Apr 19, 2019

Trump calls portions of Mueller report "total bullshit"

President Trump called some statements provided by witnesses in special counsel Robert Mueller's report "total bullshit" in a series of Friday morning tweets.

"Because I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the 'Report' about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad)."

The big picture: Trump also tweeted to "watch out for people that take so-called 'notes,'" likely a reference to one of the report's most-reported passages, where the president questioned why then-White House counsel Don McGahn took notes during their conversations.

According to details McGahn and others provided to the Mueller's team, Trump had instructed McGahn to contact Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to have Mueller fired. McGahn did not carry out Trump's order.
Refusals from McGahn — and other top White House staffers — to obey such presidential directives are part of the reason why Trump ultimately avoided obstruction of justice charges in Mueller's investigation.

Worth noting: According to the report, when Trump learned of Mueller's appointment from then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the president said, "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked."

That anecdote came from contemporaneous notes provided to Mueller's investigation by Sessions' chief of staff, Jody Hunt.

Go deeper: 7 takeaways from the Mueller report

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Caitlin Owens

Coronavirus stress tests drug industry's dependence on China

A Hong Kong commuter wears a face mask. Photo: Miguel Candela/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

It's unclear whether the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus will actually result in prescription drug shortages, but it has undoubtedly highlighted the potential vulnerabilities of having the supply chain for American drugs so dependent on China.

Driving the news: About 150 prescription drugs — including antibiotics, generics and some branded drugs without alternatives — are at risk of shortage if the coronavirus outbreak in China worsens, per two sources familiar with a list of at-risk drugs compiled by the Food and Drug Administration.

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Jim VandeHei

Bernie's path to the presidency

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks yesterday during a rally at Houston University. Photo: Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Lots of Democrats are in full panic that Bernie Sanders will win the nomination and get clobbered in the general election — and bring the party down, too. But the evidence, particularly the polling, doesn't back those doomsday warnings.

Why it matters: Virtually every national and swing state poll shows Sanders tied with or beating President Trump. And, unlike every rival, he has a huge base of fervent, unshakable supporters he can only grow.

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Amy Harder

These swing voters don't like Trump’s environmental rollbacks

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Swing voters in four battleground states decisively oppose President Trump’s sweeping rollbacks of environmental regulations — but it’s unlikely to sway their votes.

Why it matters: It’s voters living in states like these, including Florida and Pennsylvania, who fill pivotal roles electing America’s presidents, so we should listen.

Go deeper2 hours ago - Energy & Environment