Mary McCord, formeracting assistant attorney general for national security, claimed in a New York Times op-ed Sunday that the Justice Department's motion to dismiss the case against Michael Flynn "twisted" her words to suggest that the FBI's 2017 interview of Flynn was illegitimate.
Why it matters: The Justice Department's filing relies in part on McCord's July 2017 interview with the FBI to argue that the FBI had no valid counterintelligence reason to interview Flynn, and that the former national security adviser's apparent lies were therefore immaterial.
After weeks of holding back, President Trump's re-election campaign will unleash a series of tailored, swing-state attacks against Joe Biden, targeting him in Florida, Pennsylvania and the industrial Midwest, campaign officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: The pandemic forced a pause, and a lighter touch, on Trump's original attack plan against his presumed general election opponent, according to people familiar with internal conversations.
The White House will try to push two main themes this week: "preparedness and confidence," per a senior official.
The big picture: President Trump's aides plan to hold several events to try to persuade the public that they're ready for a likely second wave of the virus this fall. In particular, they'll focus on testing capacity and access to personal protective equipment.
House Democrats could bring their phase 4 coronavirus relief package (CARES 2) to the floor for a vote as early as this week — but, for now at least, it's going nowhere.
The state of play: Democrats have crafted a $1.2 trillion+ package without input from the White House or Hill Republicans, congressional aides familiar with their plans tell Axios.
Anthony Fauci, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn, CDC director Robert Redfield, and coronavirus testing coordinator Brett Giroir will testify via videoconference before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced Sunday.
Why it matters: Fauci, Redfield and Hahn are all self-quarantining after coming in "low risk" contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for the virus.
Vice President Mike Pence told "Axios on HBO" that he welcomes the idea of bringing Michael Flynn back into government, after the Justice Department moved last week to drop its criminal case against President Trump's former national security adviser.
Why it matters: Trump said April 30 that he would "certainly consider" bringing Flynn back into the administration. Since Flynn had been accused of lying to the vice president, Pence's blessing clears an obstacle to him returning to Trump’s inner circle.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on "Fox News Sunday" that the White House may wait "a few weeks" before considering another relief bill to stem the economic devastation of the coronavirus.
The big picture: President Trump said last week that he's "in no rush" to negotiate a deal for another stimulus package, just as the U.S. reported its worst unemployment rates since the Great Depression.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that he is not relying on the Trump administration to help his state ramp up coronavirus testing, claiming that there have been "too many situations in which they've made promises not delivered."
Why it matters: In lieu of a national testing strategy, the White House has promoted a plan to work with state governments and the private sector to expand testing, referring to the federal government only as a "supplier of last resort."
Former President Barack Obama called President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic an "absolute chaotic disaster," according to a leaked web call with former members of his administration first obtained by Yahoo News.
Why it matters: Obama has rarely criticized his successor since leaving office in 2017, though he has been ramping up his virus-related social media as the death toll in the U.S. continues to increase. Last month, Obama tweeted that the country is still waiting for a "coherent national plan" to manage the virus.
Between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, President Trump tweeted or retweeted more than 50 times about the investigations by the FBI and the House Intelligence Committee into his campaign's alleged ties to Russia.
Why it matters: The tweetstorm shows the degree to which Trump is still consumed by what he believes to be an illegal attempt to end his presidency by Democrats and intelligence officials from the Obama administration.
Anthony Fauci has begun a "modified quarantine" after making a "low risk" contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director told CNN and the New York Times Saturday.
Driving the news: CDC director Robert Redfield and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn are in self-quarantine after a similar COVID-19 exposure, officials confirmed earlier Saturday. Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller and President Trump's valet tested positive for the virus this week.
Alec Baldwin was back as President Trump for a virtual high school graduation skit in the final "Saturday Night Live" cold open of season 45.
The big picture: Kate McKinnon as the high school principal noted in the third "Saturday Night Live at Home" episode that students' preferred keynote speakers were the "murder hornets" and former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama — who are due to participate in virtual graduation ceremonies in real life — but they declined. Instead, they got Baldwin's Trump, who at one point pretended to drink bleach, in a nod to Trump's comments last month that disinfectant could be used to treat coronavirus. The president said later he was being sarcastic.
