| | | | | First lady Melania Trump blows bubbles with patients following a roundtable discussion on neonatal abstinence syndrome during a visit to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, Tuesday. The visit was part of her "Be Best" campaign. Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images | | | Level: Orwellian: Trump tells people not to believe their eyes
A Bromance Breaks Up: To quote Carrie Bradshaw: "We're so over, we need a new word for over"
J-Kush's Bro is Getting Hitched: Imagine a wedding that both Ivanka and TSwift attend | | | What the White House is Talking About:
Busy day for President Trump. First, a meeting with Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell in the Oval Office, then a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and later a meeting with members of Congress.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
The tale of the tape -- Michael Cohen and Donald Trump's friendship is imploding before our eyes. Also, we should get a chance to hear from the President at 4 p.m., but otherwise there is currently not an official press briefing on the schedule.
A Bromance Breaks Up:
Last night exclusively on CNN's "Cuomo Primetime," Michael Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, provided a tape of a conversation recorded by Cohen with Donald Trump. It was from 2016, and the two were apparently discussing how to handle the payoff of former Playmate Karen McDougal, with whom Trump allegedly had an affair back in 2006, something he and his staff have both denied. The tape is difficult to hear, and words are not especially clear, which gives room for different interpretations -- which of course both sides have. Rudy Giuliani, Trump's lawyer and someone who has difficulty being quiet, played down the tape, saying he's dealt with worse tapes, because of course he has. And Davis is saying Cohen "has the truth about Donald Trump," whatever that means. I just can't believe how much it feels like the 90s all over again with Davis and Giuliani on the TV -- but I am old. Whatever plays out, it is abundantly clear the long, long relationship with Trump and Cohen, once his trusted fixer and holder of his secrets, is kaput. To quote Carrie Bradshaw: "We're so over, we need a new word for over."
Trump Asks Himself a Rhetorical Question Only He Can Answer:
This morning the President tweeted his disgust about Cohen and the tape. | | Credit: @realDonaldTrump/Twitter
I guess it would be the kind of lawyer you would hire and use all the time for years to be your personal lawyer?
Our Daily Melania, Part One:
I asked Melania Trump's spokeswoman if the first lady had a comment on the latest news about the tape, and also whether the report from the New York Times last night saying Donald Trump was angry that CNN was playing on the first lady's television aboard Air Force One during their travel last week was true. Here's the response I got from Stephanie Grisham, Melania's director of communications:
"Did you know that every 15 minutes a baby is born with NAS? Maybe you'd like to talk about the 160,000 kids who skip school every day for fear of being bullied, or that 280,000 students are physically attacked in schools every month. Seems kind of silly to worry about what channel she watches on TV (any channel she wants btw) or if she heard some recording on the news." 👀
Level: Orwellian:
Yesterday in a speech in Kansas City, Trump told people not to believe their eyes. His exact words were: "Just remember, what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening." It's clear the President is having a difficult time with headlines of late, and he's hopeful that as his decisions on tariffs play out the tide will turn and he will be vindicated -- but just a gentle reminder that what you're seeing and reading is actually what is happening.
Farewell, Ivanka Trump TM:
Ivanka Trump's clothing line is shutting down. Business has been down and she's apparently frustrated by the lack of control and oversight she has had with the line since abandoning it to work in the White House. There was a lot of coverage about the announcement yesterday, but perhaps the harshest (in "Clueless" terms) came from fashion bible Vogue, which stated:
"Trump's brand sells moderately priced (and frequently floral) wardrobe basics, shoes, handbags, and jewelry, and her website also hosts a blog that covers such She-EO–adjacent topics as "How to Create an Inclusive Work Culture" (maybe don't refer to certain types of people as animals or employ men accused of abusing multiple partners?)." Ouch. | | Our Daily Melania, Part Two:
As I mentioned yesterday, I went along to cover Melania Trump's visit to Vanderbilt's Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. She sat for a roundtable about Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, which is part of what's happening with our national opioid crisis, and she also played with three patients in a playroom, see below. Additionally, she met privately with the family of an eight-day-old baby born with NAS. The press wasn't allowed in for this part due to privacy, but I learned that Melania held the baby the entire time she asked questions -- and that the visit was emotional as she asked questions about the addiction of the mother and how hopeful she is about the future. Her spokeswoman says the first lady is in the "fact-finding" stage of her Be Best program and that right now she wants to learn all she can about things like NAS and other issues facing kids -- and later she might turn toward policy and funding possibilities.
As a reporter, it's always challenging to go on these trips, especially when the first lady isn't giving a speech or an interview or formal remarks. It's important, I think, to sort of look for the human moments if we're not going to get anything else -- which can be frustrating, but also revealing. One member of our press pool who had not traveled on a FLOTUS trip before was shocked by seeing how much Melania smiled, and how warm she was with the children. I feel like that was a good indicator of just how little people still know about the first lady, more than a year and a half into her tenure.
Anyway, my favorite part was when she and 4-year-old Essence compared their nail colors. I dug how Essence, who was wearing head-to-toe pink and was THRILLED when Melania gave her a pink blanket, took Melania's fingertips in her hands and really inspected her manicure, saying, "Oh! You painted yours white! I like that." | | | And here are the blankets the first lady brought along to give to the babies and kids she met. She has them made and purchases them with her own money, in case you're wondering (we asked). | | | Credit for both: Kate Bennett | | Dress Like the First Lady:
If you, like me, recognized the dress Melania wore yesterday, then you and I should both get a life. Ha! Seriously, though, I did recognize it because she's worn it before -- to Hamburg, Germany, last year at a G-20 Summit event. For the Nashville trip, she changed the belt from orange to white, and added her white So Kate Christian Louboutin heels. The dress is Jil Sander. | | | Credit: Both Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images | | What Washington is Talking About:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this afternoon to discuss President Trump's meetings with Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, and top Repub leaders say despite Putin's White House invite, the Russian leader isn't welcome on Capitol Hill. "That's something we reserve for allies," Speaker Ryan said.
What America is Talking About:
Demi Lovato was hospitalized Tuesday for an apparent drug overdose. A law enforcement source told CNN Lovato is conscious and stable. Fans responded with the hashtag #HowDemiHasHelpedMe and fellow musicians and other celebrities sent their love and support. 🙏
Poll of the Day:
Americans are more likely to trust the US intelligence community over Trump, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday. The poll found 63% of the voters questioned -- including slightly more than a quarter of Repubs -- say they trust US intelligence to tell them the truth about important issues, compared with 25% who say they would trust Trump. | | Credit: Quinnipiac
The poll also found 39% believe Trump colluded with Russia in 2016, 46% believe his campaign colluded with Russia in 2016, 51% believe the Russian government has "compromising information" about Trump, and only 5% say Russia is an ally.
Jimmy Carter Says the US Isn't a Human Rights Leader Anymore:
Speaking at the Carter Center in Atlanta Tuesday, the former POTUS said the US has "lost the long-term commitment to human rights," citing the Trump administration's border policies. "We're a superpower, not based solely on military power; part of that definition should be a commitment to human rights," he said.
Oof, Sean Spicer's BBC Interview...:
In an interview with BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis, she said Spicer has "corrupted discourse for the entire world." Spicer tried to defend himself, but Maitlis wasn't having any of it. "This is the office of the president spouting lies or half-truths or knocking down real truths, and you were his agent for months," she said. And clarification on something I wrote yesterday: Trump did call Spicer's book "really good" a month ago, but he hasn't tweeted about it since it was released and Spicer began his book tour.
The Politician Who Chased Sacha Baron Cohen Around With His Pants Down Says He'll Retire:
Georgia state Rep. Jason Spencer, who got punked on Cohen's "Who Is America?," has announced his resignation from the legislature effective July 31. On the show, Cohen is disguised as an Israeli anti-terrorism expert who convinces Spencer to shout the n-word and drop trou to ward off terrorists, or as Cohen put it, "use your buttocks to intimidate ISIS." I can't.
J-Kush's Bro is Getting Hitched:
Jared Kushner's brother Josh is engaged to model Karlie Kloss. Kloss shared the below photo on Instagram with the caption, "I love you more than I have words to express. Josh, you're my best friend and my soulmate. I can't wait for forever together. Yes a million times over 💍." People reports he popped the question several weeks ago. Imagine a wedding that both Ivanka and TSwift attend... | | Credit: @karliekloss/Instagram
Real Life Secretaries of State Guest Starring in "Madame Secretary":
Three former secretaries of state -- Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright -- will play themselves in the Season 5 premiere of "Madame Secretary," CBS announced Tuesday. In the episode, Téa Leoni's character Elizabeth McCord asks the former SOSes for advice, per the Hollywood Reporter. | | Credit: CBS
Trump's Hollywood Star Again Vandalized:
Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was smashed up early this morning, the Los Angeles Police Department said. A witness said she saw a man "going to town" on the marble plaque with a pickax around 3 a.m. PT. Authorities are questioning a man they have in custody. | | Credit: Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images
Street Art Sighting:
Artist Maxwell Bernstein is out with a series titled "Limitless" about the effects of climate change. Bernstein uses an X-Acto knife to cut original photos of ocean and beach scenes that are arranged into a collage that presents "a fractured reality of earth" reshaped by "heat waves, desertification, and deforestation as well as rising sea levels," he told me. His first public installation focuses on Miami. | | Credit: Maxwell Burnstein
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.
P.S.:
This year's Kennedy Center Honors have a little something for everyone. The honorees are Cher, Reba McEntire, Philip Glass and Wayne Shorter, and the creators of "Hamilton" will receive special honors. I can't wait. | | | | | | |
