| | | | | President Trump speaks to the nation Tuesday in his first address from the Oval Office. Credit: Carlos Barria/Pool/Getty Images | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump today goes to Capitol Hill to attend the Senate Republican Policy luncheon. Later, at the White House, he again hosts congressional leadership for more talks about the border and funding -- and the government shutdown.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
Shutdown Day 19. No end in sight, guys.
Trump's Speech Reviews:
Crisis? Not a crisis? Those are pretty much the lines along which people are falling on this debate about the situation at the border. Trump's speech from the Oval Office last night portrayed the illegal immigration situation as a "crisis of the heart," but Democrats are calling it a situation.
Either way, here's a breakdown of fact checks from our crack CNN team, which dug in on some of Trump's more nebulous statements.
More Importantly, Is Trump Losing Republican Support?:
This is key to today: will the President lose allies in the Senate? Each day it appears that's more and more of a possibility, and that scenario would be irretrievably harmful to his side of the border wall argument. From our Manu Raju and Clare Foran: "In a warning sign for the White House, a number of Senate Republicans offered tepid support for the hard-line stance taken by Trump, who is backed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. While many Republicans said they'd continue to support McConnell and Trump for now, it was clear that support won't last indefinitely."
Rosenstein Ready To Go:
Rod Rosenstein, whose office manages the Russia investigation, is not long for his job of deputy attorney general. Sources confirm to CNN that Rosenstein plans to leave after William Barr, Trump's nominee for attorney general, assumes the role. It could be a sign that the Robert Mueller investigation is wrapping up, if Rosenstein feels comfortable leaving, but it could also mean Rosenstein just doesn't want to be a part of the mechanics of Trump's administration anymore. Trump has frequently criticized Rosenstein and called the Mueller investigation a "witch hunt."
Barr, meanwhile, is spending part of his day on Capitol Hill, hoping to reassure any senators on the Judiciary Committee who might have doubts about him taking over as AG. Barr's confirmation hearings begin next week.
Kellyanne Conway Is Maybe a Robot:
So, it's cold today. Finally. Really, sort of winter cold -- 44 degrees and dropping, according to Siri. | | Credit: @swdoody/Twitter
What's Really Happening At the Border:
If you missed this piece from the New York Times late yesterday, I really encourage you to try to make the time to read it. The paper sent four reporters to different border towns to really see what residents were facing -- and what they are actually concerned about. The results might surprise you.
| | What Washington is Talking About:
A growing number of Senate Republicans have indicated they're willing to break with President Trump and reopen at least some government agencies; and Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer held an event this morning with furloughed workers to discuss the shutdown.
What America is Talking About:
More than 1.4 million ex-felons in Florida have had their voting rights restored; Sears, teetering on the brink of liquidation, reached a deal with a hedge fund to stay open for the time being; and Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie announced they are getting a divorce.
The Dem Response:
The message out last night from both Pelosi and Schumer was that Trump chose fear over facts and manufactured a crisis. Pelosi accused Trump of spreading "misinformation and even malice" during the shutdown and holding hostage "critical services for the health, safety and well-being of the American people." Schumer said, "The symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a 30-foot wall."
Their take-it-or-leave-it offer to Trump was for him to sign the bipartisan plan to reopen government, then talk border security. But even then, he's not getting a wall. Pelosi suggested instead funding infrastructure at ports of entry, new technology to scan vehicles, and personnel. "We can fund more innovation to detect unauthorized crossings," she said.
The DJTJ Response:
On his Instagram story last night, Donald Trump Jr. wrote, "You know why you can enjoy a day at the zoo? Because walls work." Ummm...
Meanwhile, on the Livestream...:
While Trump spoke, Stormy did laundry. Stormy Daniels sat on a bed in a bra and folded laundry for nine minutes on Instagram Live while listening to Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall," Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," and Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" (I made a playlist of Stormy's songs you can spin here). At the end, she opened a bag of Cheetos and had a snack. Subtle.
Over on Facebook Live, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke live streamed for more than 90 minutes, I kid you not. He spoke with neighbors about life on the border and why they oppose Trump's border wall plan. The buzziest news out of the livestream, though, was the scruff. That's right, Beto's got a beard now too.
Here are screenshots from O'Rourke, Trump Jr, and Stormy: | | Credit: @donaldjtrumpjr/Instagram Live; Beto O'Rourke/Facebook; @thestormydaniels/Instagram Live
Tom Steyer's Font:
California billionaire Tom Steyer will make an announcement about his future in politics this afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa. Steyer's the guy behind the climate change group NextGen America and the "Need To Impeach" campaign to remove Trump from office, both of which have their own brand identities. Steyer's own website, as of this morning, focuses on his "5 rights" (...to an equal vote, to clean air and clean water, to learn, to a living wage, and to health), and a name logo.
The current logo is written in Pluto Sans, a font created by the type foundry HvD in 2012. Pluto began as a playful font that combined a straight sans serif font with script endings. HvD described the Pluto Sans typeface as "not as loud" as its predecessor, while still having a "subtle friendly feeling shining through." | | Credit: tomsteyer.com
Street Art Sighting:
This image of Trump riding a falling bomb from Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," was spotted in an alley in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona. | | Credit: Hunter Schwarz
Tag or DM me your political street art sightings @hunterschwarz on Twitter or Instagram, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com. | | | | | | |
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