Dec 22, 2018

New Trump spin for 2020: He's glad Pelosi, Democrats won

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump has privately said he's glad that Democrats took the House in the 2018 midterm elections because he believes it will increase his chances of being re-elected in 2020, the New York Times reports.

The big picture: Trump's outlook is that incoming-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats will "serve as a useful antagonist," per the Times, which notes that both Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were re-elected after "even bigger midterm setbacks" than Trump saw in November. Former legislative affairs director Marc Short told the Times it's "better to have Nancy Pelosi as a foil than Paul Ryan as a foil." Of course, just wait until the subpoenas start flying — as Trump's glad will likely turn to mad.

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Kendall Baker

UFC wants to host fight on tribal land to avoid coronavirus restrictions

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

In an attempt to skirt federal and state guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC plans to hold its April 18 pay-per-view event on tribal land in California, per multiple reports.

The state of play: Even as the rest of the sports world hits pause, UFC president Dana White has remained adamant that fights must go on, and appears to have settled for a shutdown casino in a state with the fourth-most confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Go deeper8 mins ago - Sports

Mike Allen

Ivanka Trump plans focus on coronavirus recovery for small businesses

Ivanka Trump speaks at yesterday's White House videoconference with bank and credit card executives. Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Ivanka Trump personally lobbied top bank executives to line up the $1.5 billion in commitments to small business that were announced yesterday at a videoconference among the bank executives and President Trump — stoking competitive juices among the execs to drive up their commitments.

The state of play: Ivanka, who has had workforce development in her portfolio going back to 2017, plans an increasing emphasis on small businesses in the weeks ahead as they navigate the rescue bill’s Payroll Protection Program, sources tell me.

Go deeper3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Kim Hart

Public transit's death spiral

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Public transit systems across the country are experiencing a painful trifecta: Ridership has collapsed, funding streams are squeezed, and mass transit won't bounce back from the pandemic nearly as fast as other modes of transportation.

Why it matters: Transit agencies could see an annual shortfall of as much as $38 billion due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to TransitCenter. At the same time, they're more important than ever, with more than 36% of essential workers relying on public transportation to get to work.

Go deeper4 hours ago - Health