White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Air Force One en route Arizona that "there will be no discussion" about pardoning former sheriff Joe Arpaio today and "no action will be taken on that front at any point today," per a pool report.
Why it matters: There's been talk that Trump might pardon Arpaio after his conviction of criminal contempt of court for disobeying a 2011 court order to stop detaining people based on his suspicions they were undocumented immigrants.
Arpaio then told VICE News: ""He didn't say he's not going to do it" ... "He said tonight."
U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told CNN today that she had a "personal conversation" with President Trump about how he handled the fallout from Charlottesville, per Politico.
"Well, I had a personal conversation with the president about Charlottesville, and I will leave it at that," Haley said on CNN. "But I will tell you that there is no room for hate in this country. I know the pain that hate can cause, and we need to isolate haters, and we need to make sure that they know there is no place for them."
On "Good Morning America," Haley brought up her conversation with Trump again, adding that her message was "taken very well." As for whether Trump believes he was in the wrong with his response? "The president clarified so that no one can question that he's opposed to bigotry and hate in this country," said Haley.
Chelsea Clinton defended fellow first child, Barron Trump, on Twitter Monday after a Daily Caller reporter criticized the 11-year-old for his casual attire.
The critique: "The youngest Trump doesn't have any responsibilities as the president's son, but the least he could do is dress the part when he steps out in public," entertainment reporter Ford Springer wrote in the Daily Caller.
Clinton's kickback: "It's high time the media & everyone leave Barron Trump alone & let him have the private childhood he deserves" she tweeted, linking to the story.
Why it matters: Clinton, who has otherwise been known to rail against Trump and his administration on social media, has come to Barron's defense on several occasions. Twice she's tweeted that Barron deserves the right and the privacy to be a kid.
The U.S. Treasury has unveiled sanctions targeting Chinese and Russian entities doing business with North Korea, which is intended to add pressure to the North to soften its nuclear program. North Korea's number one trading partner is China, and most of the sanctions target Chinese companies, per The Washington Post.
Why it matters: This comes the same week as the U.S. and South Korea are conducting military exercises that China, Russia, and North Korea have all been opposed to, given that it looks like the U.S. is escalating its threat to the North — making an already tense week that much more precarious.
The sanctionstarget 10 entities and 6 individuals that help those who are already sanctioned who support North Korea's missile program or assist the country with its energy needs. It also targets people who help North Korea's export of workers, per CNBC.
The Cipher Brief got reactions to President Trump's speech on Afghanistan from top former national security officials — including former acting CIA director John McLaughlin, former Army vice chief of staff Gen. Jack Keane, former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden, and former acting CIA director Michael J. Morrell.
All are worth reading in full for their diversity of opinions, but here are three major takeaways across the interviews:
Trump sounded and acted presidential, which all four officials agreed was vital to delivering this speech effectively.
There was no outlined timetable for withdrawal — a departure from Obama-era policies that was seen as a positive and necessary step.
Trump's call to have India more involved in Afghanistan was the biggest news, but it could have a potentially destabilizing effect with the United States' relationship with Pakistan.
President Trump chose normal over instinct when he yielded to his generals on Afghanistan policy, providing yet another reminder of the frequent disconnect between what he says and what he does.
In a highly symbolic decision unfurled in his first prime-time policy address, Trump sided with SecDef Jim Mattis in approving a modest increase in troops. But Trump gave no number, which was flagged as disingenuous by Jeremy Bash, a CIA and Pentagon chief of staff during the Obama administration.
"Dalio Says the U.S. Is the Most Divided Since 1937" ... "Billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio said [on LinkedIn that] he's 'tactically reducing our risk' because he's 'concerned about growing internal and external conflict leading to impaired government efficiency,'" Bloomberg's Katia Porzecanski reports:
"Dalio, whose views on ... Trump's administration have soured in recent months, said 'politics will probably play a greater role in affecting markets than we have experienced any time before in our lifetimes but in a manner that is broadly similar to 1937.'"
"I'm watching how conflict is being handled as a guide, and I'm not encouraged," Dalio said Monday. "Conflicts have now intensified to the point that fighting to the death is probably more likely than reconciliation."
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.
