| | | | | White House press secretary Sean Spicer delivers beer and wine to the media Thursday at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House. Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images | | | Internet Loses Its Mind: Trump drove his golf cart on the green
Comey Sighting: Former FBI director spotted in New York as Trump denies he taped their conversations
Creating the World of "House of Cards": A chat with season five's production designer | | | What the White House Is Talking About:
President Donald Trump signs the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act today. What the White House Press Corps Is Talking About:
Another briefing that's off-camera. The press has lots of feelings about this, not the least of which is concern Americans are being kept in the dark.
From the administration's perspective, Kellyanne Conway told CNN's "New Day" this morning, "I think ... there are people who want to make a name for themselves and increase their speaking fees asking the same question 50 different times. ... The press briefings don't need to be on camera to be useful for the public and to be useful to our press corps." WaPo Goes Deep on Russia:
In a long and multipart story out today, The Washington Post goes way back on Russian involvement with our elections and other stuff. People are talking about it. There are charts and graphs and a who's who and history lessons. It's worth the read if you have about a half an hour.
But Comey and Mueller are Buds, Trump Says:
On this morning's "Fox & Friends," from an interview taped Thursday night, the President said, "We're going to have to see," when it comes to the fate of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the investigation into the Trump team's possible collusion with Russia in the 2016 election. Trump's worried about possible conflict of interest because Mueller, he says, is "very, very good friends" with ex-FBI chief James Comey, whom Trump fired. | | Credit: screenshot, @foxnewsinsider/Twitter
Meanwhile, the Health Care Debate Rages On:
The Senate is in a tizzy about the GOP health care proposal, but the White House seems to be OK about it. Still there are at least four Republican holdouts. The question is: Will it pass?
Internet Loses Its Mind Over Trump Golf Cart Incident:
OK, raise your hand if you're surprised to learn Trump drove his golf cart on the green on a hole at his own course? No one? Exactly. One, it's his place. Two, he's Donald Trump. But that hasn't stopped golf's pearl-clutchers from freaking out about video tweeted that shows Trump at the wheel, driving up onto the green on the weekend of June 10 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. To the non-golfers: Driving on the green is a huge no-no. You're supposed to drive up to the edge and get out and walk. Tire marks hurt the green, etc. The footage was shot by a fellow golfer whom the President appears to fist-bump at the end of the video. | | Credit: screenshot @SINow/Twitter
Steve Mnuchin's Wedding Is This Weekend:
It's the coveted invite for a lot of Washington social and administration types: the wedding of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and his (IMHO, gorgeous) fiancée, Louise Linton, is reportedly happening Saturday evening at the historic Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. The Trumps, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Cabinet members, and Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are all expected to attend, a source tells me. Mnuchin and Linton will shortly move into their renovated Massachusetts Avenue Heights mansion, which the secretary reportedly purchased for more than $12 million.
One thing's for sure, the couple have apparently hired the best of the best to help them put on what will likely be super-posh nuptials. Wedding planner Lauryn Prattes is handling the details, and the florals are in the very capable hands of Amaryllis, a company known for its dreamy, flower-laden designs. I'm also hearing Occasions Caterers is doing the food. No word on Linton's gown, but to me her look is so "old Hollywood glam" that I'm kind of hoping she goes with that vibe. If you follow me here, you might know I used to be the editor of a wedding magazine back in the day, and I still obsess over these things. Also, Linton's insane diamond engagement ring might be the only one in town to rival that of Melania Trump's. Hi, I'm Kate. | | Credit: Bloomberg contributor/Getty Images
Our Daily Melania:
The first lady spoke for a few seconds during the "Fox & Friends" interview, mainly to say how happy she and son Barron are in Washington, all settled in at the White House. She added she doesn't miss New York. She appeared to be having a great time Thursday night at the annual Congressional Picnic, which featured a carousel, and toy sailboat races in the fountain. Guests dined on fried chicken, vegetable skewers, beef tenderloin, tomato salad and cotton candy. Here she is wearing a $2,225 Mary Katrantzou color-grid dress, kissing a baby at the picnic. (Fashion note: I actually prefer the pants in this print to the dress. And they're on sale.) | | Credit: Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images
Dress Like the First Daughter:
So, Thursday night Ivanka Trump wore a flouncy, off-the-shoulder floral number (she loves the floral) that to me read a tiny bit romance novel cover? But from the looks of her Instagram video story, she had a blast with her kids. Here are some screenshots: | | Credit: @ivankatrump/Instagram
The dress is $198 from The Reformation. And the shoes are, naturally, from her eponymous line; they're on sale in purple for $27 at Walmart, or in the light blue she's wearing for $78 via Bloomingdale's.
Heading into the Weekend Like Arabella!:
TGIF, Fam! | | | Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images | | What Washington Is Talking About:
Whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can get 50 votes for the health care bill before the July Fourth recess. There are 52 Senate Republicans, and four of them -- Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ron Johnson -- said in a joint statement they are "not ready to vote for this bill."
What America Is Talking About:
Bill Cosby is going on tour to talk about ... sexual assault.
Comey Sighting:
The day Trump admitted he does not have nor did he make tapes of his conversations with the former FBI director, Comey was spotted entering The New York Times' Times Square building. Sources told CNN his visit was not to the Times' newsroom but elsewhere in the building.
The "Pizzagate" Gunman Sentenced:
Edgar Maddison Welch has been sentenced to four years in prison. The North Carolina man was arrested in December after he used a firearm in the northwest Washington restaurant Comet Ping Pong while he was there to "self-investigate" a false Internet conspiracy theory that it was a front for a child sex ring operated by Hillary Clinton and members of her campaign.
The US attorney's office for the District of Columbia released video that Welch filmed in his car as he drove to Washington in which he says, "You have a duty to protect people who can't protect themselves." | | Credit: US attorney's office for the District of Columbia
Dennis Rodman Takes Credit:
America's unofficial ambassador to North Korea, sponsored by PotCoin© #spon #ad, suggested in an ABC News interview that his visit to the country was partly responsible for the release of Otto Warmbier, the formerly detained University of Virginia student who died earlier this week. But both Warmbier's father and the US State Department said Rodman had nothing to do with the student's release from North Korea.
Pod Opens Washington Hotel:
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser did one of my favorite things that mayors can do and helped cut the ceremonial ribbon Thursday night at the new Pod DC Hotel in Chinatown. She also corrected developer Conrad Cafritz who said she had a 50% approval rating; it's actually 67%, per a new Washington Post poll. I kind of love when pols whip out their approval numbers like that. | | Credit: Courtesy Jessica Yurinko/Pod DC Hotel
The rooms compete with hotels such as Hampton Inn on price and might be a lot smaller ("We'll call them compact," Cafritz said), but they make up for it in experience. The hotel, its first location outside New York, has three restaurants and a killer rooftop, and it's gorgeous. | | Credit: Courtesy Jessica Yurinko/Pod DC Hotel
Creating the World of "House of Cards":
Julie Walker, production designer for season five of "House of Cards," spoke with me about what it was like working on the show. "You're going back to your civics classes," she said about the research she and her team did to ensure the set was realistic. ("The House floor, that's such a specific thing," she said.) She called the look of Washington "very formal architecture" and said this season she aimed for a color palette that was "very muted." "The set becomes the silent actor," she said. "There's no part of any set that visually takes over." | | Credit: Netflix
Much of the show is filmed in Baltimore, which Walker said works because "it has exterior that looks like D.C. if you shoot close enough." And the furniture is mostly either vintage or done by her carpenter. A buyer and decorator, she works with her team to "just scour stores" for new pieces. "If they hear an old hotel is going out of business," they're there, and "they sleuth around for all the deals in town." | | Credit: Netflix
Reminder:
Hillary Clinton has more Grammys than Katy Perry. I just noticed the Grammys site features profiles for every nominee, showing how many times they've been nominated and how many times they've won, and it felt like as good a time as any to remind you of this remarkable fact. | | Credit: Grammy.com
Clinton won the Grammy for best spoken word or non-musical album for her book "It Takes a Village" in 1996.
Britney Inspires Viral Video in Thailand:
Britney Spears has shows tonight and Saturday in Bangkok, Thailand, and Thai airline Nok Air re-created her "Toxic" music video on an empty plane to celebrate the icon's arrival. Amazing. | | | | | | |
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