Trump’s “shithole” comments continue to drive the news cycle. Durbin went on camera to say that Trump definitely made them and they they are vile and racist. Lindsay Graham endorsed Durbin’s comments but has not yet gone on camera to confirm he heard them. Others present like Senator Tom Cotton are claiming that they did not hear “shithole,” and some are suggesting he said “shithouse” instead. Here is a good account of how the meeting went down from the Washington Post.
Here is George Will with some history of how racism has been entangled with immigration policy in America’s past, with a dose of sanity about the pointlessness of Trump’s wall and the overblwon anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Here is a good explainer of the meetings that lead up to the government shutdown, including a a Friday lunch between Trump and Schummer where a deal was outlined only to have the White House nix it hours later, and leading Schummer to say negotiating with Trump is as impossible as negotiating with Jello.
The general consensus is that Trump’s lack of guidance on what he wants is what is driving the politics of the shutdown. Here is Mathew Yglesias: “The lack of clarity emboldened immigration hardliners in the GOP caucus while simultaneously raising hopes for a deal among immigration reformers. But Trump’s intervening behavior wound up salting the earth by leaving everyone feeling that he might screw them over at any moment. Consequently, nobody is quite sure exactly who is shutting down the government or what it is the White House is trying to achieve by rejecting a bipartisan proposal that would avert a shutdown.”
It was reported this week that Trump had an affair with a porn star names Stormy Daniels and had his lawyer pay her hush money one month before the 2016 election
Here is an important Ron Brownstein analysis of Trump’s approval numbers and how they dropped across the board in 2017.
In Russia News:
Steve Bannon testified before the House Intelligence Committee. He refused to answer questions, and his lawyer was on the phone with the White House during breaks to get guidance on which of the questions Bannon should answer or not. He must not have said anything of importance because it would have been leaked. Evan republicans were upset with Bannon’s stonewalling. Also, Mueller has subpoenaed Bannon.
Buzzfeed is focusing their Russia stories on the money trail and reported this week about money transfers around the election and inauguration that may become relevant as the investigation unfolds.
Trump’s Job Approval: 39.5%