Beto O’Rourke, who recently lost his Texas Senate race to Ted Cruz, says he is not ruling out running for president in 2020, according to Politico’s David Siders.
Why it matters: O’Rourke told 60 Minutes’ Jon Wertheim earlier this year that he “will not” be running for president.
There are more than 430 days until the Iowa caucuses for the 2020 presidential election, but Crooked Media's Dan Pfeiffer, who served as Barack Obama's communications director, is making the case that Beto O'Rourke is "one of the strongest candidates in the field."
Why it matters: Even though O'Rourke lost his Texas Senate race to Ted Cruz, several Democrats are hoping he'll run for president in 2020. And between this endorsement from a prominent member of Crooked Media — whose podcast, "Pod Save America," has been downloaded more than 330 million times since its launch in early 2017 — and recent praise from Obama, Beto already has some strong Democratic support if he chooses to pursue a presidential bid.
Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) said President Trump’s comments mocking her for losing her midterm race to Democratic opponent Ben McAdams were "hurtful" and that she thinks Trump has "no real relationships, just transactions," per NPR’s Julia Ritchey.
The big picture: Love was speaking publicly for the first time since she conceded to McAdams over the weekend. In a post-midterms press conference, Trump criticized Republican incumbents who did not embrace his support, pointedly singling out Love for giving him "no love."
Images of migrant families choking on and fleeing tear gas launched by U.S. border officials at the southern border garnered outrage from some top officials and pundits and defense from others.
Why it matters: The action, reportedly in response to migrants throwing rocks, is not the first time that border agents have used tear gas or pepper spray at the border. But, coupled with the Trump administration's latest order allowing military troops to use force to defend border agents, it highlights the growing threat of violence as Central American caravans reach the border only to be met with closed crossings and long lines.
Three more danger signs for Trump's Saudi strategy — from today's shows:
Republican Sen. Mike Lee today told Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press," he disagreed with Trump's assessment of Khashoggi's murder saying, "It's inconsistent with the intelligence" he's seen. "Intelligence I've seen suggests that this was ordered by the crown prince," Lee told Todd.
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse today told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday," that Trump's "was a very weak statement. ... MBS murdered — contributed to murdering somebody abroad and it is not strength to sort of mumble past that."
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff told Dana Bash on CNN's "State of the Union": "I have been briefed by the CIA. And while I cannot discuss the contents of the briefing in any way, I can say that I think the president is being dishonest with the American people."
Cliff Sims, former director of White House message strategy, sat down with Mike Allen and me for "Axios on HBO" and described what it's like sitting with @realDonaldTrump while he tweets.
Sims, who left the White House in May, said he's seen Trump dictate tweets to aides from the Oval Office or from the private dining room that adjoins it. "He's meticulous with not just the words that he wants to use but the punctuation," Sims said. "So he'll say, you know, 'Jonathan Swan at Axios is an awful terrible reporter dash dash capital S capital A capital D exclamation point.'"
Rep. Trey Gowdy said on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday that former FBI director James Comey's congressional hearing should not be public, but instead videotaped, scrubbed of classified information and then released to the public.
The big picture: Responding to a subpoena from House Republicans, Comey said Thursday that he would resist a "closed door" hearing because of their history of "selective leaking and distortion." Gowdy agreed that leaks are "counterproductive," but said "there is no fact-finder on the planet that tries to discover the truth in five-minute increments."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has temporarily suspended pedestrian crossings in San Ysidro, a major port of entry between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, reports CNN.
Details: The U.S. has deployed helicopters and additional border personnel as more than 5,000 migrants have set up camp in Tijuana, with many hoping to apply for asylum after traveling through Mexico via caravan, per AP. Hundreds of migrants reportedly attempted to jump or breach the border fence Sunday, prompting agents to respond by firing tear gas.
Ten current and former White House and congressional officials told the Washington Post that President Trump has been urging his top advisers to cut the growing federal deficit, even as he tries to implement pricey programs, like a massive infrastructure package.
The big picture: 2010's Tea Party wave, which propelled many budget-conscious Republicans to power in Washington, was prompted by increased federal spending and concerns of big government that have long been central issues for the GOP. But Trump’s contradictions reflect how conflicted the party has become — even as the Congressional Budget Office said earlier this year that the deficit will approach $1 trillion by the end of 2019's fiscal year.
One huge change this year is in the tax code. The Trump tax cuts increased the standard deduction and therefore make it less likely that you'll be able to deduct your charitable donations. Only about 11% of households are likely to itemize their taxes this year, down from 26.4% last year.
The big picture: The tax break for charitable contributions has always been a tax break only for the minority of Americans who itemize. Households earning more than $1 million per year nearly always itemize. They accounted for 30% of itemized charitable donations in 2015; expect that number to rise even further.
A new book by President Trump's former advisers Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie alleges that dozens of federal officials in Washington are working to undermine the president, according to a copy obtained by the Washington Post’s Philip Rucker.
Between the lines: Neither of the men work inside the administration, but they are close to the president and see themselves as "his outside protectors," according to Rucker. But both remain controversial figures and some White House officials, including Chief of Staff John Kelly, who reportedly physically confronted Lewandowski in the White House this year, are skeptical of their intentions.
The backstory: Hyde-Smith sparked backlash after she said that, if invited, she would attend a public hanging "on the front row" at a campaign event earlier this month. The remark triggered outrage due to Mississippi’s history of racially motivated lynchings.
Lawmakers Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) all disagree with President Trump's assertion that the CIA has not concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Why it matters: These lawmakers are in positions to have seen the CIA's final report on the situation surrounding Khashoggi — Schiff, the incoming House Intelligence Committee chairman; Reed, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee; and Lee, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Trump said on Thanksgiving, however, that the CIA did not come to a conclusion, discrediting the final report that said with "high confidence" MBS was involved with the murder.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that he's "very seriously" considering taking on President Trump in 2020: "We need different leadership, there isn't any question about it."
Flashback: Kasich said in October 2017 that he was considering leaving the GOP altogether if the "party can't be fixed."
President Trump wants asylum seekers to wait in Mexico as cases are processed, under a “Remain in Mexico” plan that's a sharp break with current policy.
Between the lines: The Washington Post's lead print story says he has a deal. "The Trump administration has won the support of Mexico’s incoming government for a plan to remake U.S. border policy by requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims move through U.S. courts."
In a book coming Tuesday by Trump campaign originals Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, "Trump’s Enemies: How the Deep State Is Undermining the Presidency" (Center Street), the president says the Mueller investigation has helped him politically, per the WashPost's Phil Rucker:
Details: “I think it makes my base stronger,” Trump told the authors in an interview. “I would have never said this to you. But I think the level of love now is far greater than when we won. I don’t know, what do you think, Mike?” Vice President Pence, who sat in part of the interview, replied: “As strong or stronger.”
