| | | | | Flanked by business leaders in the Roosevelt Room, President Donald Trump holds up a signed presidential memorandum aimed at what he calls Chinese economic aggression Thursday. Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images | | | Get to Know John Bolton: He's a controversial pick for national security adviser.
Our Daily Melania: Oof. That Karen McDougal interview was a doozy
Congress to Zuck, Come on Down!: The Facebook founder gets a formal request to testify on the Hill | | | What the White House Is Talking About:
President Donald Trump leaves today for Mar-a-Lago at 4:40 p.m. The first lady is supposed to join him.
🚨 Trump tweets about holding a press conference.🚨
What the White House Press Corps Is Talking About:
Seriously?
-- Anderson Cooper's interview with Karen McDougal and its fallout.
-- The possibility of Trump vetoing the omnibus bill.
-- Trump's firing of H.R. McMaster and hiring of John Bolton, just like the media said he would do.
McMaster, Out; Bolton, In:
In a move (we basically saw coming from miles away) Thursday, the President ousted McMaster and hired Bolton, former US ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush, now tapped to be national security adviser for Trump. This could mean a lot of things, because Bolton is super-controversial for his hawkish approach to global issues, but it also signals the President is now just full-on surrounding himself with whomever he pleases.
Get to Know John Bolton:
He said Thursday that past remarks are "behind him," but still, here's a good explainer of Bolton's history of provocative statements.
The Omnibus Drama:
Remember Thursday? When White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney literally opened a press briefing about the $1.3 trillion omnibus bill by saying this: "Let's cut right to the chase: Is the President going to sign the bill? The answer is yes." But Trump was apparently so upset about DACA that he considered *not* signing it. Here's his tweet from this morning: | | Credit: @realDonaldTrump/Twitter
Our Daily Melania:
I mean, oof. That was tough -- the gut-punch stuff that Karen McDougal told CNN's Anderson Cooper about the nature of her alleged relationship with Donald Trump. The "L" word, the fact that she posed in a pic with Melania Trump, that she was in their apartment, that he treated her well and introduced McDougal to friends, etc. No matter what the first lady did or didn't know about her husband's infidelities, I'm guessing all that detail was extremely humiliating, not to mention unpleasant.
Melania Trump goes ahead today with a planned speech at the State Department to hand out the International Women of Courage award (OMG, the irony) to women who are being recognized for their strength and heroism in the face of really dark and devastating conditions. Keep in mind that her speech was written days ago -- it was originally supposed to be delivered Wednesday but was postponed due to the snow. Still, it will likely take on new meaning today in the wake of the McDougal interview.
After today, the first lady will be at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, hunkered down for the week or so that is spring break. She's scheduled to return to Washington in time for the Easter Egg Roll on April 2.
This Seems ... Notable:
Trump properties have gotten a lot of business from the Republican National Committee since the President has been in office -- $424,000 to be exact.
Dress Like the First Daughter:
I'm always intrigued when either Ivanka Trump or Melania Trump wear Gabriela Hearst, because the designer has been outspoken in her criticism of the President and his policies. Do they know, I wonder?
The first daughter wore Hearst's green "Lennox" jumpsuit, available here for $1,995, to the millennial event Thursday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building -- interestingly pairing it over a black turtleneck 🤔. I love Kellyanne Conway's face here looking at Ivanka Trump as she walks in. | | | Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images, gabrielahearst.com | | What Washington Is Talking About:
The Senate passed the spending bill early this morning.
What America Is Talking About:
Facebook-owned Instagram accounted it's making a few tweaks to your feed, including making it more chronological.
Poll of the Day:
Although 66% of American voters approve of plans for Trump meeting with Kim Jong Un, only 44% said they believe he's prepared for negotiations with Kim, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday. The poll found 49% believe he's not prepared and 7% didn't know or didn't answer. I'm guessing the whole "DO NOT CONGRATULATE" thing on his call to Vladimir Putin hasn't helped.
Zuckerberg Has a Formal Request to Testify Before Congress:
The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking him to testify. Zuckerberg said in his interview with CNN this week that he would be "happy" to testify as long as "it's the right thing to do." On the committee's letter, lawmakers are basically like, yeah, bro, it's the right thing to do.
They wrote: "As the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook and the employee who has been the leader of Facebook through all the key strategic decisions since its launch, you are the right person to testify before Congress about those decisions and the Facebook business model." | | Credit: House Energy and Commerce Committee
Former Playmate Karen McDougal's Message to Melania: 'I'm Sorry':
When asked during her interview with Anderson Cooper what she'd say to Melania Trump, McDougal said, "What can you say except, I'm sorry? I'm sorry. I wouldn't want it done to me. I'm sorry."
McDougal said her alleged relationship with Donald Trump lasted for 10 months, and she ended it because she felt guilty. "It was just digging inside me," she said. She met Melania Trump at a party for "The Apprentice" and also met Trump's children, including Ivanka, to whom she said Trump compared her.
"He said I was beautiful like her," she said. "And, you know, 'You're a smart girl.' There wasn't a lot of comparing, but there was some. I heard a lot about her."
McDougal said she's Republican and voted for Trump but came forward because she believes her contract with American Media Inc. over a story was illegal.
"I'm not telling the nitty-gritty details, as you can see. I'm very selective in what I'm saying about our relationship. I'm not out to make money on this. I'm out to get my rights back, to prove a contract was illegal, that I was taken advantage of and go back to my life. Period." | | Credit: CNN
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Journalism Students Guest-Editing The Guardian:
Student journalists from the school's paper the Eagle Eye are guest-editing The Guardian's US edition today. "We have a unique platform not only as student journalists, but also as survivors of a mass shooting," the editorial staff wrote. "We are firsthand witnesses to the kind of devastation that gross incompetence and political inaction can produce." They listed nine measures to fix America's gun laws, including banning semi-automatic weapons and accessories that simulate automatic weapons, close gun show and secondhand loopholes, raising the firearm purchasing age to 21 and increasing funds for mental health and school security.
Fall Out Boy Headlining Washington Show Ahead of March For Our Lives:
The "Stay Amped" concert is tonight at The Anthem, and all the proceeds are going toward Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Courage to Fight Gun Violence, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' group. Performers include Fall Out Boy, G-Eazy, Bebe Rexha and Lizzo.
Rex T's Parting Message: Be Nice to People:
Washington can be brutal, which Rex Tillerson made abundantly clear in his farewell address Thursday at the State Department. "This can be a very mean-spirited town," he said to applause. "But you don't have to choose to participate in that." He called on the department to treat people with respect, remember everyone is human, and do "one act of kindness each day toward another person."
Cardi B Would Like to Know Where Her Tax Dollars Are Going:
Tax Day is coming up, and Cardi B is not happy about how much of her money the government takes. In an Insta video, she goes OFF: "The government is taking 40% of my taxes, and Uncle Sam, I want to know what you're doing with my f***ing tax money." She lists all the things she thinks it's not going to ("I'm from New York and the streets [are] always dirty. ... There's still rats on the damn trains. ... I know you're not spending it in no damn prison") and demands "receipts." Amazing. | | Credit: @iamcardib/Instagram
Here Are Some Receipts, Cardi:
At least when it comes to how federal dollars, half is spent on Social Security and health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid and 15% goes to defense. | | Credit: CNN
Street Art Sighting:
New murals are going up in Navy Yard at Third and M streets by Washington artist Loveis Wise for March of Dimes to raise awareness of the high rates of preterm births, and prematernal and infant mortality for women of color and their babies. Wise, who grew up in Washington's Anacostia neighborhood, told me the images she's painting were inspired by women in her life and she hopes people will see them and "ask themselves, 'Why aren't we talking about this thing that is so important?' " She said, "I really wanted to make each image iconic and make different narratives." | | Credit: via March of Dimes
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. | | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment