Ten weeks into the @realDonaldTrump administration, the truth is finally beginning to catch up with the White House—and the truth is, these are not very bright guys (plus Ivanka), and things got out of hand.[1]
Contrary to the repeated assertions of Press Secretary Sean Spicer, everybody who's looked into Trump's connections to Russia has not concluded that there wasn't any collusion; in fact, the FBI's investigation into the matter appears to expanding.
This week alone, we've learned that Trump's top adviser/son-in-law, Jared Kushner, held a previously undisclosed meeting with the head of a sanctioned Russian bank connected to the Kremlin; former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn (aka General Misha) has "a story to tell" in exchange for immunity; and, the source behind House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes' allegation that the Trump transition team had been surveilled by the Obama administration—which Trump latched onto to claim vindication—was none other than the White House itself.
The famous Watergate-era phrase, "It's not the crime, it's the cover-up" might come to mind, but in this case, both are looking pretty bad—and the White House brain trust seems intent on making things worse for themselves.
In the West Wing, an uncivil war is being waged between the nepotistic and (white) nationalist factions of @realDonaldTrump's inner circle.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); Former FBI Special Agent Clint Watts; Roundtable: Greta Van Susteren (MSNBC), Eugene Robinson (Washington Post), Amy Walter (Cook Political Report) & Robert Draper (New York Times Magazine).
Face The Nation: US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX); Sen. Angus King (I-ME); Author Jon Meacham; Roundtable: Susan Page (USA Today), David Ignatius (Washington Post), Peter Baker (New York Times) & Michael Graham (National Review).
This Week: US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter; Sen. John McCain (R-AZ); Vladimir Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov; Roundtable: Anne Gearan (Washington Post), Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Michael Leiter & Jonathan Karl (ABC News).
Fox News Sunday: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Roundtable: Radio Host Laura Ingraham, Julie Pace (Associated Press), Former National Security Council Member Gillian Turner & Gerald F. Seib (Wall Street Journal).
State of the Union: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA); Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH); Roundtable: Former Ohio State Sen. Nina Turner (D), Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN), Neera Tanden (Center for American Progress) & Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI).
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: an interview with Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby, who was charged for killing an unarmed black man (preview); and, an interview with Peter Marino, a tastemaker for the rich and famous (preview).
Late night shows:
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Monday: Comedian Chelsea Handler; Actor Jake Johnson; Singer Craig Finn; Drummer Jonathan Mover.
Tuesday: Actor/Rapper Ice T; Actress Freida Pinto; Actor Julio Torres; Drummer Jonathan Mover.
Wednesday: Actress Rashida Jones; Actor Andrew Rannells; Lawyer Alan Dershowitz; Drummer Jonathan Mover.
Thursday: Actor Chris Evans; Actor Mandy Patinkin; Singer-Songwriter Michelle Branch; Drummer Jonathan Mover.
Friday: Guests TBA.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Monday: Abortion Provider Dr. Willie Parker; Tuesday: Comedian Chelsea Handler; Wednesday: Actress Michelle Rodriguez; Thursday: Your Moment of Them – The Best of Jordan Klepper.
Elsewhere...
Rex Tillerson is reportedly exhibiting some diva-like behavior at the State Department.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson takes a private elevator to his palatial office on the seventh floor of the State Department building, where sightings of him are rare on the floors below.
On many days, he blocks out several hours on his schedule as "reading time," when he is cloistered in his office poring over the memos he prefers ahead of in-person meetings.
Most of his interactions are with an insular circle of political aides who are new to the State Department. Many career diplomats say they still have not met him, and some have been instructed not to speak to him directly — or even make eye contact.
Meanwhile...
Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin (sort of) apologized for his ethical lapse.
Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin conceded he risked an ethics violation when he recently urged parents to send their kids to The Lego Batman Movie, on which he served as an executive producer.
But Mnuchin, in a letter to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics made public on Friday to NBC News, stopped short of issuing a full apology, and argued instead his quip delivered at a forum organized by new-media startup Axios did not amount to a movie recommendation.
"I want to assure you that I was aware of the rule against using public office to promote a particular product, as I specifically acknowledged in the interview, and in responding to the question posted by the interviewer, it was not my intention to make a product endorsement," Mnuchin wrote Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the government's ethics office.
Admitting first that he could run afoul of federal ethics laws, Mnuchin raised eyebrows when he answered, "I'm not allowed to promote anything that I'm involved in. So I just want to have the legal disclosure, you've asked me the question, and I am not promoting any product. But you should send all your kids to Lego Batman."
And, finally...
We got some insight into why Vice President Mike Pence seems to prefer the company of men.
This week, we were treated to a horrifying little factoid about Vice President Mike Pence, courtesy of The Washington Post.
Pence, an evangelical Christian, apparently refuses to eat meals alone with any woman besides his wife, Karen. He also won't attend an event where alcohol is served without his wife, an adult woman he reportedly calls "Mother" as a term of endearment, at his side.
This raises a lot of questions, particularly about what self-respecting woman in their right mind tried to parlay a round of happy hour appetizers at an Indiana Chili's into a torrid affair with the curdled glass of skim milk that is Mike Pence.
THE END.
– Trix