A seasoned Republican operative told me that when you're working on a campaign and you get an email that says something like "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump," the response is obvious
"I'd stop reading right there," the operative said. "I'd print it out and walk it over to the counsel's office."
That's why so many Republicans downtown and on Capitol Hill have tried to avert their gaze from "the Russia stuff" by relying on the Keystone Cops Scenario — that this was all incompetence and inexperience: These guys just didn't know what they were doing, and were acting the way they do in business.
But the Keystone Cops Scenario fell apart yesterday. Don Jr. had told Fox's Sean Hannity on Tuesday, regarding the Russia meeting at Trump Tower: "This is everything. This is everything."
The Trump administration has a lot they want to get done this year, but time is running out. Congress has already blown through more than half of its scheduled legislative days and August just is around the corner, which Congress usually takes off. And September, which marks the end of the fiscal year, will be devoted to spending bills to keep the government up and running.
Why it matters: With Republican control of the White House, Congress and the Senate, expectations for Trump to follow through were high. But so far gridlock continues to delay his policy agenda.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon got irritated while talking about Washington politics during his company's earnings call Friday morning, per CNBC:
"It's almost embarrassing being an American citizen ... and listening to the stupid shit we have to deal with in this country," said Dimon. "Since the Great Recession, which is now 8 years old, we've been growing [at] 1.5 to 2 percent in spite of the political gridlock... [The] American business sector is powerful and strong. My sense is there would be much stronger growth if there were more intelligent decisions and less gridlock."
NBC News' Ken Dilanian and Nathasha Lebedeva report this morning: "The Russian lawyer who met with the Trump team after a promise of compromising material on Hillary Clinton was accompanied by a Russian-American lobbyist."
They did not name that lobbyist, who they report is a former Soviet counter-intelligence officer. They also add that the lobbyist is suspected of maintaining ties to Russian intelligence, per their sources in U.S. government.
"Veselnitskaya acknowledged to NBC News that she was accompanied by at least one other man, though she declined to identify him."
Why it matters: Matt Miller, an MSNBC contributor and former Obama Justice Department official, tells Axios' Mike Allen: "This is important: means there is someone [Russia probe special counsel Robert] Mueller can subpoena who is not part of the Trump family/staff to find out what happened. He probably couldn't get his hands on the Russian lawyer, but he can get his hands on this person."
President Trump and Melania joined French President Macron and his wife Brigitte Friday to celebrate Bastille Day at a parade in Paris. The two leaders looked like they were having a great time together, repeatedly patting each other on the back and pointing to things in parade.
The celebration lasted more than two hours, per WH pool reports, and the two leaders looked on as French and American troops marched down the Champs-Elysees before them, and military planes and helicopters flew over head.
President Trump cranked up the pressure for GOP Senators this morning, tweeting that they must come through and get their health bill passed, "as promised":
"Republicans Senators are working hard to get their failed ObamaCare replacement approved. I will be at my desk, pen in hand! So impt Rep Senators, under leadership of @SenateMajLdr McConnell get healthcare plan approved. After 7yrs of O'Care disaster, must happen! After all of these years of suffering thru ObamaCare, Republican Senators must come through as they have promised! .@VP Mike Pence is working hard on HealthCare and getting our wonderful Republican Senators to do what is right for the people."
What's next: The Senate hopes to vote on the bill next week, but first they have to go through a procedural motion to start the debate. If that fails, the whole thing ends there.
If the Senate's health care bill dies, moderate Republicans will likely be the ones who kill it. And the changes released yesterday won't do much to allay their biggest concerns.
Conservatives won some major policy changes yesterday, in the form of Ted Cruz's consumer-choice proposal. Moderates didn't: The bill's Medicaid cuts are just as deep, and the latest version didn't do much to cover more people or make coverage more affordable to older, sicker consumers.
