memeorandum: Trump's state of mind (Mike Allen/Axios)

2:50 PM ET, January 6, 2018

Top Items:

David Frum / The Atlantic:

Donald Trump Goes Full Fredo — “I can handle things. I'm smart! Not like everybody says, like dumb. I'm smart and I want respect!” — This morning's presidential Twitter outburst recalls those words of Fredo Corleone's in one of the most famous scenes from The Godfather series.

Discussion: Washington Press, Mediaite, Politico and Washington Post

Mike Allen / Axios:

Trump's state of mind — Pause for a moment, and really let this sink in. The President of the United States this morning declared he's not mentally unstable, and in fact is a genius: “Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. ...

Daniella Diaz / CNN:

Trump: I'm a ‘very stable genius’ — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump slammed reports questioning his mental stability in a series of tweets Saturday morning, writing he's a “very stable genius.” — “Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study …

Michael Tackett / New York Times:

Trump Defends His Mental Capacity, Calling Himself a ‘Genius’ — WASHINGTON — President Trump, in an extraordinary defense of his mental capacity and fitness for office, described himself on Saturday as a “genius” and “a very stable genius at that.” — In a series of Twitter messages …

William Schomberg / Reuters:

Trump book author says his revelations will bring down U.S. president — LONDON (Reuters) - The author of a book that is highly critical of Donald Trump's first year as U.S. president said his revelations were likely to bring an end to Trump's time in the White House.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and IJR

David Nakamura / Washington Post:

Trump boasts that he's ‘like, really smart’ and a ‘very stable genius’ amid questions over his mental fitness — President Trump continued to defend himself in the wake of a new book that suggests top White House aides feared he was unfit for the job. — In a tweetstorm Saturday morning …

Alicia Cohn / The Hill:
‘Fire and Fury’ author predicts his book will help end Trump's presidency

Discussion: RedState and IJR

Matthew Chapman / Shareblue Media: Sarah Sanders: Americans who aren't “celebrating” Trump are “mentally unfit”

David S. Cloud / Los Angeles Times:

Mueller calls back at least one participant in key meeting with Russians at Trump Tower — Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin. (Yury Martyanov/AFP/Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images) — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has recalled for questioning …

Discussion: bizpacreview.com, Politicus USA, Raw Story, Political Wire and Shareblue Media

Caroline Orr / Shareblue Media:
Mueller's Russia investigation turns its attention to Ivanka Trump

Discussion: NPR, Raw Story and Business Insider

Erica Orden / Wall Street Journal:

SEC Looks Into Kushner Cos. Over Use of EB-5 Program for Immigrant Investors — Probe is being conducted in collaboration with Brooklyn U.S. attorney's office, which issued similar subpoena — The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the real-estate company run by the family …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, TheBlaze and Business Insider

Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:
SEC investigating Kushner business over use of visa program: report

Discussion: RedState

Natasha Bertrand / Business Insider:

George Papadopoulos' fiancée opens up about her interview with Mueller, that mysterious London professor, and her wedding plans — Simona Mangiante, the fiancée of former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, described in an interview with Business Insider this week …

David Wroe / Sydney Morning Herald:
‘Romantic encounter’ set off Australia's role in triggering Donald Trump investigation

Discussion: Raw Story

Associated Press:

The Latest: Trump to campaign heavily in 2018 midterms — The Latest on President Donald Trump's meetings at Camp David with congressional leaders (all times local): — President Donald Trump says he won't sign legislation protecting hundreds of thousands of young people brought …

Seung Min Kim / Politico:
Trump insists his Russia actions were ‘100 percent proper,’ pledges ‘bipartisan’ plans for 2018

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Michael Schwirtz / New York Times:

The U.S. Wanted to Discuss Iran. Russia Brought Up Black Lives Matter. — UNITED NATIONS — Efforts by the Trump administration to marshal a muscular international response to Iran's crackdown on anti-government protesters appeared to backfire on Friday, as members of the United Nations …

Discussion: The Root

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

What the Trump dossier criminal referral means — There's been a lot of confusion about the decision by Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley and crime subcommittee chairman Lindsey Graham to refer Christopher Steele, author of the Trump dossier, to the Justice Department for possible criminal investigation.

Discussion: Mother Jones, Washington Post, HuffPost, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Chuck Grassley, Politico and The Gateway Pundit

Mark Curnutte / USA Today:

Appeal denied: ICE to move forward with deportation of paraplegic boy's caregiver … Yancarlos Mendez, a dual citizen of Spain and the Dominican Republic living illegally in the United States, was stopped for driving without a license, his second such offense. Sam Greene/The Enquirer

Discussion: Splinter

Ruby Cramer / BuzzFeed:

A Major Democratic Donor Is Reconsidering Support For Senators Who Pushed For Al Franken's Resignation — Clinton with Buell in 2007. — One of the Democratic Party's biggest donors says she is reconsidering her support for the women in the U.S. Senate who called for Al Franken's resignation …

Todd Prince / Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Mandalay Bay staff interacted with Las Vegas shooter more than 10 times in days before Oct. 1 — Mandalay Bay resort and casino. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto — Two windows are blown out from Mandalay Bay the morning after a mass shooting in Las Vegas, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017.

Discussion: TheBlaze, CW39 NewsFix, AOL, ABC News and The Daily Caller

Anna Claire Vollers / al.com:

Roy Moore accuser's Gadsden home burns; arson investigation underway — Roy Moore accuser Tina Johnson lost her home Wednesday in a fire that is now under investigation by the Etowah County Arson Task Force. — Tina Johnson, who first came to public notice for accusing Senate candidate Roy Moore …

David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:

Tapes Reveal Egyptian Leaders' Tacit Acceptance of Jerusalem Move — As President Trump moved last month to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, an Egyptian intelligence officer quietly placed phone calls to the hosts of several influential talk shows in Egypt.

Discussion: Business Insider

New York Daily News:

HEAR IT: Eliot Spitzer chides blackmailer in alleged profanity-filled recording (WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE) — A woman who says she carried on a longtime affair with disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer told police she has the pervy pol on tape berating and threatening her, and the NYPD is investigating her allegation.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Jim Acosta / CNN:

Others involved in effort to pressure Sessions to not recuse — (CNN)More White House officials were involved in the effort to persuade Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself in the Russia investigation beyond counsel Don McGahn, a senior administration official said Friday.

Nick Miroff / Washington Post:

First phase of Trump border wall gets $18 billion price tag, in new request to lawmakers — The Trump administration has told lawmakers that it wants $18 billion over the next decade for the initial phase of a Mexico border wall, laying out for the first time a detailed financial blueprint …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, IJR, CW39 NewsFix, Cafe Hayek, ABC News, TalkLeft, ImmigrationProf Blog and archive.is

Elliot Spagat / Associated Press:
Trump seeks $18 billion to extend border wall over 10 years

Discussion: The Week and Axios

Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:

ACLU to storm 2018 midterms — The group is aiming to become the NRA of the left, starting with plans to spend tens of millions in the election. — The American Civil Liberties Union, rarely an active player in national campaigns, is jumping into the 2018 midterms with plans to spend upward …

Discussion: Axios

Eliana Johnson / Politico:

McConnell dances on Bannon's grave — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his allies rang in the new year with a week-long celebration of Steve Bannon's self-immolation. — But the festivities may prove to be short-lived. — The Republican leader still has a slate …

Discussion: Business Insider, Occidental Dissent and The Daily Beast