President Trump accused Bloomberg of leaking off the record comments on NAFTA negotiations with Canada, but Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale, who broke the story, refuted Trump's accusations on Saturday, saying "none of the Bloomberg interviewers was my source."
"Trump is calling Jennifer Jacobs, Margaret Talev and their editor liars. They aren’t, and they didn’t violate their 'off the record' promise to him. I don’t want to be a party to his attempt to make fellow reporters look deceitful... Maybe I should have expected the president would confirm a Toronto Star story (!) and use this to go after Bloomberg reporters, but I did not - thought it was likely he’d either a) ignore it or b) or call it fake news and go after my own ethics, which would’ve been fine."
Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos claims President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions encouraged him to continue efforts to set up a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Papadopoulos' account conflicts with what Attorney General Jeff Sessions original told the House Judiciary Committee. Sessions said he pushed back against the idea of meeting with Putin and that he thought it "may have been improper."
President Trump said in a Saturday tweet that there is "no political necessity" to include Canada in a new trade deal between the U.S. and Mexico — and he threatened to terminate NAFTA entirely if Congress interferes with negotiations.
The state of play: In the midst of ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Canada, Trump said he is refusing to grant Canada any concessions in negotiations. Talks between the two sides are scheduled to resume on Wednesday.
Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator John McCain, gave a powerful goodbye to her father on Saturday, remembering his legacy and indirectly criticizing one of the most notably absent people: President Trump.
Senator John McCain's memorial service is at 10am EST today at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Details: Former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama are slated to give eulogies. McCain will receive a private service Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland, and be buried with military honors.
You're president of the United States, running the most powerful nation on earth — stock markets soaring, joblessness sinking, the world in a season of relative peace and prosperity.
The bottom line: ButPresident Trump has never been more isolated from allies he needs most.
On Friday, Texas Federal District Judge Andrew Hanen decided against halting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program because Texas and the other states who sued to have it ended waited too long to file.
Why it matters: The decision is a blow to the Trump administration, which could have used an injunction against other federal courts who have kept the program alive, despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions' attempt to end it last year. DACA recipients are able to continue applying for 2-year renewals, but it is not final solution — Hanen strongly suggested that it was not unlikely for DACA to ultimately be found in violation of the law and discontinued.
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said a "win-win-win" deal is still possible between the United States, Canada and Mexico despite President Trump's unwillingness to bend in negotiations with Canada.
Why it matters: When asked about Trump's comments that he is reluctant to offer Canada any concessions, Freeland said her negotiating counterpart, Ambassador Robert Lightheizer, has brought "good faith and good will" to the table. She hesitated to bring up specific sticking points holding up negotiations, but said that "Canada will only sign a deal which is a good deal for Canada."
Members of Congress and the president's cabinet gathered Friday morning with the McCain family to honor Sen. John McCain's life in a ceremony under the Capitol Dome. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the service.
“This is one of the bravest souls our nation has ever produced.”
— Speaker Paul Ryan on what he will want his children to know about John McCain
It has never been a better time to be a large American company, with stocks at record highs and corporate taxes at 60+ year lows. But with great success comes great scrutiny, and big business is now getting hammered by both sides of the political aisle.
Why it matters: The rhetorical heat is only going to intensify as we head into the midterms.
A new survey by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling found that 67% of Republicans and 33% of independents think the Mueller investigation should be shut down, and 80% of Republicans agree it's a witch hunt.
Why it matters: Trump's ultimate goal has been to discredit Mueller's work — and it appears to be working.
Most Americans are more supportive of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions than they are of President Trump, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
By the numbers: Mueller and Sessions are the most frequent subjects of the president's attacks. But despite Trump's criticism, 63% of those surveyed say they are in favor of Mueller's investigation, and 62% take Sessions' side in the Trump vs. Sessions war of words. Meanwhile, 60% say they disapprove of how Trump is handling the presidency.
With speculation hot among the president's legal team that today could be a day for action by Bob Mueller (last working day before Labor Day), remember all the evidence the special counsel has — or could have — that we haven't seen.
Why it matters, fromBob Bauer, former White House counsel to President Obama, and now an NYU Law professor: "Investigators have the skills and resources to turn up evidence, including witness testimony, that goes beyond what anyone on the outside can imagine in the daily speculation about the Mueller probe."
Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, who won the Democratic primary for Florida governor, raised more than $1 million the day following his historic Tuesday night victory, per The Hill.
The details: Gillum, 39, is the first African American to win a major party nomination for Florida governor. The cash flow to his campaign comes after Gillum’s Republican opponent, Rep. Ron DeSantis, said a "socialist agenda" in Florida would "monkey this up" referencing progress under GOP leadership in Florida. The remark, which many viewed as a racist dog whistle, prompted widespread backlash.
For weeks, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been barraged with pointed questions relating to his judicial record as Republican prepare him through a series of mock hearings ahead of what is set to be a fierce political showdown at next week's confirmation hearing, reports the Washington Post.
The details: The private sessions were designed by the White House in an effort to get Kavanaugh confirmed. The hearings to fill the seat left by the retirement of Justice Kennedy is expected to be a tense showdown, specifically with Democrats — a reflection of their determination to sink his nomination — even though they have very few options to derail it. The questions range from his view on abortion rights to executive power and his time in the Bush White House, the Post details.
