| | | | Trump just effectively killed his VA pick's nomination | | During his joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, President Donald Trump wanted to make two things very clear in regard to his embattled Veterans Affairs nominee, Ronny Jackson: - Jackson is a terrific guy, a great physician and everyone likes him and Trump is totally behind him.
- Jackson needs to step aside.
Notice anything strange about those two messages? Yes -- they are in total and complete contradiction! Congrats! What Trump was trying to do in his news conference with Macron was to have his cake and eat it, too.
A senior administration official told CNN on Tuesday that Jackson is not planning to withdraw his nomination as of now. The White House feels Jackson is being "railroaded" and will push back forcefully, the official said, and insisted that Trump is not wobbling over his selection.
But the President's public statements say otherwise. On the one hand, Trump wants everyone to know he is 100% behind Jackson -- and that the only reason Jackson's nomination is foundering is because the Democrats on Capitol Hill are always and forever trying to score political points.
"He's an admiral, he's a great leader, and they question him for every little thing," said Trump.
Jackson's problems -- whistleblowers have made allegations to the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee regarding excessive drinking by Jackson and a negative work environment under his leadership, according to two former White House medical staff members -- have nothing to do with the fact that Trump picked Jackson literally out of the blue, without seriously vetting him or game-planning how a nomination fight might play out.
To admit that would mean Trump made a bad choice, an error in judgment. And Trump doesn't do admitting errors. At the same time, Trump seems to want Jackson gone. Sooner rather than later. And he wanted to make sure Jackson got that message loud and clear.
"I told Adm. Jackson just a little while ago, what do you need this for?" Trump said of his conversation with the White House physician. "This is a vicious group of people, they malign ... what do you need it for?"
Read my full take here.
-- Chris | | TRUMP'S FIRST STATE DINNER | | Tonight marks the Trump administration's first state dinner at the White House. CNN's Betsy Klein got a preview (above) of the formal dinner, which will take place in the State Dining Room of the White House. She writes:
"French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrived in Washington on Monday evening for a three-day visit. First lady Melania Trump pulled from her background in design and was deeply involved in planning for Tuesday night's state dinner for months.
"The first lady chose a cream and gold color scheme for the dinner, including Clinton and George W. Bush presidential china settings. The White House Cross Hall is also in full bloom, featuring over 1,200 branches of cherry blossoms, per the office of the first lady. Entertainment will be provided by Washington National Opera from the Kennedy Center. Tuesday evening's menu is a careful study in American cuisine with 'nuances of French influence.'"
Read more here. | | | NPR held a Tiny Desk Contest and this year's winner is Naia Izumi, a 34-year-old musician from Georgia. Listen to his winning submission: "Soft Spoken." | | | Today's topic? Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson. | | KEEPING UP WITH KOURTNEY ON CAPITOL HILL | |  | | Reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian was on the Hill on Tuesday for a briefing on regulatory reform of the cosmetics industry. She spoke alongside Rep. Frank Pallone, of New Jersey, and members of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. Per TMZ, many approached Kardashian for selfies. But Sen. Tammy Baldwin nabbed an official photo (above). She tweeted: "'I'm working to make sure there are better protections from toxic chemicals in cosmetic products. Thanks @KourtneyKardash and @ewg for your advocacy and for bringing awareness to #BeautyMadeBetter." Kardashian responded to the tweet, "Thank YOU!!" | | 'LITTLE ROCKET MAN' NO MORE | | | CNN's Zachary Cohen and Kevin Liptak reported Tuesday: "President Donald Trump said Tuesday that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un -- the man he once mocked as 'Little Rocket Man' -- 'has really been very open and I think very honorable based on what we are seeing' as the two gear up for an anticipated face-to-face meeting in the coming weeks. He didn't expand further when asked to explain his comment that Kim is an 'honorable' person, sidestepping the question." Read more in CNN's full story here. | | 🚨AZ SPECIAL ELECTION🚨 | | CNN's Adam Levy put together a guide to everything you should know about today's special election in Arizona. Here are some highlights: - Arizonans are voting to fill the seat left vacant by former Rep. Trent Franks, who resigned in December amid sexual harassment accusations from members of his staff.
- The candidates: Republican Debbie Lesko and Democrat Hiral Tipirneni. Tipirneni is a doctor who has spent a lot of time focusing on health care. Lesko is a former state senator, who worked on a lot of local issues that resonated with her constituents.
- Voters in the area -- home to many retirees in Maricopa County's Sun City -- have consistently sent Republicans to Congress. But as CNN reported Tuesday, Democrats are hoping to continue their recent momentum in special elections in Arizona. Read more here.
- Polls are open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET (6 a.m. to 7 p.m. MT). Results likely won't come in before 11 p.m. ET.
For more AZ Special Election coverage, check out Adam's full preview here; and follow along with CNN's coverage online. | | | From Brenna: "How do you raise the stakes in a Trump handshake? Add a cheek kiss, obviously! How continental, President Macron! Everything is awkward -- and I wrote about it today. Check out my stories here and here." As always, thanks for reading. If you like our GIFs and analysis, please spread the word. Tell more people 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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