Axios

Senator Jeff Flake spoke directly to other members of the Republican party during his announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2018. He addressed other members' "unquestionable loyalty" to the President despite his unprecedented behavior and actions.

"The notion that we shouldn't say or do nothing in the face of such mercurial behavioral is a-historic, and I believe, profoundly misguided."

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz) delivered an emotional retirement speech on the Senate floor today, and condemned the "flagrant disregard of truth and decency" in politics today, stating, "heaven help us."

Key quote: "We must stop pretending that the degradation of politics in our executive branch are normal, they're not normal... it's reckless, outrageous, and undignified... it's dangerous to our democracy."

President Trump's walk with Sen. Mitch McConnell to attend the Republican Senate policy lunch in the Capitol this afternoon was briefly interrupted by a protestor who apparently managed to infiltrate the press area, and threw Russian flags at the president while yelling "Trump is treason!" The man, who identified himself as Ryan Clayton of Americans Take Action, a group dedicated to Trump's impeachment, was promptly arrested by Capitol Police.

The decisions made by the Department of Justice during the 2016 campaign are getting a Congressional investigation, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy announced Tuesday. The "outstanding questions" they want to answer:

• "FBI's decision to publicly announce the investigation into Secretary Clinton's handling of classified information but not to publicly announce the investigation into campaign associates of then-candidate Donald Trump"
• "FBI's decision to notify Congress by formal letter of the status of the investigation both in October and November of 2016"
• "FBI's decision to appropriate full decision making in respect to charging or not charging Secretary Clinton to the FBI rather than the DOJ"

Sen. Bob Corker unloaded on President Trump during a CNN interview today, stating that Trump will be most remembered for "the debasement of our nation." Corker also said that he "would not" support Trump again, though he stopped short of saying that Trump should be removed from office.

Don't forget: Trump is heading to Capitol Hill for a Senate Republican policy lunch this afternoon. Corker will be in attendance.

Their backstory

Back in April 2016, Corker stopped short of explicitly endorsing Trump, instead telling CNN that he'd made a "really good transition in the campaign." But the lack of a full-throated endorsement didn't stop Corker from being floated as Trump's running mate or secretary of state.

The Tennessee senator was also quick to criticize the administration after reports that Trump had accidentally disclosed classified intelligence to top Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting in May, saying that Trump's White House was in a "downward spiral." And after Trump's botched response to the Charlottesville violence, he told local Chattanooga website Nooga that Trump "has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful."

However, it was Corker's September 14 announcement that he would not be seeking reelection to the Senate in 2018 that fully allowed him to open up against the president. In October, he told reporters that the group of Chief of Staff John Kelly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Defense Secretary John Mattis "separate our country from chaos." Later that week, Trump blasted Corker on Twitter, stating that Corker's comments were precipitated by Trump's refusal to endorse Corker in his upcoming Senate race. Corker then responded with his infamous retort that "the White House has become an adult day care center."

What happened today:

How it all kicked off: Corker appeared on both NBC News' TODAY and ABC News' Good Morning America earlier this morning, where he doubled down on his comments earlier this month that the White House is an "adult daycare center," adding, "I don't make comments I haven't thought about."

Trump responded on Twitter: President Trump continued his attacks against Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker via Twitter this morning: "Bob Corker, who helped President O give us the bad Iran Deal & couldn't get elected dog catcher in Tennessee, is now fighting Tax Cuts....Corker dropped out of the race in Tennesse when I refused to endorse him, and now is only negative on anything Trump. Look at his record!

Corker's fired back on Twitter just before his CNN interview: "Same untruths from an utterly untruthful president. #AlertTheDaycareStaff"

Trump responded to the CNN interview, again via Twitter: "Sen. Corker is the incompetent head of the Foreign Relations Committee, & look how poorly the U.S. has done. He doesn't have a clue as the entire World WAS laughing and taking advantage of us. People like liddle' Bob Corker have set the U.S. way back. Now we move forward!"

"Cutting Taxes Is Hard. Trump Is Making It Harder," by N.Y. Times' Jim Tankersley writes in a story that leads the paper under the pointed headline, "TRUMP DIRECTIVE ON TAX OVERHAUL CONFOUNDS G.O.P.":

• "Trump [tweeted] that he would oppose any effort to reduce the amount of pretax income that American workers can save in 401(k) retirement accounts, effectively killing an idea that Republicans were mulling as a way to help pay for a $1.5 trillion tax cut."
• Why it matters: "The directive ... underscored a growing fear among Republicans and business lobbyists that Mr. Trump's bully-pulpit whims could undermine the party's best chance to pass the most sweeping rewrite of the tax code in decades."

The White House will announce today its plan to resume admitting refugees from all countries into the United States, per The Wall Street Journal. The refugee program was paused in June for a 120-day review of its procedures and policies under the Trump administration's revised travel ban executive order.

What will change: The government will work to collect more biographical data on potential refugees — with an especially deep dive on their social media presence — to determine that they do not pose a risk to the United States. And though refugees from all countries will nominally be accepted, the WSJ report indicates that those from 11 still-unnamed countries will face extra scrutiny that could complicate their applications.

The Trump administration is making it more difficult for employment-based visa holders to extend their status in the U.S. — another blow to companies (particularly large technology firms) that rely on H-1B visas to hire high-skilled workers from other countries.

The big picture: With new policy guidance, foreign workers applying for visa extensions will face more scrutiny.

President Trump awarded retired Army Capt. Gary Michael "Mike" Rose the Congressional Medal of Honor on Monday for his heroism in the Vietnam War.

"Today we have a room full of people and a nation who thank God that you lived," Trump said after recounting Rose's narrow escape after days tending to the wounded behind enemy lines. "Your devotion to your country inspires us all."

Watch the ceremony

President Trump met with Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, at the White House Monday where they spoke of the strength of U.S.-Singapore relations.

What's next: The leaders will participate in a bilateral working luncheon with Cabinet Secretaries and key White House officials later this afternoon, before making a joint statement in the Rose Garden.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) seemed to confirm to CNN's Manu Raju Monday that his remark slamming wealthy Americans for avoiding the Vietnam War draft was a swipe at President Trump.

McCain's Sunday remarks: "One aspect of the [draft] conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur," McCain said during an interview that aired on C-SPAN on Sunday. "That is wrong. That is wrong. If we're going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve."

Go deeper: McCain is relishing his role as chief Trump critic

Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in action in Niger, told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that President Trump "couldn't remember [her] husband's name" during a phone call meant to thank her for her husband's sacrifice. She also confirmed Rep. Frederica Wilson's report that the phone call made her cry, saying "whatever Ms. Wilson said was not fabricated."

Trump's response on Twitter: "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!"

More details about the raid: Johnson confirmed that she was told on October 4 that her husband was missing — after he was reportedly left behind on the battlefield— and his status was changed from missing to killed in action "a couple days later." She was not allowed to see her husband's body, telling ABC News that she "[doesn't] know what's in that box."

Video from Johnson's ABC News interview: