Oct 16, 2018 - Politics & Policy

James Mattis rejects Trump's claim that he is "sort of a Democrat"

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Secretary of Defense James Mattis has rebuffed President Trump’s notion that he is "sort of a Democrat,” telling reporters on Monday: “I’ve never registered for any political party.”

The back story: Trump, who made the comments duirng his "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday, added that he doesn’t know whether Mattis would be the next major White House departure, but Mattis clarified that the two "never talked about me leaving ... We just continue doing our job." According to the Washington Examiner, Mattis also said he thought “nothing at all” of Trump’s remarks, noting, “I'm on his team."

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Axios
Updated 50 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Politics: Americans feel Trump's sickness makes him harder to trust — Florida breaks record for in-person early voting — McConnell urges White House not to strike stimulus deal before election — Republican senators defend Fauci as Trump escalates attacks.
  2. Health: The next wave is gaining steam.
  3. Education: Schools haven't become hotspots — University of Michigan students ordered to shelter-in-place.
  4. World: Ireland moving back into lockdown — Argentina becomes 5th country to report 1 million infections.
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Axios
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump threatens to post "60 Minutes" interview early after reportedly walking out

Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One, Oct. 19. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he was considering posting his interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" prior to airtime in order to show "what a FAKE and BIASED interview" it was, following reports that he abruptly ended the interview after 45 minutes of taping.

Why it matters: Trump has escalated his war on the media in the final stretch of his re-election campaign, calling a Reuters reporter a "criminal" this week for not reporting on corruption allegations about Hunter Biden and disparaging CNN as "dumb b*stards" for the network's ongoing coronavirus coverage.

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Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

McConnell urges White House not to strike stimulus deal before election

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has urged White House negotiators not to cut a deal with Democrats on new coronavirus stimulus before the election.

Driving the news: McConnell informed Senate Republicans of the move at a closed-door lunch on Tuesday, two people familiar with his remarks tell Axios. McConnell's remarks were first reported by the Washington Post.

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