White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders disputed reports of a "shouting match" over immigration between Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Adviser John Bolton. "The shouting match was so intense that other White House aides worried one of the two men might immediately resign," Bloomberg reported.
“While we are passionate about solving the issue of illegal immigration, we are not angry at one another."
— Sanders statement
Why it matters: The fight "over immigration and border crossings, including the performance of the Homeland Security Department under Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen," according to Bloomberg, shows that "tension is flaring in the White House" before midterm elections with Republicans might lose control of Congress.
The U.S. Interior Department's deputy inspector general, Mary Kendall, will be remaining in her job, a senior advisor to Secretary Zinke told reporters in an email Thursday.
Context: The update comes despite reports earlier this week that a Trump-appointed official in the Department of Housing and Urban Development would be taking over the role. Those reports were circulating based on an email at HUD, which Swift said was based on "false information."
President Trump told reporters Thursday that “it certainly looks” like journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead, calling it “very sad.”
Why it matters: Despite acknowledging that Khashoggi is likely dead, and a flood of reporting that suggests Khashoggi was gruesomely murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Trump has been hesitant to place blame on the Saudis. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who recently went to Saudi Arabia to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has advised the president that the U.S. wait "a few more days" before getting involved.
Pat Robertson, a prominent evangelical, defended the U.S.'s relationship with Saudi Arabia in an appearance on "The 700 Club," calling the Saudis "key allies."
"We’ve got an arms deal that everybody wanted a piece of… it’ll be a lot of jobs, a lot of money come to our coffers. It’s not something you want to blow up willy-nilly."
Why it matters: His support comes in the wake of reports that Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi had been brutally murdered at the hands of the Saudis. Many companies have been backing away from doing business with Saudi Arabia citing the alleged incident and subsequent investigation.
If U.S.–Saudi relations depended solely on President Trump’s and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) wishes, the tragic Khashoggi affair would likely have blown over by now. But Congress and the U.S. media appear unwilling to let that happen, while MBS' opponents in Saudi Arabia might seize on this fiasco to question his fitness to rule.
Emmet Flood has been temporarily appointed Assistant and Counsel to the President until Pat Cipollone joins the staff, the White House announced on Thursday.
Why it matters: Flood has been representing President Trump in the Russia investigation but will shift roles in the interim. Former White House counsel Don McGahn formally left the administration on Wednesday. After Cipollone joins the staff, Flood will return to his role as special counsel to the president.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that he told President Trump "we ought to give [Saudi Arabia] a few more days" to conduct a full investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Why it matters: As Axios' Jonathan Swan reported this morning, Pompeo told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia that he had 72 hours to complete his "investigation" or risk wrecking the kingdom's place on the world stage. Trump, meanwhile, has taken a softer stance toward the Saudis, speculating that "rogue killers" could have been responsible for Khashoggi's death and stressing the importance of the U.S.-Saudi relationship.
President Trump tweeted Thursday morning that Central American countries must act on immigration or he will cut off aid and call on the military to close the U.S.-Mexico border — all while blaming Democrats for the issue.
"I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S. In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught - and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER! The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA. Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border. All Democrats fault for weak laws!"
While President Trump took a soft stance, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he had 72 hours to complete his "investigation" into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, or risk wrecking the kingdom's place on the world stage.
What we're hearing: A source with knowledge of the conversation told Axios that Pompeo told MBS, in their Tuesday meeting, that he needs to "own" the situation. Pompeo stressed the timeline for dealing with the situation is "limited" because global pressure is mounting.
