| | | | | President Trump listens during a joint news conference with Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday. Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images | | | Salt 'N Pepper's Here: As we all know, one of the perks of being the leader of a country is you get the big salt and pepper shakers
The Rock Downplays 2020 Bid: Says America needs to pivot back to experienced president
Lindsay Lohan @s Trump in Promo Tweet: I mean, Trump is in the market for lawyers | | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump has nothing on his public schedule today.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
That said, expect a lot of tweets.
*The one thing Trump is not doing is an event or a commemoration of some sort to mark today's historic 50th anniversary of the day civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Ahem.* He did tweet about it, tho.
Later this evening, the President is going to another fundraising dinner, this one hosted by longtime GOP strategist/lobbyist Jeff Miller for America First Action SuperPAC.
Sarah Sanders is scheduled to brief at 2:30pm.
Wait, What?:
Even Trump's new top economic adviser Larry Kudlow didn't know what the tweet from the President meant, and whether it was a specific reference to a trade war. This morning, asked to explain on Fox News, Kudlow said, " "I'm not sure what exactly he's referring to." 🤷 | | Credit: @realDonaldTrump/Twitter
Also, please let Kudlow end every interview the way he did today with CNBC 😘. | | Credit: @dougmillsnyt/Twitter
Tweet Topics Foreshadow Trump's Midterm Script:
All of this recent tweet talk from POTUS about fake news and borders and wall-building are likely teasers for the support he plans to give candidates as midterm campaigns rev up. CNN's Jeremy Diamond writes it's all prep for rallying Trump's base.
Mueller Says Trump Not a Criminal Target:
The Washington Post is reporting special counsel Robert Mueller told the president's legal team that while Trump continues to be investigated, he is currently not a "criminal target." But the investigation is covering a wide range of issues, as Trump's legal team wanes (see Lindsay Lohan's advice on that below in Hunter's section.) That said, this part of the WaPo piece stood out: | | Credit: washingtonpost.com
Salt 'N Pepper's Here:
Listen, as we all know, one of the perks of being the leader of a country is you get the big salt and pepper shakers. Eater did a piece with seasoned reporting comparing the size of Trump's shakers to those of the rest of the attendees at his working lunch with the three Baltic States leaders. Because I'm me, I grassy knoll'd it: | | Credit: @niceDonaldTrump/Twitter
And before we judge a man on the size of his shakers, upon deeper investigation (hi, I'm Kate), I found a pic of the three Baltic leaders and they, too, have the big ones. Thus, if you are the leader of a country, in the world of White House, you get large. You're welcome. | | Credit: Chris Kleponis/Pool/Getty Images
Hope Hicks' Going Away Party:
Hicks and Josh Raffel were feted last night by White House colleagues at a private dinner upstairs at Ghibellina on 14th Street. The entire communications department of the West Wing looks to be in attendance, and Gary Cohn and Kellyanne Conway. Conway, Stephen Miller and Dan Scavino gave toasts. | | | Credit: @Scavino45/Twitter | | What Washington is Talking About:
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. There's a rally on the National Mall, a march from Howard University to Ben's Chili Bowl, and the National Portrait Gallery is displaying a special portrait of King.
What America is Talking About:
The shooting at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California.
Poll of the Day:
Millennials are approaching baby boomers as the largest generation in the American electorate, with 62 million eligible voters, compared to boomers' 70 million, per Pew. | | Credit: Pew
Millennials are expected to surpass Boomers next year as the largest living generation. But just because there are more of us doesn't mean Millennials are voting. In 2016, we had the lowest voter turnout of any generation, at 51%.
Listening Devices Found Across Washington:
The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the use of listening devices known as Stingrays that can trick phones into thinking they're cell phone towers around D.C. What we don't know is who put them there.
Sinclair Contracts Make it Difficult for Employees to Quit:
The criticism and controversy over the anti-media script local TV news channel owner Sinclair forced anchors across the country to read has upset some of its journalists, but strict contracts might be keeping them from quitting. Among the terms of two contracts obtained by Bloomberg were requiring an employee to pay up to 40% of his or her annual paycheck back to the company if they left early, and a six-month noncompete clause.
Zuckerberg Hill Date Set:
Wednesday, April 11. House Energy and Commerce Committee. 10 a.m. Be there.
Facebook Deactivates More Russian Trolls:
The company said Tuesday it removed nearly 300 pages and accounts run by the Internet Research Agency. These ones, however, targeted Russian-speaking users in Russia and neighboring countries including Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine, Facebook's chief security officer Alex Stamos said in a blog post. Stamos said the pages and accounts were deactivated not because of their content, but because of their connection to the IRA. The half dozen sample posts from these pages and accounts included innocuous things like a video of St. Petersburg in the winter and a photo of Vladimir Putin raising a glass with the text, "Let's drink to politics." | | Credit: via Facebook
Outgoing National Security Adviser Says Russia Hasn't Been Sufficiently Punished:
Lt. Gen. HR McMaster said the US has "failed to impose sufficient costs" on Russia for its meddling efforts, and as a result, "the Kremlin's confidence is growing." He did, however, praise the Trump administration expelling Russian diplomats, saying those expelled helped Russia "orchestrate" its interference campaign. McMaster's comments, his last public remarks as national security adviser, were given Tuesday before the Atlantic Council and echo what we heard from US Cyber Command chief Adm. Mike Rogers back in February.
John Goodman, Melanahe:
Last night's episode of "Roseanne" lacked the political commentary of the premiere. But the shirt worn by John Goodman's character Dan Conner wore was giving me Melania vibes from when she wore this Calvin Klein shirt back in September. That's what I like to call "Melanahe" (the male version, of course, of a "Melanabe"). | | Credit: ABC/Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images
The Rock Downplays 2020 Bid:
After the bubble burst on Oprah 2020, I wrote that it felt like a shift had occurred and America's flirtation with celeb candidacies in 2020 had become passe. The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, basically said as much in his new Rolling Stone profile, throwing cold water on whatever possible bid he had been cooking. He said excitement about his potential candidacy was "a function of being very unsatisfied with our current president" and that we need an experienced commander in chief:
"I think in a lot of people's minds, what Trump has proved is that anybody can run for president. And in a lot of people's minds, what he's also proved is that not everybody should run for president. What I'm sensing now is that we have to pivot back to people who have a deep-rooted knowledge of American history and politics and experience in policy and how laws get made. I think that pivot has to happen."
He also said if he was an NFL player this past season he would have either knelt or raised his fist "in solidarity." He characterized the protests as a "cry for help" and disagreed with Trump's response, which he said was "dictated by the noise, and not the actual problem." And he said he voted for Obama twice but didn't vote in 2016:
"At the time, I just felt like it was either vote for the [candidate] I thought would make a better president than the other, even though I would rather have someone else, or not vote at all. I wrestled back and forth with it. We were on the set of "Jumanji" in Hawaii, and it really was like calling on the gods. Give me the answer. Ultimately, it was [to not vote]."
Here's the cover, shot by Mark Seliger: | | Credit: Rolling Stone
Kathy Griffin Plays Kellyanne Conway:
It was for the "Make America Great-A-Thon" on Comedy Central's "The President Show," and it's probably the most Kathy Griffin way she could kickstart her comeback.
Lindsay Lohan @s Trump in Lawyer.com Promo:
Lohan announced two weeks ago she's a spokeswoman for lawyer.com in a self-aware video, and today, she tweeted at Trump, who, yes, is having trouble finding lawyers. How much is lawyer.com paying her? | | Credit: @lindsaylohan/Twitter
Street Art Sighting:
This portrait of Trump in a ushanka with the Soviet hammer and sickle has gone up in Washington. I received multiple submissions from H street, including this one from our Brenna Williams. | | Credit: Brenna Williams
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, or 3. Email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com.
P.S.:
Cardi B is co-hosting "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon on Monday. | | | | | | |
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