| | | | | President Donald Trump enters the House chamber Tuesday night to deliver his first State of the Union address. Credit: Pete Marovich/Getty Images | | | SOTU Hangover: How Washington and America are feeling about Donald Trump's address.
Train Crash: Train carrying Republicans to West Virginia retreat this morning hits truck.
Stormy Daniels on Kimmel Was ... Something: It was unreal. | | | What the White House Is Talking About:
President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech Tuesday night.
What the White House Press Corps Is Talking About:
SOTU. Also, the train crash in West Virginia with Republican lawmakers.
More on Train Crash:
News is still coming in on the crash in West Virginia between an Amtrak train carrying Republicans to a retreat and a truck that was on the tracks. Here's the latest.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders released this statement: "The President has been fully briefed on the situation in Virginia and is receiving regular updates. There is one confirmed fatality and one serious injury. There are no serious injuries among members of Congress or their staff. Senior administration officials are in regular contact with Amtrak and state and local authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident."
SOTU Post-Op:
We had a conference room full of fact-checkers doing real-time analysis and research as Trump spoke. (I know this because I walked into it thinking it was the conference room with dinner.) Here's what they learned about what was accurate and what might have been slightly off the fact-o-meter. | | Note: Don't Tell Anyone to Smile:
It's always a bad look -- the telling, not the smiling. Sarah Sanders said on "New Day" this morning: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi should smile more. That was her takeaway from watching Pelosi's reaction to Trump's speech Tuesday night. Sanders described Pelosi as looking "bitter." Here's Pelosi with House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer during the speech. | | Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Our Daily Melania:
Welp, she certainly made a statement Tuesday night. Not only did the first lady opt to ride separately from her husband for the trip to the Capitol from the White House (my scoop here), she stunned in a cream Christian Dior pantsuit, white silk Dolce & Gabbana blouse and sky-high Christian Louboutin heels. Lots of people have read into the whole white suit thing -- and, listen, as with most things Melania, you can look for deeper meaning, or you can take it at face value. Either way, she stood out, and that's what she likes to do. I mentioned this on the air Tuesday night, and some right-leaning news outlets sort of freaked. But it's my job to watch what the first lady does and how she does it, and to posit questions as a result. It's called reporting and commenting 🙋 . | | Credit: Chris Kleponis/Pool/Getty Images
Michelle Obama and the Tiffany Box:
Today on "Ellen," Michelle Obama will discuss that weird moment when MelaniaTrump handed over the blue Tiffany & Co. gift as the Trumps arrived at the White House on Inauguration Day last year. (Spoiler: There was a silver picture frame inside.) Obama says it was only awkward because she didn't know where to put the present while the two couples posed for the traditional photo op -- but her husband stepped in and "saved the day," taking the blue box inside. | | Credit: Getty Images
Dress Like the First Daughter:
Ivanka Trump wore a relatively conservative dress -- for her -- by Oscar de la Renta on Tuesday night. The plaid dress can be found here for $2,690. | | | Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images, neimanmarcus.com | | What Washington Is Talking About:
The train collision. The group of Republicans traveling on the train were en route to a retreat in West Virginia that President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were to attend. The retreat will continue as scheduled.
And Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, announced today he will not seek re-election.
What America Is Talking About:
The emotional support peacock that was wasn't allowed to board a flight out of Newark International Airport.
Poll of the Day:
Among those who watched the State of the Union, 70% said they felt either "very positive" or "somewhat positive," per a CNN poll. It's the lowest net positive SOTU reaction since CNN began asking the question in 1998. If you're wondering how seven out of 10 viewers saying they felt good about the speech is historically low, it's because people who watch the State of the Union are more likely to like the president. | | Credit: CNN
Stormy Daniels on Kimmel was ... Something:
If you didn't see it, you can watch here. It was unreal. Jimmy Kimmel tried to ask Stormy Daniels about her alleged affair with Trump in a variety of ways, and she dodged every question, including when -- after playing the clip of Trump alluding to the size of his genitalia during a debate -- brought out three different sizes of carrots and asked, "Without any commentary, would you like to pick a carrot?" Daniels declined.
"If you didn't have a nondisclosure agreement, you most certainly could say, I don't have a nondisclosure agreement," Kimmel said.
"You're so smart, Jimmy," Daniels responded. | | Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube
Hillary Clinton Drops 1,567 Words on Staffer Accused of Harassment:
Right before SOTU started, Clinton published this post on Facebook saying that if she had a do-over of her decision to keep on a male staffer accused of harassment on her 2008 campaign, she "wouldn't." She wrote:
"Over the years, I have made, directly and indirectly, thousands of personnel decisions – everything from hiring to promoting to disciplining to firing. Most of these decisions worked out well. But I've gotten some wrong."
Clinton also said she spoke with the female staffer who was harassed. "She expressed appreciation that she worked on a campaign where she knew she could come forward without fear."
CNN's Dan Merica and Eric Bradner spoke with Democratic strategists who said the Clintons' history with sexual harassment allegations will complicate them going out on the midterm campaign trail. "Every candidate is going to have to make a determination about who they want on the road with them," one party official said.
The Government Is Looking into iPhones' Battery Slowdown:
The Justice Department is in the early stages of an investigation into Apple's software updates that slow down old iPhones. Apple said in December its updates were meant to protect batteries and offered $29 battery replacements.
Report: Would-Be Ambassador to South Korea Won't Get Job Because He Disagrees with a "Limited Strike" on North Korea:
Victor Cha, a Georgetown University professor who served under George W. Bush and was expected to be the Trump administration's pick for US ambassador to South Korea, won't be picked because he thinks a "bloody nose" strategy with North Korea -- aka the United States engages in a "limited strike" -- is a bad idea, according to The Washington Post.
In an op-ed for the Post today, Cha wrote that while North Korea presents a "real and unprecedented" threat, "the answer is not, as some Trump administration officials have suggested, a preventative military strike," which he said would "likely kill tens, if not hundreds, or thousands of Americans" and not stop the nuclear program.
Washington Ranks Sixth in Number of Cranes in the US:
That's according to the RLB Crane Index, which found the district had 27 cranes. Seattle was No. 1 with 45, and Toronto has us all beat, with 88. | | Credit: Rider Lebett Bucknall
The Next "Purge" Movie Has a MAGA-Themed Rollout:
It's a prequel called "The First Purge," and it's out July Fourth. The trailer is a collection of tired campaign ad tropes, and when it played Tuesday night on CNN, I was like, whoa, they're leaning hard on these, before the ad reveals itself as a horror movie promo. Here's the movie poster: | | Credit: Universal
Street Art Sighting:
Spotted Friday near 2nd and D streets NE by Shelby Parish: a "Don't Blame Me/I was for Jeb!" sticker. Amazing. | | Credit: Ali Ehrlich
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. | | | | | | |
