President Trump jabbed back at Chief Justice John Roberts Wednesday, claiming that judges take their partisan views into consideration in court cases, and called out how many border and safety cases in the Ninth Circuit were overturned.
The details: In his tweet, Trump called for an "independent judiciary" in the Ninth Circuit. Earlier Wednesday, Justice Roberts pushed back on Trump's comments that blamed an "Obama judge" for temporarily halting his asylum ban, saying the U.S. doesn't have "Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges."
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, urged President Trump to visit U.S. troops in combat zones in a statement on Wednesday.
The big picture: Trump has said visiting troops isn't "overly necessary," despite the fact his predecessors made a number of trips to combat zones, like Afghanistan and Iraq. Reed said in his statement that "every prior President found time to visit our troops in active combat theaters," and that Trump has "a duty to let them know that America is grateful for their service." Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Wednesday that he's advised Trump against visiting "places ... I don't want him to go at certain times."
Young members of Congress are changing the way they interact with their constituents by personally posting on their social media accounts in a way that resonates with supporters and voters.
The big picture: Every member of Congress is on Twitter, per CNN, and 51% use Instagram, though "many congressional Instagram accounts don't appear to be used directly by the members of Congress themselves." The new class of lawmakers is changing how they interact with constituents by posting on their social media accounts themselves. Democrat darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on MSNBC: "I think it's so important that we humanize our government. ... It's something you can be a part of."
Why it matters: Though oblique, it's still a rare public critique from Roberts directed toward the president, who has repeatedly bashed federal court decisions that have worked against some of his most controversial policies, like the travel ban. In his statement, Roberts added that an "independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for."
Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) has flipped his position on Nancy Pelosi's bid for speaker of the House when Democrats officially take the majority next year, the Washington Post reports.
Details: Higgins was originally one of the 16 Democrats who released a letter this week stating their opposition to Pelosi serving as speaker again. Per the Post, he changed his mind after receiving an "agreement in principle" that Democrats would make a "serious good faith effort" to tackle Medicare eligibility and infrastructure.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is consulting with top-tier political strategists in Iowa who worked on both Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, CNBC reports.
Why it matters: Booker's early Iowa flirtations signal that he is indeed seriously considering launching a 2020 presidential campaign, perhaps wanting to get a head start over the rest of what is sure to be a packed Democratic field ahead of the Iowa caucuses.
Even after the CIA concluded with high confidence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, President Trump bailed him out in a statement on Tuesday.
Why it matters: There could not have been a better outcome for MBS and his father, King Salman, who have worked to prevent any punitive action against the royal family. They have now received an almost free pass from the U.S. for this and future acts of retribution against critics and journalists. Meanwhile, the Iranian regime will benefit from Saudi Arabia's loss in the American court of public opinion.
I asked Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani whether he thinks he knows what the Trump Organization's chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg gave federal prosecutors in his immunity deal with the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
What he's saying: "Yes. And I'm not worried about it," Giuliani said. How could he be so sure? Has he spoken to Weisselberg? Giuliani later conceded he hadn't spoken to Weisselberg. "I guess I don't know for sure," he said. "Somebody could've misled me, something new could've come up. Maybe say 'reasonably confident'. That would be a better way of phrasing it."
President Trump delivered to Robert Mueller written answers about pre-election dimensions of the Russia probe but did not answer questions about his behavior as president, including allegations of obstruction of justice — and will resist doing so in the future — his lawyer Rudy Giuliani tells Axios.
The big picture: It is possible that Mueller will subpoena Trump regarding his activities as president. But Giuliani said he has reason to suspect he won’t: "I think that he would not win a legal battle if he did that, and I think it would consume months." If Mueller does, the president’s view is clear: He will refuse to cooperate.
Republicans have picked up Senate seats in Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota, and successfully defended one in Tennessee. In the House, Democrats flipped 41 seats.
In a hotly contested race for Utah's 4th congressional district, Salt Lake County Democratic Mayor Ben McAdams has defeated incumbent Republican Mia Love by fewer than 700 votes, The Associated Press reports. Love was about 20 votes short of being able to request a recount.
The big picture: This is the latest House GOP seat to be flipped by a Democrat in the 2018 midterm elections, bringing the current total to 40. On Saturday, Democrats flipped a house seat turning all of Orange County blue.
Republican and Democratic members of Congress are denouncing President Trump's Tuesday statement saying the U.S. will stand by Saudi Arabia, despite the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the CIA's reported conclusion that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) ordered the assassination.
The bottom line ... Even Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trump's most reliable Senate supporters, rebuked his response, comparing him to former President Obama: "One thing I learned during the Obama years is that when you look the other way regarding problems in the Middle East, it seldom works out. ... Likewise, it is not in our national security interests to look the other way when it comes to the brutal murder of Mr. Jamal #Khashoggi ... I fully realize we have to deal with bad actors and imperfect situations on the international stage. However, when we lose our moral voice, we lose our strongest asset."
