memeorandum: Why Doesn't Trump Just Unmask the Unmasking? (Andrew C. McCarthy/National Review)

1:10 PM ET, August 3, 2017

Top Items:

Trump urged Mexican president to end his public defiance on border wall, transcript reveals — President Trump made building a wall along the southern U.S. border and forcing Mexico to pay for it core pledges of his campaign. — But in his first White House call with Mexico's president …

Washington Post:

Highlights … JANUARY 27, 2017, FROM 9:35 TO 10:28 A.M. EST. — Hello, good morning. — Mr. President, good morning. — How are you, Mr. President? — I am good. How are you? It is good to speak with you. Let me switch to Spanish so I will be more comfortable.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:

Those Calls to Trump? White House Admits They Didn't Happen — WASHINGTON — Has President Trump told you about the time the head of the Boy Scouts called to say his was the best speech ever delivered to the more than century-old organization? What about when the president of Mexico picked …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:
Trump to Mexican president: Stop saying your government won't pay for wall

Discussion: Washington Post, Infowars, Raw Story, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and The Week

Murray Waas / Vox:

Exclusive: top FBI officials could testify against Trump — The acting head of the bureau told top officials to prepare. — Shortly after the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller in May, acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe told several of the highest-ranking managers of the bureau …

Discussion: Political Wire, Raw Story and The Gateway Pundit

Associated Press:

Mueller's job would be protected by bipartisan Senate bill — WASHINGTON — Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are moving to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's job, putting forth legislation that aims to ensure the integrity of current and future independent investigations.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, Axios, The Daily Caller and Political Wire

NBC News:

Trump Says U.S.'Losing' Afghan War in Tense Meeting With Generals — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has become increasingly frustrated with his advisers tasked with crafting a new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and recently suggested firing the war's top military commander during …

Adam Kredo / Washington Free Beacon:

McMaster, On ‘Warpath,’ Purges Key Trump Allies From White House NSC — An ongoing staffing purge being conducted by White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster has thrown the West Wing into chaos, according to more than half a dozen Trump administration insiders who told …

Discussion: Breitbart, Weekly Standard, Vox, The Gateway Pundit, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Business Insider, Raw Story, RedState, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo, Axios, McMaster Leaks and Political Wire

New York Times:
White House Purging Michael Flynn Allies From National Security Council

Discussion: Breitbart, Task & Purpose, Business Insider, NBC News, The Week, Infowars, Axios, The Gateway Pundit, IJR, Raw Story, Mediaite, Politico and The Daily Caller

James Hohmann / Washington Post:
The Daily 202: Trump stumbles are undercutting executive power, which may be healthy for America long-term

Discussion: Sputnik International, Politico, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Mother Jones and Washington Monthly

New Yorker:

Ryan Lizza Revisits His Phone Call with Anthony Scaramucci — Anthony Scaramucci placed the phone call that ended his career late at night; he reached Ryan Lizza, The New Yorker's Washington correspondent, at home. During their conversation, parts of which are available here …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Business Insider, Raw Story, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:

Scaramucci to hold online event Friday — Scaramucci will be hosting an online event on Friday where he will address the American people directly — (CNN) Anthony Scaramucci wants to tell his own story. — Following his departure from the White House after less than 11 days …

Discussion: RedState, IJR, Washington Free Beacon, Talking Points Memo, TVNewser, Business Insider, Mediaite and Political Wire

Charlie Warzel / BuzzFeed:
Here Is Anthony Scaramucci's “Communications Plan” From Before He Was Fired

Discussion: CNN, Gizmodo, Politico, Mike Cernovich, The Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, Business Insider and The Daily Caller

Eli Lake / Bloomberg:

You Can Thank Leakers for New Russia Sanctions — A good policy outcome, but “unmasking” helped set a troubling precedent that forced Trump to capitulate. — If you are inclined, as I am, to see the new congressional sanctions on Russia as a positive development, then take a moment to thank …

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:

Why Doesn't Trump Just Unmask the Unmasking? — Trump has the authority to decide what intelligence information, and intelligence abuses, can be declassified and made public. — Is “unmasking” the Republican version of “collusion”: dramatic huffing and puffing in lieu of something truly worth huffing and puffing about?

Discussion: The Daily Signal, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and Investor's Business Daily

GOLF.com:

PODCAST: The story behind our Trump golf story (and a certain explosive quote) — The real Donald Trump is revealed through his golf game — Of the 7,424 words in Alan Shipnuck's deep dive into President Trump's ties to golf in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, seven words have caused a media frenzy:

Discussion: Axios, Raw Story, Politico, Mediaite, TheBlaze, AOL, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider, The Gateway Pundit and Washington Post

Robin Eberhardt / The Hill:
Golf journalist: At least 8 people heard Trump call the White House a ‘dump’

Discussion: RedState

Politico:
Lawyers, lawmakers leave Trump administration in limbo on Obamacare subsidies

Discussion: ABC News and Talking Points Memo

Hunter Walker / Yahoo:

Reporter says ‘Russian propaganda outlet’ pushed him to cover conspiracy theory at the center of a White House lawsuit — WASHINGTON — Reporter Andrew Feinberg says a Russian state-owned news site he once worked for pressured him to advance a conspiracy theory about the fatal shooting …

Discussion: The Week, Raw Story, RedState and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »

Oliver Darcy / CNNMoney:
Confusion, anger inside Fox News over lack of answers in network's Seth Rich probe

Discussion: CNN, The Week, Mediaite and Media Matters for America, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

Trump set to embark on 1st vacation since inauguration — Donald Trump once questioned the wisdom of taking vacations. “What's the point?” he asked. — But now the president is getting ready to join the annual August exodus from this town he calls “the swamp.”

Discussion: Daily Kos, twitchy.com and Political Wire

Tara Palmeri / Politico:

Spicer savors his last days in the White House — Sean Spicer has been floating around the White House since he announced his resignation almost two weeks ago, dipping in and out of his office, attending meetings on tax reform and popping up for public ceremonies like retired Gen. John Kelly's swearing …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

New York Times:

Oh, Wait. Maybe It Was Collusion. — Did the Trump campaign collude with Russian agents trying to manipulate the course of the 2016 election? Some analysts have argued that the media has made too much of the collusion narrative; that Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting …

Discussion: Raw Story

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
Feasting on False and Fake

Discussion: CNNMoney, Associated Press, Washington Post, Mashable, The Week, Mediaite, Politico, Talking Points Memo and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

CBS News:
Investigators want phone records related to Trump Jr. Russia meeting

Discussion: RedState, The Gateway Pundit and Raw Story

Jonathan Lemire / Associated Press:

Trump's New Top Aide Assures Sessions His Job Is Safe — New White House chief of staff John Kelly, in one of his first acts in his new post, called Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reassure him that his position was safe despite the recent onslaught of criticism he has taken from President Donald Trump.

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, Splinter, Raw Story, RedState, The Week, Axios, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, Political Wire and The Last Tradition

Nick Carey / Reuters:

Auto workers' union rolls the dice at Nissan's Mississippi plant — CANTON, Miss. (Reuters) - For nearly a decade, the United Auto Workers union has tried to organize workers at Nissan Motor Co Ltd's (7201.T) assembly plant here, challenging the company's wages, safety record and commitment to treating African-American workers fairly.

Discussion: Axios and The Daily Caller

Thomas Perez / USA Today:
Nissan workers deserve a voice

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Slate:

The Clarence Thomas Takeover — The justice has spent his career pushing a fringy, right-wing ideology. Now, he has an army of acolytes who can make his vision a reality. — There's a reason Clarence Thomas writes so many solo dissents and concurrences.

Jason Horowitz / New York Times:

A Vatican Shot Across the Bow for Hard-Line U.S. Catholics — VATICAN CITY — Two close associates of Pope Francis have accused American Catholic ultraconservatives of making an alliance of “hate” with evangelical Christians to back President Trump, further alienating a group already out of the Vatican's good graces.

Discussion: Raw Story

Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Attorney Subpoenas Kushner Cos. Over Investment-For-Visa Program — Records sought from development firm owned by family of White House adviser Jared Kushner — Kushner Cos., the New York property development business owned by the family of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Hill, CNBC, Raw Story, Axios and Political Wire

Kate McKenna / CBC News:

Montreal's Olympic Stadium used to house surge in asylum seekers crossing from U.S. — Outreach worker estimates more than 1,000 migrants travelled from U.S. to Canada in July alone — A temporary welcome centre has been opened at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal to house a new wave …

Discussion: NPR, circa.com, IJR, The Daily Caller, Infowars and The Guardian

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

Fearless Conservative Firebrand Laura Loomer Has Car Tires Slashed (Updated) — Fearless Conservative Firebrand Laura Loomer Has Car Tires Slashed — Earlier today, Laura Loomer, Rebel Media journalist and former Project Veritas operative, had a tire to her car slashed in what appears to be a pretty clear act of vandalism.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Andy Kroll / Mother Jones:

New Fox Harassment Allegations: “A Contributorship...Was Contingent Upon” Sex — A former frequent on-air guest at Fox News says that a Fox consultant and top lieutenant to Roger Ailes, the network's late founder and longtime CEO, sexually harassed her repeatedly for more than a year …

Discussion: Raw Story

Joe Hildebrand / NEWS.com.au:

Bondi synagogue ban over terrorism risk leaves Jewish community shocked and furious — A LOCAL council has banned the construction of a synagogue in Bondi because it could be a terrorist target, in a shock move that religious leaders say has caved in to Islamic extremism and created a dangerous precedent.

Discussion: Washington Post

Sen. Marco Rubio / Breitbart:

Marco Rubio: We Need Real Tax Reform that Empowers Families — The cornerstone of pro-family economic policy is per-child tax relief. — In the 1994 midterm elections, conservative Republicans were swept into Congress after a campaign centered on the “Contract with America.”