John Bolton’s departure from the White House has deepened uncertainty in Washington about how the White House plans to handle a myriad of pressing national security issues.
The big picture: From the war in Afghanistan to North Korea’s nuclear program to pressure on Iran, the partnership of President Trump and his most recent national security adviser, while uneasy, was relatively predictable. On several of those issues, Trump may now angle for policies more in line with Democrats' policy positions.
Searching a room for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at last month's G7 summit in France, the WSJ reports, President Trump called out: “Where’s my favorite dictator?”
Why it matters: Sisi really is a dictator, and he really is closely allied with the Trump administration. Trump is untroubled by the idea of partnering with authoritarians, but his remark was "met by a stunned silence" according to the WSJ, which notes it's unclear if Sisi was in the room to hear it. When the two leaders met moments later, Trump praised Sisi as a "very tough man" who had "done a fantastic job."
Former national security adviser John Bolton resumed his old job Friday as the head of 2 political action committees and announced $10,000 donations to 5 Republican candidates running in 2020 after President Trump ousted him from the White House earlier this week, according to a press release.
Axios' Margaret Talev emails: Without mentioning his concerns about Trump's penchant for meeting with rogue actors, Bolton said the John Bolton PAC and John Bolton Super PAC seek a "dependable U.S. national security policy, resting on constancy and resolve" and an understanding on the threats to the U.S. including from Iran and North Korea.
Beto O’Rourke's presidential campaign reported a tweet from a Texas state lawmaker to the FBI on Friday after the candidate described it as "a death threat," a campaign spokesperson told the Guardian.
The big picture: Briscoe Cain, a 34-year-old Republican who represents a district outside of Houston, tweeted "My AR is ready for you Robert Francis" after O’Rourke pledged during the third Democratic debate to enact a mandatory buyback program of all military-style rifles if elected.
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated Friday a lawsuit that accused President Trump of violating the Constitution's emoluments clause, per Bloomberg.
Why it matters: The decision dredges up one of the president's most persistent ongoing legal threats. It's a high-level ruling for such a case and could force the president to defend himself in court because only an expanded version of the Second Circuit or the Supreme Court could overturn the decision.
The top 10 Democratic presidential candidates took to the stage Thursday night for the third presidential debate, marking the first time the top contenders all appeared on one stage.
What to watch: Julián Castro vs. Joe Biden; Beto O'Rourke on taking away AR-15 rifles, and a couple Biden-specific moments.
The third Democratic debate saw a condensed field of 10 candidates, but they each stuck largely to an easily condensible strategy to stay on top or make some noise.
Why it matters: Even with 3 hours for the debate, it's hard to get a lot of speaking time. Joe Biden led the pack with 17 minutes and 22 seconds while Andrew Yang didn't even crack 8 minutes, per the New York Times. That makes it vital to hammer home to voters exactly what you represent.
Thursday's 3-hour Democratic debate marked the first time the top contenders all squared off on 1 stage, resulting in the 2020 cycle's most comprehensive discussion yet among the candidates most likely to face Donald Trump as the party's nominee.
The big picture: Joe Biden, who remains atop the polls despite being bombarded with nonstop negative press, had a strong showing out of the gate, but at times found himself getting lost in his own answers. A hoarse-sounding Bernie Sanders stuck to his brand but was confronted over his self-described socialist agenda, while the rest of the pack struggled to hit fellow progressive Elizabeth Warren with an attack line that landed.
Asked at Thursday's 2020 Democratic debate about how to repair the legacy of slavery, Joe Biden veered into an old-timey reference to home record players.
The top 10 Democratic presidential candidates sparred on health care, criminal justice, gun control, immigration, trade, the military and climate change in the third debate. But 3 contestants have clearly become the top contenders: Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.
The big picture: The 3 are firmly divided, with Warren and Sanders residing far left of Biden on issues including Medicare for All, college tuition and views of the overall "system." Warren and Biden faced off for the first time in Houston.
Univision's Jorge Ramos pressed Vice President Joe Biden on the record number of deportations during the Obama administration, with the former vice president saying "things have changed" since he was in the White House.
