The Note: Tests for Trump's 'attitude' on the world stage
Attitude is everything, unless of course it leads to nothing.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
Attitude is everything, unless of course it leads to nothing.
Now that we know that President Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un will be either a “terrific success or a modified success” as he put it– and that it could lead to a White House invitation, unless there’s a reason to return to “maximum pressure” – Trump has managed to open up the range of options in a way that downplays expectations.
Yet Trump’s biggest foray onto the world stage, starting with the G7 summit in Canada on Friday, puts the emerging Trump leadership style to its most strenuous tests yet.
He figures to be an isolated figure in both Quebec and Singapore – only partly by design. As Trump has shown domestically in recent days, his style is situational, transactional, and confrontational all at once.
In a world where words can matter – ahem, John Bolton and Rudy Giuliani – Trump’s concession about his own level of preparation is stark: “I don’t think I have to prepare very much,” the president said Thursday. “It's about attitude, it's about willingness to get things done.”
Central to Trump’s attitude at this moment is his faith in himself.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
The day after the most populous state in the union held its primary, leaders in the most populous county in that state held a hearing to start looking at what went wrong.
More than 118,000 names were left off voter rosters in Los Angeles County on primary election day this week.
In 2018, when there has been so much swirling around election safety, security and reliability, it is not surprising (and, in fact, important) that leaders were pushing for answers.
The debacle, which was attributed to a printing error by local officials at the time, affected roughly 2.3 percent of the registered voters across the county.
For context, LA County alone has more residents than do 41 states.
Two percent may seem like a small figure but plenty of the races in the state ended up closer than that.
In California's 48th Congressional District, which butts right up to LA County and was one of the most closely watched primary races in the nation, the two Democrats still fighting for the second slot on the general election ballot are currently separated by only 45 votes.
The TIP with John Verhovek
Now that the dust has largely settled after Tuesday’s primaries in California, both parties are taking stock of the results in key House districts up and down the state.
Democrats still appear to have avoided lockouts in the most competitive districts in the state, including all seven GOP-held House districts that Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election (10, 21, 25, 39, 45, 48 and 49), but the GOP is touting the fact that in all but one of those districts (CA-49), Republican turnout looks to be higher than Democrats.
One key point to remember that mail-in votes are still being counted in the state, which could skew the results towards Democrats slightly in the final count.
Despite worries that the state’s “jungle primary” system would shut out Democrats, Republicans fell victim to that fate in a number of districts. Overall in the state, Republicans will be locked out of 10 districts in November, mostly in very blue areas and seats where the incumbent is running unopposed.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be.” — French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the G7 summit in Quebec, pushing back on President Trump’s efforts to renegotiate trade rules.
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Trump says he doesn't need to 'prepare very much' for North Korea summit, 'it's about attitude'. President Trump said Thursday he thinks he’s "very well prepared" for his summit meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un but said the meeting is more about "attitude" than it is a matter of preparation. Trump made the comment sitting next to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was in Washington to discuss the summit. (Jordyn Phelps) https://abcn.ws/2sPUxAc
President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe express optimism ahead of summit. “I hope the upcoming meeting in Singapore represents the beginning of a bright new future for North Korea and indeed a bright new future for the world,” said Trump. “I would like to pay my deep respect to the outstanding leadership of President Trump, as he made this decision that no past presidents were able to accomplish,” Abe said. (Meridith McGraw) https://abcn.ws/2LvWqKd
White House shoots down Rodman playing a role in North Korea summit. Though a source familiar tells ABC News that former NBA star Dennis Rodman plans to be in Singapore during President Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un set for June 12, the White House says Rodman will not have a role to play in the historic summit. (Jordyn Phelps) https://abcn.ws/2kWFBgm
White House strikes deal with Chinese company ZTE, despite lawmaker objections. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced a “definitive” deal Thursday. ZTE will be required to pay a $1 billion fine, is replacing its management, and will submit to oversight from the U.S. Commerce Department in order to be relieved of the crippling punishments that had been slapped on the company for its previous evasion of sanctions placed on North Korea and Iran. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle blasted President Trump’s handling of the matter. (Jordyn Phelps) https://abcn.ws/2Jje6MD
Senate Republicans divided on whether, and when, to tie Trump's hands on tariffs. They say they would be more aggressive in tying President Donald Trump’s hands when it comes to imposing tariffs on allies if he were not in the middle of trade negotiations with some of those same allies. (Ali Rogin) https://abcn.ws/2kXgaeC
First lady's office pushes back against Giuliani on Stormy Daniels comment. “I don’t believe Mrs. Trump has ever discussed her thoughts on anything with Mr. Giuliani,” Stephanie Grisham, communications director for the first lady, told ABC News. On Wednesday, President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani said of the first lady regarding the President’s alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, she “believes her husband, and she knows it’s untrue. I don't even think there's a slight suspicion that it's true.” (Meridith McGraw and John Santucci) https://abcn.ws/2JCKXuZ
'Oconus lures': Evolution of a conspiracy theory, from Reddit to the White House. As the so-called “Spygate” conspiracy simmers in the public debate, a fresh take on the matter boiled over on cable news earlier this week and eventually made its way to the president’s Twitter feed, too. (James Hill and Lucien Bruggeman) https://abcn.ws/2LwjwAo
Trump petitions court to keep attorney-client privilege debate secret. Judge Kimba Wood of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York appointed a “special master” to determine which materials seized in the FBI’s April raids of Michael Cohen’s home, office, hotel room and safety deposit box could be used in court by prosecutors. In a letter to Judge Wood filed late Wednesday, Trump’s attorney Joanna Hendon petitioned the court to allow her to submit her objections to the special master’s findings under seal. (Aaron Katersky and James Hill) https://abcn.ws/2LvxzGf
Treasury stonewalling on demands for docs on Trump lawyer, Dem senator says. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, says the Treasury Department is refusing to turn over documents and information to Congress related to President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen and his consulting firm’s relationship with Swiss drug company Novartis and other possible clients. (Benjamin Siegel) https://abcn.ws/2kTwJI4
Despite mounting scandals, some White House officials believe Trump might not fire Pruitt. A growing number of White House officials say they are growing more pessimistic that despite multiple ethics investigations, questions about his spending, and now accusations he used his official capacity attempting to secure a business venture for his spouse – embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has one thing he does not need to worry about – his job. (John Santucci) https://abcn.ws/2sA21Ir
House Republicans grapple with immigration debate, don't reach deal in 2-hour huddle. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who walked members through the issues with PowerPoint slides, made the case that any solution needed to coalesce around President Trump's "four pillars" immigration framework laid out earlier this year. Though they did not reach a compromise, conservatives and moderates who have sparred over policy shared optimism about the tone and direction of negotiations. (Benjamin Siegel) https://abcn.ws/2Hwlezc
Democrats allege harm when Trump accepts foreign gifts without their vote. Congressional Democrats asked a federal judge Thursday to hear a lawsuit they've brought against President Trump claiming that they have a constitutional right to consent to all foreign emoluments, or benefits, he gets, including payments to his businesses. “We are being denied our right to vote,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal. (Trish Turner) https://abcn.ws/2xUkMv6
Senators announce bill to protect states' legalization of marijuana. Sens. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, and Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, which would ensure that states can make and enforce their own laws pertaining to the production and distribution of marijuana as long as states comply with a few federally-mandated basic protections. (Ali Rogin) https://abcn.ws/2sVat4v
Democrats are making the first move in the “next great health care war,” spurred by the fact that health care costs are rising almost across the board, reports Sam Baker at Axios. https://bit.ly/2kSl5x9
“If all politics was local in the era of Tip O’Neill, the reverse may be true under Trump,” writes Matt Stout in the Boston Globe in a piece that looks at how local and statewide races, which used to largely avoid Washington-related matters, are now all about the President. https://bit.ly/2M6Ke3K
The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back Monday for the latest.