memeorandum: Top Trump donor Rebekah Mercer cuts off Steve Bannon (Diana Stancy Correll/Washington Examiner)

12:40 PM ET, January 4, 2018

Top Items:

“You Can't Make This S— Up”: My Year Inside Trump's Insane White House — Author and columnist Michael Wolff was given extraordinary access to the Trump administration and now details the feuds, the fights and the alarming chaos he witnessed while reporting what turned into a new book.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Fox News, Hullabaloo, Mashable, Politicus USA, thecut, The Guardian, NPR, Eschaton, The Week, Raw Story, Mediaite and Scripting News, more at Mediagazer »

Mike Allen / Axios:

Scoop: Wolff taped interviews with Bannon, top officials — Michael Wolff has tapes to back up quotes in his incendiary book — dozens of hours of them. — Among the sources he taped, I'm told, are Steve Bannon and former White House deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, Vox, ABC News, Breitbart, Shareblue Media, Daily Kos, Political Wire, Mother Jones and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

John Santucci / ABC News:

Trump attorney sends Bannon cease and desist letter over ‘disparaging’ comments — Lawyers on behalf of President Donald Trump sent a letter Wednesday night to former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon demanding he refrain from making disparaging comments against the president and his family.

Mike Allen / Axios:

Axios AM — Jeffrey Smith / New York Magazine (Used by permission) — Amid the firestorm over Michael Wolff's forthcoming book “Fire and Fury,” a lawyer for President Trump says legal action against Steve Bannon is “imminent,” accusing the former White House aide of breaking a confidentiality …

Discussion: New Republic, Althouse, Washington Post, Raw Story and Political Wire

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Scoop: White House officials discuss removing Katie Walsh from outside group — Senior White House officials are debating whether Katie Walsh should be fired from Trump's main outside group, America First, after comments she reportedly made to the author Michael Wolff, according to two sources with direct knowledge.

Discussion: Breitbart, The Daily Caller and Political Wire

John Harwood / CNBC:

Questions about Trump's fitness raised by bombshell new book pose growing threat for Republicans in 2018 elections — In a new book informed by extensive White House access, top officials described the president with words like “crazy” and “stupid.” — “It raises the question about whether …

John Santucci / ABC News:

Trump legal team blasts explosive Michael Wolff book in cease-and-desist letter — President Donald Trump's lawyer, Charles Harder, has demanded on behalf of his client that author Michael Wolff and his publisher immediately “cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination” …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, Political Wire and AOL

John Bowden / The Hill:

Bannon loses support of pro-Trump billionaire backer over media fights — Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon has reportedly lost the support of billionaire backer Rebekah Mercer after he suggested he might run for president himself. — A person close to Mercer told …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, MarketWatch, RedState, Politico, Vox, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Breitbart, Power Line, Instapundit and Washington Times

Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg:

White House Bans Staff From Using Personal Mobile Phones at Work — Trump administration cites security concerns for new policy — Staff can conduct business on government-issued devices — The White House is banning its employees from using personal mobile phones while at work in the West Wing …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, TheBlaze, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Times and Mashable, more at Techmeme »

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
McConnell told Trump the White House reaction on Bannon was ‘perfect’: report

Discussion: RedState, Business Insider, IJR, CNN, CNBC, Politicus USA and Fox News Insider

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill: GOP strategist: Republicans will turn on Trump, impeach him if party is blown out in midterms

Diana Stancy Correll / Washington Examiner:
Top Trump donor Rebekah Mercer cuts off Steve Bannon

Discussion: National Review, Politico, New York Magazine, The Week, Washington Post and ABC News

Madison Park / CNN:
Despite blast by Trump, Bannon reiterates support for President

Discussion: The Hill, ThinkProgress, Politico, Washington Post, Axios, Townhall.com, thecut, Washington Monthly, IJR, theGrio, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, CNBC and Washington Free Beacon

James Hohmann / Washington Post:
The Daily 202: Trump's break with Bannon over Wolff book shows the limits of loyalty

Discussion: The Daily Beast and Politico

Mike Allen / Axios:
Bannon and Trump: Monsters they can't control

Discussion: The Atlantic, Mediaite, Mother Jones, Business Insider and Breitbart, more at Mediagazer »

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Michael Wolff tells a juicy tale in his new Trump book. But should we believe it?

Ryan Mac / BuzzFeed:
Peter Thiel Is Exploring The Creation Of A Conservative Cable News Network

Discussion: Politico, Business Insider and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Robert Kraychik / Breitbart:
Bannon Praises Trump: POTUS ‘Is a Great Man... I Support Him Day In and Day Out’

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Business Insider, The Gateway Pundit and Politico

Fred Barbash / Washington Post:
Steve Bannon, calling Trump a ‘great man,’ says he still supports him in first comments after eruption

Discussion: Hot Air, CNBC, Reuters, bizpacreview.com, The Week, Daily Wire and Politico

CNN:
Inside Trump's two days of fury

Discussion: Just Security and AOL

Sadie Gurman / Associated Press:

AP NewsBreak: US to end policy that let legal pot flourish — WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding the Obama-era policy that had paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.

Discussion: New Republic, Axios, National Review, ThinkProgress, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Hit & Run, Business Insider, The Gateway Pundit, The Stranger …, TheBlaze, The Verge, The Week, Daily Kos, Political Wire, The Cannabist and The Daily Beast

Washington Examiner:

Reps. Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan: It's time for Jeff Sessions to go, as shown by the latest FBI leak … As the first year of the Trump administration comes to a close, one can't help but look back on how allegations of “Russian collusion” dominated the headlines of almost every news agency.

Discussion: Vox, Axios, Politico, Business Insider, IJR, The Daily Caller and American Thinker

Reid Wilson / The Hill:

Sessions will end policy that allowed legalized marijuana to prosper — will roll back an Obama-era policy that gave states leeway to allow marijuana for recreational purposes. — Two sources with knowledge of the decision confirmed to The Hill that Sessions will rescind the so-called Cole Memo …

Discussion: Reason and Balloon Juice

Laura Jarrett / CNN:
Sessions to rescind Obama-era rules on non-interference with states where pot is legal

Discussion: Popehat, IJR and Eschaton

Kansas City Star:

Trump disbands Kobach-led voter fraud commission after resistance from states — President Donald Trump has disbanded a commission intended to investigate voter fraud after a massive data request by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach led to a backlash from state officials across the political spectrum.

Discussion: Mother Jones and Shakesville

Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Trump's explanation for shutting down his voter fraud commission is just as untrue and partisan

Discussion: Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Business Insider and Raw Story

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Reason to celebrate: Trump shuts down his phony voting integrity commission

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and BuzzFeed

USA Today:
Trump disbands controversial voting commission, citing ‘endless legal battles’

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Times, Reuters, The Daily Caller, The Lid, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, bizpacreview.com, CBS San Francisco, Off the Kuff and Mother Jones

Matthew Nussbaum / Politico:
Trump disbands voter fraud commission

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, al.com, WMUR, The White House, Right Wing Watch, Breitbart, electionlawblog.org, Daily Kos, Townhall.com, NBC News and ThinkProgress

Matthew Haag / New York Times:
Trump Disbands Commission on Voter Fraud

Discussion: Reason, Rewire, The Hill, New York Magazine, bizpacreview.com, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Washington Free Beacon

CNN:
Trump dissolves voter fraud commission

Discussion: bizpacreview.com, Washington Press, KTLA, IJR and The Week

John Wagner / Washington Post:
Trump abolishes controversial commission studying alleged voter fraud

Discussion: Power Line and Election Academy

Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:

Justice Department ‘Looking Into’ Hillary Clinton's Emails— Again … Justice Department officials are taking a fresh look at Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state, The Daily Beast has learned. — An ally of Attorney General Jeff Sessions who is familiar …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Axios, Raw Story, IJR, Law.com, Daily Kos, NewsBusters and The Stream

Annie Karni / Politico:

Washington's growing obsession: The 25th Amendment — Lawmakers concerned about President Donald Trump's mental state summoned Yale University psychiatry professor Dr. Bandy X. Lee to Capitol Hill last month for two days of briefings about his recent behavior.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Hill, Shareblue Media, Daily Kos, The Week and Washington Press

Caroline Orr / Shareblue Media: “He's going to unravel.” Psychiatrist warns members of Congress about Trump in secret briefing

New York Daily News:

Socialite Jacqueline Kent Cooke accused of smacking lawyer with her glass purse in anti-Semitic attack — Millionaire NFL heiress Jacqueline Kent Cooke allegedly got blitzed on New Year's Eve, spewed anti-Semitic remarks in a Manhattan restaurant and then bashed a man bloody with her glass purse …

Discussion: Jewish Telegraphic Agency and TMZ.com

Tom Sykes / The Daily Beast:
Millionaire NFL Heiress Filmed in Upper East Side Brawl After Allegedly Making Anti-Semitic Remark

Discussion: Raw Story

Lee Drutman / Vox:

There is no separation of powers without divided government — Partisan loyalty has triumphed over institutional loyalty. — A year ago, as we approached the opening days of the Trump administration, it was still possible to make a hopeful, albeit long-shot, argument that 2017 …

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
2018 is the year that will decide if Trumpocracy replaces American democracy

Discussion: bradford-delong.com

Wall Street Journal:

Fusion's Russia Fog — The Steele dossier hit men now claim to be political victims. — The Editorial Board — Let's see. The Clinton campaign hires Fusion GPS, an opposition research firm, to investigate the Trump campaign. Fusion hires a former British spy, Christopher Steele …

Discussion: Power Line and National Review

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Deputy AG, FBI director make unannounced visit to Paul Ryan's office

Discussion: Washington Post, The Last Refuge, The Stream and Axios

Matt Pearce / Los Angeles Times:

Motel 6 routinely gave guests' information to immigration officials, Washington attorney general says — Motel 6 said in September that its employees in the Phoenix area would no longer work with immigration officials, but it didn't mention Washington state. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)

Discussion: ThinkProgress, CNN and The Daily Caller