memeorandum: Search for Hicks replacement turns into West Wing food fight (Politico)

8:35 AM ET, March 10, 2018

Top Items:

Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:

“Trump Is Going for a Clean Reset”: Fuming in the West Wing, Trump Prepares to Defenestrate Cuck Allies and Go Full MAGA — The president will meet with potential chief-of-staff candidates at Mar-a-Lago next weekend. McMaster is likely next to go. Then Jivanka.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Bustle, Washington Press, Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice, Mediaite and Raw Story

Mark Landler / New York Times:

Planning Begins for Kim Jong-un Meeting Some Trump Aides Believe Will Never Happen — WASHINGTON — A day after President Trump accepted an invitation to meet Kim Jong-un of North Korea, the White House began planning on Friday a high-level diplomatic encounter so risky and seemingly far-fetched …

Discussion: Sputnik International, Al Jazeera English, HeraldScotland, The Daily Caller, Vox, New Republic, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, The Diplomat, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Post, Common Dreams, Splinter and National Review

Politico:

Search for Hicks replacement turns into West Wing food fight — Various White House factions are backing different candidates for communications director, while Trump is soliciting advice from Hicks on potential successors. — President Donald Trump on Thursday evening poked his head …

Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:

Trump Dined with Fox News' Seb Gorka and Jesse Watters at the White House This Week … On Monday night, President Donald Trump welcomed Seb Gorka back into the White House—not for a job but for a meal. — The president was joined for dinner in the White House residence by Fox News personalities …

Discussion: Raw Story, Mediaite and Wall Street Journal

Caroline Orr / Shareblue Media:

Trump makes a mess of North Korea talks hours after announcing them — Even Trump doesn't know what Trump agreed to with North Korea. — Trump's hastily reached decision to accept an invitation to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has sent the White House into a tailspin …

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Mother Jones, Breitbart, ABC News and Politico

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Damage control at White House to reverse Trump's stunning blunder

Discussion: Weekly Standard and YouTube

Washington Post:
In Trump's decision on North Korea, the world glimpses a president who is his own diplomat, negotiator and strategist

Discussion: Boing Boing, ThinkProgress and VICE News

Brandon Carter / The Hill:
‘Morning Joe’ hosts on Trump-North Korea meeting: 'He can't even make a deal with a porn star'

Discussion: One America News Network, Breitbart, Washington Press and CNN

Tom Llamas / ABC News:

Michael Cohen dismisses claims of email as proof that Trump knew about payment to porn star to buy her silence — The lawyer for Stormy Daniels says emails show President Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen was using his Trump Organization email just days before the 2016 election …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Post, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Washington Press, New York Magazine and Mediaite

Denver Nicks / Rolling Stone:

One Night with Stormy Daniels, the Hero America Needs — Frozen g-strings, squirt guns and hot wax - how Trump's alleged porn-star fling is unapologetically cashing in on a presidential scandal — Frozen g-strings, squirt guns and hot wax - how Trump's alleged porn-star fling is unapologetically cashing in on a presidential scandal

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Daily Kos, New York Times and Talking Points Memo

NBC News:
Michael Cohen used Trump company email in Stormy Daniels arrangements

Discussion: CNN, Daily Kos, NBC News, KTLA, Mediaite, Hullabaloo, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Politico, RedState, ThinkProgress, Shakesville, VICE News, CNBC and Political Wire

Matt Flegenheimer / New York Times:
The President and the Porn Star: A Story's Slow Rise Above the Din

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and FOX2now.com

Lorraine Woellert / Politico:
Trump lawyer's payment to porn star draws comparisons to John Edwards case

Discussion: Raw Story and Talking Points Memo

Leslie Dyste / KTVU-TV:

3 hostages taken, shots fired at Yountville Veterans Home — Woman on lockdown at Yountville Veterans Home speaks with KTVU — YOUNTVILLE, Calif. (KTVU) - Three people were taken as hostages and shots were fired at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville — the largest in the United States …

Discussion: CBS San Francisco, Chicks On The Right, The Gateway Pundit, Faithwire, IJR, Jewish Journal and Daily Wire

Fox News:
Veterans Home of California in Yountville on lockdown after reports of shots fired, officials say

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Napa Valley Register, Raw Story, Washington Press, Townhall.com, RedState, East Bay Times and Mediaite

Ralph Ellis / CNN:
Three women, suspect dead after hostage standoff in Yountville, California

Discussion: FOX40, CBS Miami, WTKR-TV, TheBlaze, Bustle, KFOR-TV, NPR, Tribunist and VICE News

NBC Bay Area:
Gunman Opens Fire, Takes Hostages at Yountville Veterans Home

Discussion: Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, twitchy.com and KTLA

NBC News:
Suspected gunman, 3 women found dead after hostages taken at California veterans home

Discussion: Breitbart and NBC News

Associated Press: 3 hostages, gunman found dead in California veterans home

Wall Street Journal:

Trump Lawyers Seek Deal With Mueller to Speed End of Russia Probe — Legal team seek to use interview with president as leverage in negotiations — WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump's lawyers are seeking to negotiate a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller that uses an interview …

Discussion: CNN, Politicus USA, Washington Press, Breitbart, Chicks On The Right, Deadline, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Mediaite and The Gateway Pundit

Josh Delk / The Hill:
Trump lawyers seek to offer Mueller an interview in exchange for wrapping up probe: report

Discussion: RedState and Mediaite

Washington Post:

In a personal letter, Trump invited Putin to the 2013 Miss Universe pageant … Donald Trump was so eager to have Vladimir Putin attend the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow that he wrote a personal letter to the Russian president inviting him to the event, according to multiple people familiar with the document.

Discussion: Washington Press, Mediaite and Boing Boing

Ryan Browne / CNN:

Exclusive: Trump getting a parade but tanks won't roll down Pennsylvania avenue — Here's how other countries do military parades — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump will get his military parade, but it is unlikely to mirror the Paris Bastille Day event which inspired …

Discussion: Political Wire, Washington Press, The Daily Caller, Boing Boing, VICE News, Raw Story, Washington Free Beacon, IJR, Axios and Mediaite

Marwa Eltagouri / Washington Post:
Trump will get the military parade he wanted — just not the tanks

Discussion: Reuters and TheBlaze

Jeffrey Schweers / Tallahassee Democrat:

NRA sues Florida over gun bill same day Gov. Scott signed it into law — The National Rifle Association filed a federal lawsuit this afternoon against the state to block a law that had just been signed by Gov. Rick Scott that prohibits gun sales to anyone between the ages of 18 and 21.

Discussion: Victory Girls Blog, Washington Press, Mother Jones, Washington Free Beacon and Breitbart

Steve Almasy / CNN:
NRA sues Florida to block new gun law

Discussion: Bustle, theGrio, KTLA, The Daily Caller and Tribunist

Ryan J. Reilly / HuffPost:

Trump's Latest Pardon Shows The Best Way To Get One: Go On Fox News — By comparing his case to Hillary Clinton's, a Navy sailor and his lawyer were able to grab Fox's attention — and the president's. — WASHINGTON A former Navy sailor who pleaded guilty to a felony count of unauthorized possession …

Discussion: Washington Press and Washington Monthly

Elizabeth Llorente / Fox News:
Trump pardons former Navy sailor imprisoned for taking photos on nuclear submarine, White House says

Discussion: TheBlaze, The Gateway Pundit and IJR

Kayleigh McEnany / CNN:

Jared Kushner is quietly tackling Washington's swamp — Kayleigh McEnany is the national spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. Prior to joining the RNC, McEnany was a CNN political commentator. She earned her law degree from Harvard Law School and BSFS from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service.

Sam Dolnick / New York Times:

The Man Who Knew Too Little — The most ignorant man in America knows that Donald Trump is president — but that's about it. Living a liberal fantasy is complicated. — GLOUSTER, Ohio — At first, the experiment didn't have a name. — Right after the election, Erik Hagerman decided …

Nicola Harley / Telegraph:

Queen pledges to continue to ‘grow’ the Commonwealth in ‘scope and stature’ for future generations — The Queen has vowed to continue to grow the Commonwealth in “scope and stature” for future generations in her Commonwealth Day message. — She has praised the “Commonwealth connection” …

New York Times:

Mauritius President to Step Down Amid Row Over Credit Card Spending — The president of Mauritius, who was accused of using a credit card issued by a charity to buy clothes and jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars, will step down, the prime minister announced on Friday.

Discussion: CNN

New York Times:

The E.P.A Chief Wanted a Climate Science Debate. Trump's Chief of Staff Stopped Him. — Want the latest climate news in your inbox? You can sign up here to receive Climate Fwd:, our new email newsletter. — John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, has killed an effort by the head …

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Caller and Axios

Cristina Alesci / CNN:

White House scolds Cabinet officials after embarrassing ethics reports — (CNN)The White House held private meetings with four Cabinet-level officials last month to scold them for embarrassing stories about questionable ethical behavior at their respective agencies, sources familiar with the sessions tell CNN.

Discussion: Washington Press