| | | | | President Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday. Credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images | | | What the White House Press Corps is Talking About: Trump's impromptu Q&A
Our Daily Melania: FLOTUS makes unannounced visit to Holocaust Memorial
Oprah on 2020: "I don't have the DNA for it" | | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump has a packed schedule of meetings in Davos, Switzerland. Earlier today he had separate talks with both Theresa May and Benjamin Netanyahu.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
Trump's impromptu press gaggles and question-taking -- say what you will about the content of his answers, this is a president far more willing to speak off-the-cuff to reporters than any in recent memory.
Davos is Fine, but Back Home it's Russia, Russia, Russia:
Doesn't it feel like we're on the precipice of something? Or maybe I just need a day off. Either way, as Trump continues his message of success and progress while in Davos, back home, the Russia investigation still tops chatter. CNN reports special counsel Robert Mueller's team has given Trump's lawyers a range of topics on which the President could be questioned, if and when he does provide testimony in the investigation. And Trump last night popped into a press scrum with White House chief of staff John Kelly to discuss his feelings about testifying. "I am looking forward to it, actually," Trump said of a face-off with Mueller's team. And he said he would testify under oath.
Oh, So Now There's a Pathway to Citizenship?:
Another topic tackled by Trump in that unexpected gaggle last night -- just prior to his departure for Davos -- was immigration, specifically DACA and the possibility of a path to citizenship. "We're going to morph into it. It's going to happen at some point in the future." | | Our Daily Melania, The Museum Visit:
Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum this morning, which was announced via Twitter by her communications director -- Melania posted her own tweet about the visit later, with pictures. She didn't stay all that long, but she apparently toured exhibitions with the museum director and closed with a moment of silence at the Eternal Flame Memorial, and candle-lighting at the Prayer Wall. Later, her office released this statement: "My thoughts and prayers are with the people whose lives and families were broken by the horrors of the Holocaust. Yet it is also through our shared humanity that we come together now in commemoration, strength, and love. My heart is with you, and we remember." This Saturday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Melania had planned to be in Davos with her husband this week, but canceled her trip last-minute, citing logistical issues. | | Credit: @FLOTUS/Twitter
We All Sort of Want to Be Chris Cuomo:
I don't know how I missed this piece from the New York Times the other day called "How Chris Cuomo Looks Buff without Bodybuilding," but it's pretty great. Fun facts: he only uses baby soap; he wakes up between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.; he shines his own shoes, two to three times a week, with just a light buff, no spit shine; he spends five minutes staring at a picture of his father, which hangs in his closet, as part of his daily affirmation; he does Crossfit; he walks his dogs; if he starts a television series to binge watch, he has to watch it until the end. Here's what Chris looks like when he's working out: | | Credit: Krista Schlueter for The New York Times, nytimes.com
Oprah's Cover Moment:
Hunter has more on Oprah Winfrey in his section below, but here she is as part of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue cover, which is out tomorrow. Shot by Annie Leibovitz in that dreamy, color, hair-blowing way she does, Oprah's literally draped with Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, because why not? Here's the story on all the cover subjects. | | | Credit: Annie Leibovitz exclusively for Vanity Fair | | What Washington is Talking About:
The Senate's trying to figure out immigration. Bipartisan groups held meetings today and last night, and some are frustrated at the White House's inability to lead on the issue and President Trump's flip-flopping.
What America is Talking About:
Elton John has announced he's retiring after a final world tour, telling our Anderson Cooper, "I've been touring since I was 17 with various bands. I thought the time is right to say thank you to all my fans and say goodbye."
Poll of the Day:
Congressional Repubs are largely off the hook for the shutdown, per a Quinnipiac poll released yesterday. Only 18% of voters believe Repubs are to blame, while 32% blame Dems and 31% blame Trump. | | Credit: Quinnipiac
Mike Pence, Tiebreaker:
Vice President Pence made not one but two tie-breaking votes yesterday in the Senate, both in the confirmation hearing for Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback as ambassador at large for international religious freedom. Pence has cast a total of eight tie-breaking votes as Veep, as many as Dick Cheney did in eight years. Joe Biden cast zero and Al Gore four.
There are Hundreds of New #ReleaseTheMemo Accounts on Twitter:
CNN has found that between last Thursday and Sunday, more than 1,000 Twitter accounts were created that are tweeting the #ReleaseTheMemo hashtag. At least 460 are "egg" accounts that don't have an avatar, and about 200 of them had four tweets or fewer by Sunday night.
Oprah on 2020: It's Not in her DNA
In an interview with InStyle (done before her speech at the Golden Globes), Oprah said she's gone as far as meet with someone who'd help with her potential presidential campaign, but ultimately, it's not for her. She said:
"I've always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not. And so it's not something that interests me. I don't have the DNA for it. Gayle [King]—who knows me as well as I know myself practically—has been calling me regularly and texting me things, like a woman in the airport saying, "When's Oprah going to run?" So Gayle sends me these things, and then she'll go, "I know, I know, I know! It wouldn't be good for you—it would be good for everyone else." I met with someone the other day who said that they would help me with a campaign. That's not for me." | | Credit: Phil Poynter for InStyle
Michael Wolff Has a Bigger Hit Than Taylor Swift:
"Fire and Fury" is a pop hit. In nearly three weeks, it's sold 1.7 million copies. To put that into perspective, Taylor Swift's Reputation, the top-selling album of 2017, sold 1.5 million copies in its first three weeks, according to data from Nielsen Music.
Of course, many people today stream rather than buy the music they listen to, or buy songs from an album rather the entire album. Nielsen also tracks this for Billboard -- counting 1,500 streams or 10 digital track sales as an equivalent album sale -- and Swift racked up 62,000 equivalent album sales in the album's first three weeks. Let's say the parallel for that in publishing would be page views of book excerpts, and I'm willing to bet the excerpts published by New York magazine, The Guardian, British GQ, and the "making-of-the-book" Hollywood Reporter article, as well as the articles aggregating them, blow T-Swift's equivalent album sales numbers out of the water. Maybe Wolff should now consider going on a world tour?
Cecile Richards Reportedly Stepping Down from Planned Parenthood:
That's according to BuzzFeed. In a statement, PP said, "Cecile plans to discuss 2018 and the next steps for Planned Parenthood's future at the upcoming board meeting," which is scheduled for next week. Richards, the daughter of the last Dem governor of Texas -- "white hot mama" Ann Richards -- has a book out in April titled "Make Trouble."
Ex-Spy Says Kim Jong Un to Use Olympics as "Weapon":
Kim Hyon-hui, a former North Korean spy who bombed a plane bound for Seoul ahead of the 1988 Olympics on orders from the Kim regime, told NBC Kim Jong Un will try to use the Olympics next month in Pyeongchang as a "weapon" and "publicity stunt." North Korea is "trying to escape the sanctions by holding hands with South Korea, trying to break free from international isolation," she said.
Street Art Sighting:
Spotted by photographer Miguel Medina in Davos, Switzerland, a sign outside a house near the annual World Economic Forum trolling Trump with "fire and fury." | | Credit: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images
If you spot political street art, I'd love to see it. Here's how you can reach me:
1. Tweet me @hunterschwarz
2. Tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz
3. Email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com | | | | | | |
