President Trump said "there isn't anything wrong with listening" to intelligence on political opponents gathered by foreign nations revealed Wednesday during an exclusive interview with ABC News's George Stephanopoulos.
"It's not an interference, they have information -- I think I'd take it," Trump said. "If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI -- if I thought there was something wrong. But when somebody comes up with oppo research, right, they come up with oppo research, 'oh let's call the FBI.' The FBI doesn't have enough agents to take care of it. When you go and talk, honestly, to congressman, they all do it, they always have, and that's the way it is. It's called oppo research."
2020 Democrat Sen. Bernie Sanders invoked former President Franklin D. Roosevelt Wednesday in what his campaign billed as a "major address" on democratic socialism at George Washington University.
"Today I am proposing we complete the unfinished work of Franklin Roosevelt and the Democratic Party by putting forth a 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights. That means: The right to a decent job that pays a living wage; The right to health care; The right to a quality education; The right to affordable housing; The right to a clean environment and the right to a secure retirement. ... Over the course of this election my campaign has been releasing -- and will continue to release -- detailed proposals addressing each of these yet to be realized economic rights."
One day after a passionate speech by comedian Jon Stewart, who blasted lawmakers for not attending the hearing, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to advance the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which would secure funding until 2090, reports CNN.
The big picture: The bill will now go to the House floor, where it is likely to pass. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has not yet said whether he will take the bill up in the Senate, but told reporters this week, "We've always dealt with that in the past in a compassionate way and I assume we will again." The funding provides financial support to Americans who have suffered from medical issues in the wake of 9/11.
The Treasury Department says the U.S. budget deficit has increased to $738.6 billion in the first 8 months of the fiscal year — up $206 billion from the same time last year, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office.
Why it matters: The deficit has continued to grow under President Trump as a result of Republican tax cuts and increased government spending, reports Bloomberg. Even increased customs revenue stemming from tariffs — which Trump falsely insists is being paid for by China — has failed to bridge the widening gap. The deficit is expected to reach $897 billion by the end of the year.
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who has previously said he is considering running for president as a centrist independent, will not campaign this summer after undergoing three separate back surgeries.
Why it matters: Schultz' announcement and subsequent press tour earlier this year set off significant backlash from Democrats who believe running as an independent could help re-elect Trump. Schultz has warned that Democrats nominating a candidate too far to the left would be damaging to the country, but has nonetheless maintained that he will "not be a spoiler."
69% of American voters believe a sitting president should be subject to criminal charges, including 52% of Republicans, according to a Quinnipiac national poll that surveyed 1,214 people.
Yes, but: Just 16% of Republicans believe Trump committed crimes before he was in office, and 5% of Republicans believe he has done so while president.
2020 Democratic candidate Kamala Harris released a comprehensive plan Wednesday to protect as many as 6 million immigrants — including a path to citizenship for 2 million Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. by their parents as children.
Why it matters: Harris' proposal, a series of four executive actions she'd implement as president, signals that she wouldn't be afraid to use the power of the presidency to circumvent Congress on immigration.
2020 hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren has become the 2020 candidate known for making plans, tackling college tuition, big tech, child care and housing costs. But with the possibility of a GOP-majority in the Senate or a Democratic loss in the House, the question remains: What's the plan for all Warren's plans?
Details: In an interview with Vox's Ezra Klein, Warren outlined her presidency from day 1 and how she would work to prioritize her goals:
President Trump and his top advisers have discussed ways to punish Republican Rep. Justin Amash for calling for his impeachment, including by finding a primary challenger to knock off the five-term congressman, Politico reports.
Why it matters: Backing a primary candidate against Amash could be a risky move for Trump, as it may bolster the congressman's standing as a symbol of the anti-Trump movement within the Republican Party. But Trump still maintains near-90% popularity in the GOP, and the potential endorsement could send a clear signal to other Republicans that a turn against the president could land them in the same spot.
2020 Democratic candidate Sen. Kamala Harris told NPR's Politics Podcast Wednesday that she believes her administration's Justice Department "would have no choice" but to prosecute President Trump after his term in office.
Why it matters: As calls to impeach Trump stall in the House, Harris' statement aligns with Sen. Elizabeth Warren's proposal last month to allow the DOJ to indict a sitting president as Democrats target 2020 voters who want to find an alternative method to hold the president legally accountable for his actions as outlined in the Mueller report.
2020 Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke shared his campaign's plan to increase protections for LGBTQ Americans on Wednesday.
The big picture: O'Rourke is focused on reversing the Trump administration's policies that he says infringe on the rights of the LGBTQ community, like the administration's ban on transgender military personnel.
Everywhere he looks, President Trump can see flashing warnings that his re-election is in serious peril, a week ahead of his official campaign launch next Tuesday in Orlando.
The state of play: His internal polls show it, national polls show it and even a poll in reliably conservative Texas shows it — all as Trump should be crushing it. Unemployment is at a near-historic low. The economy is growing. Peace and prosperity abound. But his numbers are sagging.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) addressed President Trump's recent public criticisms of her for the first time, saying at the Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s 2019 Fiscal Summit, "My stock goes up every time he attacks me."
Details: Pelosi also said she's "done" talking about Trump, whom she called the "diverter of attention in chief" over his Mexico tariffs threat, which she said was a distraction from the Mueller report. Pelosi declined to confirm reports that she said she wants to see Trump in prison, not impeached. But she did say impeachment's "not off the table."
Four 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls signed a letter on Tuesday calling on McDonald’s to do more to address sexual harassment allegations.
Details: Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) are among 8 senators, led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who signed the letter to McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook expressing concern about "unsafe and intolerable work conditions" at the company.
President Trump's judicial nominee Michael Bogren is withdrawing from consideration following a Republican backlash over his record, the Detroit News first reported on Tuesday.
Details: The Michigan attorney was nominated to the district court for the state's Western District, but Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, opposed the move, Politico also reported.
Why it matters: It's unusual for Trump to face opposition against his judicial nominees in the Republican-controlled Senate. Bogren was accused by the senators of being hostile toward religion and comparing Catholic beliefs to those of the Ku Klux Klan, according to the Detroit News.
Editor's note: This post has been corrected to reflect the fact that Josh Hawley is a Republican senator from Missouri (not Mississippi).
President Trump said he's looking to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the thousands of Venezuelans who have fled to the U.S. as a result of the violent unrest in their home country, reports AP.
The big picture: A core component of Trump's presidency has been his tough stance on immigration from Latin American countries. However, he is taking a different approach to Venezuelans seeking to migrate to the U.S. — likely because his administration opposes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
