| | | | Why Donald Trump ❤️s Davos | | At first glance, a gathering of global elites focused on the world community -- in Switzerland, no less! -- would not seem like the sort of crowd with which Donald Trump would like to fraternize.
After all, Trump spent the entirety of the 2016 campaign promising to put "America First" and "Make America Great Again." He's pursued a similar agenda in the White House, insisting international trade deals involving the United States need to be re-examined and pulling the United States out of the Paris climate accords.
And yet, Trump -- and a number of his senior aides -- is at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a visit that will culminate Friday morning (8 a.m. Eastern Time) when Trump addresses the WEF delegates.
Why?
Simple -- and psychological.
Remember that Trump's frame on the world, the lens through which he sees everything, is that of him on the outside looking in. His father was a major developer in Queens, not Manhattan. When Trump himself brought the business to Manhattan, the old money elites in the city never accepted this brash youngster. When Trump came to Washington in 2011 thinking about running for president, the political world laughed -- literally -- at him.
For Trump, then, Davos is another club that never wanted him, but now can't refuse him. It's a chance to rub the noses of the global elite in the fact that he won (even though they all thought he was a joke) and that his "America First" message is working -- as evidenced by the surging stock market and companies moving jobs back to the United States. (Chances of an Electoral College mention in Trump's speech? 50-50.)
Trump, probably, won't do any major rubbing it in during his speech. Previews of the address focus on the fact that "America First" doesn't mean "America only."
This is Trump, of course, so a bit of off-prompter freelancing is always a possibility -- particularly when he knows he has the eyes of the world on him.
The Point: There's nothing Trump loves better than proving his "haters and losers" wrong. And there are few places in the world where more Trump doubters will ever be gathered than in Davos on Friday. In other words: look out!
-- Chris | | You want me reading the internet. You need me reading the internet.
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(Per pool reports from Davos) | | | WILL THE REAL CHRIS CHRISTIE PLEASE STAND UP? | | Chris Christie is running -- but he's not the one you're thinking of. CNN's Caroline Kenny writes:
Voters in Alabama this fall may be surprised to find Chris Christie's name on their ballots -- just not the one you're thinking of.
Chris Christie is running for attorney general in Alabama. No, not the former New Jersey governor -- an attorney from Birmingham bearing the same name is launching a run for statewide office a few states south. Despite sharing a name, the two men seem to differ in one key way: Christie of Alabama is a Democrat, while the former New Jersey governor bearing the same name is a Republican.
"I've had a number of people tell me that I should change my name. My response is that I've been Christie all my life," Alabama Christie told CNN.
Read more in Caroline's full story here. | | CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SUE DEVOS | | CNN's Juana Summers reports:
"A group of civil rights advocacy groups filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Education Department and its secretary, Betsy Devos, challenging the department's move last year to roll back Obama-era guidelines on how colleges and universities should handle sexual assault and sexual violence. In 2011, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights said that colleges should use the 'preponderance of the evidence,' the lowest standard of proof, when judging sexual violence cases under Title IX, the federal law that protects people from sexual discrimination in education or other programs receiving federal aid. In September 2017, the Education Department said that colleges and universities could abandon that guidance and use a higher standard, 'clear and convincing evidence.' In a press conference outside the Department of Education on Thursday, leaders of the groups challenged the change, saying that the Obama-era policy included critical protections for survivors of sexual assault, and that the Department's guidance under DeVos had produced a 'chilling effect' on survivors coming forward."
Read more in Juana's full story here. | | #METOO AT SOTU: THE GUEST LIST | | CNN's MJ Lee reports: "President Donald Trump should expect to see lawmakers dressed in black, donning red pins and accompanied by victims and survivors of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements at his State of the Union address Tuesday night. Lawmakers say they hope to draw attention to the ongoing national conversation about sexual harassment at Trump's evening remarks. Some plan to wear the color black in a show of solidarity, echoing the black ensembles that celebrities were seen wearing at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month. The following lawmakers plan to bring the following guests: - Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-New Hampshire: Chessy Prout, a sexual assault survivor at St. Paul's boarding school
- Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois: Erin Walton, executive director of Rape Victim Advocates
- Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Michigan: Danielle McGuire, author and historian who has researched and written about Recy Taylor
- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey: Recy Taylor's brother, Robert Corbett, or Taylor's niece, Rose Gunter
- Rep. Jackie Speier, D-California: Fatima Goss Graves, the president of the National Women's Law Center"
Read more in MJ's story here. | | InStyle released its cover story on Oprah Winfrey Thursday. In the interview, the media mogul does touch on #2020 rumors. BUT the interview took place three weeks before the entertainment icon sparked buzz about a potential presidency with her rousing Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech during the Golden Globes.
"I've always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not," Winfrey explained to InStyle Magazine. "And so it's not something that interests me. I don't have the DNA for it."
Following the awards show, two of Winfrey's close friends told CNN that she was "actively thinking" about running for president. Her longtime partner Stedman Graham and her best friend Gayle King have also fueled speculation.
Read more in CNN's story by Jennifer Hansler here. | | | The Concord Monitor reported Thursday that Ohio Gov. John Kasich is headed to New Hampshire in April to address students at New England College as part of the school's President's Speaker Series. Kasich, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, has been rumored to be a presidential contender in 2020. In August 2017, CNN reported that Kasich and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper have entertained the idea of forming a unity presidential ticket to run for the White House in 2020. However, in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper in November 2017, Kasich didn't say if he will mount an independent presidential bid again. | | | Don't make us give you that look. Tell everyone 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. | | | | | | |
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