memeorandum: Trump didn't lie, Jeffrey Lord says on CNN. He just speaks a different language — ‘Americanese.’ (Derek Hawkins/Washington Post)

1:45 PM ET, March 21, 2017

Top Items:

Trump didn't lie, Jeffrey Lord says on CNN. He just speaks a different language — ‘Americanese.’ — It was a rough night for Jeffrey Lord, CNN's preeminent surrogate for President Trump. — During a panel discussion on “Anderson Cooper 360” Monday evening, Lord and seven …

Discussion: Right Wing Watch and Outside the Beltway

Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:

Fox News pulls Judge Napolitano over his Trump wiretap claims — Judge Andrew Napolitano, the senior judicial analyst for Fox News, is being kept off the air indefinitely. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images) — Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano is being kept off …

New York Times:

Trump's Weary Defenders Face Fresh Worries — WASHINGTON — President Trump began Monday as he has started so many other presidential mornings — by unleashing a blistering Twitter attack on critics who suggested his 2016 campaign colluded with the Russians.

Discussion: Raw Story, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, The Resurgent, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, Business Insider and Fox News

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:

Andrew Napolitano absent from Fox after citing anonymous spying claims — Tracing the origin of the UK wiretapping lie — Judge Andrew Napolitano, the Fox News analyst who was praised by President Trump last week, has apparently been benched by the network.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Occupy Democrats, Business Insider and Media Matters for America

David Leonhardt / New York Times:

All the President's Lies — The ninth week of Donald Trump's presidency began with the F.B.I. director calling him a liar. — The director, the very complicated James Comey, didn't use the L-word in his congressional testimony Monday. Comey serves at the pleasure of the president, after all.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, Axios and The Stranger …

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:

The Note: Comey drops a bombshell — THE BIG STORY: It's hard to pick the bigger headline out of FBI Director James Comey's day on Capitol Hill. Yes, he stated clearly that President Trump issued a baseless and scurrilous accusation involving his predecessor.

Discussion: Politico

Todd S. Purdum / Politico:
How the FBI tailing Trump could dog his presidency

Discussion: Political Wire, ABC News and Shakesville

Alice Stewart / CNN:
Plug the leaks and stop blaming Russians for Clinton's loss

Discussion: Instapundit

Washington Post:
President Trump faces his hardest truth: He was wrong

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Trump to Republicans: Vote for Obamacare repeal or lose your seat — President Donald Trump arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning with a stern message for Republicans who've been wobbly about dismantling Obamacare: Give me your vote or you may lose your seat in 2018.

Discussion: Mediaite, AOL, Vox and Vox Popoli

CNN:

Trump's make-or-break day on health care — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump now confronts the single biggest political test of his presidency: whether he can close the deal on the Republican health care bill. — The President met with House Republicans rally reluctant lawmakers …

Discussion: Politico, The Root, Raw Story, TheBlaze, RedState and Balloon Juice

Peter Sullivan / The Hill:

GOP leaders unveil changes to healthcare bill — House Republican leaders on Monday night released a set of changes to their ObamaCare replacement bill, as they seek to win more votes for the legislation. — The changes include two measures that conservative Republican Study Committee members won …

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Hot Air and Instapundit

Jessie Hellmann / The Hill:
Freedom Caucus chairman shrugs off Trump warning on 2018

Discussion: Politicus USA

CNN:
Conservatives on health care bill: Negotiations are over

Discussion: The Resurgent, Occupy Democrats and Axios

Kelsey Sutton / Politico:
Tom Price on Obamacare repeal: Trump administration is ‘going to make this happen’

Discussion: Axios and Vox

Josh Dawsey / Politico:
GOP leaders pile on sweeteners to sell Obamacare repeal

Discussion: Vox, Talking Points Memo, Axios, Associated Press, Health Affairs Blog, RedState, Hot Air, Business Insider, Common Dreams, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Forbes, The Hill, IJR, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, Lawyers, Guns & Money and ACASignups.net

Peter Sullivan / The Hill:
House conservatives say they have the votes to defeat ObamaCare replacement

Discussion: RedState

Oliver Darcy / Business Insider:

Inside the identity crisis at the Independent Journal Review, the outlet that has become a powerhouse in the Trump era — It was supposed to be Independent Journal Review's week to shine. — The upstart, millennial-focused news website, which has emerged as a favorite …

Discussion: Heat Street, Washington Post, The Daily Caller and twitchy.com, more at Mediagazer »

Ron Nixon / New York Times:

U.S. Limits Devices for Passengers on Foreign Airlines From Eight Countries — Passengers on foreign airlines headed to the United States from 10 airports in eight majority-Muslim countries have been barred from carrying electronic devices larger than a cellphone under a new flight restriction enacted …

Discussion: Washington Post, Department of Homeland …, New York Magazine, Infowars, rubber hose, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Business Insider, Heat Street, Axios, BizPac Review, TheBlaze and CNNMoney, more at Techmeme »

BuzzFeed:
The US Has Banned Laptops And Tablets On Flights From Major Middle Eastern Airports

Discussion: USA Today and New York Magazine

Alex Davies / Wired:
THE TSA'S NEW BAN ON LAPTOPS IN CABINS MAY NOT BE THE WORST THING

Discussion: Axios and NPR

McClatchy Washington Bureau:

FBI's Russian-influence probe includes a look at far-right news sites — WASHINGTON — Federal investigators are examining whether far-right news sites played any role last year in a Russian cyber operation that dramatically widened the reach of news stories — some fictional …

Discussion: Infowars, Mediaite, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, BillMoyers.com, Geller Report, Israpundit, BizPac Review, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, Occupy Democrats, Political Wire, The Gateway Pundit, Vox Popoli and Media Matters for America, more at Mediagazer »

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:
FBI Reportedly Looking At Breitbart, InfoWars As Part Of Russia Probe

Discussion: CANNONFIRE

Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
What Investigation? G.O.P. Responds to F.B.I. Inquiry by Changing Subject

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Outside the Beltway, Just Security, The Guardian, Washington Post, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Deadline, Mother Jones, Mediaite, The Daily Signal, Associated Press and The Daily Caller

Andrew Roth / Washington Post:

New documents show Trump aide hid payments from Ukraine party with Moscow ties, lawmaker alleges — KIEV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian lawmaker on Tuesday released new financial documents allegedly showing that a former campaign chairman to President Trump laundered payments from the party …

Discussion: RedState, Occupy Democrats, Raw Story and Politico

Andrew E. Kramer / New York Times:
Paul Manafort, Former Trump Campaign Chief, Faces New Allegations in Ukraine

Discussion: Daily Kos, Politico, The Diplomat, AOL and Mother Jones

Mike Moffitt / San Francisco Chronicle:

Spring breakers chant ‘Build that wall!’ during Cancun cruise — A Mexican newspaper condemned American spring breakers who reportedly chanted “Build that wall!” during a family show on a tourist ship off Cancun. — In an editorial Friday, the Yucatan Times called the singing during a …

Discussion: Refinery29, Raw Story, rubber hose and No More Mister Nice Blog

Margot Sanger-Katz / New York Times:

Fewer Americans Would Be Insured With G.O.P. Plan Than With Simple Repeal — The Congressional Budget Office recently said that around 24 million fewer Americans would have health insurance in 2026 under the Republican repeal plan than if the current law stayed in place.

Eli Watkins / CNN:

Trump credits his Twitter wrath for Kaepernick's unemployment — Trump claims Kaepernick wasn't getting picked up because teams were avoiding his Twitter retribution — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump veered off message Monday night at a campaign-style rally aimed largely at pushing …

Discussion: ProFootballTalk, Occupy Democrats, TheBlaze, National Review, The Daily Caller, AOL, The Gateway Pundit, USA Today, Power Line, Mashable, The Guardian, Mediaite, Hit & Run and The Root

Reuters:

Exclusive: Tillerson plans to skip NATO meeting, visit Russia in April - sources — U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to skip an April 5-6 meeting of NATO foreign ministers for a U.S. visit by the Chinese president and will travel to Russia later in the month, U.S. officials said on Monday …

Discussion: The Guardian, CNN, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze, Politicus USA, Daily Kos, Occupy Democrats, New York Magazine, Towleroad and Axios

Victor Davis Hanson / National Review:

Monasteries of the Mind — When everything is politicized, people retreat into mental mountaintops — dreams of the past and fantasies of the future. … The rapper Snoop Dogg released a video shooting a mock-up of the president. Rapper Bow Wow wants to “pimp” the first lady.

Discussion: Althouse

Brigitte Gabriel / BuzzFeed:

An Anti-Muslim Leader Says She's Going To The White House — Brigitte Gabriel is the leader of ACT for America. — Brigitte Gabriel, one of the most influential anti-Muslim leaders currently in America, said Monday evening she has a meeting at the White House.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Common Dreams

The Sit and Spin Room with LOLGOP & Eclectablog:

HOT MIC MOMENT: Millionaire Republican Rep. Trott & team plan to portray constituents as “un-American” after townhall — Millionaire Republican David Trott (MI-11) held a raucous townhall meeting this past weekend where upwards of one thousand of his constituents tried to attend …

Discussion: Raw Story