1. Policy roulette
Building on recent policy swerves on Syria and Russia, Donald Trump changed his mind Wednesday on Janet Yellen, the Export-Import Bank and Nato. “I said it was obsolete,” Trump said. “It’s no longer obsolete.”
Summary
Trump also declined to call China a currency manipulator after promising during the campaign to call China a currency manipulator “on day one”. Then Trump said the US dollar was “getting too strong” at which the dollar dropped sharply.
Summary
Trump also said of his aid Steve Bannon, who is clashing with his son-in-law: “I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late... I’m my own strategist.”
No easy day
when you’re definitely not worried and everything’s fine and you feel great pic.twitter.com/g4C0tJLmFG
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) April 12, 2017
2. Trump remembers cake, forgets name of country he attacked
In an interview with Fox News, Trump described how he had made the decision to launch a missile attack on Syria last week while enjoying dessert with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Except Trump misstated which country he attacked.
'The most beautiful piece of chocolate cake'
We had the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you’ve ever seen. And President Xi was enjoying it... I said Mr President, let me explain something to you. This was during dessert... I said, ‘We’ve just launched 59 missiles heading to Iraq’.
– Donald Trump, on attacking Syria
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4. No longer secret agent man
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort will register as a foreign agent for past lobbying work, the AP reported. “Mr Manafort received formal guidance recently from the authorities and he is taking appropriate steps in response to the guidance,” a Manafort spokesperson said.
5. Cold war shmold war
Right now, we’re not getting along with Russia at all. We may be at an all-time low in terms of relationship with Russia.
– Donald Trump, at a news conference
...and another thing:
Firefighters just freed Sec. Ben Carson and his wife from a stuck elevator in #Miami @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/prSioKDyEs
— Julia Bagg (@JuliaNBC6) April 12, 2017
...and another thing:
Michael Wolff: Why does the president talk to @maggieNYT if he hates her?
— David Mack (@davidmackau) April 12, 2017
Conway: Why would you say he hates her?
Wolff: Bc he told me. pic.twitter.com/3T35kF6T6U
