| | | | | Copes of "A Higher Loyalty" by former FBI Director James Comey are on display Tuesday at Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington. Credit: Aaron P. Bernstein/Bloomberg via Getty Images | | | Plot Twist: Sean Hannity is Michael Cohen's mystery third client
Trump Now Fundraising Off Comey Book: He's seeking funds off saying Comey's trying to make money
The Sketch of the Man Stormy Daniels Said Threatened Her: Some say it resembles Tom Brady; others say actor Willem Dafoe | | | What the White House Is Talking About:
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are at Mar-a-Lago today in Florida. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie, arrive this afternoon. The President and Abe are set to hold a bilateral meeting at 3 p.m.
What the White House Press Corps Is Talking About:
Sean Hannity was the character we didn't see coming.
And huge congratulations to some of our White House press corps colleagues and several others (Kendrick Lamar) on their Pulitzer Prize wins.
Plot Twist:
Huh. Hannity. I guess it makes sense if you think about it -- and think about how much he uses his show to support and defend the President and Michael Cohen. Still it was a bit of a shocker to hear him named in court Monday as Cohen's third client. Hannity used both his radio and television shows to defend and distance himself from the Cohen saga, something CNN's Brian Stelter says is going to be difficult to do, considering Hannity's television presence.
Trump Now Fundraising Off Comey Book:
The President's criticism is that Comey is trying to make money off of a book ... hey, wait a minute. Trump is seeking money from saying Comey is trying to make money. You guys. | | Credit: Make America Great Again Campaign
But No One Lined Up to Buy It:
Unlike Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury," there were not loads of people lining up to purchase Comey's "A Higher Loyalty" on Monday night at Washington bookstores. Sadly, however, there were loads of journalists. | | Credit: @saba_h/Twitter
Trump Does Backstep on Russia Sanctions:
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday that Russia would be hit with more US sanctions and that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would make the decision official Monday. But it didn't happen. According to The Washington Post, Trump is rethinking Haley's plan, and he didn't like the rollout; now the sanctions are in flux.
Here's Haley on Sunday: "You will see that Russian sanctions will be coming down. Secretary Mnuchin will be announcing those on Monday, if he hasn't already." And here's White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley to Anderson Cooper on Monday night on CNN: "The administration is looking at sanctions on Russia, potentially some more sanctions ... but we don't have any announcements to make at this time. There is a chance that we do issue more sanctions, we just don't have a decision yet from the administration." That's quite the miscommunication.
Here's how The New York Times front page changed from Monday to today: | | Credit: @GlennThrush/Twitter
Ryan Zinke is *Not* a Geologist:
So don't fall for it if he tells you he is -- like he has more than 40 times, including under oath before Congress. This piece by CNN's Sara Ganim is my favorite so far today, because I continue to be bowled over by the sort of craziness coming out of Trump's Cabinet. (Monday it was Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt's $43,000 private soundproof booth for his office ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.) Ganim lists a bunch, and I mean a bunch, of times that Zinke has referred to himself as a geologist when discussing a range of important topics such as "coal, seismic activity, climate change, national monuments, previous metals, endangered species, fracking and drilling." And then this line: "Zinke, however, has never held a job as a geologist." | | Dress Like the First Lady:
Monday, before jetting off to Palm Beach, Melania Trump stopped by the "Prescribed to Death" memorial on the Ellipse, which is an important and powerful pop-up exhibition. It includes the faces of 22,000 people who fatally overdosed in 2015, carved on pills. The memorial, made in partnership with the Executive Office of the President, the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, is open to the public until Wednesday. Here's a pic the first lady tweeted of her touching the memorial, and here's a still of a video about how the tiny portraits were created: | | Credit: @FLOTUS/Twitter, nsc.org
But back to the clothes. This is by my count Melania Trump's third blush pink coat. I am almost positive it is the now unavailable Soldato coat by Max Mara (the filter she uses makes it look like a different shade, but the seaming, the one-button, etc., it's the same). Here's a cheaper ASOS version that I personally dig and might actually buy because it's on sale. And her amazing mustard yellow suede Christian Louboutin "So Kate"'s are available here for $725. | | | Credit: @FLOTUS/Twitter, 24sevres.com | | What Washington Is Talking About:
There was a "small fire" that disrupted service on the Metro Red Line this morning. A bipartisan measure overhauling the Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, which would strengthen Congress' check of the president's war-making abilities, has been introduced, and members of Congress will get briefed today on Syria by Defense Secretary James Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
What America Is Talking About:
The name of Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson's child is True Thompson, and Kendrick Lamar won the Pulitzer for "DAMN," the first non-jazz or classical recording to do so 😄 (Meanwhile, print reporters who just so happen to work at broadcast outlets remain barred from the award 🙄). PEGOT is the new EGOT.
Reminder:
Taxes are due.
Poll of the Day:
Democrats' advantage in the midterms is shrinking, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. In January, Democrats had a 12-point lead over Republicans when respondents were asked which party they'd prefer represent their district, but that's shrunk to 4 percentage points, 47% to 43%.
Comey on Why He Detailed Trump's Physical Appearance:
During an interview on NPR that aired this morning, Comey said people should "read the book" to see how his description of Trump's apparent tan lines, hands and hair fits in with the rest of his writing.
"I'm not making fun of the President," he said. "I'm trying to be an author, which I've never been before in my life. But while I'm typing, I can hear my editor's voice ringing in my head, 'Bring the reader with you. Show them inside your head.' "
Watch Out Cohen, Stormy Daniels is Coming For You:
Outside federal court Monday in New York, Stormy Daniels called out Michael Cohen as someone who believes he's above the law and vowed not to rest until the truth is out.
"For years Mr. Cohen has acted like he is above the law, he has considered himself and openly referred to himself as Mr. Trump's 'fixer,' " she said. "He has played by a different set of rules, or should we say no rules at all. He has never thought that the little man, or especially women, even more, women like me, mattered. That ends now. My attorney and me are committed to making sure that everyone finds out the truth and the facts of what happens, and I give my word that we will not rest until that happens." | | Credit: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg Bia Getty Images
The Sketch of the Man She Said Threatened Her is Out:
On ABC's "The View" this morning, Daniels released a composite sketch of the man she said threatened her in Las Vegas in 2011 if she told anyone about her alleged affair with Trump. Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the man's identification, and he's accepting tips at IDthethug@gmail.com. That should be a fun inbox to monitor. ... | | Credit: via "The View"
Everyone's tweeting that the sketch resembles Tom Brady or Willem Dafoe, the actor who played the Green Goblin in "Spider-Man."
Daniels also revealed on the show that she hates the "Make America Horny Again" name of her tour, saying she didn't come up with it, doesn't use it and that it's "awful" and "cheesy." And she said that while she's making more money, she's also spending more, on bodyguards for her family and a tutor for her daughter.
Sotomayor Breaks Shoulder:
Get better soon. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg said today Justice Sonia Sotomayor broke her shoulder in a fall Monday but will still be in court today. She will wear a sling for several weeks.
D.C. Council Member Proposes Lowering Voting Age:
District of Columbia council member Charles Allen of Ward 6 has introduced legislation that would lower the voting age in Washington for local and federal elections to 16, inspired, he said, by the March for Our Lives protesters. Cue the Tide-Pod-eating, condom-snorting memes.
Bryce Harper Breaks Bat, Still Hits Home run:
Harper hit a 406-foot home run Monday night at Citi Field, breaking the bat while he was still holding onto it. Here are all my goat emojis. Have them all. 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐 | | Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Street Art Sighting:
Spotted Monday on a utility box outside the Dupont Circle Metro station in Washington: Cohen in handcuffs with the text "#LockHimUp." | | Credit: Hunter Schwarz
The artist is unknown, and I'm wondering if whoever put this up is new to this; several other attempts to put up street art with a similar aesthetic around Dupont were peeling off by the time I saw them early Monday evening. | | Credit: Hunter Schwarz
If you spot political street art, tweet me @hunterschwarz, tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com with your sighting so I can feature it in COVER/LINE.
P.S.:
Beyonce started a scholarship for $25,000 each to four students, at Tuskegee University, Bethune-Cookman University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Wilberforce University. | | | | | | |
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