| | | | Trump has attacked more than 20% of GOP senators | | On Thursday, in the first White House press briefing in three weeks, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about Sen. Bob Corker's comments questioning President Trump's stability and competence.
"I think that's a ridiculous and outrageous claim that doesn't dignify a response from this podium," Sanders responded.
With that putdown from the White House, Corker joins an increasingly large list of Republican senators that this Republican president -- or one of his aides -- have attacked.
By my count, there are 11 -- if you include Trump's time as a candidate as well as his time in the White House -- senators who have come under friendly fire from The Donald. Here's the list:
1. Mitch McConnell (Kentucky)
2. Bob Corker (Tennessee)
3. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina)
4. John McCain (Arizona)
5. Ben Sasse (Nebrska)
6. Ted Cruz (Texas)
7. Rand Paul (Kentucky)
8. Marco Rubio (Florida)
9. Dean Heller (Nevada)
10. Jeff Flake (Arizona)
11. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Some people might include Susan Collins on that list but I've not seen -- and my frantic Googling -- didn't turn up any evidence the Maine Republican had been targeted by Trump (publicly at least).
A bit of back-of-the-envelope math shows that Trump -- or his top aides -- have publicly attacked 21% of ALL Republican senators. (Did I miss anyone? Send me an email at cillizza@cnn.com.)
That number includes not only the Senate majority leader (McConnell) but also the party's 2008 presidential nominee (McCain), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Corker) and the only two Republicans in any electoral jeopardy in 2018 (Heller and Flake).
What does it tell you? Two things.
First, that Trump is thin-skinned. Each of those senators said or did something he didn't like. He never once took the high ground.
Second, that Trump is not terribly strategic. While accelerating beefs with 20% of your own party's representatives in the Senate is never a smart thing to do, the people Trump decided to savage are folks he needs (and is going to need) to pass his agenda or to hold the Senate for the GOP.
He either doesn't get that or he doesn't care.
-- Chris | | I read things. On the Internet. Some I like. These are them for today.
*Jake Tapper talked to James Clapper about the "beautiful letter" he wrote Donald Trump.
* Happy National Waffle Day! Know who loved waffles? JFK!
* 28 books you need to read this fall (Ambitious!)
* How George R.R. Martin Won by The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh | | CNN's Juana Summers was in Missouri on Wednesday, where during a town hall, Sen. Claire McCaskill was asked whether Confederate monuments should be removed. We asked Juana to tell us a bit about her reporting:
I traveled to my home state of Missouri to check in with Democratic Sen. McCaskill, who is up for re-election in 2018.
The senator is on an August recess tour of the state, predominantly in rural areas, in an attempt to reach constituents in areas where Democrats don't fare well. Take Pike County, Missouri, where I filed this story as an example: Donald Trump won 71.5% of the vote there, compared with 24.5% for Hillary Clinton.
After her Bowling Green town hall, reporters chatted with McCaskill and the Missouri Democrat was asked why she was going to places like Bowling Green, where voters might not see things her way.
"My party has been arrogant at times about listening and learning from people that live outside of reliably blue areas," McCaskill told reporters. "I think I have an obligation to show up and show respect, places that I'm not very popular."
Later, she added: "I think it is a mistake for anybody to think they can represent this entire state if they don't try to travel and campaign in the entire state."
For more, read Juana's story here. | | DID SOMEONE SAY RENOVATION? | | CNN's Betsy Klein toured the new West Wing! Here's what she told The Point about the experience:
Yesterday, before the President returned from his swing out West, I joined a small group of reporters to tour the finished West Wing renovations. Some of the staff behind the renovations, including the design team, the preservationist, and the White House liaison to the National Park Service, accompanied us on the tour.
I'm obsessed with the White House's history and architecture, so this was a huge behind-the-scenes treat. It was so fun to hear firsthand from the dedicated and very talented team of people who work so hard to make the White House a home, a workspace and a museum.
We got to hear the story behind how the new antique wooden eagles in the Roosevelt Room were procured, the design inspiration for the cosmetic part of the renovations, and even learned why that wallpaper President Trump personally selected may not be around for long.
Read Betsy's full story here.
BY THE WAY... we want to hear more from you, our readers! Do you have thoughts on the White House renovations? Like? Un-like? Drop us a line (Email cillizza@cnn.com or Saba.hamedy@cnn.com). If we get good responses, we'll share them in tomorrow's Point! | | This is sort of a weird choice but this has been circulating on the Internet and it's pretty cute and catchy so...
This "Despacito" parody, from "Sesame Street." | | ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ON THE INTERNET TODAY | | | Reporter Daniel Borunda shared a video of Sen. Ted Cruz viewing a robot during a tour of PMT factory in El Paso, Texas. It's pretty great. | | | The New York Times on Thursday published a data-driven analysis piece that shows "even with affirmative action, blacks and Hispanics are more underrepresented at top colleges than 35 years ago." The Times analysis looked at 100 schools, from public universities to Ivy Leagues. | | CNN's Liz Stark has a knack for finding the best throwbacks. Here's what she found this #TBT:
Throwing it back 203 years: on August 24, 1814, British troops invaded Washington, DC and burned down the White House to avenge an American attack on the city of York (modern Toronto).
President James Madison and first lady Dolley were not at the White House at the time, having fled to Maryland just a few days earlier to meet with US generals. According to the White House Historical Society, Dolley decided to save a copy of Gilbert Stuart's famous portrait of former President George Washington, which now hangs in the East Room.
Quote from WHHS: "The inferno was so great that the glow in the night sky was seen from fifty miles away by British crewmen aboard warships in the Patuxent River by anxious Americans in Baltimore and in Leesburg, Virginia." | | WHAT QUESTLOVE DOESN'T LOVE | | Questlove called the cuts to EPA "f----- up" in a new PSA.
CNN's Miranda Green writes:
The Roots frontman, Questlove, teamed up with the National Resources Defense Council and Funny or Die for a video released Thursday that highlights supposed dangers of the proposed EPA cuts, including mentioning the need for clean drinking water in places like Flint, Michigan.
"The EPA was created to ensure that our air and water is safe. They clean up hazardous waste in our communities and keep chemicals out of our food. That's cool," musician and advocate Questlove says in the video. "However, proposed budget cuts would shrink the EPA by nearly a third, crippling the science, data collection and enforcement that protects our health — even gutting a program that tests cancer-causing radon in schools. That's f----- up." | | | OH-EM-JOE! Biden tweeted the cover for his upcoming book "Promise Me, Dad." On that note, promise us, readers, that you'll spread the word about 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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