The Boston Globe launched a campaign with hundreds of U.S. newspapers Wednesday evening criticizing President Trump for calling the American press an "enemy of the people."
The big picture: Though many organizations are participating in the campaign, several others have been critical of the effort. They argue that the president, like other United States citizens, has the right to his opinions about the press, and that the campaign infringes upon them.
Retired Navy Admiral William H. McRaven, who oversaw the Navy SEAL raid that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, wrote a letter to President Trump in the Washington Post Thursday daring him to revoke his security clearance like he did to former CIA director John Brennan Wednesday.
“He is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don’t know him. Therefore, I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.”
On a new tape released to NBC News, President Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump appears to offer former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman a $15,000-a-month job on the Trump 2020 campaign, just days after she was fired from the administration.
Why it matters: Manigault Newman says the tape corroborates claims from her new book that the Trump team offered her "hush money" in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement about her time in the White House. She also suggested in her interview with NBC News that she will release more audio tapes if she feels it is necessary to protect herself.
Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the third-ranking House Democrat, told the New York Times that he plans to run to become Speaker of the House if Democrats take back the majority this fall — and Nancy Pelosi fails to garner the 218 votes needed to win.
Why it matters: Several candidates and members of Congress have questioned whether having Pelosi, 78, continue as leader is hurting the direction of the party. Top Democrats have told Axios that Pelosi could ultimately be forced to step aside and let a younger, less divisive Dem, replace her.
Reinvigorated corporate governance could be key to bringing the "blue wave" to shore this November.
At least, that's what seems to be the thinking of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who just unveiled a new plan that would, among other things, let large company employees elect around 40% of that company's board of directors.
Former CIA Director John Brennan pushed back on President Trump in a New York Times op-ed on Thursday morning, calling the revocation of his security clearance "an attempt to scare into silence others who might dare challenge" the president.
The big picture: Brennan has been a critic of Trump for some time now, but White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders denied that the action against him had anything to do with Trump's personal feelings. According to Sanders, Trump's decision hinged on Brennan's "unfounded and outrageous allegations, wild outbursts on the internet and television about this administration."
President Trump has painted the press as an "enemy of the people" throughout his presidency, consistently calling stories "fake news" and targeting specific outlets such as CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times for their coverage of his administration.
The big picture: Over 100 newsrooms around the country are launching a coordinated effort against the president's attacks on the press with a series of newspaper editorials pushing back agains the president's claims.
President Trump has revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan citing "erratic conduct and behavior" following criticism of the president by Brennan.
The bottom line: Trump's announcement has received substantial backlash from the intelligence community as well as politicians for revoking Brennan's clearance. Along with Brennan, Trump is also "evaluating action" regarding the current and former clearances of several other former intelligence and law enforcement officials — most of whom have been among his harshest critics. Many are split on the decision as some see the move as an effort to silence them, while others say Brennan shouldn't have been able to keep his clearance in the first place.
Former CIA Director John Brennen called President Trump revoking his security clearance an effort to "suppress freedom of speech" for his critics in a tweet.
President Trump will sign an executive order expanding the "Buy American" rules so infrastructure projects such as roadways, pipelines and broadband can be included in its provisions, reports CNBC.
Why it matters: The rule strengthens the requirement for federal agencies to use U.S. sourced goods and services. However, there are legal questions concerning the rule leaving those affected by it wondering whether the executive branch of the government can require vendors to source specific products, and how much it could raise costs for the government.
President Trump has revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan due to "erratic conduct and behavior," according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders at today's press briefing.
Why it matters: Sanders said that Trump was using his "constitutional authority" as president to revoke Brennan's clearance — something that has never been done before, according to Lawfare. Trump is also "evaluating action" regarding the current and former clearances of several other former intelligence and law enforcement officials like James Comey, James Clapper, Michael Hayden, Sally Yates, Susan Rice, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr.
As Omarosa dominates the news cycle with her bombshell claims and recordings from the heart of the Trump administration, some of the most salacious stories from her new book "Unhinged" have been challenged by those who allegedly witnessed them happen.
Why it matters: Similar to the backlash to the potentially unethical reporting contained in Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury" earlier this year, the lines between fiction and fact may be similarly blurred in Omarosa's tome.
Congress — which is arguably more gridlocked than ever — is actually doing a pretty decent job so far at the task that's eluded it for years: passing spending bills.
Why it matters: It might seem like a low bar, but it's better than waiting until the last minute, like Congress usually does. And passing individual spending bills, at least in theory, gives much more scrutiny to the process of deciding how federal dollars get spent than passing one giant funding bill hours before the government shuts down, as Congress is prone to do.
In private conversations with President Trump before his first Omarosa eruption, advisers counseled him to hold his tongue.
What we're hearing: Several told him to ignore her and that engaging would only boost her book sales. Trump said privately that First Lady Melania Trump had advised him to stay above it. But they knew he wouldn't be able to resist.
Minnesota state Rep. Ilhan Omar could become the country’s first Muslim woman and Somali-American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives after securing the Democratic nomination for the state’s 5th district in the Aug. 14 primaries.
The details: Omar, a refugee from Somalia, won the six-way race to replace Rep. Keith Ellison, who was the first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress. It’s a safe Democratic seat, making her the favorite to win.
Former Michigan state lawmaker Rashida Tlaib, who is also Muslim and won the Democratic nomination last week, will run unopposed for a House seat this fall.
Minnesota state Rep. Jim Newberger and state Sen. Karin Housley on Tuesday advanced to the general election after winning their respective Republican primary races.
The details: Newberger will run against incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is seeking a third term in the Senate. Meanwhile, Housley's special election win has set her up against incumbent Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. The election will decide who will serve the remaining term of embattled Democrat Al Franken, who resigned in January amid a string of sexual misconduct allegations.
