| | | | Trump went to an Ivy League school -- and other random thoughts from that press conference | | President Donald Trump wasn't scheduled to talk to the press on Wednesday. He spent the morning at the White House and was set to jet off to a fundraiser in Dallas this evening. Except that as he walked to Marine One, which was idling on the White House lawn, Trump stopped to take a few shouted questions from reporters. Then a few more. And a few more.
He spent better than 15 minutes talking about Niger, La David Johnson, Jeff Flake, Ivy League schools, his memory, standing ovations, "my generals," uranium and Watergate. It was, in a word, amazing. And, before Trump came into office, totally unprecedented. Below are some thoughts I jotted down while watching Trump in real time.
1. Trump is going to use -- and use -- the news of the Clinton campaign funding the anti-Trump dossier. In the wake of The Washington Post's reporting last night that Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped pay for former British spy Christopher Steele's work to compile a dossier on Trump, the President made clear that he will use that as a cudgel against all comers questioning his campaign's ties to Russia.
"Hillary Clinton always denied it," Trump said of the dossier funding.
"The Democrats always denied it, and now only because it is going to come out in a court case, they said yes, they did it, they admitted it, and they are embarrassed by it. I think it is a disgrace, it just really, it is a very sad commentary on politics in this country."
He added later that the story about Democratic funding for the dossier was "Watergate, modern age."
2. Trump l-o-v-e-s to pretend he's never heard of people he doesn't like. In Trump's world, there is nothing worse than being unknown. It means you don't matter. And so, his greatest put-down is to claim that he has never heard of people attacking him. Trump said Wednesday that he didn't even know who Sen. Jeff Flake was before Flake wrote a book critical of Trump. And, Trump added, the first time he saw Flake on TV, he thought the Arizona Republican was a Democrat. BOOM! ROASTED! (Note bene: Donald Trump was a Democrat until the late 2000s; Flake has a 97% score with the American Conservative Union.)
3. Trump is uniquely focused on proving how smart he is. I've written before about Trump's obsession with IQ -- his and others. Intelligence -- or the perception that people (read: reporters) don't think he is as smart as he knows he is -- is never far from Trump's mind.
"People don't understand, I went to an Ivy League college. I was a nice student," Trump told reporters Wednesday. "I did very well. I'm a very intelligent person." Later, pointing to his head, he added: "One of the great memories of all time."
4. Trump digs a cliffhanger. Asked about whether he had settled on a pick to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, Trump said he had one name in mind but wouldn't share it. He added that it would be a "surprise." Always remember that Trump is a product of New York City tabloid media and reality TV. And both of those mediums are big on leaving the audience wanting more, teasing out the possibility of a big reveal in the not-too-distant future. All that is done in pursuit of keeping eyeballs on them. And Trump is in the business of keeping eyeballs on him. Always.
Read all my thoughts on the press conference here.
--Chris | | SENATE RETIREMENT: BY THE #S | | CNN's Sam Petulla writes:
While Sens. Flake and Corker have captured the limelight with their indictments of the President, it's the House where Republicans have the most to worry about. At this point in 2015, only six Republican seats were open from announced resignations. In 2013, the number was nine. Today, it stands at 18, when including retirements to seek other political offices. Republican leaders and former officials have said they are trying to coach members not to leave, even as party infighting and a stalled legislative agenda make the job less appealing. Unless more senators retire, as of now, the number of Senate retirements is actually at a historic low. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Robert Menendez are ones to watch for potential retirements.
Read Sam's full story here. | | ANOTHER MODERATE BIDS FAREWELL | | Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus announced Wednesday that he won't seek re-election. The Dallas Observer didn't shy away from explaining the significance of the news: "Trumpism' Claims Another," the publication wrote in its story headline.
Straus made the announcement in a Facebook post that echoed Sen. Jeff Flake's retirement speech on the Senate floor Tuesday.
"I believe that in a representative democracy, those who serve in public office should do so for a time, not for a lifetime," Straus wrote. "It's been decades since someone has left the speaker's office on his own terms. But we have accomplished what I had hoped the House would accomplish when I first entered this office, and I am increasingly eager to contribute to our state in new and different ways." | | "I don't really care what comes out of the White House."
-Sen. Bob Corker to CNN's Manu Raju | | | What will Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake do after he leaves the Senate? For now, the Republican -- who delivered a blistering retirement speech on the Senate floor Tuesday -- is not set on running for president in 2020.
"That is not on my radar screen, that's a long way off. I'm focused on my work in the Senate," Flake told CNN's "New Day" on Wednesday. "I have another 14 months."
When pressed further, Flake added, "I haven't entertained that thought for very long, no." | | Vanity Fair's David Kamp wrote a piece on Joe Biden for the magazine, during which the former vice president gave a vague answer about potentially running for the highest office.
"I haven't decided to run," he said, "but I've decided I'm not going to decide not to run. We'll see what happens."
He also revealed if his son Beau Biden had not fallen ill, he would have run for president "no question."
"I had planned on running, and I wasn't running against Hillary or Bernie or anybody else. Honest to God, I thought that I was the best suited for the moment to be president."
Read more in CNN reporter Daniella Diaz's story here. | | PRIEBUS ENDS FUNEMPLOYMENT | | Reince Priebus has a new gig. Kind of.
The former White House chief of staff announced on Twitter Wednesday that he is returning to his old law firm, Michael Best and Friedrich LLP.
As CNN reported, Priebus was forced out of the White House in July and replaced by John Kelly after a short and turbulent six-month tenure. | | We asked you to take the Pew Research Center's quiz to see where you fit in the political typology. Here are some of your responses: - "I received the result of a solid liberal; I was not perturbed by this conclusion as I consistently align with a copious amount of Democratic views. For instance, I am a staunch supporter for environmental protection regulations and an advocate for ubiquitous equality. However, I was intrigued that my perspective of government efficiency was contrasting that of the solid liberals." -- Archit Kalra
- "I skipped a lot because there was no nuance. Too much either/or with no middle ground. Kind of like where our country is today." -- Vince Crunk
- "Your best fit is ... Solid Liberals, along with 16% of the public. My quiz result did not surprise me, but the quiz itself did. It seemed very black and white with no grey, no nuance. For example, we are pro-or-against big business profits or pro-or-against government benefits for the poor. While there is so much talk about the polarization of the nation, I am a perfect example of someone who has strongly leftist views, but understands compromise and democracy. I have more in common with McCain, or even Flake for that matter, than some of the Bernie Sanders supporters I have met." -- Rena & Harlan
- "Not surprised by the results. The quiz was superficial garbage. The questions were geared to extreme opinions. No subtlety or nuance. Where were the answers for us moderates? (I know, we are unicorns now)." -- Steven Swanson
| | | A GIF from a very animated press gaggle with Trump. Happy Wednesday! A reminder to tell people you know 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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