Summary
- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke attacked the incoming chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee Raul Grijalva as a drunk after Grijalva called for his resignation.
- President Donald Trump insisted on Twitter that his business dealings with Russia were “very legal and very cool.”
- The White House blamed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation for hurting the U.S. relationship with Russia, saying: “The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax, which is hopefully now nearing an end, is doing very well. Unfortunately, it probably does undermine our relationship with Russia.”
- Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is reportedly asking for the military deployment along the U.S.-Mexico border to be extended into 2019.
Apparently when Zinke attacked Grijalva as a drunk, the Arizona Democrat was at his favorite bar, the Tune Inn which was referenced in the tweet.
Raul Grijalva has responded to the attack earlier today by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
From Dem AZ Rep Grijalva spokesman Adam Sarvana responding to accusatory, personal tweet directed at Grijalva by Interior Sec Zinke: “Rep. Grijalva does not work while drunk and does not create a hostile workplace environment.”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 30, 2018
In a joint statement, Jerry Nadler, the incoming chair of the House Judiciary Committee and Elijah Cummings, the incoming chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said that Matt Whitaker will testify before Congress in January and said he will continue to follow Justice Department policy on the Mueller investigation.
This afternoon, acting Attorney General Whitaker committed to appear before the House Judiciary Committee in January at a mutually agreeable date, which we look forward to. In response to our various questions, the acting Attorney General affirmed that he was and will continue to follow all of the regulations, policies and procedures of the Department of Justice, including with regards to the Special Counsel investigation. We look forward to continued conversations in the future.”
DHS asks military to stay at U.S.-Mexico border through January
The Department of Homeland Security has asked for the military presence at the U.S.- Mexico border to be extended through the end of January.
Currently, the deployment is scheduled to end on December 15. There are 6,000 soldiers along the border.
A federal court just finished a hearing on James Comey’s efforts to quash a subpoena to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. A ruling is expected on Monday.
Hearing just ended on James Comey's motion to quash the subpoena issued by House Republicans, no ruling today. Comey's lawyers will have until Sunday at 2pm to reply to the govt's response, and then the judge is having them come back to court at 10am on Monday
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) November 30, 2018
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that acting attorney general Matt Whitaker was aware of allegations of fraud at a company he advised.
Whitaker has denied knowledge of allegations of fraud at World Patent Marketing. However, the Wall Street Journal uncovered numerous email exchanges from Whitaker about consumer fraud at the company that is facing investigation from the Federal Trade Commission.
Nancy Pelosi is insisting that she will not negotiate with rebels over a retirement date.
Pelosi critics in the Democratic caucus are trying to get her to agree to a timeline to step down in exchange for their support for Speaker.
When asked if there was a middle ground, she said “Between saying when I’m going to retire or not? I don’t think so.”
Politico is reporting that DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is requesting that other government agencies provide civilian law enforcement officers to be deployed on the U.S.-Mexico border.
BREAKING: Kirstjen Nielsen requested the deployment of civilian law enforcement officers from other cabinet departments to the U.S.-Mexico border as early as next week https://t.co/b32bq3trtK
— POLITICO (@politico) November 30, 2018
President Donald Trump has tweeted about the earthquake in Alaska and pledged that the federal government will “spare no expense” on disaster relief.
To the Great people of Alaska. You have been hit hard by a “big one.” Please follow the directions of the highly trained professionals who are there to help you. Your Federal Government will spare no expense. God Bless you ALL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2018
One 2020 election is already getting interesting and its not for President.
Congressman Carlos Curbelo, who lost his bid for re-election earlier this month, is plotting a bid to be the next Mayor of Miami-Dade County.
Curbelo would face a crowded field which includes Luther Campbell, the former leader of 2 Live Crew.
The full roster of House Republican ranking members is now available. It includes Jim Jordan, a key figure in the hard right Freedom Caucus, as the top Republican on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee which will play a key role investigating the Trump administration.
Your House Republican committee ranking members for the 116th Congress pic.twitter.com/iHikpG2nxl
— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) November 30, 2018
The Washington Post does a deep dive into the work requirement that Wisconsin has imposed for those seeking to receive food stamps.
The goal of the program is to encourage people to find jobs but has led to a number of people losing their aid and dramatically dropped the number of people on food stamps in the state.
The Washington Post reports that in his career as a pundit, acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump
He suggested Trump made things up “out of whole cloth” and called Trump’s behavior “a little outlandish” and “a little dangerous” at times.
Joaquin Castro has been elected the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
The Texas Democrat’s brother, Julian, is currently contemplating a bid for the White House in 2020.
Thank you to my colleagues for electing me as @HispanicCaucus Chairman. Thanks also to @RepLujanGrisham for her strong leadership over the past 2 yrs. Our Caucus will work to create opportunity for all Americans & speak up against any mischaracterization of the Latino community.
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) November 30, 2018
The Guardian’s Julian Borger reports on a unique element from his youth being featured at the G20.
Weirdly, in the middle of the #G20Summit2018 high security zone there is a fifties style diner serving burgers and shakes. pic.twitter.com/Hpo5HT25O9
— Julian Borger (@julianborger) November 30, 2018
In an interview, Claire McCaskill, the outgoing Democratic senator from Missouri has harsh words for her own party for ignoring moderates in the past election.
“This demand for purity, this looking down your nose at people who want to compromise, is a recipe for disaster for the Democrats. Will we ever get to a majority in the Senate again, much less to 60, if we do not have some moderates in our party?”
The earthquake in Alaska seems to have damaged former Governor Sarah Palin’s house.
🙏🏼 for Alaska. Our family is intact - house is not... I imagine that’s the case for many, many others. So thankful to be safe; praying for our state following the earthquake.
— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) November 30, 2018
Iowa Republican Steve King called the Congressional Black Caucus “a grievance committee” while appearing a far right podcast that has featured white nationalists.
CNN reports that controversial King appeared on the podcast. King’s history of ties to the European far right led to the National Republican Campaign Committee repudiating him on the eve of the midterms.
Devin Nunes will continue as the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee but only as the ranking member now that Democrats have the majority.
.@DevinNunes will be the only California Republican ranking member of a committee next year. He moves from chairman to ranking member of House Select Intelligence Committee
— Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) November 30, 2018
In one key measure whose stock is rising and whose is falling in the Trump Administration, Wilbur Ross is not in Argentina for the G20.
You know who is NOT at the G20, per @tradereporter: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross who, in the past, has been involved in trade talks
— Nancy Cook (@nancook) November 30, 2018
There are more questions being raised about absentee ballot fraud in Bladen county, North Carolina and whether it propelled Republicans to win a swing congressional seat.
The Charlotte Observer reports:
Bladen county had the highest percentage of absentee ballot requests in the state. There, 7.5% of registered voters requested absentee ballots. In most counties it was less than 3%.
An analysis by Catawba College political scientist Michael Bitzer suggested more aberrations.
In seven of the eight counties in the ninth district, for example, McCready won a lopsided majority of the mailed-in absentee ballots. But not in Bladen county. There, Republican Mark Harris won 61% even though registered Republicans accounted for only 19% of the county’s accepted absentee ballots.
Updated
An interesting moment of color of Capitol Hill today as a government shutdown deadline approaches
As I asked Mark Meadows who the public would blame for a shutdown, Matt Gaetz piped up and said “Hillary!”
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) November 30, 2018
The White House says Trump and MBS “exchanged pleasantries” today.
WH official statement on Trump meeting with MBS: "“they exchanged pleasantries at the leaders session”
— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) November 30, 2018
Interior secretary calls top congressional Democrat a drunk
Raul Grijalva, who will become the chairman of House Natural Resources Committee next year, called on Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to resign in an op-ed in USA Today.
Ryan Zinke needs to resign immediately as Secretary of the Interior.
I take no pleasure in calling for this step, and I have resisted it even as questions have grown about Mr. Zinke’s ethical and managerial failings. Unfortunately, his conduct in office and President Donald Trump’s neglect in setting ethical standards for his own cabinet have made it unavoidable.
Zinke has responded on Twitter by essentially calling Grijalva a drunk.
My thoughts on Rep. Grijalva’s opinion piece. #TuneInnForMore pic.twitter.com/VMGxdtHwvU
— Secretary Ryan Zinke (@SecretaryZinke) November 30, 2018
Updated
Trump also insisted that the meeting with Putin was canceled because of the Ukraine. He told reporters “we don’t like what happened, we’re not happy about it, nobody is, hopefully they’ll be able to settle it out soon because we look forward to meeting with President Putin but on the basis of what took place with respect to the ships and the sailors that was the sole reason.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe just congratulated Trump “on his historic victory in the midterm election in the United States.”
That is a unique reading of the results of the midterms.
Democrat John Barrow isn’t pulling any stops ahead of Georgia’s runoff for Secretary of State on Tuesday.
In the race to be the Peach State’s top elections official, Barrow has bought ad time during tomorrow’s SEC championship game between Alabama and Georgia. The price for one spot, $32,000.
Cost for a single TV spot during Alabama-Georgia #SECChampionship Game tomorrow on WGCL (Atlanta) --
— Medium Buying (@MediumBuying) November 30, 2018
$32,000 (Candidate Rate)
Barrow/DPGA bought
Texas congressman Mike McCaul will become the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
McCaul, who was first elected in 2004, was one of a number of Texas Republicans to face surprisingly close races in the midterms.
Texas delegation news: @RepMcCaul snags top GOP spot on House Foreign Affairs. He'd hit the term limit as @HouseHomeland chairman even if his party hadn't lost the majority. pic.twitter.com/2V5LRavypv
— Todd J. Gillman (@toddgillman) November 30, 2018
Republicans are warning darkly of voter fraud in California without evidence.
The state’s slow system of counting ballots has meant that a number of races where Republicans initially led have turned into Democratic victories.
Outgoing Speaker Paul Ryan slammed the state’s “bizarre” voting system Thursday, joining the chorus of critics.
The state has a number of reasons for being slow, including that absentee ballots that arrive three days after Election Day can be counted. The result is that 41% of votes cast in the state weren’t counted until after Election Day. However, there is no evidence at all of malfeasance but simply of a slow, bureaucratic process.
Donald Trump Jr's congressional testimony contradicted by Michael Cohen
NPR is reporting that Donald Trump Jr testified that efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow ended in 2014.
Cohen in his plea deal said that efforts to build Trump Tower extended into 2016.
As NPR reports:
Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2017 that although there had been negotiations surrounding a prospective Trump Tower in Moscow, they concluded without result “at the end” of 2014.
“But not in 2015 or 2016?” Trump Jr. was asked.
“Certainly not ‘16,” he said. “There was never a definitive end to it. It just died of deal fatigue.”
The contradiction potentially could open up the President’s oldest son to criminal charges for lying to Congress.
However, it appears Trump Jr may have been talking about a different deal in Moscow than the one Cohen was specifically handling.
This NPR story appears to be wrong. It notes that Trump Jr. told a Senate committee that a deal in Moscow died of "deal fatigue" by 2014.
— Philip Bump (@pbump) November 30, 2018
But that was a deal with the Agalarovs. He was also asked if a deal was in the works in 2015/2016 and said yes.https://t.co/B8SuolTfyK pic.twitter.com/w34SamzXJF
Updated
Virginia Republican Ben Cline won the office lottery on Capitol Hill. He will get first pick of office space of the entire freshman class. Cline was elected last month from a safe Republican district in the Shenandoah Valley.
Ben Cline, Va., just picking No. 1
— Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) November 30, 2018
He’s now the envy of everyone in the room and gets to pick his office before anyone else pic.twitter.com/za9w2TrOdd
Six White House employees have been reprimanded for violating the Hatch Act by tweeting #MAGA on their official Twitter accounts. This was considered to violate the law against engaging in forbidden partisan political activity.
The offending tweets have been deleted but in a ruling the Office of Special Counsel said “we have decided not to pursue disciplinary action and are closing their files without further action.”
It did make clear the six “have been advised that if in the future they engage in prohibited political activity while employed in a position covered by the Hatch Act, we will consider such activity to be a willful and knowing violation of the law, which could result in further action.”
Washington Congressman Dan Newhouse is getting married at the Capitol today.
Rep Dan Newhouse on his way to the Capitol’s chapel where he’s getting married rn! pic.twitter.com/tiXXfpm5Sv
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) November 30, 2018
Our Revolution, the outside group founded in the aftermath of Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign was bilked out of nearly a quarter of a million dollars in a email scam.
The scam happened in December 2016 and was uncovered shortly thereafter. However, it was not publicly disclosed until now because the group is a dark money organization that is set up as a “social welfare” nonprofit and not a political action committee which limits scrutiny.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert has criticized Trump for his comments earlier this month about Mia Love, the Utah congresswoman who lost her bid for re-election.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert joins the ranks of the few publicly calling out the president for his Mia Love remarks. “I think it was just bad to throw her under the bus. She’s the first African American woman Republican elected to Congress in American history, and we’re proud of that”
— Charlie Mahtesian (@PoliticoCharlie) November 30, 2018
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan refused to rule out a presidential bid in 2020. The Republican who was just elected to a second term leading the deep blue state of Maryland was asked about 2020 at the meeting of the Republican Governors Association in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Hogan has been floated as one of several potential Republican challengers to Trump in 2020.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) won't rule out running for president in 2020.
— Jack Bohrer (@JRBoh) November 30, 2018
“I’ve no idea whether the president is even running for reelection or what’s going to happen two years from now... I’ll say, 'never say never,' but my focus right now is on Maryland.” https://t.co/A2wY2SkivS
Trump may not be formally meeting with Putin in Buenos Aires but the Russian president is bonding with another world leader
Putin and MBS greet each other with huge smiles and handshake in Buenos Aires pic.twitter.com/2jlHUfONO1
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) November 30, 2018
The big excitement today on Capitol Hill will be the office lottery for incoming members. They each draw numbers to decide which order they get to pick new offices in hopes of getting a decent workspace.
NFL Draft Day in the U.S. House: the office-space lottery for incoming members
— Greg Giroux (@greggiroux) November 30, 2018
New members & staff will have done intel on room space and proximity to elevators, committee rooms, restrooms https://t.co/2GC6El3YOQ
White House blames Mueller for undermining US-Russia relations
Sarah Sanders has put out a statement on canceled meeting with Putin at the G20, blaming Russian aggression in the Ukraine not Michael Cohen for the cancellation and saying that Mueller’s probe “undermine[s] our relationship with Russia.”
“The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax, which is hopefully now nearing an end, is doing very well. Unfortunately, it probably does undermine our relationship with Russia. However, the reason for our canceled meeting is Ukraine. Hopefully, that will be resolved soon so that productive conversations can begin.”
Updated
The status hearing on Paul Manafort has just wrapped up in Washington, D.C. The big news is that prosecutors are considering retrying him on the dropped charges that a hung jury deadlocked on in August now that his cooperation agreement has fallen apart.
Biggest news of the morning: Prosecutors are considering retrying Manafort on the 10 charges that resulted in a hung jury in Virginia in August.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) November 30, 2018
They’re also still weighing whether to file new charges based on what they say is Manafort’s breach of the plea agreement.
Elizabeth Warren is currently in third place in her home state of Massachusetts in a poll of potential 2020 contenders.
Massachusetts is not an early state and the poll included two other Bay States, former governor Deval Patrick and Congressman Seth Moulton but still represents an interesting data point.
MASSACHUSETTS
— Political Polls (@Politics_Polls) November 29, 2018
2020 Democratic Primary:
Biden 19%
Sanders 14%
Warren 11%
O’Rourke 10%
Patrick 6%
Harris 6%
Klobuchar 3%
Booker 3%
Moulton 1%@UMassAmherst 11/7-14https://t.co/NlIxP5gltV pic.twitter.com/TudGQx5LXb
In response to the reports that Trump and Putin might have an impromptu meeting at the G20, a White House official just told reporters: “there is no scheduled pull aside.”
Buzzfeed reported yesterday that Trump planned to give Vladimir Putin a $50 million penthouse at Trump Tower Moscow if the project was approved.
These conversations happened during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Florida could have three different governors in January.
Outgoing governor Rick Scott was elected to the Senate in November but while his Senate term starts on January 3, his replacement as Governor, Ron DeSantis, won’t be sworn in until January 8.
This means that if Scott resigns to start his Senate term on time, Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez Cantera will get to lead the state for a few days.
If Lopez Cantera serves, he will be both the first Jewish and the first Cuban American governor of the state.
If Rick Scott resigns as Gov to take his Sen seat, Carlos Lopez-Cantera would be Gov for at least 5 days, and he’d get an official portrait - https://t.co/jF2rVahpsK
— Reid Wilson (@PoliticsReid) November 30, 2018
This morning, Democrats will unveil the first bill that they hope to pass in January.
H.R. 1 will contain ethics, campaign finance and voting rights provisions.
The Washington Post reports:
Elements of the legislation, according to a draft outline reviewed by The Washington Post, include new donor disclosure requirements for political organizations, a system to multiply small donations to political campaigns, mandating a new ethical code for the Supreme Court, ending most first-class travel for federal officeholders, and a broad effort to expand voting access and reduce partisan gerrymandering.
Former RNC chair and White House chief of staff Reince Priebus will lead a review for the Wisconsin Republican Party of where things went wrong in the midterms.
Democrats defeated two-term incumbent governor Scott Walker in the Badger State and incumbent senator Tammy Baldwin easily fended off a Republican challenger after Trump won the state narrowly in 2016.
Trump may have a brief meeting with Vladimir Putin after all, according to Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Peskov was cited in court documents yesterday after it was revealed Michael Cohen had lied about his contacts with Peskov’s office.
REUTERS: Russian President Vladimir Putin will have a brief impromptu meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Argentina, RIA news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday.
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) November 30, 2018
Trump canceled their meeting via Twitter Thursday.
President Donald Trump signed the USMCA, his successor to NAFTA, this morning in Argentina with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
The negotiation of the deal led to an increase in tensions with Canada, particularly over American access to the Canadian dairy market.
Former attorney general Eric Holder is heading to Iowa in February.
Holder has mused about a potential 2020 campaign and hit the stump for Democrats in advance of the midterm elections.
Growing evidence of fraud in North Carolina is raising questions about the result in the state’s Ninth Congressional District.
Republican Mark Harris currently has a 905 vote lead over Democrat Dan McCready. However, allegations of absentee ballot fraud in Bladen County have kept the state from certifying the election.
As the Washington Post reports:
The board is collecting sworn statements from voters in rural Bladen and Robeson counties, near the South Carolina border, who described people coming to their doors and urging them to hand over their absentee ballots, sometimes without filling them out. Others described receiving absentee ballots by mail that they had not requested. It is illegal to take someone else’s ballot and turn it in.
Good morning.
Donald Trump defended his attempt to build a Trump Tower in Moscow as “very legal & very cool” on Twitter, the controversial nomination of Thomas Farr to the federal bench was torpedoed by Republican Tim Scott last night and the president is in Argentina for the G20 summit.
It’s Friday in American politics.
Updated
