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Barr working with CIA to review Trump-Russia investigation, reports say – live Barr working with CIA to review Trump-Russia investigation, reports say – live
(32 minutes later)
In remarks to reporters before leaving the White House today, Trump described the retaliatory tariffs between the United States and China as “a little squabble”:
“We’re having a little squabble with China because we’ve been treated very very unfairly for many decades.. I think it’s going to turn out extremely well, we’re in a very strong position.”
Here’s senator Lindsey Graham carrying water for Donald Trump in discouraging the idea of Donald Trump Jr testifying before the Senate, which has demanded that Trump Jr appear.Here’s senator Lindsey Graham carrying water for Donald Trump in discouraging the idea of Donald Trump Jr testifying before the Senate, which has demanded that Trump Jr appear.
To review, that’s Graham turning on his Republican colleagues in the senate on behalf of the president:To review, that’s Graham turning on his Republican colleagues in the senate on behalf of the president:
Sen. Lindsey Graham: "If I were [Donald Trump Jr.'s] lawyer I wouldn't put him back into this circus. He's been to the committee, two or three different committee. He's testified under oath." pic.twitter.com/3IY4NbyvB1Sen. Lindsey Graham: "If I were [Donald Trump Jr.'s] lawyer I wouldn't put him back into this circus. He's been to the committee, two or three different committee. He's testified under oath." pic.twitter.com/3IY4NbyvB1
Nicholas Geale, a top Labor Department official, is leaving the Trump administration over a clash with White House officials, Axios reports. The report says that the officials considered Geale to be “personally difficult and as an impediment to President Trump’s deregulatory agenda.”Nicholas Geale, a top Labor Department official, is leaving the Trump administration over a clash with White House officials, Axios reports. The report says that the officials considered Geale to be “personally difficult and as an impediment to President Trump’s deregulatory agenda.”
Axios:Axios:
A source who is close to the president and has direct knowledge of the situation told me: “The pace of change has not been sufficient. [Sec. Acosta] tends to be fairly fearful of taking hardline positions. He tends to be solicitous of the unions, often making the argument that that’s what the president wants.”A source who is close to the president and has direct knowledge of the situation told me: “The pace of change has not been sufficient. [Sec. Acosta] tends to be fairly fearful of taking hardline positions. He tends to be solicitous of the unions, often making the argument that that’s what the president wants.”
Attorney General William Barr is working with CIA Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to examine intelligence methods used during the Russia investigation, the Associated Press reports:Attorney General William Barr is working with CIA Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to examine intelligence methods used during the Russia investigation, the Associated Press reports:
That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person could not discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity.That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person could not discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity.
Barr has appointed John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, to lead the inquiry into the origins of the Russia investigation and the intelligence methods used during the probe. But the person said Barr remains directly involved in the probe.Barr has appointed John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, to lead the inquiry into the origins of the Russia investigation and the intelligence methods used during the probe. But the person said Barr remains directly involved in the probe.
The person said similar, separate investigations by the Justice Department’s inspector general and another U.S. attorney are winding down.The person said similar, separate investigations by the Justice Department’s inspector general and another U.S. attorney are winding down.
All indications are that Barr has set out to place the full resources of the justice department behind Trump’s demands that the FBI investigation of his campaign, which at the time was in secret contact with Russians sabotaging the US election, be investigated. If you squint it can look like Trump has succeed in hijacking the justice department for his own political ends, in this case an investigation of his political opponents.All indications are that Barr has set out to place the full resources of the justice department behind Trump’s demands that the FBI investigation of his campaign, which at the time was in secret contact with Russians sabotaging the US election, be investigated. If you squint it can look like Trump has succeed in hijacking the justice department for his own political ends, in this case an investigation of his political opponents.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council has released a statement accusing Trump of shunning American Muslims by failing to invite them – for a second consecutive year – to the White House Iftar.The Muslim Public Affairs Council has released a statement accusing Trump of shunning American Muslims by failing to invite them – for a second consecutive year – to the White House Iftar.
The statement, first reported by Talking Points Memo, read:The statement, first reported by Talking Points Memo, read:
Tonight marks another year when President Trump fails to invite American Muslims during the month of Ramadan. Instead, foreign ambassadors and dignitaries from Muslim-majority countries comprise the guest list for tonight’s iftar. Many of those he did invite represent autocratic and repressive governments, regimes that routinely oppress innocent citizens and violate the rights of women, minorities and free-thinking people.Tonight marks another year when President Trump fails to invite American Muslims during the month of Ramadan. Instead, foreign ambassadors and dignitaries from Muslim-majority countries comprise the guest list for tonight’s iftar. Many of those he did invite represent autocratic and repressive governments, regimes that routinely oppress innocent citizens and violate the rights of women, minorities and free-thinking people.
Hillary Clinton started the tradition of the White House Iftar (the daily fast-breaking dinner) in 1996 when she served as First Lady. Since 1996, when then-First Lady Hillary Clinton began the tradition, this event has been a staple of both Republican and Democratic administrations. It’s served as an opportunity to celebrate Ramadan with the American Muslim community, the leaders of its civic groups, its imams, its writers, artists, and entertainers.Hillary Clinton started the tradition of the White House Iftar (the daily fast-breaking dinner) in 1996 when she served as First Lady. Since 1996, when then-First Lady Hillary Clinton began the tradition, this event has been a staple of both Republican and Democratic administrations. It’s served as an opportunity to celebrate Ramadan with the American Muslim community, the leaders of its civic groups, its imams, its writers, artists, and entertainers.
After canceling the White House iftar two years ago, President Trump broke away from this great tradition. This year, he has continued the tradition MPAC initiated over 20 years ago -- but for the past two years, no American Muslim organizations or leaders were invited. This is not surprising, through his exclusively foreign guest list he is perpetuating the narrative Islam is foreign to America and that American Muslims are not an integral part of our social fabric.After canceling the White House iftar two years ago, President Trump broke away from this great tradition. This year, he has continued the tradition MPAC initiated over 20 years ago -- but for the past two years, no American Muslim organizations or leaders were invited. This is not surprising, through his exclusively foreign guest list he is perpetuating the narrative Islam is foreign to America and that American Muslims are not an integral part of our social fabric.
Once again, the White House refuses to acknowledge the existence and contributions of American Muslims at the annual White House Iftar.Once again, the White House refuses to acknowledge the existence and contributions of American Muslims at the annual White House Iftar.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday that Washington would not tolerate any Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2020, Reuters reports:US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday that Washington would not tolerate any Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2020, Reuters reports:
Speaking at a news conference after holding talks with Lavrov in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Pompeo said he had made it clear to Russia that there could be no repeat of election interference of the kind Washington accuses Moscow of undertaking in the 2016 presidential election.Speaking at a news conference after holding talks with Lavrov in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Pompeo said he had made it clear to Russia that there could be no repeat of election interference of the kind Washington accuses Moscow of undertaking in the 2016 presidential election.
Russia denies the allegation it meddled in that election.Russia denies the allegation it meddled in that election.
Contrary to previous reports and this earlier blog block, district judge Amie Mehta does not intend to rule today on a challenge by the president to a House subpoena for eight years’ worth of accounting documents. The ruling could defuse a tense standoff between Trump and congress – or send the country further towards a bona fide constitutional crisis.Contrary to previous reports and this earlier blog block, district judge Amie Mehta does not intend to rule today on a challenge by the president to a House subpoena for eight years’ worth of accounting documents. The ruling could defuse a tense standoff between Trump and congress – or send the country further towards a bona fide constitutional crisis.
Britain Eakin of Courthouse News is in the room:Britain Eakin of Courthouse News is in the room:
Mehta will not be ruling from the bench today, he says straight away, contrary to media reports implying as such. The issues presented today are serious, Mehta says. "No judge would make a hasty decision on such important issues for the sake of expediency."Mehta will not be ruling from the bench today, he says straight away, contrary to media reports implying as such. The issues presented today are serious, Mehta says. "No judge would make a hasty decision on such important issues for the sake of expediency."
Read Eakin’s timeline for a play-by-play. The hearing has just concluded with a final statement by Douglas Letter, general counsel for the House of Representatives:Read Eakin’s timeline for a play-by-play. The hearing has just concluded with a final statement by Douglas Letter, general counsel for the House of Representatives:
And that's a wrap. Mehta will leave the record open until the 18th for the parties to submit additional evidence. There will be no discovery and no further briefing in the case before he rules. Thank you for joining me today!And that's a wrap. Mehta will leave the record open until the 18th for the parties to submit additional evidence. There will be no discovery and no further briefing in the case before he rules. Thank you for joining me today!
Campaigning in New Hampshire, former vice president Joe Biden says that post-Trump, Republicans will become a party of compromising partners in government:Campaigning in New Hampshire, former vice president Joe Biden says that post-Trump, Republicans will become a party of compromising partners in government:
In New Hampshire, Joe Biden predicts that once President Trump is out of office, Republicans will have “an epiphany” and work with Democrats toward consensus.In New Hampshire, Joe Biden predicts that once President Trump is out of office, Republicans will have “an epiphany” and work with Democrats toward consensus.
Why not?Why not?
This, uh, seems to run counter to everything we know about partisan politics in our polarized era. https://t.co/s5Ncdsa8U8This, uh, seems to run counter to everything we know about partisan politics in our polarized era. https://t.co/s5Ncdsa8U8
CNN analyst Harry Enten points out that even if it ain’t true, the idea polls well:CNN analyst Harry Enten points out that even if it ain’t true, the idea polls well:
Ain't a chance in heck this happens... but the idea of working with Republicans polls well among Democrats. https://t.co/bMz9L46l2wAin't a chance in heck this happens... but the idea of working with Republicans polls well among Democrats. https://t.co/bMz9L46l2w
Appearing on The View talk show this morning, Texas Representative and presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke admits it might not have been the best idea to launch his presidential campaign on the cover of Vanity Fair:Appearing on The View talk show this morning, Texas Representative and presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke admits it might not have been the best idea to launch his presidential campaign on the cover of Vanity Fair:
Beto O’Rourke on criticisms of his ‘Vanity Fair’ “born to be in it” remark: “I was attempting to say that I felt my calling was in public service — no one is born to be President of the United States of America.”“I have a lot to learn, and I still am.” https://t.co/f8u2wc159S pic.twitter.com/eQ5TKpXdAaBeto O’Rourke on criticisms of his ‘Vanity Fair’ “born to be in it” remark: “I was attempting to say that I felt my calling was in public service — no one is born to be President of the United States of America.”“I have a lot to learn, and I still am.” https://t.co/f8u2wc159S pic.twitter.com/eQ5TKpXdAa
4. @MeghanMcCain asks Beto if he can get away with stuff like "I'm just born to be in it," because he's a man. Beto says "you're right." He goes on to agree that the Vanity Fair cover as an announcement was a mistake. pic.twitter.com/dFoPdUgraf4. @MeghanMcCain asks Beto if he can get away with stuff like "I'm just born to be in it," because he's a man. Beto says "you're right." He goes on to agree that the Vanity Fair cover as an announcement was a mistake. pic.twitter.com/dFoPdUgraf
Picking up on Trump’s suggestion earlier today that his son Donald Jr has testified enough, the Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, which has subpoenaed Trump Jr for further testimony, declines to say what would happen next in the frankly rather extremely plausible event that Trump Jr defies the subpoena:Picking up on Trump’s suggestion earlier today that his son Donald Jr has testified enough, the Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, which has subpoenaed Trump Jr for further testimony, declines to say what would happen next in the frankly rather extremely plausible event that Trump Jr defies the subpoena:
Senate Intel Chairman Richard Burr declines to comment about pursuing contempt for Donald Trump Jr if he defies subpoena “I’m not going to discuss any engagement with witnesses,” Burr said off the floorSenate Intel Chairman Richard Burr declines to comment about pursuing contempt for Donald Trump Jr if he defies subpoena “I’m not going to discuss any engagement with witnesses,” Burr said off the floor
Perfect timing for this discovery, as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is about to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin and can bring this up:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — After #FBI briefing, #Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says #Russia hackers accessed voter databases in 2 Florida counties.
It’s unclear when the hacking occurred.
Update: this referred to hacking activity in 2016.
Trump spoke with reporters briefly before departing for New Orleans. He suggested that his son, Donald Jr, who has been subpoenaed to testify by the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee, had already testified enough (members have Congress have expressed concern that Trump Jr might have misled them).
Trump also addressed a New York Times report from yesterday with this eye-popping lede:
WASHINGTON — At a meeting of President Trump’s top national security aides last Thursday, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan presented an updated military plan that envisions sending as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East should Iran attack American forces or accelerate work on nuclear weapons, administration officials said.
Never heard of it, Trump tells reporters.
Trump, before leaving WH, said:—there’s a squabble with China but he has a good relationship with Xi and US having a good dialogue—doesn’t know anything about 120,000 troops —Don Jr spent 20+ hours testifying —a Q about whether he has confidence in Chris Wray “ridiculous.”
When I asked @realDonaldTrump if the U.S. is winning the trade war he told me: “ You wanna know something, we always win. “
The House Judiciary panel has set a 21 May hearing for testimony from former White House counsel Don McGahn, a key figure in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, the Associated Press reports:
But it’s unclear if he’ll show.
The committee posted notice Tuesday of the hearing. McGahn was a vital witness for Mueller’s probe into Russia election meddling and contacts with Donald Trump’s campaign. McGahn told Mueller of Trump’s attempts to thwart his investigation and remove Mueller.
The White House has said McGahn cannot turn over documents the committee seeks and prefers he not testify, reflecting Trump’s strategy of resisting congressional investigations.
Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler has said the committee would hold McGahn in contempt if he does not appear at the hearing.
An attorney for McGahn didn’t immediately respond for comment
Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator running for president, has declined to follow the lead of fellow Democrats who have either appeared in or committed to appear in town halls organized by Fox News.
In rejecting the offer, Warren says she does not want to feed the Fox “hate-for-profit” machine and accuses the network of giving “a megaphone to racists and conspiracists”:
Fox News is a hate-for-profit racket that gives a megaphone to racists and conspiracists—it’s designed to turn us against each other, risking life and death consequences, to provide cover for the corruption that’s rotting our government and hollowing out our middle class.
But Fox News is struggling as more and more advertisers pull out of their hate-filled space. A Democratic town hall gives the Fox News sales team a way to tell potential sponsors it's safe to buy ads on Fox—no harm to their brand or reputation (spoiler: It’s not).
I’m running a campaign to reach all Americans. I take questions from the press and voters everywhere I go. I’ve already held town halls in 17 states and Puerto Rico—including WV, OH, GA, UT, TN, TX, CO, MS & AL.
I’ve done 57 media avails and 131 interviews, taking over 1,100 questions from press just since January. Fox News is welcome to come to my events just like any other outlet. But a Fox News town hall adds money to the hate-for-profit machine. To which I say: hard pass.
And then there were 23.
Steve Bullock, the Democratic governor of Montana, announced on Tuesday that he is entering the presidential race after pushing a progressive agenda in a conservative state.
Among a crowded field of more than 20 Democratic candidates, Bullock attempted to distinguish himself in his campaign launch video by touting his ability to work with Republicans and his record of fighting corporate spending in elections.
“I don’t have the luxury of just talking to people who agree with me,” Bullock said in the video.
In the 2016 election, Donald Trump won Montana by 21 percentage points and Bullock was re-elected by 4 percentage points.
Before Montana voters elected Bullock governor in 2012, he was the state’s attorney general.
The 53-year-old supported same-sex marriage, expanded access to the federal health insurance plan Medicaid and protected public lands. He is also pro-choice and supports an assault weapons ban.
Read further:
Montana governor Steve Bullock enters 2020 presidential race
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is to meet Vladimir Putin in Russia at a time of heightened fears of a clash between the US and Iran, a Moscow ally.
It is the first high-level meeting between US and Russian leaders since the partial release of the Mueller report, which at length documents the Russian sabotage of the 2016 election. Donald Trump and Putin spoke on the phone shortly after the report was published.
A Kremlin spokesman, before the meeting on Tuesday, accused the US of applying a “maximum pressure policy” against Iran, a reference to a harsh US sanctions regime and military deployments to the Middle East.
“President Putin has said repeatedly that he could not understand the maximum pressure policy,” Peskov told journalists on Tuesday morning.
Tensions with Iran are the latest crisis troubling the US-Russia relationship, which was severely disrupted by accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Pompeo and Putin are expected to discuss issues from nuclear arms control to the recent unrest in Venezuela, where Russia backs the government of Nicolás Maduro and the US backs opposition leaders.
Pompeo arrived in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday afternoon, telling the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov: “I am here today because President Trump is committed to improving this relationship.”
Read further:
Pompeo to meet Putin in Russia amid fears over US-Iran clash
UPDATE: Judge Mehta said he would not rule today, as this blog block originally reported. See our update here. Original text of block follows:
On one side, the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives demands documents from Donald Trump and aides: tax records, business documents, emails, legal opinions. The constitution prescribes that Congress oversee the other two branches of government and subpoenas are a favorite tool.
On the other side, Trump responds: No.
Some analysts call it a constitutional crisis unfolding in real time; others say we’re not there until a court issues an order which Trump then actually defies. But in a little more than an hour [Update: the ruling has been delayed] we could have a major development in one of the big Trump-House standoffs.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee has subpoenaed one of Trump’s accounting firms, Mazars USA, for eight years of Trump’s financial records. The president sued to stop the release of the records. And at 11am judge Amit Mehta in the Washington DC district will convene a hearing about whether the records must be turned over.
While it’s not known how Mehta will rule, the judge earlier denied a Trump request to slow-walk the case, in a move taken not to be a good sign for Trump.
On the subject of markets – the Dow Jones Industrial Average has opened up slightly, a half a point in the green on the day so far. It fell a bit more than three points on Monday.
Donald Trump spent at least an hour and some 1,400 characters on Tuesday morning tweeting a defense of his tariffs on Chinese goods, which China has responded to with retaliatory tariffs, precipitating a dive on Monday in the US markets. Asian markets fell less sharply and European markets opened Tuesday slightly up.
Trump said on Tuesday that “Tariffs have rebuilt our Steel Industry - it is booming!”, “we are in a fantastic position”, “We are in a much better position now than any deal we could have made” and “Other countries are already negotiating with us because they don’t want this to happen to them.”
Companies from Apple to Boeing to Caterpillar have reason to disagree with Trump’s rosy assessment, and economists warn that the retaliatory trade war just commenced could drive up costs for consumers.
“Enjoy!” Trump concluded.
Read further on Trump’s tariffs:
Trump defends China tariffs as trade war leaves allies and opponents in bind
Hello and welcome to our daily politics coverage.
US attorney general William Barr has put the power of the justice department behind a Donald Trump talking point by assigning a US attorney to examine the origins of an FBI investigation into Russia and the Trump campaign, according to the Associated Press.
Barr told Congress in April that he believes “spying did occur” on Trump’s 2016 campaign, though he later said he didn’t use the word with negative connotations. The appointment of a US attorney to investigate the investigation follows years of Trump and his supporters claiming the justice department and FBI spied on his campaign.
Jim Baker, FBI general counsel at the time the Russia investigation was launched, pushed back forcefully on Friday against Trump’s conspiracy theory.
“[The campaign probe] was about Russia. We’ve written about this. It was about Russia, period, full stop,” Baker said in an interview at the Brookings Institution. “When the Papadopoulos information comes across our radar screen it’s coming across in the sense we were always looking at Russia. I don’t know how long the FBI had its focus on Russia, but it predates the Soviet Union...we have been thinking about Russia as a threat actor and the Soviet Union before for decades and decades.”
Relatedly, a Guardian exclusive revealed today that Steve Bannon, while serving as Trump’ adviser in 2017, sought to ensure the FBI saw itself as an ally of the White House.
Steve Bannon sought alliance with FBI in 2017 White House meeting
Also today, the president travels to Louisiana this afternoon to make a speech about energy infrastructure and the economy. He’ll stick around for a fundraiser before returning to Washington.
Separately, we expect to hear from Senate leaders from both parties in press conferences this afternoon, as the legislature remains locked in a standoff with Trump over subpoenas for testimony and documents from Donald Trump Jr, attorney general William Barr, the former White House counsel Don McGahn and others.