The bottom line: Sessions fired McCabe two days before his pension — he was already planning to retire last weekend — and writes he was fired "in the most disembodied, impersonal way." He said he was "not surprised" by Trump's praise of his removal, and that he was told by "a friend....that CNN was reporting that I had been fired." Axios' Jonathan Swan also reported he was informed he was fired by Sessions "at least nine minutes before the media."
Former Vice President Joe Biden squashed the idea of a tussle with President Donald Trump in an interview with Pod Save America, clarifying that he meant he would have "[taken] him behind the gym" in high school, had Trump made crude remarks in front of his sister.
Why it matters: Trump responded to a comment from Biden earlier in the week, tweeting that the former Vice President "would go down fast and hard" in a fight. While speaking with Pod Save America, Biden said: "I shouldn't have brought it up again, because I don't want to get in the mosh pit with this guy."
Since the signing of the Taiwan Travel Act last week, the U.S. has sent two senior officials to Taiwan — Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alex Wong and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing Ian Steff, South China Morning Post reports.
Sources close to President Trump say he feels John Bolton, hurriedly named last night to replace H.R. McMaster as national security adviser, will finally deliver the foreign policy the president wants — particularly on Iran and North Korea.
Why it matters: We can’t overstate how dramatic a change it is for Trump to replace H.R. McMaster with Bolton, who was U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under President George W. Bush.
The reason John Kelly and White House communications officials insisted late last week that McMaster wasn't going anywhere for now — despite a WaPo story saying he was done — was because the president told them to say that. And they genuinely thought he’d take some time to ease McMaster out.
What I'm hearing: An administration source told me that the aides thought Trump probably believed that in the moment..."He’s impulsive. He makes snap decisions but they're weird snap decisions ... He publicly ruminates for six months and then says: 'I have to do this right now.'"
House Speaker Paul Ryan touted the defense spending increase, Sen. Rand Paul angrily tweeted about arcane government spending, and Democrats shook their head at the lack of gun control measures. But most members of Congress accepted the omnibus spending bill for what it is: A giant collection of what has to get done to keep the government functioning, while mustering enough votes to pass.
Why it matters: This is a $1.3 trillion dollar bill affecting every branch of government that passed mostly because it had to. Members voted on it without really reading it, as it was released Wednesday night and passed the Senate shortly after midnight Friday.
Former Playboy model Karen McDougal detailed her relationship with President Trump — which he has denied — in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Thursday night, including the first time she met Melania and how he tried to pay her after the first time they had sex.
The details: The alleged affair took place while he was married to Melania and shortly after his youngest son was born. McDougal said they met while the Apprentice was filming at the Playboy mansion, and began seeing each other "quite frequently." She told Cooper that Trump told her he loved her "all the time," and that there "was a real relationship there."
In an emotional farewell address on Wednesday, outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told State Department employees to protect their personal integrity, which he called "the most valuable asset you possess."
Between the lines: Tillerson, who was unceremoniously ousted with a phone call from chief of staff John Kelly while using the toilet, used part of his speech to advocate treating others well, telling employees, "This can be a very mean-spirited town, but you don't have to choose to participate in that." He added, "Each of us gets to choose the person we want to be, and the way we want to be treated, and the way we will treat others."
The disagreements between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have escalated to threats of physical violence, with Trump tweeting Thursday that Biden "would go down fast and hard" in a fight. That followed a University of Miami event Tuesday, where Biden said he'd "beat the hell out of" the president if they were in high school together.
Why it matters: It's a preview of a potential 2020 slugfest — if Biden, who's been the subject of presidential speculation, decides to run. Not only is their rhetoric a perfect encapsulation of today's polarized political climate, but it also represents the sort of smash-mouth, off-the-cuff style of politicking that's fueled both politicians' popularity amongst their respective bases.
OMB Director Mick Mulvaney and White House Legislative Director Marc Short told reporters Thursday morning that — although Congress' massive government spending bill contains what the administration views as major concessions to Democrats — President Trump will sign it into law as it "funds his priorities."
The blame game: Both Mulvaney and Short stressed that they would have been able to get more of what the administration wanted regarding immigration and cutting spending if Republicans "actually had control of the Senate."
Congressional leaders and the White House failed to come to an agreement on temporary protections for Dreamers over the past week as part of the giant spending bill, leaving the issue unresolved.
Why it matters: After all of the fighting over President Trump's decision to end DACA — including a government shutdown over it — the White House and Congress ended up with nothing. The issue is currently tied up in the courts. And though both sides agree it's better to give Dreamers more certainty over their future, they just can't agree how to do it.
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) is finishing a book about polarization in America, "Them: Why We Hate Each Other and How to Heal,” out Oct. 16.
Sasse's thought bubble: This isn't about politics — this is a book much more in the vein of "Coming Apart" or "Hillbilly Elegy." It's about our communities getting ripped apart.
With 2020 buzz about him rising, former Vice President Biden today will announce a big-name list of members of the Biden Institute Policy Advisory Board.
Who's who: The list includes Sarah Bianchi, Anthony Foxx, Juleanna Glover, Danielle Gray, Ernie Moniz, Jim Murren (chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International), Tom Nides, David Plouffe, Bruce Reed, Arturo S. Rodríguez (president of the United Farm Workers of America), Peter Scher, Steve Schmidt, Larry Summers, Sally Yates, Heather Zichal and many more. See the full list.
President Trump, who is 71 years old, called 75-year-old Joe Biden "mentally and physically weak" on Thursday, adding that Biden "would go down fast and hard, crying all the way."
The context: Biden said Tuesday he'd "take [Trump] behind the gym and beat the hell out of him," if the two of them were in high school and Trump made the crude comments about women that were caught in the Access Hollywood video. The former Vice President made the remarks at a University of Miami event.
The pharmaceutical industry suffered a rare lobbying loss in Congress' big spending bill. An earlier spending bill forced the industry to cover more of the costs for seniors' Medicare drug coverage, and it was hoping to get that provision rolled back this time. But that won't happen, despite behind-the-scenes lobbying from both industry and lawmakers.
Why this matters: Pharma was caught off guard by the provision last time, and its lobbying was unsuccessful this go-around. This is highly unusual for the powerful industry, although the provision could still be reversed in the future.
The House and Senate have released the $1.3 trillion spending bill to fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year. It includes increases for defense, homeland security, plus funding for infrastructure and opioid abuse treatment.
