Axios

Marc Kasowitz, President Trump's personal attorney, released a new statement today pushing back on reports that his response yesterday to fired FBI Director James Comey's testimony inaccurately represented the timing of news reports surrounding Comey's interactions with Trump.

Kasowitz's claim: Comey claimed in his testimony yesterday that Trump's infamous "tapes" tweet on May 12 was his impetus for leaking his memos regarding his interactions with Trump to the New York Times, leading to the first report of their existence on May 16. But Kasowitz says that a Times report on May 11 about Comey's dinner with Trump must mean that Comey had incorrectly testified about the day he'd leaked the memos.

But consider: The sources for the dinner report in the Times are "associates" of Comey. And Comey's written opening statement said: "As was my practice for conversations with President Trump, I wrote a detailed memo about the dinner immediately afterwards and shared it with the senior leadership team of the FBI."

President Trump's combative press conference this afternoon, in which he declared his "100 percent" willingness to rebut Jim Comey under oath, reflects the White House's new take-no-prisoners war footing.

• The Trump theory: The best way to defend is to attack. If you're explaining, you're losing. White House officials, while recognizing the optics were devastating, tell us they were relieved that the substance of Comey's testimony lacked a smoking gun. But they know that special counsel Bob Mueller poses a dire threat to Trump's hold on the office.
• Behind the curtain: The widely held view in Republican circles, according to Axios' Jonathan Swan, is that Trump's aggressiveness undercuts the notion that there are tapes. Trump clearly sees this as his word against Comey's.

Dan Scavino Jr., the White House's social media director, has been issued a warning for violating the Hatch Act, a federal law that prohibits officials from using government positions for political advocacy, according to the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

What happened: In April, Scavino posted a tweet from his personal Twitter account — though at the time, it listed his White House position and had a profile picture in the Oval Office — asking Michiganders to remove Republican Rep. Justin Amash in a primary. CREW submitted a complaint soon after.

President Trump fielded questions on James Comey while giving a joint press conference with Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis at the White House Friday. Trump told reporters that he felt completely vindicated by Comey's testimony, stating that there was "no collusion, no obstruction, he's a leaker."

When asked whether he recorded the conversations he had with Comey, Trump said, "I'll tell you about that sometime in the near future." He also denied ever asking for Comey's loyalty or asking him to "let Flynn go." And he said he'd "100%" be willing to testify under oath to Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on the countries in the Persian Gulf region who have cut off Qatar to "ease the blockade." He also argued that the diplomatic crisis is impairing U.S. and international business activity, as well as hindering military actions in the region, including the campaign against ISIS.

Note: Qatar's leader reportedly declined Trump's invitation to host mediation talks at the White House. A Qatari official told Reuters Thursday that the Emir of Qatar "has no plans to leave Qatar while the country is under a blockade."

President Trump ended his much-touted "infrastructure week" with an announcement at the Department of Transportation that his administration was creating a new council to help navigate permitting hurdles that can delay critical infrastructure projects.

The key quote: "It took four years to build the Golden Gate bridge and five years to build the Hoover Dam, but today it can take 10 years just to get the approval and permits needed to build a major infrastructure project."

Trump's biggest skills: If there's one thing that Trump might definitely understand, it's building massive infrastructure projects. And if there's a second, it's reality television. Both were on on full display with prop binders apparently filled with environmental reports:

Many of Trump's mounting perils are self-inflicted:

• From a New York Times front-pager by Peter Baker, "For Trump, a Looming 'Cloud' Just Grew That Much Darker": "Comey... revealed that he had turned over memos of his conversations with Mr. Trump to that newly appointed special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, suggesting that investigators may now be looking into whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice by dismissing the F.B.I. director."
• Comey testified that he arranged the leak of his private conversations with Trump after the president tweeted a threat at Comey.
• CNN: "Comey told senators in a closed hearing [after his public testimony] that Attorney General Jeff Sessions may have had a third interaction with Russia's ambassador to the US."

Sound smart: Imagine how much the public would never have known if Trump hadn't canned Comey.

Qatar's leader reportedly will not accept President Trump's invitation for a White House meeting while the country remains isolated from several of its Persian Gulf neighbors, reports Reuters. A Qatari official told the outlet Thursday that the Emir of Qatar "has no plans to leave Qatar while the country is under a blockade."

Flashback: Earlier this week, seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar after accusing the nation of collaborating with militant groups and adding to instability in the region.

The Trump effect: Wednesday, President Trump offered his support to the emir of Qatar over the phone, and said he is willing to "help the parties resolve their differences, including a meeting at the White House if necessary," according to a WH statement.