1. Shut it down
Donald Trump, reportedly perturbed that a recent spending deal did not include funding for his border wall and avoided cuts to Planned Parenthood and the EPA, called for a rules change to benefit Republicans – or a government shutdown.
Summary
either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2017
Summary
Then Trump sent his budget director, Mick Mulvaney, out to convince the press that the Democrats had not in fact “cleaned our clock” in the recent negotiations, as the Republican senator Lindsey Graham described it.
Define 'good'
Q: How does the president define a “good shutdown”? Mulvaney: “I don’t know”
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) May 2, 2017
2. Press secretary flees press
"He's not coming back." White House Press Corps reacts when @PressSec doesn't take questions at today's White House Press Briefing. pic.twitter.com/hsuM4krLmz
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 2, 2017
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4. Clinton joins resistance
Hilary Clinton said she took “personal responsibility” for her presidential loss but also blamed Russian interference and the FBI. “I’m back to being an activist citizen,” she said, “and part of the resistance.”
Read Sabrina Siddiqui’s coverage
5. New healthcare push in doubt
Republicans in the House were struggling to put together enough votes to pass a new version of their healthcare bill, with influential members saying the bill did not do enough to protect patients with pre-existing conditions.
6. Trump and Putin chat
Trump and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, spoke on the phone about possibly setting up safe zones in Syria and other matters. “The conversation was a very good one,” a White House statement said.
... and another thing:
Passing through the Rotunda and Statuary Hall and saying hello to visitors is always a fun part of my visit to the Capitol. #MeetTheVP pic.twitter.com/wXDeA4sEjB
— Vice President Pence (@VP) May 2, 2017
... and another thing:
I mean, kinda, right? pic.twitter.com/k1TWFUcURq
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) May 2, 2017
