| | | | Bob Mueller is ramping up on Russia | | Two pieces of Russia-related news broke late Thursday:
1. Bob Mueller, the former FBI director leading the special counsel investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, has impaneled a grand jury, according to the Wall Street Journal. That move suggests a next phase in the investigation and raises the possibility -- though not the certainty -- of criminal indictments being handed down. Reuters takes that a step further, suggesting the grand jury has already issued subpoenas.
2. Mueller and his team, which boasts at least 16 attorneys, are now looking into various financial dealings with Russia, an expansion of the original probe, according to extensive reporting from CNN's Pamela Brown, Evan Perez and Shimon Prokupecz. It's a move that crosses the so-called "red line" laid out by President Trump regarding Mueller.
Both those developments suggest the probe into Russia's involvement in the 2016 election -- and potential collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians -- is picking up speed, and, in the process, testing the President's resolve and message discipline.
From the start, Trump has been dismissive of the Russia probe and downright angry about the decision by deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to appoint a special counsel to look into it. (Trump has repeatedly expressed his disappointment with Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision to recuse himself in the investigation.)
Despite repeated urging from members of his inner circle -- and legal team -- Trump has, in the past, been unable to resist repeating his skepticism about the Russia probe when new evidence is reported about it.
The newly installed chief of staff has, according to multiple reports, brought a level of order and organization to the Trump White House in his first full week in the job. But, can he possibly keep Trump from going off about Mueller and the special counsel investigation in the wake of all this news -- none of it good for Trump?
This is a test for a President who has been his own worst enemy during his time in the White House. The best course of action, from a conventional political and legal perspective, would be to let the President's lawyers handle these stories and for Trump himself to remain silent.
But remaining silent isn't really what Trump does. Ever.
-- Chris | | West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who was a Republican before running and winning as a Democrat, is returning to his original party.
Justice was expected to make the announcement at a campaign-style rally for President Trump on Thursday night in the Mountain State.
Justice is a colorful figure in the state. According to Forbes, he is the richest man in the state ($1.7 billion net worth). He is also huge (6'7") and has a penchant for wearing Crocs. Yes, Crocs. And he even has a Twitter handle poking fun at his eccentricities.
Justice's switch will give Trump a bit of a boost as he heads into his August vacation. Trump won West Virginia overwhelmingly and will use Justice's decision as evidence that middle-class Americans across the country are responding to his message.
It will also pressure Sen. Joe Manchin, who is now the only Democrat elected statewide and is up for re-election in 2018. Manchin, a former governor, faces several potential Republican opponents, including Rep. Evan Jenkins and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.
| | A LOOK INTO STEPHEN MILLER'S VIEWS ON IMMIGRATION | | On Wednesday, the White House unveiled legislation that, if implemented, will aim to curb the level of legal immigration into the United States by proposing a skills-based immigration system. Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump's senior adviser, had a key hand in crafting this legislation -- and has long advocated for changes to the immigration system.
"This is what President Trump campaigned on," Miller said. "He talked about it throughout the campaign, throughout the transition, and since coming into office."
But who is Miller and how did he become one of Trump's immigration experts?
Miller, 31, is a Santa Monica-bred, Duke-educated Republican who has a history of controversial rhetoric.
While he was a student at Duke University, Miller wrote extensively for the school's newspaper, including one article in which he said: "Islamic terrorists ... have declared a death sentence on every man, woman and child living in this country."
Miller once worked for Attorney General Jeff Sessions when Sessions was in the Senate. Sessions was outspoken on terrorism during Miller's time on his staff. It was with Sessions where Miller came to be known as a skilled operator and true believer in conservative immigration policy. Miller helped his boss become the most outspoken critic of the 2013 bipartisan Gang of Eight immigration reform bill, penning a handbook filled with talking points on the issue and helping him lead the charge behind the scenes to kill the measure.
And Miller first garnered attention early on during Trump's tenure for being one of the chief architects -- along with Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart CEO -- of Trump's executive order temporarily banning travel from seven-then-six Muslim-majority countries.
Here's a good explainer from earlier this year by CNN's Dan Merica. | | THE MOST BIZARRE LINES FROM TRUMP'S CALLS WITH LEADERS | | | Transcripts from President Donald Trump's calls with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull were obtained by The Washington Post on Thursday morning. The conversations reveal Trump's thoughts on everything from the Mexican border wall to the Boston Marathon bombers, from Canada as a NAFTA trading partner to New Hampshire's opioid crisis.
CNN's Liz Stark picked out the most bizarre lines from the calls:
MEXICO - "In the latest election, I won with a large percentage of Hispanic voters. ... But overall generally, I had well over 30% and everyone was shocked to see this. I understand the community and they understand me, and I have a great respect for the Mexican people."
Trump repeatedly reflects on his 2016 presidential election victory during his conversation with Peña Nieto, claiming that "everyone was shocked" to see support from Hispanic and Cuban-American voters. According to 2016 exit polls, among Latinos, 28% cast their votes for Trump and 66% supported Democrat Hillary Clinton. Despite stirring up controversy by calling some Mexican immigrants criminals and "rapists" in his presidential campaign announcement in June 2015, Trump assures Peña Nieto in their call that he has "great respect for the Mexican people." - "You have some pretty tough hombres in Mexico that you may need help with, and we are willing to help you with that big-league. But they have to be knocked out and you have not done a good job of knocking them out."
Trump invokes "pretty tough hombres" to characterize drug lords in Mexico, which he then pledges support to Mexico for help with "knocking them out."
This is not the first time Trump has referred to Mexican drug lords as "hombres" -- during the third presidential debate, the then-Republican nominee said one of the first things he would do to improve the border is get drug dealers and "bad hombres" out of the United States.
AUSTRALIA - "I am the world's greatest person that does not want to let people into the country. And now I am agreeing to take 2,000 people and I agree I can vet them, but that puts me in a bad position. It makes me look so bad and I have only been here a week."
Trump criticizes a refugee resettlement agreement forged with Australia in the closing days of the Obama administration, fearing the deal will make him "look bad." Under the arrangement, agreed to by former President Barack Obama and Turnbull last November, Australia would transfer around 1,250 refugees held in offshore detention centers on the Pacific Island nation of Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island to the United States. - "I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous."
Trump ends the "unpleasant" call with Turnbull, saying, "I have had it," adding that his earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin had gone better.
There are so many other good quotes from the transcripts -- so read more bizarre lines from Liz here. | | We're a little bummed about this -- but former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who only lasted in the job for 11 days, tweeted that he canceled an online event scheduled for Friday in which he was planning to address the American people directly about his departure and what comes next.
But it's not happening anymore. So, what happened? Maybe one day we'll find out. Our guess is that the Mooch might be gone for now -- but not forever. | | #THROWBACKTHURSDAY: THE SWEATY SLOG TOWARD RECESS | | From CNN's Brenna Williams:
School and Congress are out for the summer, but congressional August recess is actually a relatively recent tradition. Lawmakers are sometimes given grief for their monthlong break from Washington, but there was a time when they disagreed on whether to take a summer break at all.
Until the 20th century, being a member of Congress was a part-time job, requiring only about six months of a member's time. Some people might like to joke that is still true today, but in 1963, Congress met for almost an entire calendar year with nothing more than a long weekend. As the sessions creeped into summer, members started to feel the heat.
The District of Columbia is hot in the summer, with temperatures ranging from "broiler" to "literal lava" when swampy humidity is factored in. Take a look at Vice President Charles Curtis in the photo above, sweating it out in 1929, the same year air conditioning came to the Senate.
As happens to the best of us, D.C.'s summer heat did not help members live their best lives. | | Daniella (who is substitute co-writing today's newsletter while Saba's off) can't get enough of Residente's new self-titled album.
Residente is a Puerto Rican rapper who is most notable in Latino circles for being the founder of the alternative rap group Calle 13.
One song in particular on the album, "Guerra," is amazing -- and you should listen (it's in Spanish.) | | 🚨 EVEN REPUBLICANS DON'T LIKE CONGRESS ANYMORE 🚨 | | | It's no secret that Congress isn't exactly the most popular institution in American government. But now it's reaching new lows. Congress sank to a 10% approval rating in a new Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday, with roughly five in six Americans saying they disapprove of the country's legislative body. This compares to an 18% approval rating in March. And if you're searching for the main reason behind the drop, look no further than Republican voters.
Read more from CNN's Ryan Struyk here. | | | It's almost Friday! Don't forget: Tell your friends -- and your frenemies -- 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. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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