President Trump blasted "THE SWAMP" over a New York Times story that revealed American intelligence officials paid $100,000 in an attempt to retrieve stolen NSA cyberweapons from a Russian who also claimed to have "compromising material on President Trump."
Key lines from the report: "Several American intelligence officials said they made clear that they did not want the Trump material from the Russian ... The United States intelligence officials said they cut off the deal because they were wary of being entangled in a Russian operation to create discord inside the American government."
White House Communications Director "Hope Hicks, the discreet aide always at President Trump’s side whose desk is just outside the Oval Office, ... has worked with Trump longer than anyone he is not related to at the White House," the WashPost's Mary Jordan and Josh Dawsey write.
Why she matters: "Hicks wields considerable power as Trump’s gatekeeper and is often the last to see him every day as she walks him back to his residence."
President Trump tweeted a vague defense this morning of those accused of sexual misconduct and abuse, stating that “lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation.”
Why it matters: This follows two White House staffers leaving this week over domestic abuse claims, and Trump has a long history of defending those close to him accused of sexual harassment or abuse — often reiterating that they are “fine” people — and it far outpaces his statements in support of accusers.
"The last seven weeks amount to a sea change in United States economic policy. The era of fiscal austerity is over, and the era of big deficits is back," the N.Y. Times' Neil Irwin writes.
Why it matters: In the long run, "The bigger costs of a high national debt may come in how much flexibility policymakers have to respond to a future recession or crisis. If the United States finds itself in a major war or a deep recession, its starting point in terms of debt load will be much higher than it was at the onset of the Iraq War or the 2008 financial crisis."
In less than a week, months of progress in bringing order to President Trump's West Wing have been reversed.
The resignation of Staff Secretary Rob Porter has brought back many of the chaotic characteristics of the early months, according to conversations we have been having.
After President Trump declined last night to declassify the response that House Intelligence Democrats had prepared to the Nunes memo, he tweeted this morning that Democrats had sent him a document rife with "sources and methods" that they knew he'd have to reject or heavily redact.
Yes, but: Trump's criticisms echo the concerns voiced by Democratic officials and law enforcement agencies about the Nunes memo before its release. The FBI said in a rare statement that the agency had "grave concerns about material omissions of fact" in the Republican memo.
The Democratic memo is not being declassified at this time, a White House letter reveals, though President Trump "is inclined" to do so.
Why it matters: Trump said earlier on Friday that the memo would "be released soon." According to the letter, addressed to Rep. David Nunes from White House counsel Don McGahn, the Justice Department "has identified portions...it believes would create especially significant concerns for the national security."
Immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir, with the backing of several pro-immigration rights groups, is suing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a New York federal district court. He's claiming that ICE violated his First Amendment rights by detaining him based only on his vocal activism.
Why it matters: There's expected to be an increase in ICE raids over the next year, with the Trump administration making it clear they intend to strictly enforce immigration laws. Ragbir and his lawyers are asking for an injunction that would protect Ragbir from deportation, but also would prevent ICE officials from arresting, detaining or deporting undocumented immigrants based on their protected political speech.
President Trump told White House reporters on Friday that the Democratic rebuttal to the Nunes memo would "be released soon."
Why it matters: Trump has said that he is in the process of reviewing the 10-page memo, written by Rep. Adam Schiff, and the process would be the same as that of the Republican memo. The House Intelligence Committee voted on Monday to release the Democratic memo.
President Trump does not read the President’s Daily Brief, a document outlining the most important information collected by U.S. intelligence agencies around the world, reports the Washington Post. Unlike his predecessors, Trump instead asks for oral briefings on only certain intel issues.
Why this isn't surprising: Since Trump took office, it has often been reported that he has a short attention span and prefers oral briefings and visual presentations over written documents and memos. Shortly after the inauguration, Trump told Axios himself, "I like bullets or I like as little as possible."
Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.) will not seek re-election in 2018, reports Brian Bakst of Minnesota Public Radio.
Why it matters: Minnesota's 8th district is among the most competitive in the country, with President Trump winning 54% of the vote in 2016. Nolan, who won by just 2,000 votes in the 2012 race, is the 17th Democrat to announce he will not seek re-election.
Sen. Tim Kaine, member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees sent a letter Thursday evening to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson requesting he “immediately” give Congress a memo outlining the legal justification behind the airstrikes in Syria last April.
The backdrop: The Virginia Senator's request came after U.S. forces launched strikes on pro-Syrian government forces in Eastern Syria earlier this week in what the Pentagon claims was in “self-defense” to an “unprovoked” assault.
Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, texted last year with Adam Waldman, a D.C. lobbyist connected to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, in an attempt to gain a meeting with Christopher Steele, the author of the controversial Trump-Russia dossier, according to text messagesobtained by Fox News.
Yes, but: While the Fox News report put an emphasis on the "secrecy" of Warner's messages, Warner issued a statement to Fox News with Senate Intel Chair Richard Burr indicating that the report doesn't paint a full picture: "From the beginning of our investigation we have taken each step in a bipartisan way, and we intend to continue to do so. Leaks of incomplete information out of context by anyone, inside or outside our committee, are unacceptable."
President Trump tweeted Friday that he signed the budget bill passed overnight by the Senate and early this morning by the House, officially ending the eight-and-a-half hour government shutdown:
"The anxiety that has gripped the market this week appeared to escalate [yesterday] just as President Trump and lawmakers were setting the government up for annual budget deficits that would routinely exceed $1 trillion," AP's Josh Boak and Paul Wiseman report.
Why it matters: "The higher that deficits rise, the more likely it is that interest rates will surge, too, and undercut corporate profits, stock prices, consumer spending and the overall economy."
The Rob Porter crisis has become a John Kelly crisis, and it has now totally engulfed the West Wing. White House staff — especially Porter's close friendship circle —are shell-shocked by the allegations of domestic abuse by the departing aide. President Trump is enraged about the situation, though he still feels that it hasn’t touched him.
The bottom line: Trump’s affection for his chief of staff is gone, and Kelly has lost the goodwill of much of his staff. The president is mulling potential replacements, though aides doubt he has it in him to actually fire the retired general.
With a 240-186 vote, the House passed a bipartisan budget deal just after 5:30 a.m., effectively ending an overnight government shutdown after the Senate passed its version of the bill with a 71-28 vote several hours earlier. The bill now goes to President Trump's desk.
The details: 73 House Democrats voted for the budget bill — even though they hadn't received a promised vote on DACA. The Senate's delay in voting was due to Sen. Rand Paul, who held up the proceedings after being denied a vote on preserving budget caps.
White House officials claimed allegations of domestic abuse against Rob Porter were part of a "smear campaign" organized by Corey Lewandowski when they sought a statement from Sen. Orrin Hatch's office defending Porter, according to a Daily Beast report.
Lewandowski, Trump's former campaign manager, denied that he was behind the reports in the Daily Mail: "I've never had a bad word about Rob Porter...I wish him the very best."
The White House initially jumped to Porter's defense, with Chief of staff John Kelly calling Porter "a man of true integrity and honor." Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said on Thursday that White House officials "could have done better" in handling the situation surrounding Porter.
Sen. Rand Paul is keeping the Senate from voting on a budget deal tonight, holding out for a vote on an amendment that would keep spending caps at their current levels rather than raising them, as the bipartisan deal would do.
Why it matters: If both houses don't pass a deal by midnight, the government will shut down. Paul's spokesman, Sergio Gior, said: "All Senator Rand Paul is asking for is a 15-minute vote on his amendment to restore the budget caps...He is ready to proceed at any time." Leadership says that won't happen, and Paul reportedly plans to speak past midnight, meaning the government will shut down.
