The Note: Two Weeks of Trump
A look at today's top political stories.
— -- Trump’s First 100 Days with ABC’s RICK KLEIN and SHUSHANNAH WALSHE
Day No. 15
THE BIG STORY: Welcome to the big leagues, bigly. After a news cycle dominated by foreign-policy clashes and potential ones – even tense words among allies – it looks like President Trump is moderating his foreign-policy bluster. United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley went to the UN with a warning for Russia – a first for the Trump team. And a strange evening statement – the kind that can’t come out of nowhere – pronounced that the president believes that new settlements beyond Israel’s “current borders may not be helpful” in achieving peace. That sounds very … Obama. It all has the appearances of an administration team that is realizing that governing is quite a bit more complicated than campaigning. The president has discovered the need for nuance, at least for now.
THE SLEEPER STORY: Candidate Trump always made clear that he wanted to get rid of the Johnson Amendment, even though the vast majority of voters surely had no idea what he was talking about. His National Prayer Breakfast vow to “totally destroy” that piece of law plays great among churches that want to play more politics. But there’s a reason it’s stayed on the books for six decades. Getting rid of it would mean tax-exempt institutions could endorse and/or oppose candidates. That would upend the campaign-finance system overnight, by allowing de facto campaign contributions to be tax deductible –funneled through houses of worship. It’s not clear whether Congress would go along. But a draft executive order circulating inside the Trump administration would weaken enforcement – a first step, perhaps, toward repeal.
THE SHINY STORY: Is there any more perfectly, completely Trumpian feud than the one the president is stoking with Arnold Schwarzenegger? Trump’s shot at the new “Celebrity Apprentice” host’s ratings –on the show Trump still has a producing credit on – was of course designed to get Schwarzenegger to fire back. The battle is joined, and more people might watch – promotion accomplished. In some ways, this Donald vs. Arnold fight is the least difficult to understand development of Trump’s presidency. It’s one of those classic promotional stunts where the “fight” isn’t meant to have a winner, since both sides win while it’s waged. So yeah, Trump still knows how to play that game, even as president.
TLDR: After a week of headlines in the foreign policy world and clashes with even the closes of allies, the Trump administration seems to be changing their tactics. At the UN, Ambassador Nikki Haley sent a warning to Russia and last night a statement said Israel's building of settlements "may not be helpful." Quite the change...oh and the president is Twitter brawling with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
PHOTO OF THE DAY: A French soldier on duty at a shopping mall beneath the Louvre Museum in Paris opened fire Friday morning on a machete-wielding man who attempted to attack a group of soldiers and police officers, according to authorities.
THIS MORNING'S TRUMP TWEETS:
6:24 AM: Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger did a really bad job as Governor of California and even worse on the Apprentice...but at least he tried hard!
6:28 AM: Iran is playing with fire - they don't appreciate how "kind" President Obama was to them. Not me!
6:34 AM: Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about our very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about. Very nice!
6:41 AM: Meeting with biggest business leaders this morning. Good jobs are coming back to U.S., health care and tax bills are being crafted NOW!
6:48 AM: Professional anarchists, thugs and paid protesters are proving the point of the millions of people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
7:51 AM: A new radical Islamic terrorist has just attacked in Louvre Museum in Paris. Tourists were locked down. France on edge again. GET SMART U.S.
NOTABLES
--BANNON AND PRIEBUS MEET WITH AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR AFTER REFUGEE FLAP. The Australian ambassador to the United States met with Donald Trump's chief of staff, Reince Priebus and chief strategist, Steve Bannon, at the White House today, after the president criticized a refugee resettlement agreement between the United States and Australia. In a statement, a White House official said the meeting with Ambassador Joe Hockey was "productive." "They conveyed the President's deep admiration for the Australian people," the official said. ABC's BENJAMIN SIEGEL has more. http://abcn.ws/2kvwLqY
--TRUMP WHITE HOUSE PREPARING NEW SANCTIONS ON IRAN, OFFICIALS SAY. Senior White House administration officials told ABC News Thursday that new sanctions on Iran are “in the works” and could come “as soon as tomorrow.” The sanctions are President Donald Trump’s administration's response to Iran’s ballistic missile test on Sunday. Just Wednesday National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn said the White House was "officially putting Iran on notice.” “The Trump administration condemns such actions by Iran that undermine security, prosperity, and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East and place Americans lives at risk,” Flynn said. ABC's JONATHAN KARL, DEVIN DWYER and LISSETTE RODRIGUEZ have more. http://abcn.ws/2jJvpo7
--BREAKING THIS MORNING: FRENCH SOLDIER SHOOTS MACHETE-WIELDING ATTACKER IN PARIS. A French soldier on duty at a shopping mall beneath the Louvre Museum in Paris opened fire Friday morning on a machete-wielding man who attempted to attack a group of soldiers and police officers, according to authorities. French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve described the attack as "terrorist in nature" and has opened a terror investigation, according to ABC's DAVID CAPLAN and MORGAN WINSOR. There is a significant presence of soldiers in the French capital since the country is in an extended state of emergency until July 2017. Paris Police Chief Michel Cadot said the man, armed with a machete and shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great" in Arabic), launched himself at soldiers and police officers at the Carrousel du Louvre underground shopping complex. http://abcn.ws/2jKm53j
--THE PRESIDENT’S SCHEDULE: President Trump will receive an daily intelligence briefing in the Oval Office this morning before taping his weekly address and participating in a strategy and policy forum, according to the White House. He'll sign executive actions at noon in the Oval Office, followed by lunch with National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Then President Trump will leave for the weekend in Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort.
--TODAY'S WOW STAT: President Trump has 11 unconfirmed Cabinet nominees. That's more unconfirmed nominees two weeks into a tenure than all previous presidents combined, according to an ABC News review of data from the Congressional Research Service by ABC's RYAN STRUYK. http://abcn.ws/2jCTJgf
--FROM ABC's "POWERHOUSE POLITICS" PODCAST: White House Senior Adviser Stephen Miller told ABC News' "Powerhouse Politics" podcast that "the only disruption" that resulted from the administration's controversial immigration executive order "was a disruption created by protesters." Miller also said he believes that in the two weeks of the Trump administration “there hasn’t been a low point.” Trump’s executive order on immigration -- which temporarily banned most immigration from seven countries and shut down the Syrian refugee program indefinitely -- has received pushback from Democrats in Washington, but Miller told ABC's JONATHAN KARL and RICK KLEIN on the "Powerhouse Politics" podcast that the majority of the country welcomes the change, via ABC's RILEY BEGGIN. LISTEN: http://apple.co/21V9721 READ: http://abcn.ws/2l2BhKj
SPEED READ with ABC's ADAM KELSEY
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING: The conservative group Judicial Crisis Network is starting to air its new pro-Gorsuch ad today in Missouri, Indiana, North Dakota, Colorado and DC. The group says it has already placed $2 million of its $10 million total expected buy to support the justice's confirmation to the Supreme Court. https://youtu.be/7n1wVJ75x48
DONALD TRUMP PLEDGES TO 'DESTROY' LAW BLOCKING POLITICAL ACTIVITY BY CHURCHES. President Donald Trump pledged Thursday to "destroy" the six-decade-old Johnson Amendment, which bars churches from engaging in political activities. "It was the great Thomas Jefferson who said, 'The God who gave us life gave us liberty.' Jefferson asked, 'Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?' Among those freedoms is the right to worship according to our own beliefs," Trump said at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning. ABC’s JENNIFER HANSLER has more: http://abcn.ws/2k0qQXL
NEW ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS 'MAY NOT BE HELPFUL' IN ACHIEVING PEACE, WHITE HOUSE SAYS. The construction of new Israeli settlements "may not be helpful in achieving" peace between Israelis and Palestinians, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said today. While the Trump administration does not believe the "existence of settlements is an impediment to peace," Spicer said, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders is unadvisable. "As the president has expressed many times, he hopes to achieve peace throughout the Middle East region," Spicer said in a statement. ABC's JULIA JACOBO has more. http://abcn.ws/2l0A4Ea
FROM THE UNITED NATIONS: NIKKI HALEY BLAST RUSSIA IN FIRST REMARKS AS AMBASSADOR. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley took aim at Russia today in her first comments before the U.N. Security Council. Haley said it was “unfortunate” that she had to level criticisms, but she said, “I must condemn the aggressive actions of Russia.” “We do want to better our relations with Russia, however the dire situation in eastern Ukraine is one that demands clear and strong condemnation of Russian actions,” Haley said. “This escalation of violence must stop.” ABC's J.J. GALLAGHER and JUSTIN FISHEL have more. http://abcn.ws/2knmZVp
NORDSTROM DROPS IVANKA TRUMP'S CLOTHING COLLECTION OVER 'BRAND'S PERFORMANCE.' Nordstrom will no longer sell Ivanka Trump's eponymous clothing and accessories line, the Seattle-based department store chain announced Thursday. "We've got thousands of brands –- more than 2,000 offered on the site alone," said a spokesperson for the retailer, which has nearly 350 stores under various banners across North America. "Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business. Each year we cut about 10 percent and refresh our assortment with about the same amount. In this case, based on the brand’s performance we’ve decided not to buy it for this season." ABC's JORDYN PHELPS and DAVID CAPLAN have more. http://abcn.ws/2kApje9
CIVILIANS 'DEFINITELY' KILLED IN SEAL OPERATION IN YEMEN. Almost as intense as the planning that went into last weekend's Navy SEAL operation in Yemen to seize valuable intel on al-Qaeda's most dangerous affiliate was the effort to assess whether any civilians – including children – were killed in the brutal firefight that left one American dead and several wounded, reports ABC’s JAMES GORDON MEEK. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said Wednesday that "civilian non-combatants likely were killed," during the SEAL Team Six raid on an al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) compound in Yemen's remote mountains. http://abcn.ws/2l1wN6W
UBER CEO STEPS DOWN FROM TRUMP ECONOMIC COUNCIL AMID IMMIGRATION CONTROVERSY. Travis Kalanick, the co-founder and chief executive of popular ride-sharing app Uber, announced Thursday he is stepping down from his position on President Donald Trump’s economic advisory council. The decision, shared with Uber employees in a company-wide memo obtained by ABC News, comes the same week that a number of technology companies have expressed opposition to Trump’s recent executive order limiting travel and immigration for nationals of seven countries. “Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the President or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that,” wrote Kalanick in the memo, according to ABC's ADAM KELSEY. http://abcn.ws/2kvAbuc
YEMEN RAID THAT LIKELY KILLED CIVILIANS WAS 'WELL THOUGHT OUT,' WHITE HOUSE SAYS. The White House characterized Sunday's deadly raid in Yemen that likely killed civilians as "a very, very well thought out and executed effort." On Thursday, press secretary Sean Spicer took reporters through a timeline of events leading up to the mission. Spicer said the planning of the mission began back in November under the Obama administration, but it was not carried out until this past weekend because officials were waiting for a moonless night, ABC’s MICHAEL EDISON HAYDEN writes. http://abcn.ws/2kZab7I
NYC BODEGAS, DELIS GO ON STRIKE IN PROTEST OF IMMIGRATION BAN. More than a thousand bodegas and delis across New York City closed Thursday in protest of President Trump's temporary immigration ban, notes ABC’s JENNIFER HANSLER. The strike was organized by Yemeni shop owners as a show of solidarity and defiance to last week's executive order. The directive -- which is being decried by critics as a "Muslim ban" -- indefinitely blocks immigration from Syria and temporarily halts travel for many from six other Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. http://abcn.ws/2jBXUco
HOW TRUMP'S SUPREME COURT NOMINEE NEIL GORSUCH'S PAST OPINIONS COULD IMPACT FUTURE CASES. President Trump announced on Tuesday the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, 49, to the U.S Supreme Court. “I’ve selected an individual whose qualities define, really and closely define, what we’re looking for: outstanding legal skill, a brilliant legal mind and discipline,” Trump said. Gorsuch's judicial record offers some insight on how he might rule on certain issues, explains ABC’s AUDREY TAYLOR. http://abcn.ws/2l06mPH
WHO’S TWEETING with ABC's MERIDITH MCGRAW
@maryaliceparks: .@matthewjdowd on @GMA compares Pres Trump's low job approval rating to a weak offensive line.... Results: emboldens the defense.
@KellyannePolls: On @hardball @NBCNews @MSNBC I meant to say "Bowling Green terrorists" as reported here: http://abcn.ws/1OYlDvx
@maggieNYT: Ivanka Trump hosts ultra-wealthy dinner party to discuss affordable child care options. Good @anniekarni scoop http://politi.co/2koWf7f
@AliABCNews: Sen. Patty Murray says she's received 40,000 emails/letters from constituents urging no votes on DeVos
@mj_lee: Ruline Steininger, 103-y/o Hillary Clinton supporter who hoped to elect a woman president, died Tuesday. http://cnn.it/2kwYebW
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