| | | | 4 places Donald Trump could deliver his State of the Union |  | | President Donald Trump is still planning to deliver a "State of the Union" address one week from today -- although where he will be speaking from remains very much a mystery.
You'll remember that Speaker Nancy Pelosi effectively disinvited Trump from addressing a bicameral session of Congress on January 29, citing security concerns tied to the ongoing government shutdown -- now in its 32nd day.
"She invited us. We accepted," explained a senior White House aide to CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday. "She cited security concerns. DHS responded to those. And we are moving forward."
The thing about that is that Pelosi hasn't re-invited Trump or, really, said anything since she asked him to postpone his SOTU address -- or deliver a written version to Congress -- earlier this month.
If Pelosi refuses to blink, Trump will not be able to speak in the House. It's Pelosi's right as speaker to invite (or not invite) the President to address the chamber. As evidence, the House sergeant-at-arms turned down a request Monday from the White House for a walk-through in advance of the speech next Tuesday.
So if Trump can't speak to the House, where else could he deliver the "State of the Union?" Here are a few ideas:
1) The Senate: The upper chamber is controlled by Republicans so, theoretically, his party could smooth the way for Trump to deliver his SOTU there. And, as PBS' Lisa Desjardins helpfully notes, nine presidents have given speeches in the Senate -- although none of them were State of the Union addresses. The problem, of course, is that the Senate chamber isn't big enough to accommodate all 535 members of Congress -- not to mention Trump's Cabinet and all sorts of other dignitaries.
2) The border: Given that the shutdown fight revolves entirely around Trump's demand for $5 billion to pay for a border wall, Trump could highlight the necessity of a wall by speaking at the border. He's already been there once during this shutdown -- he traveled to McAllen, Texas earlier this month to meet with border officials, and could do so again.
3) A Trump/Democrat House district: There are 23 freshmen House Democrats who represents districts that Trump won in 2016. If any Democrats are going to panic about the political impact of this ongoing shutdown over the border wall, it's this group of almost two dozen. Trump could have his pick in Iowa, with both freshmen Democratic Reps. Abby Finkenauer and Cindy Axne holding seats he won three years ago.
4) The White House: There's any number of places within 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue where Trump could deliver his SOTU speech. While his Oval Office address earlier this month felt somewhat staid and flat, there are plenty of other options -- like, say, the East Room, where Trump held a press conference the day after the 2018 election.
The Point: It's possible Pelosi acquiesces and Trump gets to speak on the House floor in seven days' time. But I doubt it. I also doubt that Trump will simply let Pelosi dictate when and where he can address the country. That's not his style. At all.
-- Chris | | "I remember being in Wisconsin and your own people were booing you. You were out there dying like a dog, Paul. Like a dog! And what'd I do? I saved your a--."
-- President Donald Trump to Paul Ryan, according to former White House communications aide Cliff Sims in his forthcoming book. Trump was assailing Ryan on the phone over the House Speaker's lack of loyalty to the President, according to Sims' recounting. | | | Add this to your shutdown schedule.
On Thursday, the Senate plans to vote on the shutdown-ending proposal from President Donald Trump rolled out this weekend. It will also vote on a Democratic House-approved bill that would re-open the government through February 8.
Neither bill is expected to get the requisite 60 votes to pass the Senate (Chuck Schumer said Trump's proposal is "going nowhere fast" and The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim tweeted "I will eat my shoe if one advances,") -- and even if it did, the attempt is dead on arrival with House Democrats.
So, why would Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally allow a vote on one of the House bills?
From CNN's Phil Mattingly: "Several reasons – first, it takes away a Democratic talking point that he's refused to bring any House-passed measures to the floor. Second, should it fail as expected, it will strongly make the point that Democrats need to come to the table and start to negotiate. Third, see above: it's not expected to pass." | |  | Rudy Giuliani is Trump's worst possible spokesman | | As President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani routinely hits the TV circuit to defend his client. Maybe he shouldn't.
But you definitely should subscribe to The Point on YouTube! | |  | | Today's topic: Donald Trump's possible State of the Union address venues. | |
A NEW RUSSIA INVESTIGATION DEVELOPMENT | | Robert Mueller's team of investigators are looking into the Donald Trump campaign's relationship with the National Rifle Association
What was Mueller's team interested in: "The special counsel's team was curious to learn more about how Donald Trump and his operatives first formed a relationship with the NRA and how Trump wound up speaking at the group's annual meeting in 2015, just months before announcing his presidential bid," per CNN's Sara Murray.
Why does this matter: An interview between Sam Nunberg, a former Trump campaign aide, "and Mueller's team in February 2018 offers the first indication that the special counsel has been probing the Trump campaign's ties to the powerful gun-rights group," per Murray. | |
PAM BONDI'S DISTRICT MOVE | | Florida's former attorney general and longtime Trump supporter is headed to Washington, DC -- but not to work for the Trump administration.
Instead, Bondi is entering the lobbying world, joining Ballard Partners. She's expected to assist with large companies' policies "dealing with various issues such as data privacy and opioid abuse," according to the Associated Press. | | Kirsten Gillibrand: Is making her first visit to South Carolina in the middle of February as a potential presidential candidate.
Kamala Harris: Raised $1.5 million in the first 24 hours of declaring her presidential candidacy, with more than 38,000 individual donors and an average donation of $37, per a tweet from her campaign spokesman.
Cory Booker: Says he's nearing a decision about running for president while on a southern-state swing. | | | | | | |
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