Here's how members of the Trump family and administration watched the 2017 eclipse:
A delightfully Trumpian moment, captured by White House pool reporter Ben Jacobs of The Guardian:
"At approximately 2:39, the President initially gesticulated to the crowd below and pointed at the sky. As he did so, one of the White House aides standing beneath the Blue Room Balcony shouted 'Don't look.'"
Today, President Trump is expected to announce his plan to send more troops to Afghanistan to help push back the Taliban and ISIS groups.
Why it matters: The decision is a loss for the "America-first" element of the Trump administration. Now-departed Steve Bannon was strongly opposed to sending more troops, even suggesting private contractors, according to NYT. And Jonathan Swan points out, "Trump has been reluctantly open to the generals' opinion, and I'm told he doesn't want to be the president who loses the country to the terrorists."
Exactly 5 years ago, Trump tweeted: "Why are we continuing to train these Afghanis who then shoot our soldiers in the back? Afghanistan is a complete waste. Time to come home!"
The Secret Service is struggling to pay hundreds of its agents, largely due to the size of President Trump's family and the measures necessary to secure their many residences, according to USA Today.
Secret Service Director Randolph "Tex" Alles told USA Today that more than 1,000 agents have already hit the federally mandated caps for salary and overtime allowances, which were supposed to last the entire year. A large part of that financial burden can be attributed the president's frequent trips to his residences in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia, as well as his children's travel across the country and abroad for business and vacation.
"The president has a large family, and our responsibility is required in law,'' said Alles. "I can't change that. I have no flexibility.''
President Vladimir Putin appointed his former deputy foreign minister, Anatoly Antonov, as Russia's new U.S. ambassador, replacing Sergey Kislyak, per AFP. Antonov has been serving as acting ambassador to the U.S. since Kislyak's return to Moscow in June.
Background:According to TASS, Russia's state-owned news agency, Antonov, 62, headed Russia's Foreign Ministry Security and Disarmament Department from 2004-2011, before serving as deputy defense minister from 2011-2016, during which Russia invaded Ukraine. Antonov was later appointed as Putin's deputy foreign minister in December 2016.
Why it matters: Kislyak, who served as Russia's U.S. ambassador for nearly 10 years, became a household name in recent months for his meetings with senior Trump aides during the campaign and transition. But Antonov, who according to AFP has a reputation as "a hardliner" and is seen as "a tough negotiator," will likely bring a new edge to Washington.