| | | | | President Trump checks out new technology introduced by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images | | | Golf Story, Point - Counterpoint: Trump denies making White House "dump" comment; authors stand by reporting
Zuck Hires Dem Pollster: This sure won't quiet speculation about his political aspirations...
Cuban Took Trump's Role in "Sharknado 3": Creators dish on the TV role Trump didn't get because of his 2016 run | | | What the White House is Talking About:
It's Make America Great Again rally day -- again. President Trump this evening will speak to fans in Huntington, West Virginia. This morning, he teased that he'll have a "very big announcement" at the rally.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
The Washington Post story that has the transcripts of Trump's phone calls with the leaders of Australia and Mexico is, well, fodder. If you haven't read it yet, please, do. This handy graphic points out the some highlights: | | Credit: washingtonpost.com
Why He Won New Hampshire, Tho:
In his call with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Trump talked about drugs. And why he believes he won New Hampshire: "I won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den." So, yeah. I think the lesson here is that when you fire people who know things, and you do so sort of unceremoniously, and those things they know are the sort of things that the media, and/or future potential political opponents, would take an interest in reading, you should maybe rethink how you a) conduct yourself, generally, and b) maybe take better care of sensitive personnel matters. Because I can pretty much guarantee that Trump's New Hampshire comments will end up on some sort of bumper sticker/campaign sign/stump speech situation.
The Mooch (is going to be) Loose:
TGIF will take on a whole new meaning tomorrow since Chris Cuomo's scoop last night that Anthony Scaramucci will hold an "online event," wherein he can tell his side of the story that was his brief tenure as part of the Trump administration. In short, 🍿. Let's hope he touches on the master plan he had for the White House communications operation, which also leaked last night, via Scaramucci, to Jake Tapper. (A snippet: "We will eliminate the bad eggs...") And I'd like to point out that this was me in this newsletter on Monday, "Scaramucci isn't a quiet guy. My money is on him doing an interview of some sort before the week is out, letting fly a few choice tidbits..." Kate takes bow. | | Golf Story, Point - Counterpoint:
The authors of the Sports Illustrated story on Trump's golfing habits, which spawned DumpGate, took to podcast to explain their reporting methods, and also to say they both received curt phone calls from White House strategic director of communications Hope Hicks. Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck were told by Hicks that Trump's alleged line to Trump Bedminster club members that he thought the White House was "a real dump," which the duo reported in their story, was "a lie." Shipnuck called his chat with Hicks "confrontational" and "rude." Bamberger laments the "dump" line became so controversial, because he felt the it was more indicative of Trump's sense of humor and personality, which I totally believe and agree with, by the way. Last night, Trump took to Twitter to dispute he ever said it.
Dinner with Dad:
Trump hosted Eric and Lara Trump for dinner at the White House last night, and Ivanka was there, too. Not present: Donald Jr. | | Credit: @ivankatrump/Instagram
Kennedy Center Honors Announced:
This year's Kennedy Center Honors honorees were announced today and Norman Lear and Gloria Estefan, both vocal critics of Donald Trump, are on the list, so that's going to be awkward. Remember, the president and first lady traditionally attend the ceremony each year and sit alongside the honorees. Last year, Lear called Trump America's "middle finger." Estefan went so far as to write a song against him. | | Credit: youtube.com
Other honorees include LL Cool J, Carmen de Lavallade and Lionel Richie. The awards will take place December 3rd, and the television special airs December 26th.
Dress Like the First Daughter:
Ivanka Trump yesterday hosted a listening session for military spouses to discuss the challenges they face with employment. She did so wearing this $138 blush pink dress from her eponymous line. | | Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; lordandtaylor.com
Don't Ever Change, Angela Merkel:
Literally, don't ever change -- because you're on a FIVE-YEAR streak with this outfit. Do you, leader of Germany, do you. | | | Credit: @MailOnline/Twitter | | What Washington is Talking About:
President Trump's decision to endorse an immigration bill that would half the number of immigrants who enter the country.
What America is Talking About:
Krispy Kreme announced the Reese's Peanut Butter Doughnut, which will hit stores tomorrow.
Poll of the Day:
The Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday was bad news for Trump. Usually with big polls like this, there are a few bright spots for him on an issue or character trait or two. But the percentage of Americans who say he's not honest (62%), does not have good leadership skills (63%) and is not level-headed (71%) all hit record highs for the poll. His disapproval level also hit a new high, 61%. | | Credit: Quinnipiac
How Trump Celebrated 22,000:
"Dow hit 22,000 for the first time ever!" Trump wrote in the caption of a video he posted on Instagram. If you haven't watched yet, please do; it's one of my fav posts he's ever made there, complete with epic music, a slot machine-like dinging noises, and raining confetti. | | Credit: @realdonaldtrump/Instagram
(Please note that Russian pop star Emin -- @eminofficial -- liked the post)
For more context, here's the Dow going back a few decades, with Trump's time in office highlighted in red. Shoutout to the Dow for reaching a record high, but also, it's a continuation of a larger trend that pre-dates Trump. The Dow has hit a record high in 30 of the past 54 months (AKA, going back to 2013). | | Credit: Google
WH on Disputed Trump Calls: They Happened but Weren't Calls:
Yesterday I wrote about how the Boy Scouts disputed a call that Trump said he had with them. After we published, Mexico also disputed a call Trump said he had, with President Peña Nieto. During Wednesday's briefing, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she "wouldn't say it was a lie," because the conversations "took place" but they "didn't take place over a phone call" and he "had them in person."
Trump Calls Russia Sanctions "Seriously Flawed," Signs Them Anyways:
The bill has "a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions," the White House said, but it didn't stop Trump from signing it, sans photo-op bill-signing ceremony. 🤷
The Summer Hasn't Been Kind to J-Kush:
We heard him speak (multiple times!), he had his own leaks, and he even found himself in the middle of an international scandal with his brother-in-law and a Russian pop star. Jared Kushner has been in the spotlight this summer and it hasn't been all that positive. That Quinnipiac poll found his favorable rating has remained low but steady, at 14%, while the percentage of Americans who haven't heard of him has dropped since April 19 from 50% to 41% and the percentage with an unfavorable opinion of him has risen from 32% to 42% in the same time period.
Zuck Hires Dem Pollster:
Joel Benenson, a pollster who's worked with former President Obama and on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, has been hired as a consultant by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, per Politico. His company will do work for their Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, but it certainly won't quiet speculation about the Facebook founder's political aspirations.
Trump was Almost President in "Sharknado 3":
That's according to the Hollywood Reporter story on the Syfy film franchise. Casting director Gerald Webb said they worked with Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who is being investigated in connection with Russian interference in the election and will testify before the House intelligence committee in September, and they got got "pretty far" in negotiations for Trump to get the role. But then Trump was thinking about running for president IRL and negotiations stalled, so Syfy went for plan B: Mark Cuban. After sending out a press release about Cuban's involvement in the film, they "immediately heard from Trump's lawyer," David Last said. "He basically said, 'How dare you? Donald wanted to do this. We're going to sue you! We're going to shut the entire show down!"
How might history be different in Cuban didn't get the role? The world will never know. | | Credit: Syfy
Bernie Bronas:
Listen, I know Kate does the fashion around here, but bear with me, I found something Nick Jonas was wearing and want to have a #dresslikeapopstar moment. Remember when Balenciaga did its line with a Bernie Sanders-inspired logo? A Nick Jonas fan account posted a photo of the singer wearing one of their red sweatshirts. I found a men's version in blue and a woman's version in red, available for $650. | | Credit: @nickjonasrealteam/Instagram/Browns Fashion
Pot City, USA:
Cannabis products maker American Green Inc. has purchased the town of Nipton, California, for about $5 million and plans to turn it into a pot tourism destination. California voters legalized recreational marijuana in November.
D.C. Remembers Cool Disco Dan:
Washington street artist Cool "Disco" Dan died last week and tributes are popping up across the district, which @thefridgedc has been documenting: | | Credit: @thefridgedc/Instagram
Send me your pics of political street art to coverlinehunter@cnn.com, tweet me @hunterschwarz or tag @cnncoverline on Instagram. | | | | | | |
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