Vice President Mike Pence has hired outside legal counsel to represent him in the federal government's expanding Russia probe, per The Washington Post.
His choice: Pence retained Richard Cullen, a Richmond attorney at the firm McGuire Woods who previously served as a U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.
The reasoning: Pence's office told WaPo that his choice to hire outside counsel shows that he wants to cooperate with the government's investigation.
Pence's place in the Russia story: The vice president claimed that he was misled by former national security advisor Michael Flynn regarding Flynn's contacts with Russian officials — a lie that ultimately led President Trump to fire Flynn.
Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed Thursday that Robert Mueller was at the White House interviewing for FBI director the day before he was named as special counsel in the Russia probe. She also stated that she "believes" President Trump has confidence in Mueller, even after reports that he is investigating Trump for obstruction of justice.
The Trump administration has moved to eliminate obscure and unnecessary paperwork requirements for federal agencies, including seven (!) concerning their preparedness for Y2K, per Bloomberg.
Don't worry: The Y2K requirements aren't really followed in practice by most agencies, but eliminating other useless regulations could save thousands of man-hours per year, allowing federal employees to focus on more productive aspects of their work.
We're looking for stuff everyone agrees is a complete waste of time. OMB Director Mick Mulvaney
Before signing an executive order, President Trump said that Rep. Steve Scalise is "in some trouble" and his condition is "more difficult than people even thought at the time." Scalise remains in critical condition after being shot yesterday morning during a GOP congressional baseball practice.
The EO details: Proclaiming that he wouldn't be in the White House without "the American worker," Trump said that today's executive order is meant to "expand apprenticeships and vocational training to help all Americans earn a rewarding career." It's meant to remove federal restrictions that have prevented some industries from implementing apprenticeship programs for their workers.
Only one day after the mass shooting targeting a Republican Congressional baseball practice seemed to bring Washington together, the nasty normal resumed:
The Oxford University Press has named "Trump" the Children's Word of the Year after sifting through 131,798 short stories written by kids and submitted to a BBC contest, NYT reports. The decision was made based on the 839% increase in the use of "Trump" and the context creativity.
This is the first time a proper noun has won either the children's word of the year or adult's word of the year.
Use examples: Snozzle Trump, Trumpelstilskin, Trumpido, Trumpwinningtastic. Hillary Clinton and Obama Llama also made appearances.
Runners up: Brexit, fake news, social media, vlog and super.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who had a tense phone call with President Trump in February, was recorded mocking President Trump for his ties to Russia at a media ball at Parliament House in Canberra Wednesday night, reports Reuters.
"The Donald and I... we are winning in the polls. We are! Not the fake polls. We are winning in the real polls. You know, the online polls. They are so easy to win," Turnbull joked in the leaked recording, before adding, "I have this Russian guy..."
The event was off-the-record, but an Australian journalist leaked the tape anyway, saying that because he hadn't attended the event he wasn't constrained by the confidentiality rule. Turnbull later told 3AW radio that he was disappointed by the breach of protocol, but emphasized his speech was "affectionately light-hearted" and was a roast of himself as well.
Republican Congressman Mark Sanford told Morning Joe's Mika Brzezinski Thursday that Trump is "at least partially to blame" for the "demons that have have been unleashed," referring to the nasty partisan rhetoric that has spread throughout the country in recent months, as demonstrated by Wednesday's shooting on a Congressional baseball practice.
"We've got to find a way to dial this back," said Sanford, adding that he often asks himself why people across the nation are acting so aggressively. "They think, 'Look if a guy at the top can say anything at any time, why can't I?'"
A message for Trump: Joe Scarborough then weighed in with advice for the president: "It cant get any worse than it is right now. Try a little bit of decency, try a little bit of humanity, try to bridge both sides."
Most White House officials feared Robert Mueller would go after President Trump for obstruction of justice.
The signs were everywhere: James Comey's testimony that Trump urged him to drop the FBI probe of Michael Flynn; Trump's forceful denial, and counterattack on Comey's character; Mueller hiring high-powered lawyers steeped in complexities of presidential power; followed by the president contemplating firing Mueller.
With the Washington Post bombshell report that the obstruction probe is in full swing ("Trump's actions now a focus of Mueller inquiry"), the reality has White House officials and Republicans sweating profusely for several reasons:
President Trump dismissed James Comey May 9, Comey testified last week before the Senate Intelligence Committee, and now the special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether Trump obstructed justice, at least in part due to Trump's interactions with Comey.
Here's a look at all the key events relating to Trump, Comey and the Russia probe:
In a 97-2 vote Wednesday, the Senate voted to place new sanctions on Russia over interference in the 2016 election. The measure has been attached to a bill sanctioning Iran for its continued work on developing ballistic missile technology. The two voting against were Republicans Rand Paul and Mike Lee.
The legislation would enable fresh sanctions on entities engaging in "malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government." It would also require Congress to review any attempt by the president to ease or end existing penalties.
Timing: The measure was approved in the Senate just two days after it was announced by leaders of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations committees, and must now be approved by the House then signed into law by Trump.
Why this matters: The bill is a rebuke to the Trump administration, which many Senators argue has not done enough to punish Moscow for meddling in U.S. politics and around the world.
Bernie Sanders said he learned James T. Hodgkinson, the alleged shooter at the GOP baseball practice Wednesday morning, used to volunteer on his presidential campaign and said he is "sickened by this despicable act."
"Let me be as clear as I can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action..."
There are several posts in support of Bernie Sanders on what appears to be Hodgkinson's Facebook page.
President Trump offered his prayers following the ""very, very, very brutal assault" on the GOP Congressional baseball practice Wednesday morning and announced that the shooting suspect, James Hodgkinson, "has now died from his injuries."
Trump said House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was on of 6 shooting victims, is in stable condition.
Trump called on viewers to "take a moment today to cherish those you love" and asked for unity, stating, "we are strongest when we are unified, and when we work for the common good."
Virginia law enforcement officials have identified the shooting suspect of the Republican Congressional baseball practice as 66-year-old James Hodgkinson, per the Washington Post. Hodgkinson, from Belleville, Illinois, was charged in April 2006 with "battery and aiding damage to a motor vehicle." The charges were later dismissed.
The latest:
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says Majority Whip Steve Scalise is out of surgery. He also stated that all floor action will be delayed until tomorrow but committee hearings will resume this afternoon.
Rep. Roger Williams confirms Zack Barth, one of his legislative correspondents, was shot at the practice and is receiving medical attention. Williams says he is expected to make a full recovery.
President Trump has canceled his event at the Department of Labor today. There are no other public events on his schedule.
Lobbyist Matt Mika, director of government relations for Tyson's DC office, was also shot, per NBC.
Rep. Eric Swalell on Twitter: "The #congressionalbaseballgame is on. We will play for charity, but also for the victims & the heroic officers who took down the shooter."
Ivanka Trump will meet with GOP members of Congress in the upcoming weeks to go over different ways to promote paid family leave and better tax benefits to parents at an event organized by Sen. Marco Rubio, who is also a proponent of improving family aid, per Politico.
What they're saying: "I think we're trying to help the same people," Rubio told Politico. "Obviously I like my approach... She has a different one, at least for now. I don't think they're inflexible about it."
The White House has issued a statement by President Trump in response to this morning's shooting at the Republican Congressional baseball practice in Virginia:
The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.
