During an interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson, which will air at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday, President Trump called former CIA director John Brennan "a very bad person," according to a transcript obtained by the Daily Caller's Saagar Enjeti, hitting back at Brennan for criticizing his performance in Helsinki as "nothing short of treasonous."
Why it matters: There have been no indications that Trump intends to soften his criticisms of the U.S. intelligence community, even as people from across the political spectrum continue to express their shock and outrage following Trump's failure to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) dismissed the pushback he's been getting on the farm bill during an Axios event in Washington, asserting that there's "no reason" Congress shouldn't get the bill done by the Sept. 30 expiration date and that it's "too important not to."
Why it matters: Last month, the House approved an $867 billion farm bill in a narrow 213-211 vote that included new work requirements for Americans on food stamps. With a 50% drop in farmers' net income, high commodity prices and an increase in bankruptcies, Conaway said that there is "no question we need this safety net to keep our producers in business."
The European Union and Japan on Tuesday signed a major trade deal eliminating most tariffs, reports the AP.
Why it matters: The agreement was primarily reached late last year, the AP notes. But the outcome is far different than President Trump’s combative approach and dealings in recent months with America’s closest allies by slapping tariffs on various imported goods. The deal slashed about 99% percent of the tariffs on Japanese goods sold to the EU, and 94% of the tariffs on European exports to Japan.
Speaking with Mike Allen at an Axios event in Washington, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said that foresters, farmers and ranchers are bearing the brunt of the trade dispute, and that he hopes to have a mitigation plan before major harvests begin after Labor Day.
"Farmers love their lifestyle, but they're businesspeople. They have to make a profit. They're some of the best patriots in America, but they can't pay the bills with patriotism."
— Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue
Why it matters: Perdue placed the blame for the "trade disruptions we're experiencing" on China and its non-tariff barriers, and claimed that while President Trump's tariffs may be making his job more challenging in the short-term, he expects it to pay off in the long-term and for all trade issues to be resolved in the next six months.
Americans have strong opinions about which issues brands should stay away from in the age of Trump.
Why it matters: Corporations are facing enormous social pressure, especially from younger generations on social media, to fill a void left by governmental gridlock and mistrust of government as an institution. But it can be tricky for a brand to determine which issues to take a stand on and which to avoid.
President Trump, who seemed to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Helsinki summit Monday rather than the U.S. intelligence community, doubled down on the leader's strong denial of election meddling and criticized the United States' poor state of relations with Moscow during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity.
"[Putin] said there's absolutely no collusion, which you know, and everybody who watches this show knows, and I think most of the country knows ... And I tell you, I thought it was a really amazing time ... I thought that President Putin was very, very strong."
Despite the United States' ongoing trade fight with China, Richard Liu, co-founder and CEO of Chinese online retail giant JD.com, said at Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference that he's not too worried about the rising tide of tariffs, and will work to provide customers with alternatives along with the pricier U.S. products.
For my company, I can tell you it’ll be OK. Anything we cannot import from the U.S. we can get from Europe, Japan or other countries.
— JD.com CEO Richard Liu
Why it matters: As the Trump administration ramps up its trade war with China via multiple rounds of tariffs, businesses are wondering how far the global trade system that underlies e-commerce will unravel.
The Heritage Foundation's activist partners will spend the bulk of it's $11.5 million budget for the year on getting Judge Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the Supreme Court, Heritage Action's executive director Tim Chapman tells Axios.
Why it matters: The conservative organization, which is widely influential among Republican voters and has worked closely with the Trump administration, is making Kavanaugh's confirmation its number one issue this year, ahead of the midterm elections. The group's plan is to target key red states to pressure senators to push Kavanaugh through to the bench as fast as possible.
Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai said Monday he had "serious concerns" about the purchase of Tribune Media-owned TV stations by Sinclair Broadcast Group. He said he was moving to refer the case to an administrative law judge to vet outstanding issues with the deal.
Why it matters: This is a potentially lethal obstacle for a deal that proved controversial because it would increase the reach of the conservative Sinclair network. Pai is a Republican appointee, and the Justice Department has also been looking at the deal.
Apollo Global Management is among several firms to have expressed interest in buying Arconic, the aeronautics parts-maker that was known as Alcoa before a 2016 breakup.
Why it's a big deal: Because Arconic was the subject of a very contentious proxy battle last year with Elliott Management, which resulted in the ouster of CEO Klaus Kleinfeld and a board revamp. But the CEO swap hasn't helped Arconic's stock price, which has fallen 36% so far this year — partially due to a tariff-fueled rise in aluminum prices.
