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Trump huddles with House GOP on potential immigration fixes

Speaker Paul Ryan and President Trump on Capitol to discuss immigration with House Republicans. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump huddled with House Republicans on Capitol Hill Tuesday evening ahead of expected House votes on two immigration bills this week.

The big picture: This is a crucial week for both the president and Republicans amid growing backlash over the administration's widely condemned policy of separating immigrant children from their parents when apprehended at the border. Meanwhile, Trump signaled he supports both bills — leaving it unclear which piece of legislation has the upper hand.

What we know:

  • House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) described the meeting as "excellent." and said that Trump fully embraced the conservative bill that he and Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) are pushing. "The president is a thousand percent behind it," he repeated multiple times, per a White House pool report.
  • As for the family separation issue, "They will not be separated if the bill passes," said McCaul. "He said this is an opportunity for us to be compassionate" while ensuring security.
  • Meanwhile, the more moderate compromise bill from the House includes a provision that directly addresses the separation of immigrant children from their parents.
  • White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said in a statement following the meeting that Trump has "endorsed" both measures.

Be smart: Despite several lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) putting forth separate bills aimed at ending the separation policy, the White House has maintained that the president wants full, comprehensive, immigration reform.

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Scoop: Gina Haspel threatened to resign over plan to install Kash Patel as CIA deputy

CIA Director Gina Haspel. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

CIA Director Gina Haspel threatened to resign in early December after President Trump cooked up a hasty plan to install loyalist Kash Patel, a former aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), as her deputy, according to three senior administration officials with direct knowledge of the matter.

Why it matters: The revelation stunned national security officials and almost blew up the leadership of the world's most powerful spy agency. Only a series of coincidences — and last minute interventions from Vice President Mike Pence and White House counsel Pat Cipollone — stopped it.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Health: Coronavirus deaths reach 4,000 per day as hospitals remain in crisis mode — CDC warns highly transmissible coronavirus variant could become dominant in U.S. in March.
  2. Politics: Biden says, "We will manage the hell out of" vaccine distribution — Biden taps ex-FDA chief to lead Operation Warp Speed amid rollout of COVID plan — Widow of GOP congressman-elect who died of COVID-19 will run to fill his seat.
  3. Vaccine: Battling Black mistrust of the vaccines — "Pharmacy deserts" could become vaccine deserts — Instacart to give $25 to shoppers who get vaccine.
  4. Economy: Unemployment filings explode again — Fed chair: No interest rate hike coming any time soon —  Inflation rose more than expected in December.
  5. World: WHO team arrives in China to investigate pandemic origins.
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John Weaver, Lincoln Project co-founder, acknowledges “inappropriate” messages

John Weaver aboard John McCain's campaign plane in February 2000. Photo: Robert Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

John Weaver, a veteran Republican operative who co-founded the Lincoln Project, declared in a statement to Axios on Friday that he sent “inappropriate,” sexually charged messages to multiple men.

  • “To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry. They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you,” Weaver said.
  • “The truth is that I'm gay,” he added. “And that I have a wife and two kids who I love. My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonizing place.”
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