Oct 19, 2019

Trump tweets attack video against Mitt Romney

Trump and Romney. Photo: Drew Angerer, Mandel NganAFP/Getty Images

President Trump tweeted a video on Friday that falsely accused Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) of being a "Democrat secret asset" who aimed to "infiltrate Trump's administration as Secretary of State."

The backdrop: Romney is one of many congressional Republicans who have rebuked the president over his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria in preparation for Turkey's military offensive into the region. Romney said on Senate floor Thursday: "What we have done to the Kurds will stand as a blood stain in the annals of American history."

Between the lines: The video — created by conservative PAC Club for Growth — is one of many unsubstantiated conspiracy theories tweeted by Trump in recent months.

Go deeper: Romney rips into Trump's betrayal of Syrian Kurds on Senate floor

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The polarized pandemic election

A Trump supporter protests Pennsylvania's stay-at-home order, during a May 15 rally outside the Capitol in Harrisburg. Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images

President Trump is going all-in on pushing for a rapid, robust return to normal life, creating a visual, visceral contrast with Joe Biden and other Democrats who are more reticent to rip the masks off.

The state of play: Business friends have been urging Trump from the beginning to keep the lockdowns short. He's listening more and more.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow5 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Tech's long hot summer of antitrust

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Google, Facebook and other tech giants face a summer of regulatory grilling as long-running investigations into potential anticompetitive practices likely come to a head.

The big picture: Probes into the power of Big Tech launched by federal and state authorities are turning a year old, and observers expect action in the form of formal lawsuits and potentially damning reports — even as the companies have become a lifeline for Americans during the pandemic lockdown.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow31 mins ago - Technology

Palantir CEO hits Silicon Valley "monoculture," may leave California

Palantir is "getting close" to a decision on whether to move the company out of California, CEO Alex Karp said in an interview for "Axios on HBO."

The state of play: "We haven't picked a place yet, but it's going to be closer to the East Coast than the West Coast. ... If I had to guess, I would guess something like Colorado."

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow38 mins ago - Economy & Business