| | | | | Vice President Pence, Speaker-designate Pelosi, and President Trump during a conversation about border security and a possible government shutdown in the Oval Office Tuesday. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images | | | Trump Has Thought About Impeachment: He reportedly thinks it's a "real possibility"
Ex-Senators Call on Senate to Save Democracy: 44 former senators sign op-ed
The "Becoming" Tour Is Getting an Extension: Michelle Obama adds 21 dates | | | What the White House Is Talking About:
President Donald Trump's meeting today with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at the White House. The President discussed the possibility of a government shutdown that could happen before Christmas.
Trump called in the press pool unexpectedly at the last minute and things got fiery, quickly. Please note the expression on Mike Pence's face. | |
What the White House Press Corps Is Talking About:
The race to see who gets to name the names of the people who may or may not be the next chief of staff.
Trump Has Thought Impeachment:
Per reporting from CNN's Jim Acosta, the President is concerned about getting impeached and has said he thinks it is a "real possibility," according to a source. Specifically, he is worried about possible campaign finance violation allegations, stemming from Michael Cohen's payments to Stormy Daniels.
Mueller and Trump Fall in Approval on Russia Investigation:
Both Robert Mueller and Trump's handling of the Russia investigation have made people unhappy, a new CNN poll shows. Mueller and Trump are down in terms of approval since a survey in October. | | Credit: CNN.com
"OK, But I Don't Care":
Personally, I say this a lot -- mainly for events I say I will go to and then don't, which is one of my worst habits. However -- I am not a US senator and I am not being asked about alleged wrongdoings by the President. It was sort of shocking to hear longtime GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch tell CNN's Manu Raju that he thinks the whole investigation into the President and his alleged connections with Russia, et al., isn't a big deal, like, at all. "OK, but I don't care, all I can say is he's doing a good job as President," Hatch said, adding, "You're talking about things that happened before he became President." Other members weigh in on Cohen and Trump in the story, too, but most of them echo Hatch.
Chief of Staff Name Game:
It's like a never-ending wheel of names popping up the last couple of days -- who will be Trump's next chief of staff? The President is apparently "super-pissed" about the mess, and he's not liking the fallout from Nick Ayers saying no to the gig, because now every outlet is saying Trump wasn't prepared for Plan B (which, by the way, he apparently wasn't.) He's trying hard again today to change that narrative, tweeting this morning that "many, over ten," are "vying" for the chief of staff position. I'm not sure it's even worth listing some of the names being tossed about (Mark Meadows, David Bossie, Kellyanne Conway) because as we all know, Trump can change his mind on a dime, and I have the feeling this process will produce more candidates before it wraps. Buckle up.
Time Again for Time:
I think it's noble that Time magazine put journalists on the cover for its Person of the Year. What do you think? It chose "The Guardians," including the late Jamal Khashoggi; the staff of the Capital-Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland; Maria Ressa, a former CNN bureau chief who started an online news site in the Philippines and is now facing prosecution from that country's President; and Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone, two reporters who documented the deaths of 10 minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and were promptly incarcerated. | | Our Daily Melania:
Today Melania Trump is at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, sorting toys for the annual Marines Toys for Tots drive. She's also supposed to give remarks. This event is something first ladies have been doing for years, and Melania Trump was supposed to have done it last week, but it was rescheduled until today due to the death of former President George H.W. Bush.
Also George Conway and Neal Katyal Make Fun of Trump's Spelling:
Two high-powered legal minds -- one of whom happens to be married to one of the President's top advisers, the other a former acting US solicitor general -- joke on Twitter about how often Trump spells things wrong. | | Credit: @neal_katyal/Twitter
| | What Washington Is Talking About:
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is testifying today before the House Judiciary Committee; Republicans continue to shrug off Trump's involvement in Michael Cohen's crimes; and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he'll bring a criminal justice bill up for a vote before the end of the year.
What America Is Talking About:
Kathie Lee Gifford announced she's leaving "Today," and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is scrambling to find a new Oscars host and considering the possibility the show will be is host-less.
Poll of the Day:
Trump's approval rating is at 39%, while his disapproval is at 52%, per CNN's latest poll. | | Credit: CNN
Our Zach Wolf noted that next week is the 20th anniversary of the House vote to impeach Bill Clinton, and his approval at the time was 73%, after spending most the year in the 60s.
Ex-Senators Call on Senate to Save Democracy:
A bipartisan group of 44 former senators wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post, calling on current members "to be steadfast and zealous guardians of our democracy by ensuring that partisanship or self-interest not replace national interest."
Citing the eventual conclusion of Mueller's investigation, forthcoming House investigations into the administration, and conflicts and tension across the globe, the former senators wrote, "We are at an inflection point in which the foundational principles of our democracy and our national security interests are at stake, and the rule of law and the ability of our institutions to function freely and independently must be upheld." Here's a list of those who signed the editorial: | | Credit: The Washington Post
The "Becoming" Tour is Getting an Extension:
Michelle Obama's book tour is being extended into 2019, with 21 dates scheduled from February to May at arenas and theaters across the US, Canada, and Europe, including a rescheduling of her stop in Paris that was canceled following the death of former President George H.W. Bush.
"I've been so humbled by the response to the tour thus far and the overwhelming interest we've received from so many communities we weren't able to visit this year," Obama told People. "That's why I'm thrilled that we're able to expand our conversations to these new settings and wider audiences. I can't wait to continue the discussions that have been so meaningful for me and, I hope, for so many others."
Meanwhile, You Can Cop Clinton Tix on Groupon:
You can get tickets for "An Evening With the Clintons" on discount on the site. Tickets for their May 4 stop at the Forum in Inglewood, California, for example, are available for $72 each, down from $175. | | Credit: Groupon
Older Lawmakers Actually Tweet More Frequently Than Younger:
Data firm Quorum found in its 2018 Congressional Social Media Report that, believe it or not, lawmakers in their 80s tweeted more than any other age group, with an average of 772 tweets this year, compared with an average of 678 for lawmakers in their 30s.
The eighty-something's high average was driven by prolific tweeters Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Grassley and Orrin Hatch. | | Credit: Quorum
The top hashtag by lawmakers in 2018 was #taxreform, used 4,551 times, followed by #sotu (3,075 times), #taxcutsandjobsact (2,656 times), #netneutrality (2,427 times), and #goptaxscam (2,307 times).
Street Art Sighting:
Sabo is gearing up for 2020 with a KAG Trump zombie hand. The street artist posted a new piece of a screaming hand making the OK sign he said was put up in Santa Cruz, California. | | Credit: @unsavoryagents/Instagram
Sabo also recently made a pizza-themed design, which he told me was "a Q / Pizzagate thing. I do believe in Pizzagate."
Rolling Stone is out with a story about the toll the false conspiracy theory has taken on John Podesta and Comet Ping Pong. Podesta said when strangers who believe in "Pizzagate" call his home in the middle of the night, his wife, Mary, will actually talk with them. "When somebody actually engages them and says, 'Why are you doing this?' they fold pretty quickly," he said.
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. | | | | | | |
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