The Note: With Trump, all politics is personal

By
Rick Klein
 and
MaryAlice Parks
May 31, 2018, 5:59 AM ET
8 min read

The TAKE with Rick Klein

President Donald Trump is making it all about … President Donald Trump.

It's a fact of Trump's brand of leadership that all politics is personal. It comes through in shifting loyalties, the bestowing of nicknames, and the still-raucous rallies.

Trump's response to Roseanne Barr's firing is about apologies he's not getting. His critique of Attorney General Jeff Sessions is about loyalty he feels like he's not receiving.

And while Trump has praised Kim Jong Un for his conduct – and his leaving the door wide open for a summit, a week after announcing it was off – he is railing against "MS-13 lover Nancy Pelosi" when referring to the House Democratic leader.

White House aides have gone out of their way recently to point out how busy the president is with big challenges – suggesting that he can't be distracted with smaller matters.

For his part, Trump is showing he's not too busy to focus on himself.

The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks

On two heavy-hitting questions yesterday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders had light answers.

When asked how the White House could square the president's claim that law enforcement wrongfully spied on his campaign, with comments from top Republicans, who have had access to classified information, now saying they've seen nothing that seems out of place, Sanders said that there's still "cause for concern," but again offered no additional evidence as to why.

And when a young child stood in a suit and tie and asked an adult question about being scared for his life in American schools, Sanders choked up. Not making light of the problem, she said the administration was doing everything it could, but gave few examples.

She mentioned the Federal Commission on School Safety, which will have its first field visits this week. Three of the four cabinet secretaries who make up the commission will not be in attendance. They all opted out of an earlier May meeting, too.

Principals, psychologists, and PTAs have been urging Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to "meaningfully engage stakeholders," and President Trump will meet with families of the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting today. So, maybe next time there will be more to say.

The TIP with Christopher Donato

Tuesday evening, at a campaign rally in Nashville to support GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn's run for U.S. Senate, President Trump said he had "never heard of" the likely Democratic nominee in the race, former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.

The president even asked the crowd: "Who is he?" referring to Bredesen.

However, just hours before the rally at a closed-door fundraiser for Blackburn, Trump called Bredesen "tough" and said that the Senate race is "close. It's very close," according to an audio recording of the president's remarks obtained by The Tennessean.

Trump's comments and rally come as Blackburn and Bredesen are battling to win to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Bob Corker, who is retiring at the end of his term.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

  • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in New York to meet with senior North Korea official Kim Yong Chol, will hold a press conference at 2:15 p.m. EDT at the Palace Hotel in New York.
  • This afternoon, President Trump meets with Santa Fe families and community leaders. He then holds a roundtable discussion with supporters and speaks at a National Republican Senatorial Committee lunch.
  • Later in the afternoon, the president flies to Dallas, where he will attend fundraising events.
  • Secretary of Defense James Mattis meets with defense ministers from Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines in Singapore at 10:30 p.m. EDT.
  • The Federal Commission on School Safety — including Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos — conducts its first field visit in Hanover, Md. to observe steps schools are taking to enhance school safety.

    • QUOTE OF THE DAY

    "I wrote in the name of a person who I admire deeply, who I think would be an excellent president." — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney to Deseret News and KSL-TV, revealing that he voted for his wife Ann in the 2016 presidential election.

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    The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back tomorrow for the latest.