| | | | Donald Trump fired Tom Price on Friday afternoon, bringing to an end a weeklong saga over the Health and Human Services secretary's penchant for private planes.
"Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the President accepted," read a release from the White House press shop sent to reporters just after 4:30 p.m. ET.
Trump strongly hinted earlier Friday that Price's time in his Cabinet would be cut short. "I was disappointed because I didn't like it, cosmetically or otherwise," Trump told reporters Friday afternoon before jetting off to his New Jersey golf club. "I was disappointed."
The decision to fire Price -- after Politico reported that the HHS secretary had taken more than two dozen private flights since May at a total cost to taxpayers of over $1 million -- reflected the penalty for violating Trump's first principle: Never, ever make the boss look bad.
"I don't like the optics," Trump acknowledged Friday. He then expanded on that idea:
"We're renegotiating NAFTA, we renegotiating so many things and making much better deals. You'll be seeing other things come up. So i don't like to see somebody that perhaps there's the perception that it wasn't right."
Price wasn't fired because using private planes on the taxpayer dime is inherently wrong. Price was fired because his use of private planes made Trump look bad -- and because it got in the way of the White House's preferred messaging. That message? America is winning on every front at all times.
The President cares deeply about how things looks and how they're playing. He watches lots of cable TV. And the headlines all week had focused on how Price's private plane problem was evidence that Trump wasn't draining the swamp like he had promised.
That was the kiss of death for Price. Bad decisions can be forgiven. Bad headlines can't.
-- Chris | | A NOT 'VERY, VERY LONG TIME' | | CNN's Ryan Struyk writes:
When Trump called last quarter's 3.1% real GDP growth "a number that hasn't been seen in a very, very long time," he must not have been looking back very far. The US last reached that mark in 2015. And 2014. And 2013. And all but four years since 1982. To be clear, 3.1% is a good number. But it's also a number the US has reached in 63 of the last 70 years. The real test is still coming: can the Trump administration keep it there?
Keep an eye out for a full breakdown from Ryan on CNN's website in the coming days. | | CNN Polling Director Jennifer Agiesta looked into a recent CNN poll, conducted by SSRS, that found Americans are sharply divided over whether NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem are doing the right thing to express their views. Here are some takeaways: - 49% say the protesting players are doing the wrong thing to express their political opinion when they kneel during the National Anthem.
- Almost nine in 10 Republicans say it's the wrong thing (87%) while just about three-quarters of Democrats say the opposite (72%).
- Six in 10 Americans say that Trump did the wrong thing by criticizing those players, however, including 51% of whites, 97% of blacks and majorities of Democrats (86%) and independents (61%).
- 49% of the public said professional sports leagues should require their players to stand during the National Anthem, as Trump has called for; 47% said they shouldn't require it..
| | CNN's Miranda Green was at the Heritage Foundation this morning where Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spoke. Here's what Miranda said of the event:
Zinke's speech at the the right-leaning think tank the Heritage Foundation was billed as his first major policy speech. Except the majority of the reporters in attendance were there for one thing only -- any comments on his newly leaked private jet travel. Zinke escaped the waiting cameramen out front by coming in through the armored garage entrance in the back, but before he started his speech he decided to give a written statement. His reasoning was he wanted to address "a little BS on travel." A handful of people were there to protest Zinke's recent recommendations to shrink national monument lands. Two interrupted his remarks criticizing his corporate interests.
Read Miranda's full story here. | | "This is an island. Surrounded by water. Big water, ocean water."
-President Donald Trump, on Puerto Rico | | | Beyoncé's "Mi Gente" remix. Proceeds from the song will go to hurricane and earthquake relief charities for Puerto Rico, Mexico and other affected Caribbean islands.
| | Thanks to those of you Point readers who sent in your caption suggestions for the above photo, featuring former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama at the Presidents Cup golf competition. Here were some of our favorite responses. - "George to Barack and Bill: So let's vote - hands up if we shouldn't invite Donald to the next tournament" -Randy S.
- "How sweet it is to be an ex-president! (sung to the tune of James Taylor's 'How sweet it is to be in love with you')" -Ginny Hines Parry
- "Celebrating not being 45" -Martin Silver
- "Someday we'll get to play as much golf as the acting president." -Matthew Loper
- "Donald, don't call us we'll call you..." -Barry A. Peters
| | There's a new celebrity on the potential 2020 list: OPRAH. Yes, really. This week, she became the most recent A-lister to generate some running-for-office buzz thanks to a tweet. Per CNN's Eric Bradner:
John Podhoretz made a serious case for an Oprah Winfrey candidacy, writing: "If you need to set a thief to catch a thief, you need a star -- a grand, outsized, fearless star whom Trump can neither intimidate nor outshine -- to catch a star. We're through the looking glass here. America is discarding old approaches in politics. Democrats will have to do the same to match the mood to the moment." Oprah responded on Twitter, linking to the New York Post op-ed and saying, "Thanks for your VOTE of confidence!"
Read more in Eric's #2020 Vision Memo. | | Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump last month, is not shying away from making headlines.
"I don't understand why I'm so controversial," he told the Bay Area News Group in a recent interview.
A reminder: Arpaio once insisted that President Obama was not a US citizen and that his birth certificate was fraudulent. In 1993 he also established "Tent City" -- an outdoor prison consisting of tents, saying it saved the taxpayers money despite criticism that the conditions were inhumane.
Arpaio, who has called himself "America's toughest sheriff," is speaking at a Republican fundraising dinner in Fresno on Friday, part of his efforts to "re-enter the political arena," The Mercury News reported. "Don't think I'm going fishing," the 85-year-old told the publication. "I am not going away." | | | It's #NationalCoffeeDay! Here's a throwback to when former President Barack Obama did an episode of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" with comic Jerry Seinfeld. Have a great weekend! Remind your friends and family this weekend 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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