Axios

President Trump announced that Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) would not be nominated to become the next director of national intelligence in a pair of Friday tweets, saying it would expose him to "months of slander and libel."

"Our great Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe is being treated very unfairly by the LameStream Media. Rather than going through months of slander and libel, I explained to John how miserable it would be for him and his family to deal with these people. John has therefore decided to stay in Congress."

Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called President Trump's Friday tweet referencing a robbery at House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings' Baltimore home "so unnecessary" in a Twitter response.

Why it matters: Haley is the rare top former Trump administration official who left both on her own terms and in the president's good graces. Additionally, because she is often viewed as a potential GOP presidential contender in the future, her decision to directly respond to Trump — complete with an eye roll emoji —  is significant in a party that often chooses not to do so.

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Tex.) announced on Thursday that he will not seek reelection in his swing district.

Why it matters: Hurd is the only black Republican in the House, and the third Texas Republican to retire this week. He has been known to occasionally criticize President Trump, most recently over the president's racist tweets against 4 Democratic congresswomen of color, per the Washington Post.

Americans are increasingly likely to see China as a threat to the U.S., though they're sharply divided over the dangers from Iran, Russia and climate change according to a new Pew survey.

The Trump administration is extending for 18 months protections that allow 7,000 Syrians to remain in the U.S. temporarily rather than return to their war-torn country, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday.

Why it matters: Syria remains plagued by violence. More than 100 Syrians died in air strikes in just the past 10 days, the BBC reports, and 6.7 million Syrian refugees have been forced to leave the country. This move comes despite efforts by the administration to roll back Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several other countries.

The Senate voted 67-28 to pass a $2.7 trillion budget deal Thursday that would suspend the debt ceiling through 2021, sending the package to President Trump's desk after the House passed it last week.

Why it matters: The Congressional Budget Office projected that the national debt would reach "unprecedented levels" in the next 30 years should laws remain the same. It exceeded $22 trillion in February, and the federal deficit has grown 23% this fiscal year.

The second Democratic primary debate showed former Vice President Joe Biden's long career has its liabilities.

The big picture: The pile-on covered everything from his Senate years (Kirsten Gillibrand attacking him for a 1981 op-ed about "deterioration of the family") to his years as President Obama's vice president (Bill de Blasio on deportations) to his moderation (Kamala Harris on his health care plan, Jay Inslee on his climate plan).

The Trump administration's intelligence watchdog rejected Senate Democrats' request to investigate the White House's handling of security clearances for employees including senior advisers Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, a letter obtained by NBC News Wednesday shows.

Details: In the July 22 letter, Michael Atkinson, inspector general of the intelligence community, told the Democrats he could only investigate the issue if the president requested it. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, and 3 other top Democrats sent President Trump a letter Wednesday, asking him to order a probe.

Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio put the pressure on Joe Biden on Wednesday for massive early deportation numbers during the Obama administration — accusing the former vice president of trying to diminish his role.