| | | | | Heavy snow falls at the White House on Wednesday. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump today meets with the Chancellor of Austria.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
The New York Times deep dive from yesterday afternoon detailing possible improprieties by Trump and his acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.
"I Think It's Possible" That the President Is a Russian Asset:
Last night while being interviewed by Anderson Cooper, former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe said he thought it was a possibility that Trump is an asset for Russia. "I think it's possible. I think that's why we started our investigation, and I'm really anxious to see where (special counsel Robert) Mueller concludes that," McCabe said. Of course, McCabe is promoting his book and saying things like that have a way of making people stop and pay attention -- and also have a way of getting Trump to respond on Twitter, which of course he did, and which might help McCabe's book sales as well. Kellyanne Conway responded to McCabe's comments when she was on Cuomo Primetime last night, saying simply of McCabe, "He's a liar and a leaker."
This Seems ... Like a Big Deal:
If The New York Times reporting is on target, Trump could be faced by another in a string of examples of possible obstruction of justice, which I think is the real crux of the story. It essentially lays out the number of instances the President has allegedly intervened, or attempted to intervene, in order to shore up the loyalty of allies, as he faces accusations on everything from campaign business dealings to whether or not he colluded with Russia. The piece is fascinating in that it also points to the way Trump has used social media, with denials and bashing of certain individuals and the press, as a public relations strategy to push back against all of the thoroughly examined and sourced reporting of his behavior. When you step back, it's all sort of mind-blowing. It's like a total cat-and-mouse game between the President and the media and the parts of the story we still don't know, like the Mueller investigation findings. | | Credit: nytimes.com
The headline-grabbing part of The New York Times story was that Whitaker was asked by Trump about putting in place a Trump-appointed US attorney to oversee the Russia investigation; the US attorney had already recused himself because of his relationship to the President. Asked whether or not he did what the newspaper is reporting he did, Trump said yesterday, "No, I don't know who gave you that." He kept up the denial today, taking to Twitter to say the media makes up stories 🙄. He also claims The New York Times didn't reach out to him to verify or get a comment, which Maggie Haberman, one of the reporters who wrote the piece, flat-out says is a lie.
George Conway, Kellyanne Conway's husband and the Twitter contrarian and critic of the President, did his own polling on who to believe: | | Credit: @gtconway3d/Twitter
Things the WH Press Corps Does to Keep Entertained During Snow:
This snowman was built near the TV cameras on the north side of the White House. Well done, guys | | Credit: @maeganvaz/Twitter
Trump Organization, Call Your Office. There's Mice in the Restaurants ...:
Let's just file this under "EW, GROSS." A number of Trump-branded restaurants in New York are facing health code violations for things ranging from MICE in the kitchen to dirty food-prep areas. Only the best. | | What Washington is Talking About:
Congress is out this week and Washington is under a winter storm warning until this evening, with schools, federal offices, and Smithsonian museums closed. The Supreme Court, however, remains open for business today.
What America is Talking About:
Chicago police want to speak with Jussie Smollett about the attack he reported but it's tbd when that could happen; and Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann filed a lawsuit against the Washington Post for $250 million.
Satisfaction with Treatment of Minorities is Down:
New 2018 data from Gallup found that between 2016 and 2018, the percentage of Americans who say they're satisfied with how certain minority groups in the US are treated has fallen by several percentage points.
Immigrants were the group whose treatment Americans were least satisfied with, at 37%, followed by Arabs at 44%, blacks at 44%, Hispanics at 46%, and Asians at 66%.
Bernie Sticks with 2016 Logo:
My favorite aspect of political logo watching is seeing what campaigns do when they run again. Candidates like John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Hillary Clinton all used a different logo during their second presidential campaigns, but Bernie 2.0 is sticking with his classic logo. It's one of the most recognizable modern campaign logos, with his first name set in the font Jubilat with the blue and red wavy lines, and it's been used as visual shorthand for things like "Britney For President" tees and even an ad campaign for STD checks. Sanders' 2020 campaign store right now seems indistinguishable from 2016. | | Credit: Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign store
In a way, it's a design flex. The Democratic Party has moved to the left on several issues over the past three years, so in recycling his logo, Sanders can convey through branding that he believes his 2016 platform is a winner today. He made the case in a nearly 11-minute video published Tuesday. "Together you and I and our 2016 campaign began a revolution," he said. "Now it is time to complete and implement the vision that we fought for."
And out of the gate, Sanders had a strong showing. His campaign announced this morning he raised $5.9 million in his first 24 hours, besting the $1.5 million Kamala Harris' campaign said she raised in her opening day.
From One Runner-Up to Another:
"American Idol's" 2006 runner-up Katharine McPhee appeared to subtweet Sanders Tuesday. "somebody tell a certain *bro* running that sometimes you need to accept your runner up status and move on. i'd know," she tweeted.
Obama Talks Confidence at MBK Event:
Former President Obama spoke Tuesday night with Steph Curry in Oakland for a summit marking the five-year anniversary of his My Brother's Keeper Alliance initiative to help young men of color. He said true confidence isn't about showing off as is sometimes portrayed in pop culture and hip-hop music.
"If you are really confident about your financial situation, you probably are not going to be wearing an eight-pound chain around your neck," he said. "If you are very confident about your sexuality, you don't have to have eight women around you twerking."
Street Art Sighting:
George Mendonsa, the man believed to be pictured in the famous photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square following the end of World War II, died Sunday at the age of 95, and a statue depicting the kiss was vandalized. The statue, in Sarasota, Florida ,was vandalized with "#MeToo" was spray-painted in red on the nurse's leg. The nurse, Greta Friedman, described the kiss as nonconsensual. Sarasota Police said the damage is estimated to be more than $1,000 and there were no witnesses or surveillance video. | | Credit: Sarasota Police Department
Tag or DM me your political street art sightings @hunterschwarz on Twitter or Instagram, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com.
P.S.:
Ariana Grande became the first artist since the Beatles in 1964 to have the top three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 with "7 Rings" at No. 1 followed by "Break Up With Your Girlfriend I'm Bored," and "Thank U, Next." Just for a sense of what a big deal this is, the Beatles took over the top three just a few months after their US debut and "Ed Sullivan Show" appearance, when Beatlemania was in full swing. Grande also has 11 songs in the top 40, a record for female artists. Arimania is here and it is real. | | | | | | |
