| | | | | President Donald Trump speaks to reporters Tuesday on the White House South Lawn before boarding Marine One. Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images | | | First Lady Says Women "Need Evidence" if They Say They're Victims: An early clip from Melania Trump's ABC interview
Trump the Vote: Rock the Vote wasn't happy Eric Trump used a cropped version of the organization's graphic
Taylor Swift Uses Acceptance Speech to Encourage Voting: The artist of the year winner called on her fans to vote at the AMAs | | | What the White House Is Talking About:
President Donald Trump is again on the road today, this time in Erie, Pennsylvania, for a rally. But first, this morning he was meeting with officials to get Hurricane Michael updates. Later he will participate in a signing ceremony for the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act.
What the White House Press Corps Is Talking About:
Still on the Nikki Haley resignation trail -- what was behind her exit, who knew about it, who's going to take her place at the United Nations. Also, another day with no formal White House press briefing.
Ivanka Trump Won't Be Filling the Role:
Even though her dad said she would be "dynamite" as US ambassador to the United Nations -- and even though there was a lot of speculation she was in the running -- the first daughter has settled the debate herself: | | Credit: @IvankaTrump/Twitter
Our Daily Melania:
Clips are being released of Melania Trump's sit-down interview with ABC News' Tom Llamas, which she taped last week in Africa. She talked about the MeToo movement, saying basically that she thinks female victims of sexual assault should not come forward unless they have evidence. She said, "I do stand with women, but we need to show the evidence. You cannot just say to somebody, 'I was sexually assaulted,' or, 'You did that to me,' because sometimes the media goes too far and the way they portray some stories it's, it's not correct, it's not right." She also said she stands with men, too. Sounds as though she is very much in alignment with her husband's beliefs on the subject. ...
Hurricane Michael Keeps Getting Stronger:
We woke up to news today that Hurricane Michael is now a Category 4 storm and the dangers are real. Keep up with all the latest with live updates: | | Credit: CNN.com
Biden Not Running "at This Point":
Joe Biden told an audience at a London speaking engagement he's not running for president in 2020 at this point -- he's said before he'll make up his mind after the midterms. "I think there are many people in the Democratic Party that can defeat Trump and not a single aspiring candidate that I can think of for the nomination -- and I am not one at this point -- does not have a better understanding and formulation of American foreign policy than President Trump," he said.
Weiner to Be Released:
Former US Rep. Anthony Weiner is getting out of jail early because of good behavior. So now he's set to get out in May instead of August. | | Dress Like the First Daughter:
I got a few emails and texts asking me about Ivanka Trump's Tuesday look -- which was sort of librarian-meets-Amish-meets-?. The jacket, to be honest, I have no idea. But the skirt looks like the Alice + Olivia-pleated "Essie" skirt she has worn before and is no longer in stock anywhere. But the label really does a nice pleated skirt and has a few in the new collection. I'm obsessing about this red printed one, but it's $695 😲 | | | Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images, bloomingdales.com | | What Washington Is Talking About:
Missing Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi's fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post calling on Donald Trump to help shed light on Khashoggi's disappearance, and Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan said in a statement, "We demand to know the truth." Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and FBI Director Christopher Wray are testifying today on threats to the homeland, and Wray said the investigation into Brett Kavanaugh "was limited in scope" by the White House, which he said was "consistent with the standard process for such investigations." And Democrats in the Senate plan to force a vote on health care.
What America Is Talking About:
Hurricane Michael strengthened to a Category 4 storm overnight and is expected to make landfall this afternoon; 409 Beadnose the brown bear is the thickest bear at Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve; and the Miss America Organization is retaliating against rebellious states, terminating the license of four states and threatening another 15 with probation.
Reminder:
Today is the final day to register to vote in Missouri, and those who register by mail in Montana must have their forms in by today.
Poll of the Day:
Democrats are polling ahead of Republicans 54% to 41% in a generic ballot matchup, according to a new CNN poll. It's Democrats' widest margin of support in a midterm year since 2006. | | Credit: CNN
Bloomberg Is a Democrat Again:
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Instagram this morning that he's re-registering as a Democrat because "we need Democrats to provide the checks and balances our nation so badly needs."
Romney Calls Family Separation a "Dark Chapter":
Mitt Romney said Tuesday night during a Utah Senate debate that the Trump administration's separation of families at the border was "inexcusable" and a "dark chapter in American history." One important note on that: The chapter isn't over.
Bernie Sanders Says Trump Inspires Authoritarians:
Sen. Bernie Sanders said during a speech Tuesday at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington that Trump inspires "authoritarian leaders around the world."
"While this authoritarian trend certainly did not begin with Donald Trump," Sanders said, "there's no question that other authoritarian leaders around the world have drawn inspiration from the fact that the President of the world's oldest and most powerful democracy is shattering democratic norms, is viciously attacking an independent media and an independent judiciary, and is scapegoating the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society."
Trump the Vote:
Eric Trump called on his Twitter followers to register to vote Tuesday, using a Rock the Vote graphic with its logo cropped out and a #MakeAmericaGreatAgain hashtag added. President Trump RTed it. Rock the Vote was not happy.
"It greatly disturbs me that the President and his family would rip off an informational graphic from a nonpartisan voting rights organization and use it for partisan political gain," Rock the Vote President Carolyn DeWitt said in a statement. "Not only are they stealing and not giving credit for the original work. But, Donald Trump has a history of only wanting a select few to register to vote and participate in our democracy, whereas Rock the Vote has worked tirelessly to defend voting rights for all Americans." | | Credit: @RockTheVote/@EricTrump/Twitter
Taylor Swift Uses Acceptance Speech to Encourage Voting:
The will-she-or-won't-she aspect of Tuesday night's American Music Awards made it one of the most gripping award shows I've seen in years. I honestly didn't know whether or not Swift, two days off her rare political statement saying she's voting for Democrats in the midterms, would say anything about voting.
She finally did, in the closing seconds of her acceptance speech for artist of the year, her last award for the night. (She beat out Drake, Imagine Dragons, Post Malone and Ed Sheeran.) "This award and every single award given out tonight were voted on by the people, and you know what else is voted on by the people?" Swift asked. "It is the midterm elections on November 6. Get out and vote. I love you guys."
Swift won four awards Tuesday night -- including for tour of the year, favorite female artist pop/rock and favorite album pop/rock. The wins brought her total career AMA haul to 22, breaking Whitney Houston's record for most AMAs for a female artist. | | Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Also during the show, Khalid gave a shout-out to Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke of Texas and Billy Eichner gave a shout-out to voting. Host Tracee Ellis Ross -- who wore looks by black designers -- wore an "I Am a Voter" T-shirt. And Ryan Adams -- who once recorded a cover album of Swift's 1989 -- tweeted that he's "25% more likely" to cover the singer's Reputation and donate the profits to getting Trump "and his joker gang" out of office. | | Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images For dcp
Bredesen Touts Swift Endorsement in New Video:
Phil Bredesen, the Democratic Senate candidate in Tennessee whom Swift said she was voting for, put out a video touting the singer's endorsement that opens with the text "Look What You Made Her Do." I will say, the Bredesen campaign hasn't had as much fun with celebrating getting the historic first-ever Swift endorsement as it could have, but also, maybe it's good if it just plays it straight and doesn't do anything that looks like it's trying too hard.
Street Art Sighting:
This mural of a "Joker" Trump was spotted in Buenos Aires. The Joker was a political art motif back in 2009 after Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his performance as the villain in "The Dark Knight," and the Obama Joker became a popular image on the right. | | Credit: @lksriv/Instagram
If you spot political street art, tweet me @hunterschwarz, tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com with your sighting so I can feature it in COVER/LINE. | | | | | | |
