| | | | | The crowd cheers as President Trump finishes speaking during his rally in Huntington, West Virginia, on Thursday. Credit: Justin Merriman/Getty Images | | | Closed For Renovations: What's getting refurbished in the White House over the next two weeks
Trump's Inconsistent Twitter Screenshots, Ranked: He's used four different formats on Insta this week
Street Art Sighting: "I'm going to build you a brother..." | | |
What the White House is Talking About:
VACATION. President Trump departs later today for a two-week "working" vacation to his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, where he has a cottage next to the pool. First lady Melania Trump will be there, too.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
As President Trump heads out of the White House for a "working vacation," the Russia investigation heats up. CNN reports Robert Mueller is on the Trump money trail, and he's issued grand jury subpoenas for documents and testimony involved with that meeting Donald Trump Jr. had with a Russian lawyer during the campaign.
Also, rumors are rampant of a pre-vacation press conference, typically a tradition before a president departs for a long break...stay tuned.
But First, Tweets:
Trump tweeted (or retweeted) 11 times this morning as of 10 AM, sticking to positive messages on the economy and jobs, something he's done for the majority of the week since Gen.John Kelly was appointed chief of staff.
Speaking of Jobs:
July numbers were released today and the economy created 209,000 jobs last month, bringing to over 1 million the number of jobs America has added since Trump took office. The employment rate also dropped to 4.3%, a 16-year low. | | Closed for Renovations:
The White house is an old building, and it's been feeling older to the people working there lately. The recent rains caused leaks in the West Wing, and the press corps has always complained about the Wi-Fi service (it's not good). All of these things, and more, should be addressed during the next two weeks. Here's a full list of what's happening: - Refurbishing cracked stairs leading into the White House from the South Lawn, which have not been restored in 64 years
- Performing exterior electricity upgrades, power washing and resurfacing an exterior door
- Upgrading the HVAC system, which is 27 years old and runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it seem much older than it is -- kind of like dog years
- Fixing leaks in the lower press area of the West Wing, so they don't have to use trash cans to collect water
- Renovating the kitchen of the Navy Mess
- Painting and renovating to freshen up the colors and switching out curtains
- Removing temporary stairs by the press briefing room
These renovations have nothing to do with Trump being in office; they were approved by the Obama administration and are part two of similar work done in 2012.
A source in the White House tells me the East Wing will also get some infrastructure updates.
New Newsweek Cover Came to Play:
Newsweek has a new creative director, and the covers are ramping up. I know this because I used to work with Michael Goesele at Washingtonian, when he was creative director there a a few years back -- he's quite talented. Anyway, if Goesele's mission is to get people talking about Newsweek's covers they way they do about Time's covers and the New York tabloid's covers, mission accomplished. Here's this week's cover, imagining a lazy Trump, complete with Cheetos and Diet Coke. The headline of the accompanying feature is "Trump, America's Boy King." | | Credit: newsweek.com
Sean Spicer, The Saddest Watcher of a Helicopter Takeoff Ever:
Ace CNN photojournalist Jay McMichael snapped these pics of a disappointed-looking Sean Spicer watching the president board Marine One for takeoff to his West Virginia rally yesterday. Spicer, who used to ride with POTUS on such trips, was forced to observe from the roped-off area where press is typically penned for these sorts of occasions. | | Credit: Jay McMichael/CNN
Also, what is it with the blue, super-mirrored aviator sunglasses? Spicer's are a lot like Anthony Scaramucci's lady shades, no?
Like the Bush Sisters, Arabella Also Likes the White House Floral Shop:
In 2009, outgoing sisters Jenna and Barabara Bush left a letter for incoming sisters Sasha and Malia Obama about life as girls in the White House, and in it they wrote how they enjoyed making bouquets in the White House flower shop. (Then-chief florist, Nancy Clarke, ended up doing the flowers for Barbara's wedding, 20 years later.) Yesterday via social media, Ivanka Trump shared that making bouquets with the current chief White House florist, Hedieh Ghaffarian, is now one of Arabella Kushner's favorite activities. | | Credit: @ivankatrump/Instagram
HBD, BO:
Barack Obama turns 56 years old today. Not birthday-related, but Rishard Matthews, a football player for the Tennessee Titans, got a tattoo of the former president and first lady on his leg to thank them for being role models. So that happened. | | Credit: @rishardmatthews/Instagram
🌴 ✌🏼:
Fam, I'm heading out for a week on a beach with a book and a bottle of rum. You will be in Hunter's extremely capable hands for COVER/LINE. Happy summer! | | What Washington is Talking About:
Congress is out for the summer. Senators took off yesterday and House members earlier in the week.
What America is Talking About:
The cow that looks like Gene Simmons.
Sessions Declares War on Leaks:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said during a press conference this morning the Justice Department has tripled the number of leak investigations since January and increased the resources for cases about leaks. "These leaks hurt our country," he said. "This culture of leaking must stop."
Following the Money:
Federal investigators have expanded their investigation of possible collusion between Russia and President Trump's campaign to include possible financial crimes, including some that are unconnected to the 2016 campaign, sources told CNN. The FBI is looking into financial records related to Trump, his family, the Trump Organization, campaign associates, the 2013 Miss Universe pageant, and tenants and buyers of Trump properties.
Secret Service Out at Trump Tower:
The Secret Service command post at Trump Tower has moved from inside the building to a trailer on the sidewalk following a dispute between the Secret Service and the Trump Organization over the terms of the lease, per the Washington Post. Two sources told the Post the dispute related to price "and other conditions of the lease." | | Credit: Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images
J-Kush Family Business Subpoenaed:
Kushner Cos. has has been subpoenaed by New York federal prosecutors in connection with an investment-for-visas program, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Trump's Inconsistent Twitter Screenshot Posts on Instagram, Ranked:
The White House is still figuring out its ~Instagram aesthetic~, it seems. The @realdonaldtrump Instagram account has posted images of President Trump's tweets in four different formats this week, some better than others. Here's my ranking, from best to worst:
1.Tweet over image of White House with a blue Twitter bird -- a classic look, easy to quickly read and understand, simple photo.
104,591 likes | | Credit: @realdonaldtrump/Instagram
2. Tweet over image of rally with a white Twitter bird -- the background photo is a little less immediately recognizable, but still a classic look.
66,062 likes | | Credit: @realdonaldtrump/Instagram
3. Tweet over image of Trump with a black Twitter bird -- wait, why is this the third color you've tried for the bird in one week?
67,654 likes | | Credit: @realdonaldtrump/Instagram
4. This monstrosity -- sure, it's easy to read, but what is up with the blue verified Twitter checkmark AND a blue Twitter bird AND a big ole Instagram logo?! Of the four posts, this one was the most liked, so maybe my opinions are bad. Or maybe it's because of the subject, or maybe because the words are so big, idk. All I know is I hate it.
109,335 likes | | Credit: @realdonaldtrump/Instagram
What would I suggest? Just a screenshot of the tweet, like so.
Kim K Wants Your Help:
Speaking of Instagram aesthetics, Kim Kardashian asked her followers their thoughts on what hers should look like. "I need more consistency on my insta feed. Should I go back to all one filter? Please help. I really need to step my insta page up." Kim, your page is a trend setter with 102 million followers. You're fine.
Your Weekend Long Read:
This Atlantic story on how smart phones and social media are affecting the generation after millennials is a must-read. It breaks my heart, and it's not limited to just today's teens.
"Typically, the characteristics that come to define a generation appear gradually, and along a continuum," Jean M. Twenge writes. "Around 2012, I noticed abrupt shifts in teen behaviors and emotional state. ... What happened in 2012 to cause such dramatic shifts in behavior? It was after the Great Recession, which officially lasted from 2007 to 2009 and had a starker effect on Millennials trying to find a place in a sputtering economy. But it was exactly the moment when the proportion of Americans who owned a smartphone surpassed 50 percent."
Street Art Sighting:
As seen on an Israeli separation barrier in Bethlehem, Trump with a thought bubble reading, "I'm going to build you a brother..." | | Credit: Musa Al Shaker/AFP/Getty Images
Send me your pics of political street art to coverlinehunter@cnn.com, tweet me @hunterschwarz or tag @cnncoverline on Instagram. | | | | | | |
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