memeorandum: CNN's ‘Unprecedented’: Trump told Christie he didn't think he'd last past October 2015 (Theodore Schleifer/CNN)

2:05 PM ET, November 14, 2016

Top Items:

Jose A. DelReal / Washington Post:

Trump draws sharp rebuke, concerns over newly appointed chief White House strategist Steven Bannon — President-elect Donald Trump's decision to appoint Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist in the White House has drawn a sharp rebuke from political strategists who see in Bannon …

Discussion: The Hill, Business Insider, Fox News, alicublog, No More Mister Nice Blog, Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Week and Mediaite

Glenn Thrush / Politico:

5 takeaways on Trump's first 5 days — This is what winging it looks like, America. — Donald Trump is compulsively improvisational and ran the most successful back-of-the-napkin operation in American political history, but the challenge confronting him is, by his own admission, nothing like anything anybody has ever faced.

Discussion: Associated Press

The Daily Beast:

Steve Bannon's Dream: a Worldwide Ultra-Right — PARIS—Never mind that the French cable television report on Stephen Bannon made him look like one of the winos living on grates in Paris, or that it compared Bannon, Donald Trump's grizzled éminence grise and newly-named White House chief strategist …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Washingtonian, CANNONFIRE, Media Matters for America, Raw Story, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Outside the Beltway and NPR, more at Mediagazer »

Kim Bellware / The Huffington Post:

A White Nationalist Is The New White House Chief Strategist — Steve Bannon, who stoked the flames of alt-right fury while running Breitbart News, is headed to the presidential inner circle. — Steve Bannon, the Breitbart News Network executive chairman known for having white nationalist views …

CNN:
White nationalists see advocate in Steve Bannon who will hold Trump to his campaign promises

Discussion: Media Matters for America and Politico

Burgess Everett / Politico:
Reid plans to keep up anti-Trump barrage

Discussion: Daily Kos, ABC News, RT and The New Civil Rights Movement

Elise Viebeck / Washington Post:
Trump faces backlash over appointing Bannon as a top aide, a choice critics say will empower white nationalists

Discussion: Mother Jones

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
Major newspapers normalize Trump's selection of white nationalist as chief strategist

Discussion: New York Times, Politico, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, The Times of Israel, Media Matters for America, ABC News, www.wnyc.org and Mashable

New York Times:
Breitbart, Reveling in Trump's Election, Gains a Voice in His White House

Discussion: Politico, Common Dreams and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

Juan Williams / The Hill:

Where now for the Democrats? — What happens to Democrats in the Trump era? — In the 1992 presidential election, after three straight terms of Republicans in the White House, Bill Clinton — successfully remade the Democrats into a party of political centrists to regain the support of so-called ‘Reagan Democrats.’

Discussion: Politico

John Bresnahan / Politico:
‘Devastating’ election for House Democrats triggers request to Pelosi

Discussion: JONATHAN TURLEY, Townhall.com and Independent Journal Review

Jonathan Martin / New York Times: Pulling Democrats Back to 'It's the Economy, Stupid'

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:
Ten potential Democratic candidates for 2020

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Outside the Beltway

Fatima Hussein / Indianapolis Star:

What's Mike Pence hiding in his emails? — Mike Pence wants his communications limited from public access. Experts say this sets a “dangerous precedent.” — Now that the presidential campaign and most of the furor over Hillary Clinton's email scandal are behind us …

Discussion: Law News, alan.com, Politico, Politicus USA, Raw Story, The Week and New Century Times

Lesley Stahl / CBS News:

President-elect Trump speaks to a divided country on 60 Minutes — What can we expect from a Trump presidency? 60 Minutes' Lesley Stahl finds some of his campaign issues were not meant to be taken literally, but as opening bids for negotiation — The following script is from “The 45th President,” which aired on Nov. 13, 2016.

Lynn Sweet / Chicago Sun Times:
Trump backs off promise of special prosecutor for Clinton

Discussion: Independent Journal Review and RedState

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:
Trump Is ‘Surprised’ To Hear Of Attacks On Minorities, Says ‘Stop It’ (VIDEO)

Discussion: The Huffington Post, New Century Times, New York Magazine and USA Today

Susan Page / USA Today:

Sanders backs Trump protests, questions Electoral College — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the surprisingly strong challenger for the Democratic presidential nomination, sat down Sunday with USA TODAY's Capital Download to talk about last week's election stunner, the future of the Democratic Party …

Discussion: RT, Advocate, Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon, CNBC, Hot Air and Politico

Clara Jeffery / Mother Jones:
Van Jones: “Hope for the Best, Expect and Prepare for the Worst”

Discussion: Raw Story

Zach Carter / The Huffington Post:
Harry Reid Endorses Keith Ellison For DNC Chair

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Real Clear Politics, Talking Points Memo and ABC News

Theodore Schleifer / CNN:

CNN's ‘Unprecedented’: Trump told Christie he didn't think he'd last past October 2015 — “They always had an understanding that the first one out would probably endorse the other,” the adviser said. — Washington (CNN)New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's February endorsement of Donald …

Discussion: Mendham-Chester, NJ Patch, Hot Air, RedState, Mediaite, The Week, TheBlaze and New York Post

Julieta Chiquillo / Dallas Morning News:

A man got a free Veterans Day meal at Chili's in Cedar Hill, then a manager took it away — For his free meal on Veterans Day, Ernest Walker picked the Chili's Grill and Bar in Cedar Hill. The 47-year-old sat at a table and ordered a burger while his service dog Barack waited by his side.

Discussion: RedState

Michael Nunez / Gizmodo:

Facebook's Fight Against Fake News Was Undercut by Fear of Conservative Backlash — It's no secret that Facebook has a fake news problem. Critics have accused the social network of allowing false and hoax news stories to run rampant, with some suggesting that Facebook contributed …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, Raw Story, Mashable, Guardian, The Week and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, more at Mediagazer »

Jill Lawrence / USA Today:

The real voices that aren't heard: Jill Lawrence — Our numbers are legion, but where we live has cost us two presidents and a Supreme Court majority. — Poor, poor pitiful flyover country. Never getting the attention or respect or economic consideration it deserves. Never having a president to call its own.

Joe Concha / The Hill:

Megyn Kelly: Trump offered me gifts, hotel stays — Fox News host Megyn Kelly says Trump unsuccessfully tried to give her gifts during the presidential campaign in what she called his attempt to influence journalists by “work the refs.” — In her book, “Settle for More,” set for release on Tuesday …

Discussion: RedState and Joe.My.God.

Philip Bump / Washington Post:

Google's top news link for ‘final election results’ goes to a fake news site with false numbers — If you head to Google to learn the final results of the presidential election, the search engine helpfully walks through the final electoral vote tallies and number of seats won by each party in the House and Senate.

Discussion: New York Magazine, The Verge, Business Insider, No More Mister Nice Blog and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:

Conway: Trump May Hold Special Session To Repeal O'care On Inauguration Day — Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said on Sunday that Trump has considered calling a special session of Congress on the day of his inauguration to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Vox, CNBC, RT, New York Magazine, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, New York Times, Politico and ThinkProgress, more at Mediagazer »

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:

Soros bands with donors to resist Trump, ‘take back power’ — George Soros and other rich liberals who spent tens of millions of dollars trying to elect Hillary Clinton are gathering in Washington for a three-day, closed door meeting to retool the big-money left to fight back against Donald Trump.