question on the 2020 census.
"We will leave no stone unturned," Trump said.
Meanwhile, after a week of harsh scrutiny for his role in a controversial plea deal with Jeffrey Epstein a decade ago, Acosta announced Friday that he would step down.
"I do not think it is right and fair to this administration's Labor Department to have Epstein as the focus rather than the incredible economy that we have today," Acosta said.
Trump praised Acosta's work as labor secretary over the last two and a half years as they spoke to reporters, announcing Acosta's surprise departure. Trump also said he was "not a fan" of Epstein, and once threw him out of his Mar-a-Lago club.
"I didn't want anything to do with him. That was many, many years ago. It shows you one thing -- that I have good taste," Trump said of Epstein.
But the President's week wasn't all bad: After a mostly well-received expanded Fourth of July celebration, Trump promised to double down -- and do it again next year.
The Point: It's on to the next as Trump ditches the citizenship question on the 2020 census and his labor secretary.
-- Lauren And now, the week in 28 headlines:
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: | | "You have a man who doesn't smile a lot. But when he saw me, he smiled."
-- President Donald Trump on Kim Jong Un | | | Stable genius
How President Trump has frequently described himself -- and his intelligence.
Trump debuted the phrase in January 2018, defending his intelligence against reports from Michael Wolff's book "Fire and Fury" that included quotes disparaging and questioning Trump's smarts.
Trump tweeted that he became President "on my first try [...] I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!"
The phrase surfaced again in May 2019 during a news conference. Trump reiterated the "stable genius" line after Nancy Pelosi said he blew up during a meeting with Democrats on Capitol Hill, urging his aides to back him up on his assessment. He added that Pelosi was "crazy" and "a mess" during that same meeting.
The line reemerged this week, again on Twitter.
Trump criticized both his Democratic opponents and unfavorable news coverage, while praising himself -- all in 280 characters: Trump called himself "so great looking and smart, a true Stable Genius." | | For your summer Friday enjoyment: Robbie Williams' "Millennium," as recommended by reader Holly!
🎶Have a summer song rec? Drop us a line! Lauren.dezenski@cnn.com. 🎶 | |  | After the first debate, women surge in Dem rankings | | | Two of the top three slots in CNN's Democratic power rankings are held by female senators. Chris Cillizza explains who came out on top post-debate. | |
LAUREN'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL SCHEDULER | | | Nearly everyone's headed to Iowa to talk to older voters, Netroots kicks off sans Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg headlines a convention of young Democrats. Plus, Donald Trump rallies the North Carolina MAGA crowd.
🎧 Lauren explains why Iowa's older voters are such a big draw for the 2020 Democrats in Friday's Point audio briefing.
Saturday, July 13 - Netroots Nation Presidential Forum: Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Julian Castro and Jay Inslee will attend the major conference for progressive activists, this year in Philadelphia
- Joe Biden: Spends his second day in New Hampshire with a house party and campaign event at an apple farm
- Cory Booker: Will traverse New Hampshire by RV for the weekend
Sunday, July 14 - Progress Iowa Corn Feed: Featuring Michael Bennet, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Bill de Blasio, John Delaney, Kirsten Gillibrand, John Hickenlooper, Jay Inslee, Amy Klobuchar, Seth Moulton, Tim Ryan and Marianne Williamson
- Kamala Harris: Makes two stops in New Hampshire
Monday, July 15 Tuesday, July 16 Wednesday, July 17 Thursday, July 18 - Pete Buttigieg: Headlines the Young Democrats of America convention in Indianapolis
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