| | | | A Manafort-sized cloud hangs over Washington | | The ongoing trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on a series of financial crimes isn't the buzziest story of the week. That title goes to the release of reality TV villain and former White House official Omarosa Manigault Newman's tell-all memoir about her time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But it is the most important story of the week -- and one with the broadest implications as to what Donald Trump's presidency will be like going forward.
Friday, the trial was in its 14th day. The jury got the case on Thursday, and deliberations are expected to continue next week.
Asked Friday about the possibility of pardoning Manafort, President Trump said:
"I don't talk about that, no. I don't talk about that. I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad. When you look at what's going on there, I think it's a very sad day for our country. He worked for me for a very short period of time. But you know what? He happens to be a very good person. And I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort."
Here's the thing: This Manafort trial -- as Trump likes to remind anyone who asks -- has zero to do with the time he spent as the head of Trump's 2016 campaign. The charges all relate to work Manafort did in Ukraine prior to his affiliation with Trump. (Side note: Kind of sounds like he might pardon him, right?)
BUT the charges that Manafort faces are the direct result of the special counsel investigation, led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller, into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion. The Manafort trial in Virginia (there will be another in Washington) is the leading edge of the Mueller probe. Fail to secure a conviction of Manafort, and all of the Trump allegations about the investigation as a "witch hunt" and a "hoax" will only grow louder. Convict Manafort, and momentum is built for the coming report from Mueller, which is still expected to be released sometime this fall.
The Point: For all parties, then, there is a lot riding on what 12 people in a court in Alexandria, Virginia, decide about the fate of Paul Manafort. Washington is holding its collective breath until the verdict is announced.
-- Chris
Below, the week that was in the world of Trump -- as told through 23 headlines.
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: | | "Why is everybody so obsessed with the President of the United States that they can't even begin or finish a sentence without mentioning his name five times. It's kind of weird."
-Kellyanne Conway to reporters Friday morning on intelligence officials who say the President is politically targeting his enemies | | | DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP: UP FOR GRABS? | | As Democrats grow more confident about taking back control of the House this fall, many are wondering: Will Nancy Pelosi resume her role as speaker? Or will a fresh face take the reins?
Here's a breakdown of where the interparty drama stands, according to CNN's Ashley Killough and DJ Judd: - What is Pelosi thinking? The current Democratic leader has repeatedly said she's not going anywhere and will take on anyone who challenges her for speaker should Democrats retake the House in November.
- Pelosi's allies may take her on: Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, "says he'll support Pelosi if she decides to stay -- but he's also ready to step in if she doesn't."
- Who may run against Pelosi? Several names are being thrown around by current lawmakers and aides. They include Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana and fellow CBC member Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Also aspiring to higher leadership positions? Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois and Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico.
- Is Pelosi worried? In an interview with The New York Times, Pelosi said, "What I have always tried to do is build a bridge to the future, and hope that would be in the majority. If people want to be the bridge that I'm building toward, they have to show what's on the other side of the bridge."
Read more from Ashley and DJ's full story here. | | CNN's Jennifer Agiesta reports:
Four in 10 Americans see Russia as an enemy of the United States -- and nearly six in 10 said Donald Trump has been too friendly toward Russia, according to a CNN poll out today. (That's the largest percentage to say Russia is America's enemy since CNN began asking that question in 1999.)
"Trump's diplomatic foibles in managing the US' relationship with major allies hasn't done much to change the public's views of those allies," Agiesta wrote. "Broad majorities see Great Britain (90%), France (90%) and Germany (85%) as allies or at least friendly to the US, and three-quarters say the same about Israel (75%), all largely unchanged since before Trump's time in office."
The poll also showed that the number of people who see North Korea, Iran and Russia as US enemies has grown. - 59% call North Korea an enemy (up from 55% in 2014 and the most to say so since CNN first asked in 2000)
- 41% consider Russia an enemy of the US (up from 25% saying so in 2014 and a high since it was first asked in 1999)
- 50% now say Iran is an enemy of the US (up from 47% in 2014 and the highest it has been since first asked in 2006)
Read the full results here. | | So far, 2018 has been the year of women. But while there is a clear opportunity for women to make historic gains in Congress, these stats combined with CNN's race ratings show that many women are running in competitive districts or districts that solidly lean toward the other party. CNN's Grace Sparks took the time to break down her findings for The Point:
In both the House and the Senate, Democrats are nominating significantly more women than Republicans, with 154 Democratic women and 44 Republican women in races for the House and 13 Democratic women and six Republican women in races for the Senate.
In the House, 64 Democratic women are running in districts rated as Solid Republican (42% of Democratic women in House primaries so far), while over a third of them are running in Solid Democratic districts. Republicans tell a similar story with even more in Solid Democratic districts and likely poised to lose (half of the Republicans women currently facing a general election in the House).
Currently, every single Democratic female incumbent running in the House is in a district rated as Solid Democratic.
When it comes to the Senate, there are even fewer Republican women, and they're spread across race types, with only one in a Solid Republican race. Democrats continue to dominate in Solid Democratic states, but there are also two Democratic incumbents and one challenging an incumbent in Toss Ups, with another two non-incumbents in Solid Republican races. | | The military parade that President Trump wanted to occur on Veterans Day will not be taking place this year, the Pentagon announced.
In a Friday morning tweet, Trump blamed the cancellation on city council officials in Washington, saying they inflated the cost of the event.
"The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!" Trump tweeted.
It wasn't long before DC Mayor Muriel Bowser clapped back at Trump, tweeting that she is "the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad)."
Read more in CNN's story here. | | | From Brenna: "Do you think you had one of those weeks? Imagine how stressed Sarah Sanders must have been. If you like GIFs, check out my weekly roundup of the moments (and stories) you might have missed. Also, you should share The Point with your friends!" | | | | | | |
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