George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign foreign policy advisor who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, claims he misled agents about his contact with Russian leadership in order to protect President Trump, a source told ABC News. The source said Papadopoulos didn't want to contradict the official White House stance that there has been no collusion with Russian officials.
Why it matters: Trump has repeatedly maintained that the Russian investigation is a "hoax" and a "witch hunt," but Papadopoulos' charges, as well as his admission of guilt, are explicitly linked to attempts at collusion with Russia.
Mark Cuban has discussed the possibility of running for president in 2020 with Steve Bannon over the past few months. Bannon has encouraged the Shark Tank entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner to run as a Democrat, according to a report by The Daily Beast.
Why it matters: Bannon wants to break down the entrenched political system, so he might view Cuban — with his mix of social liberalism and Ayn Rand devotion — as someone he could work with on the left. And while it might seem odd that Bannon would seemingly work against Trump, don't forget that he told Vanity Fair last month that he only gives his boss a 30% chance of lasting a full term.
Mitt Romney sure looks to be gearing up for a 2018 Senate run amid speculation that Utah's incumbent senator, Orrin Hatch, will retire. Politico's Alex Isenstadt reports that the former GOP presidential nominee has been meeting with the state's Republican power brokers, reaching out to major political donors, and coming out in full force to support candidates in local races.
Why it doesn't matter yet: A spokesperson for Hatch has maintained that the longtime Utah senator hasn't made a final decision about whether or not to seek reelection, and likely won't announce his plans until the end of the year.
"Endangered: America's global influence has dwindled under Donald Trump — A presidential tour of Asia cannot hide the fact that America has turned inward, hurting itself and the world," per The Economist's latest cover. "So far, Mr. Trump's foreign policy has been less awful than he promised ... [but] Reagan, he ain't."
Why it matters: "For all its flaws, America has long been the greatest force for good in the world, upholding the liberal order and offering an example of how democracy works. All that is imperiled by a president who believes that strong nations look out only for themselves. By putting 'America First,' he makes it weaker, and the world worse off."
In his speech to CEOs at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Vietnam, President Trump seemed to issue a veiled warning to China on trade, saying that his administration is "not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore." He reiterated his often heard pledge to "put America first."
Why it matters: Trump just had a relatively quiet few days in China, where he even complimented the Chinese on taking advantage of the U.S. for so long on trade — a fact he referenced in his speech. So his change back to his usual rhetoric is notable after seemingly friendly, balanced talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
