Apr 24, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Trump says he's against White House aides testifying before Congress

President Trump. Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

President Trump told The Washington Post Tuesday he's against White House aides — past and present — testifying before congressional panels following the Mueller report findings.

There is no reason to go any further, and especially in Congress where it’s very partisan — obviously very partisan."

Why it matters: Trump's comments indicate a further escalation in the White House's power struggle with House Democrats, who've stepped up investigations into his administration.

The big picture: The Trump administration has taken several steps to block oversight by House Democrats this week.

  • Earlier Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin informed House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) the department would decide by May 6 whether to release Trump's tax returns to Congress — effectively ignoring Neal's April 23 deadline.
  • On Monday, the president and the Trump Organization sued House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings in an attempt to block Cummings' subpoena of Trump's longtime accountant, Mazars USA LLP.
  • Also on Monday, the White House directed former security clearance official Carl Kline not to comply with an Oversight subpoena. Cummings is moving to hold Kline in contempt of Congress.
  • And the administration plans on fighting a House Judiciary subpoena of former White House counsel Don McGahn.

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Fadel Allassan
13 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Senate advances Amy Coney Barrett nomination, setting up final confirmation vote

Photo: Xinhua/Ting Shen via Getty Images

The Senate voted 51-48 on Sunday to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, setting up a final confirmation vote for Monday.

Why it matters: It's now virtually inevitable that the Senate will vote to confirm President Trump's third Supreme Court nominee before the election, which is just nine days away.

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Felix Salmon, author of Capital
2 hours ago - Economy & Business

Wall Street is living up to its bad reputation

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Recent headlines will have you convinced that Wall Street is hell-bent on living up to all of its stereotypes.

Driving the news: Goldman Sachs is the biggest and the boldest, paying more than $5 billion in fines in the wake of the 1MDB scandal, in which billions were stolen from the people of Malaysia.

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Axios
2 hours ago - Health

Ex-FDA chief: Pence campaigning after COVID exposure puts others at risk

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said "the short answer is yes" when asked whether Vice President Mike Pence is putting others at risk by continuing to campaign after several aides tested positive for COVID-19, stressing that the White House needs to be "very explicit about the risks that they're taking."

Why it matters: The New York Times reports that at least five members of Pence's inner circle, including his chief of staff Marc Short and outside adviser Marty Obst, have tested positive for the virus. Pence tested negative on Sunday morning, according to the VP's office, and he'll continue to travel for the final stretch of the 2020 campaign.

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