Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) shared his take on the redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, focusing on the findings about Russian interference in American elections, rather than President Trump or any domestic issues.
“For over a year, in my role on the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have repeatedly asked federal agencies to, without comprising the methods or sources used to discover Russian electoral interference, find a way to share pertinent election security information with state and local officials.”
Washington Post book critic Carlos Lozada, who this week won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, writes on the cover of tomorrow's Outlook section that Mueller's report is "the greatest nonfiction book about Trump."
"The Mueller report is that rare Washington tell-all that surpasses its pre-publication hype."
Imagine Sen. Mitt Romney, instead of Bill Barr, was attorney general. This is what Romney's summary of the Mueller report might have said, based on his statement yesterday:
I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President.
I am also appalled that, among other things, fellow citizens working in a campaign for president welcomed help from Russia — including information that had been illegally obtained; that none of them acted to inform American law enforcement; and that the campaign chairman was actively promoting Russian interests in Ukraine.
Reading the report is a sobering revelation of how far we have strayed from the aspirations and principles of the founders.
Former White House Counsel Don McGahn, one of the standout witnesses in the Mueller report, has responded to Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani's attacks on his credibility and his claims that McGahn's account "can't be taken at face value."
"It's a mystery why Rudy Giuliani feels the need to re-litigate incidents the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General have concluded were not obstruction. But they are accurately described in the report. Don, nonetheless, appreciates that the President gave him the opportunity to serve as White House Counsel and assist him with his signature accomplishments."
— Statement from Don McGahn's legal counsel, obtained by NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
The Justice Department granted 12 Congressional leaders access to a less-redacted Mueller report on Thursday, but Democrats said on Friday that this proposal "is not acceptable," demanding the full report and "underlying evidence ... to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities."
Details: In a letter to Attorney General William Barr, Democrats said they will not review the report under the restricted conditions because the findings "will only be fully understood with access to redacted material." Per the letter submitted to Barr on Friday evening, the group of Democrats refuses to "agree to an arrangement that does not include a mechanism for ensuring access to grand jury material."
Central American migrants have newfound empowerment to organize and flee their home countries in large groups, with instant communication to guide their long journeys.
Why it matters: Those caravans provide the protection of numbers and eliminate many of the dangers and costs associated with hiring smugglers.
2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is calling for the impeachment of President Trump 1 day after the Mueller report was released.
Backdrop: Beattie worked as a speechwriter and a policy aide for President Trump until August 2018. He was fired after it was reported that, in 2016, that he attended the H.L. Mencken Club Conference, a popular event among white nationalists that is monitored by the Southern Poverty Law Center for hate speech. Beattie will be joining Gaetz's Capitol Hill office as a speechwriter.
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) is still considering a 2020 presidential bid after confirming on Friday that he has been issued a clean bill of health following prostate cancer surgery, NBC reports.
What he's saying: “I felt like, you know what, this is something I really want to do,” Bennet said about his 2020 presidential bid on MTPDaily the day after his cancer diagnosis in March, per NBC. “I think I've got something to contribute.” Bennett intends to go back to work after the Senate recess.
President Trump called some statements provided by witnesses in special counsel Robert Mueller's report "total bullshit" in a series of Friday morning tweets.
"Because I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the 'Report' about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad)."
The big picture: Trump also tweeted to "watch out for people that take so-called 'notes,'" likely a reference to one of the report's most-reported passages, where the president questioned why then-White House counsel Don McGahn took notes during their conversations.
Two Mueller report books are in the top 15 on Amazon even though free PDFs are available online, AP reports.
The intrigue: Scribner, Melville House and Skyhorse Publishing are among those planning to have paperbacks out before the end of the month, with prices ranging from $15 for the Scribner book to $9.99 for the Melville House one.
Late in Don McGahn's tenure as White House counsel, President Trump became so suspicious that he wondered aloud whether McGahn was wearing a wire, a source familiar with the president's private conversations told Axios.
Why it matters: We have no evidence that Trump's suspicions have any basis in reality. But they reveal the depth of his paranoia about his former counsel, who sat for many hours with Robert Mueller's team of prosecutors.
