Nick Ayers, Pence’s chief of staff whom Trump had tapped to replace Kelly as his own chief of staff, has turned down the offer and announced he is leaving the administration entirely by the end of the year.
On Friday Chris Christie turned down Trump’s offer to be his chief of staff. According to the Washington Post: “A person close to Christie said a number of current and former White House aides warned Christie that the building was unmanageable and that ‘no one can have success there.'” Mulveney was given the job on what appears to be an interim basis.
Pelosi, Schumer, Trump and Pence met in the Oval Office to discuss the upcoming budget showdown and Trump’s demand for wall spending. Trump invited cameras into the room, and the ensuing argument was broadcast live. Trump said he would be happy to shut the government down over border security.
Michael Isikoff reports that Barr was tapped to be Trump’s defense laywer at least twice before Trump nominated him to Attorney General. The article also details negative comments about Mueller Barr has made in the last year.
Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation to see if the Trump inaugural committee misspent donor funds by pumping money into the Trump Organization or other kids of graft, and also whether foreign countries mostly in the Middle East made illegal donations to the committee. According to ProPublica, Ivanka is implicated: “A top inaugural planner emailed Ivanka and others at the company to ‘express my concern’ that the hotel was overcharging for its event spaces, worrying of what would happen ‘when this is audited.'” $40 million is unaccounted for.
The Texas judge finally released his Obamacare decision. He struck down the entire law. This does not go into effect until it is upheld by higher courts.
Ryan Zinke resigned from as Interior Secretary.
In Hush Money News:
On Wednesday, Cohen was sentenced to three years in jail for “tax evasion, false bank statements, campaign-finance violations, and lying to Congress.”
David Pecker and AMI admitted to making the $150,000 payment to McDougal to cover up her affair with Trump. They have made a deal with federal investigators to provide information about the case, and will not be charged with any crimes.
In Russia News:
In preparation for Flynn’s sentencing next week, his lawyers released a letter suggesting he was tricked into lying to the FBI. This caused Mueller’s team to send a partially redacted rebuttal to the judge. According to the New York Times: “prosecutors explained his confidence … as a result of the numerous dishonest accounts he had already given about his conversations with Mr. Kislyak. ‘By the time of the F.B.I. interview,’ they wrote, ‘the defendant was committed to his false story.’”
In Immigration News:
Ice arrested 170 undocumented immigrants who came forward to sponsor or claim migrant children being held in custody. 109 had no criminal record. Nearly 80% of the people who came forward to sponsor children were not in the country legally.
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Trump’s Job Approval: 42.5%