| | | | | President Trump presents fast food at the White House Monday evening to be served to the Clemson Tigers football team to celebrate their college football championship. Credit: Chris Kleponis/Pool/Getty Images | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump has no public events on his schedule today, but he is scheduled to host a lunch with members of Congress, believed to be another attempt at negotiating a deal on border funding.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
William Barr's testimony today on the Hill for his confirmation hearing to become attorney general.
Shutdown Day 25:
And it's a deadlock. Neither side appears to be budging.
He's Lovin' It:
Unless you're living under a rock (and god I envy you if you are) you saw the photos of the Clemson football team eating a plethora of fast food in the State Dining Room at the White House last night. The food was provided by Trump, who paid for it out of pocket, but the event was not the White House social experience most guests get to experience -- the residence staff is down to 21 from its regular 79. Not that the President appeared to mind, or be embarrassed that he had to provide Big Macs instead of a buffet of the usual White House kitchen fare.
During his remarks, Trump said something that I found totally sexist, tbh, suggesting that the fast food was better than an alternative, prepped by the ladies:
"So I had a choice, do we have no food for you? Because we have a shutdown," Trump said, speaking to the Clemson football players. "Or do we give you some little quick salads the first lady will make, along with the second lady, they'll make some salads." 😳
Trump then posed for a bunch of photos in front of the spread. Now if Abraham Lincoln was pondering what he would eat from the choices, I would say he's a quarter-pounder-with-cheese kind of guy. Also, in the photo below, which is spectacular when you really step back and think about what in the heck is happening, the man on the right is Timothy Harleth, the chief usher of the White House. | | Credit: Chris Kleponis/Getty Images
Hamberders Are Delicious:
This morning Trump tweeted about how much the football players ate last night, with one glaring typo: he spelled hamburgers "hamberders." It's now corrected in his feed, but below is a screenshot of the original tweet. And the sick burn response from actual Burger King. | | Credit: screenshot, @realDonaldTrump/Twitter, @BurgerKing/Twitter
And my personal favorite thing floating around the interwebs today: | | Credit: @burgerking/Twitter
Barr to Mueller: Go On:
Attorney general nominee William Barr indicated to the Senate today that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation should go forward, unhindered. "On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work," Barr said in his opening remarks. "I believe it is in the best interest of everyone -- the President, Congress, and, most importantly, the American people -- that this matter be resolved by allowing the special counsel to complete his work," he said. "The country needs a credible resolution of these issues. If confirmed, I will not permit partisan politics, personal interests, or any other improper consideration to interfere with this or any other investigation." During testimony he added that Mueller, a longtime friend of Barr's, would not be involved in a "witch hunt," and that he personally has no intention of impeding the investigation in any way, even if the President wishes him to do so. You can follow all the live updates from today's hearing here.
TSA Sick-Outs, Real News:
More than a week ago, CNN's Rene Marsh and Gregory Wallace broke the story that TSA employees, who are federal workers being forced to work without paychecks during the shutdown, had started to call in sick, creating longer lines at airports. The President decried it on Twitter as fake news, even the head of the TSA pushed back -- but they were wrong and, of course, CNN's reporting was right. Today the TSA sick-outs are spreading across major airports in the United States, forcing long lines and more chaos at the airport for travelers. I'm not bemoaning the TSA workers' decision to call in sick, it's their right, and some are doing so in order to do other work that *does* bring in an income -- because working hard without the pay needed to live as you have been must be incredibly stressful and frustrating.
"I've Been Here All Weekend":
My friend and fellow White House beat colleague Katie Rogers, of the New York Times, can write the hell out of a news-feature piece, and I thoroughly enjoyed her latest, posted last night, about what might be going on in the President's psyche -- now that he's a shut-in, or feels like he is. "So, unable to resume his weekend routine of soliciting friendly advice from club members on the patio or spending sunny mornings at his nearby golf club, Mr. Trump has tried to make the snowy confines of Washington feel more like his Palm Beach cocoon. The results are mixed. Since the shutdown began Dec. 22, Mr. Trump has left the White House fewer than 10 times. He has shared his shut-in routine with America: When not at work in the Oval Office, he has frittered away the hours by watching the multiple flat-screen TVs installed in the White House residence, gazing out of secured windows, tweeting at his enemies and phoning his friends."
Meanwhile, At Berlin Fashion Week:
A fashion show entitled, "Neo.Fashion" featured young designers, one of whom was apparently inspired by the United States President, enough to put his face on this coat. | | | Credit: Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images | | What Washington is Talking About:
Attorney General nominee Bill Barr's confirmation hearing is being held today before the Senate Judiciary committee. Barr said Russia interfered in our election, that he'll allow Robert Mueller's investigation to go on, and that it "would be a crime" for a president to promise a pardon to protect himself in an investigation; and Rep. Steve King has been stripped of his committee assignments over his comments on white supremacy.
What America is Talking About:
Broadway star Carol Channing died at 97; Gillette released an ad that touches on #MeToo, bullying and toxic masculinity; and Netflix is raising prices.
How the Shutdown Hurt Business, Per Delta's CEO:
Delta CEO Ed Bastion said the shutdown has cost his company $25 million because of a drop in the flights from government workers and contractors, and that it's delayed certification of new aircraft.
"We encourage the elected officials to do their very best to resolve these differences as quickly as possible," he told CNBC. "We're not taking sides in the debate, but we need to get the business moving again."
Stormy Sues Officers:
You may remember last year when Stormy Daniels was arrested at a Columbus, Ohio, strip club, and detained for 12 hours. The police chief later called her arrest a "mistake," but now Daniels is taking legal action.
Daniels filed a lawsuit against several police officers and accused them of conspiring to arrest her because they were supporters of President Trump and believed she was damaging him. "We look forward to exposing the facts relating to the outrageous conduct of these rogue officers, who abused their power and the badge to further a political agenda against Stormy," her attorney Michael Avenatti said.
Woodward on the Isolation of the Presidency:
Bob Woodward spoke last night at an event at the Newseum put together by Deseret News about integrity and lessons from Watergate. He said covering the White House under multiple presidents taught him how isolating the job can be and how presidents feel they're propelled into the office by destiny, which further isolates them. "The White House is not a climate of doubt," he said. When it comes to the current administration, Woodward said it's about Trump and his ideas rather than finding "the next stage of good" for Americans, and that there was no strategy or team.
Also on the panel was Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a former law clerk who worked on the Watergate investigation and listened to the Nixon tapes. He's now an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Woodward said a lot of people thought at the time Christofferson was the Watergate source "Deep Throat." "You could have been," Woodward said.
Who's Ready for Woke Brandon Flowers?:
We've seen the Killers' lead singer Brandon Flowers go from guyliner-wearing synth rock to Bruce Springsteen-style dad rock. But get ready for the next phase of B Flo: political, woke gospel rock. The Killers dropped a new, political song titled "Land of the Free" Monday. The video was shot in part at the US-Mexico border and was directed by Spike Lee.
Flowers said in a note posted online that the idea for the song began after the Sandy Hook shooting, and that he was inspired by fellow Nevadan Jimmy Kimmel's political monologues and Ava DuVernay's "13th," a film about race and incarceration. The song touches on Trump's proposed border wall, mass incarceration, and immigration. | | Credit: The Killers/YouTube
Street Art Sighting:
This mural celebrating diversity titled "America American Americans" on a residential wall on Mill Avenue and 14th Street in Tempe, Arizona, is by artist Jake Early. | | Credit: Hunter Schwarz
Tag or DM me your political street art sightings @hunterschwarz on Twitter or Instagram, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com.
Correction: Sen. Ted Cruz is Texas' junior senator. A line in yesterday's issue misstated his seniority. | | | | | | |
