| | | | What Donald Trump says is not what Donald Trump means | | The last 72 hours have made one thing very clear: What Donald Trump says may not be what he means. Or maybe it is. Who's to know?
Tuesday was dominated by "would"-gate. Trump made the very rare attempt at a correction of his comments Monday at the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin when he said, "I don't see any reason why it would be" Russia meddling in the election. What Trump really meant to say, he explained, was "I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be." Explained Trump: "In a key sentence in my remarks I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't.'"
Wednesday was all about the "no." Asked by ABC's Cecilia Vega whether "Russia [is] still targeting the US?" Trump responded, "Thank you very much, no." That "no" directly contradicted the conclusions offered by, among other, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, repeatedly over the past year.
But wait! Trump wasn't actually answering Vega's question, according to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders: "The President was saying 'no' to answering questions," she said, with a straight face. Left unanswered was why Trump then went on to take more questions.
So. Here we are. We've gone from Trump accusing the media of being "fake news" for reporting on what he says to actually debating over whether what he said was what he meant.
The Point: Trump's assault on fact -- and language -- isn't new. But this week seems to have taken it to new heights/lows.
-- Chris | | 2016 KAVANAUGH COMMENTS FUEL DEMS' SCOTUS FIGHT | | A little more than two years before he became Trump's second nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh weighed in with his opinion -- unofficially -- on the constitutionality of an independent counsel.
Now, as you might be aware, there is currently one at work. Name's Bob Mueller and he's investigating alleged 2016 election shenanigans.
CNN's Manu Raju has more on what Kavanaugh said a couple years ago:
"Speaking to a conservative group in 2016, Kavanaugh bluntly said he wanted to 'put the final nail' in a 1988 Supreme Court ruling. That decision, known as Morrison v. Olson, upheld the constitutionality of provisions creating an independent counsel under the 1978 Ethics in Government Act -- the same statute under which Ken Starr, for whom Kavanaugh worked, investigated President Bill Clinton. The law expired in 1999, when it was replaced by the more modest Justice Department regulation that governs special counsels like Robert Mueller."
And why it'll matter going forward:
"The comments are certain to get new attention amid his confirmation proceedings given that President Donald Trump and his campaign remain under investigation by Mueller -- and alongside the skepticism Kavanaugh previously expressed over whether a sitting president can be indicted."
WATCH Kavanaugh's remarks here | | | Dirty Projectors continue to make super interesting music | | | Today's topic: Trump's thoughts on Russian meddling (Day 3) | | LIEBERMAN'S PLOY BACKFIRES | | Joe Lieberman, the former senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee, isn't exactly a player in Democratic politics these days. (To be clear, he's deeply disliked by liberals after endorsing Sen. John McCain over then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008, among other things.)
Still, Lieberman decided to chime in last night on everyone's favorite NY congressional district, calling on Rep. Joe Crowley, who lost a primary last month to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to challenge her in November on the progressive Working Families Party ballot line, which Crowley secured before the primary and has refused to give up despite ending his campaign.
Crowley, whose intentions were questioned by Ocasio-Cortez earlier this month, responded (again) this morning. | | | So, Crowley is staying out. And now the Working Families Party is busy raising money off his words. Funny how these things work out. | | WHY ALL THE MONTENEGRO TALK? | | In an interview that aired last night, Trump was asked by Fox News host Tucker Carlson whether the US would honor its commitment to defend NATO allies from an outside attack.
Carlson's precise question: "Why should my son go to Montenegro to defend it from attack?"
To which Trump replied: "I've asked the same question. Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people. ... They are very strong people. They are very aggressive people, they may get aggressive, and congratulations, you are in World War III."
Lotta questions... here are some answers, paraphrased from a pair of stories by CNN's Ryan Browne and Sophie Tatum:
1. NATO's Article 5 requires all members to help defend fellow member nations that have been attacked.
2. While at the NATO summit last week, Trump signed the NATO communique, which explicitly endorsed Article 5.
3. Article 5 has only been invoked once, in support of the United States after the 9/11 attacks.
4. During the Cold War, the main concern was the Soviet Union, but in recent years, Russia's aggressive actions in Eastern Europe have been the focus of attention.
5. Russia was vehemently opposed to Montenegro's joining the alliance, issuing statements of opposition. Moscow maintains close relationships with Montenegro's neighbor Serbia and Moscow has sought to maintain its influence in the region.
Addendum: Montenegro is not actually under attack nor is there any sign it will be soon. | | | From Brenna: "White House press secretary Sarah Sanders returned to the podium today. And like any catch up with someone you haven't seen in a while, boy was there a lot to talk about. Doesn't it kind of look like she's doing a Jedi mind trick? These are not the answers you were looking for. Catch your friends up on everything going on by telling them 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.
Sign up to get updates on your favorite CNN Original Series, special CNN news coverage and other newsletters. | | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment