Axios

In interviews with "Axios on HBO," two top immigration officials echoed claims from President Trump that immigration at the Mexican border is an "invasion."

The big picture: Trump received pushback for using the term, with critics saying it demonizes immigrants and sounds too reminiscent of war. Acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan and acting director of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli told "Axios on HBO" that it was a justified way to represent the situation at the southern border.

In an interview with "Axios on HBO," acting director of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli defended his response to a viral photo of a migrant father and daughter who drowned crossing the Rio Grande.

In an interview with Jim VandeHei for "Axios on HBO," acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Mark Morgan said members of a Border Patrol Facebook group that joked about migrant deaths will "absolutely" face consequences.

Three key witnesses in the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry will testify this week in a series of nationally televised hearings that Democrats are hoping will shock Americans enough to convince them that President Trump must be removed from office.

Why it matters: This public phase of impeachment is arguably the most important part of Democrats' efforts so far, as public sentiment will determine how this plays out.

Republican members and staffers on the House Intelligence Committee spent the weekend planning how to undermine the witnesses' credibility and convince the viewing public that Democrats have wiped away their due process rights.

Driving the news: This week will see three key witnesses in the impeachment inquiry testify publicly for the first time. Republicans plan to unleash their top attack dogs — including Rep. Jim Jordan, who was just made a member of the committee on Friday, and his general counsel Steve Castor, who will lead their interrogation.

John Bolton is the impeachment inquiry's biggest wildcard. People around the president say they are worried about what notes Trump's former national security adviser has kept and when he might divulge them.

Why it matters: These sources, including both current and former senior administration officials, tell me that the former national security adviser was the most prolific note-taker at the top level of the White House and probably has more details than any impeachment inquiry witness, so far, about President Trump's machinations on Ukraine.

President Trump on Sunday tweeted that his Republican allies should not be "led into the fools trap" of calling his dealings with Ukraine inappropriate, but not impeachable.

"The call to the Ukrainian President was PERFECT. Read the Transcript! There was NOTHING said that was in any way wrong. Republicans, don’t be led into the fools trap of saying it was not perfect, but is not impeachable. No, it is much stronger than that. NOTHING WAS DONE WRONG!"

President Trump tweeted or retweeted 82 times on Saturday while flying to and from a collegiate football game in Alabama.

Why it matters: Many of the president's tweets were fighting back against the House's impeachment inquiry into allegations that he withheld congressionally approved military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political opponents. The House will hold its first public impeachment hearings this week.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley wrote in her new memoir, “With All Due Respect," that former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former Chief of Staff John Kelly tried and failed to recruit her to subvert President Trump in order to "save the country," according to the Washington Post.

Why it matters: Haley's allegations add to an already long list of accounts of aides seeking to undermine Trump in the early stages of the administration, including reports that advisers took documents from the president's desk to prevent him from signing them.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to allot $10 million to 26 states with dangerous dams that have failed safety standards, AP reports.

Why it matters: The $10 million falls well below the $70 billion the Association of State Dam Safety Officials assesses is needed to repair and modernize the nation’s tens of thousands of aging dams.

A new Morning Consult poll found that 4% of 2,225 registered Democratic voters said billionaire and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg would be their first choice to take on President Trump next year.

Why it matters: The poll places the former mayor of New York City above 10 candidates currently in the race, including Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CBS' Margaret Brennan on Sunday that the impeachment inquiry has uncovered evidence of an "extortion scheme" involving President Trump withholding military aid to Ukraine to pressure its government to investigate his political opponents.

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) said on "Fox News Sunday" that it would be a "violation of the law" for "a president or any official" to withhold aid from a foreign country in exchange for investigations into political rivals, though he stopped short of saying President Trump had done so with Ukraine.

Sources close to Mike Bloomberg tell Axios that last week's announcement was partly a trial balloon to gauge interest and preserve the former mayor's options — but his own very extensive polling remains far from convincing.

The big picture: Polling being studied by Bloomberg shows big, perhaps insurmountable hurdles, particularly if Joe Biden stays in. 

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that he thinks it's a mistake for the White House to argue there was no quid pro quo with Ukraine to investigate President Trump's political rivals, and that Trump has "every right" to condition military aid on fighting corruption.

A federal judge has scheduled a hearing for Monday on Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney's request to join a pending lawsuit naming President Trump and congressional leaders as defendants, Politico reports.

Why it matters: Mulvaney asked late Friday to join former Deputy National Security Adviser Charles Kupperman's suit after he failed to comply with a subpoena ordering his testimony before the House committees investigating Trump and Ukraine.

Sen. Bernie Sanders had a message for new Democratic presidential rival, billionaire Mike Bloomberg, during the Climate Crisis Summit at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday: "You're not going to buy this election."

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff said in a letter Saturday that the whistleblower's testimony is "redundant and unnecessary" because the impeachment inquiry has gathered evidence that "not only confirms, but far exceeds" information in the original complaint.

Why it matters: Schiff's letter to Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, comes after Nunes complained that Democrats had yet to treat President Trump with "fairness" in the impeachment process, directing witnesses not to answer questions from GOP committee members and withholding transcripts.

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has signed a book deal with Simon & Schuster "worth about $2 million," AP first reported Saturday. Sources confirmed the deal to Axios' Jonathan Swan, who scooped last month that Bolton had decided to write a book about his time in the Trump administration.

Why it matters: Bolton has largely remained silent on his time in the administration and he did not appear for his closed-door deposition in the impeachment inquiry last Thursday.

President Trump was cheered by the crowd Saturday as he attended a collegiate football game in Alabama alongside Rep. Bradley Byrne, who's running against former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat.

Details: Trump was recently booed by sports fans during two previous high-profile events and CBS reports a Baby Trump protest balloon was "knifed and deflated" at Saturday's U Tigers-Alabama Crimson Tide clash, which LSU won 46-41. But he received a warm reception from fans at the game, per video posted online by users including Byrne.

Cindy McCain told CNN's "Axe Files" Saturday her late husband, Sen. John McCain, would be "disgusted" by the current political climate and said she's "very disappointed" in President Trump's attacks on former Vice President Joe Biden.

Why it matters: McCain was outspoken in his criticism of President Trump when he felt it was warranted. He was admired for his ability to work across the aisle with Democrats in the Senate and occasionally broke from the GOP on certain issues. Cindy McCain told CNN he'd be "railing against what's going on" at the moment.