| | | | Three vice presidents meeting up on Capitol Hill today for swearing-in ceremonies. Mike Pence, Walter Mondale, and Joe Biden. Credit: @VPPressSec/Twitter | | | Michael Wolff's New Trump Book is Fire: The excerpt that came out today is loaded with 'wait, what?'
Mitt Happens: If Romney runs, and wins, he's making history
This Year's Top Bachelors are NOT Politicians: Sorry, men, but it's not hot to be on Capitol Hill in 2018 | | | What the White House is Talking About:
Nothing on President Trump's public schedule today, but he did have lunch with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
Well, well, well, 2018... warming up, are we? Take your pick: Trump's 16-tweet Tuesday? The news that Steve Bannon labeled the Trump Tower Russia meeting "treasonous"? The tease of nuclear war? Or that Trump's legal team met with members of Robert Mueller's team before the holidays?
Michael Wolff's Book Is Fire:
If the excerpt released just minutes ago in New York Magazine is any indication, Wolff's highly anticipated Trump book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," to be released January 9, reveals some doozies. Notably here, Wolff writes Trump wasn't thrilled about winning the presidency, nor did he like living in the White House. A snippet: "Trump, in fact, found the White House to be vexing and even a little scary. He retreated to his own bedroom—the first time since the Kennedy White House that a presidential couple had maintained separate rooms. In the first days, he ordered two television screens in addition to the one already there, and a lock on the door, precipitating a brief standoff with the Secret Service, who insisted they have access to the room. He reprimanded the housekeeping staff for picking up his shirt from the floor: "If my shirt is on the floor, it's because I want it on the floor." Then he imposed a set of new rules: Nobody touch anything, especially not his toothbrush. (He had a longtime fear of being poisoned, one reason why he liked to eat at McDonald's—nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely premade.) Also, he would let housekeeping know when he wanted his sheets done, and he would strip his own bed." Here's the opening illustration. Note the tear running down Melania Trump's cheek -- also, that wasn't what she was wearing on election night, but whatevs. | | Credit: Jeffrey Smith illustration for New York Magazine
The Button. Or the Not Button-Button:
Trump's tweet about his nuclear button versus Kim Jong Un's button was, I'm sure, funny to some -- but really not so much to a large contingent of Americans. CNN's Jake Tapper is among those questioning the President's stability. But, perhaps most importantly, guys, there is no actual button. Trump apparently *does* have one, but he uses it to call for more Diet Coke when he runs out, so. Barack Obama's former chief White House photographer Pete Souza posted a pic of the button, which is on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, but it rings for a butler, not to rain down nuclear warheads. | | Credit: @petesouza/Instagram
Adding Insult:
Kentucky Fried Chicken in the UK and Ireland is getting in on the button "fun," which is totally humiliating. I guess in this scenario Colonel Sanders is Trump and Ronald McDonald is Kim Jong Un. #2018 | | Credit: @KFC_UKI/Twitter
Fusion Founders Push Back:
If you're following this whole Russia investigation thing (I'm trying to be funny in 2018), you should probably read the op-ed in today's New York Times from the founders of Fusion GPS, the firm at the center of some of the most salacious components of alleged Russian interference. They assert Republicans are making a mess of, well, everything. "Today, amid a growing criminal inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, congressional Republicans are again chasing rabbits. We know because we're their favorite quarry." | | This Year's Top Bachelors Are NOT Politicians:
Last year, Town & Country magazine kicked off its annual ranking of the top 50 bachelors in the world with the inclusion of FIVE Capitol Hill pols: Adam Kinzinger, Will Hurd, Seth Moulton, Patrick Murphy, Cory Booker. But then 2017 happened. This year, on the just-released lineup, there's nary a congressman or senator on the list -- it's very uncool in 2018 to think a politician is hot, apparently. The closest thing to an actual Washington political type is Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy's grandson, who is now in law school at Harvard, but will presumably run for something someday. He's the one who loves The Rock.
Our Daily Melania:
Krissah Thompson of the Washington Post wrote a nice little recap yesterday of Melania's year -- the "seen but rarely heard" first lady.
Dress Like the First Daughter:
I know this is a few days old, but I'm doing it because a lot of people asked me what was up with Ivanka Trump's risqué New Year's Eve dress, which featured a very high leg-slit and a bandeau, cut-out top. It's from David Koma's Fall/Winter collection and I can't find it for sale anymore. Ivanka's a fan of David Koma, she's worn him several times before. Here's Ivanka on NYE at Mar-a-Lago, and here's how the dress looked on the runway. | | | Credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images, davidkoma.com | | What Washington is Talking About:
A pair of swearing-ins in the Senate for Doug Jones of Alabama and Tina Smith of Minnesota, and the announcement yesterday by Utah's Orrin Hatch that he will not run for re-election has left the door open for a long-speculated bid for his Senate seat by Mitt Romney (more on that below).
What America is Talking About:
It's cold. At least one spot in all 50 states reached below freezing Tuesday. And Coachella announced its lineup, with The Weeknd, Beyoncé and Eminem headlining.
What Salt Lake City is Talking About:
Mormon Church President Thomas S. Monson died Tuesday in his Salt Lake City home at the age of 90, according to a statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Monson became the Church's 16th president in February 2008, three days before Mitt Romney dropped out of the Republican primary. Monson led the Church through the backlash to California's Prop. 8, which passed later that year, and the so-called "Mormon Moment" four years later when Romney ran again for president alongside fellow Mormon and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. In Monson's remarks at the final Church General Conference he addressed in April 2017, he called on members to be "kind, loving, and charitable."
Mormon politicians including Romney, Hatch, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz have shared their condolences. | | Credit: George Frey/Getty Images
Mitt Happens:
If Romney does indeed run for Senate in Utah, he'll be doing so in his top-performing 2012 state, where he beat Obama 73% to 25%. If he won, the former Massachusetts governor would enter the history books as a rare politician to win statewide office in two states (Sam Houston served as a governor of Tennessee and governor and senator for Texas).
He could also be a thorn in Trump's side in a way few Repubs can. While senators like Jeff Flake and Bob Corker have been outspoken against Trump, they've also said they're not running for re-election. Romney would have six years in office, at least as long as Trump would have should he win in 2020.
About a Quarter of Americans Visited Fake News Sites, Study Finds:
A Dartmouth study that tracked 2,525 Americans' web traffic from October 7 to November 14, 2016 estimated one in four Americans visited a fake news site in that time frame, and those over 60 were more likely than younger people to visit these sites. The authors of the study wrote:
"Trump supporters visited the most fake news websites, which were overwhelmingly pro-Trump. However, fake news consumption was heavily concentrated among a small group -- almost 6 in 10 visits to fake news websites came from the 10% of people with the most conservative online information diets."
Bernie and Mariah:
There are few things that bring me joy like photos of politicians with pop stars. Bernie Sanders posted this pic on Instagram with Mariah Carey in the background in New York City for New Year's Eve. Amazing.
| | Credit: @berniesanders/Instagram
There's a Washington Post Lipstick Now:
As part of the gym Equinox's "Commitment Collection" campaign, it announced a newspaper-ink black lipstick called The Truth Lipstick made from iron oxides, ricinus communis oil, beeswax, and blank newspaper pages from the Washington Post. Though there is a "buy" button on the site, the lipstick isn't for sale, and users are instead redirected to a donation page for Reporters Without Borders.
Other items from the campaign include Stonewall Stilettos, made from vinyl from benches at the Stonewall Inn, and the Real Camo Jacket, made from veterans' service uniforms. The gym said some of the items from the collection will be auctioned for charities. | | Credit: Equinox
Street Art Sighting:
This Trump-Darth Vader mash-up was sent in by Chris Faulkner from West Hollywood, California. I imagine in the full-length version of this film, the Jedi -- rather than destroying the Death Star -- just have to disable a Twitter account. | | Credit: Chris Faulkner
If you spot political street art, I'd love to see it. Here's how you can reach me:
1. Tweet me @hunterschwarz
2. Tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz
3. Email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com | | | | | | |
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