| | | | Donald Trump regrets nothing | | In the heat of the 2016 presidential primary fight, then-candidate Donald Trump suggested that Ted Cruz's father might have been involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
"His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being -- you know, shot," Trump said of Cruz on Fox News Channel in May 2016. "I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous."
Trump's "evidence"? A grainy black-and-white picture of JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in Cuba, with a man who Trump believed to be Rafael Cruz in the background.
The Cruz campaign denied it was Rafael Cruz. Trump never provided any more evidence but, from time to time as the campaign wore on, would suggest that no one really ever totally solved the mystery. (There was no mystery, of course. Just Trump saying things.)
It's the sort of thing that, now that Trump and Cruz have made nice (Trump is in Texas to hold a rally for Cruz tonight), you might expect the President of the United States to apologize for.
Trump, always looking to upset expectations, did no such thing as he left the White House to head to Texas. "I don't regret anything," Trump said in response to a reporter's question about his 2016 allegations against Cruz's father. "It all worked out nicely."
What all worked out nicely? His baseless allegations? What Trump means of course by "it all worked out nicely" is that he got elected President. Therefore, whatever he said about Cruz's dad -- whether or not it had any basis in fact (it didn't) -- is entirely justified. If it wasn't, he wouldn't have won.
This is Trumpism: The ends always justify the means. It doesn't matter what the means are. How distasteful they are. How factually incorrect. How much they look and feel like character assassination.
The Point: Trump doesn't see the world as good and evil or even good and bad. Just things that are good for him and things that are bad for him. And anything done in the pursuit of him benefiting is, by definition, totally fine -- as long as he benefits.
-- Chris | | "I don't have a Twitter account."
-- Jared Kushner, to CNN's Van Jones at the #CITIZENCNN conference today, says he stays away from the fray by staying off his father-in-law's favorite social media site. | | | TRUMP'S WILD MISINFORMATION RIDE | | President Trump likes to play fast and loose with the facts, and that has held true over the last 72 hours.
So, we've got a roundup, of sorts, of the various misstatements, half-truths and exaggerations as compiled by Lauren and fellow CNN newsletter counterpart, Reliable Sources' Brian Stelter.
"His latest remarkable string of mistruths ranged from international issues to domestic financial concerns. Some of the claims were completely false, while others were half-truths and exaggerations," Lauren and Brian write.
"These extrapolations were made by Trump on both his favorite social media platform, Twitter, and while on the stump, campaigning in Arizona and Nevada for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections." | | | Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake Waltz" is dedicated to President Donald Trump, via son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, who earlier today said Trump is "a black swan. He's been a black swan all his life." | | Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who took a star turn during the Brett Kavanaugh Senate judiciary committee hearing, is now leaving the door open to a potential presidential run.
In a recent debate, Klobuchar twice dodged answering whether she would commit to serving her full term if re-elected.
Once: "I'm focused on Minnesota. I think everyone knows that."
Again: "I have said very clearly I plan to keep representing Minnesota."
That type of question -- asking if a candidate plans to serve the full term if elected -- is a pretty good tell for a candidate's future plans, especially when a presidential election would fall within that six-year window. | | HE'S (PROBABLY) NOT RUNNING | | Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appears to be one of the few Democrats who is staying out of the 2020 presidential fray.
Emanuel sat down with CNN's Fareed Zakaria at #CITIZENCNN today, very much not sounding like a candidate:
Emanuel: "I can tell you with 100% certainty, I have no interest. I did eight years in the Oval Office and I have no interest in returning to the White House." Zakaria: "Ever?" Emanuel: "Ever. You said run for it. I have no interest in doing it. Never." | | EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS | | President Donald Trump's campaign event in Houston tonight is just the first of a slate of rallies set to take place over the next week. Next, he's headed to:
📍Mosinee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday
📍Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday
📍Murphysboro, Illinois, on Saturday
Trump has stepped up his involvement in the midterms (while fundraising for his own re-election campaign), telling supporters at his rallies to vote as if his name is on the ballot.
Tonight's Trump rally will boost Sen. Ted Cruz, who is working to fend off a challenge from Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke. | | | From Brenna: "Two things about this GIF, featuring Joe Biden, Sen. Bill Nelson and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum: (1) I like how Biden and Nelson are trying to look cool and young and hip like jacketless Gillum (2) I am not entirely sure where those jackets are going, because I am from Florida and coat closets are not a thing there. Tell your friends (jacketed or not) about The Point." | | | | | | |
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