memeorandum: Gowdy to Trump: ‘When you are innocent ... act like it’ (Kyle Cheney/Politico)

1:40 PM ET, March 18, 2018

Top Items:

Trump Assails Mueller, Drawing Rebukes From Republicans — WASHINGTON — President Trump appeared on Sunday to abandon a strategy of deferring to the special counsel examining Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, lashing out at what he characterized as a partisan investigation …

Reuters:

Exclusive: Sources contradict Sessions' testimony he opposed Russia outreach — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' testimony that he opposed a proposal for President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team to meet with Russians has been contradicted by three people …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Political Wire and Booman Tribune

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Gowdy to Trump: ‘When you are innocent ... act like it’ — Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) urged President Donald Trump and his lawyer on Sunday to stop flailing at special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and to let the probe continue unimpeded. — “When you are innocent ... act like it …

Discussion: The Hill, Mother Jones, CNN, Political Wire, Breitbart, WPIX 11 New York, The Week, Washington Free Beacon, Politico, Axios, Politicus USA and New York Magazine

Emily Stewart / Vox:

Jeff Sessions may have violated his recusal pledge when he fired Andrew McCabe — Making the Justice Department inspector general's report public would help clear things up. — On Friday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, allegedly …

Discussion: Politico, Outside the Beltway, Breitbart, bizpacreview.com, New York Times and NewsBusters

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Trump rails against Mueller investigation, dismisses McCabe's notes as ‘Fake Memos’ … President Trump fired off angry tweets Sunday morning railing against the Justice Department special counsel's Russia investigation and attacking the integrity of former FBI director James B. Comey and his former deputy …

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, RedState, CNN, CNBC, The Guardian, Fox News Insider, The Gateway Pundit, IJR, Sputnik International, New York Magazine, Mediaite and bizpacreview.com

Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:

Trump said Mueller's team has ‘13 hardened Democrats.’ Here are the facts. … President Trump on Sunday renewed his attacks on the political affiliations of the members of the special counsel team investigating his 2016 campaign for possibly coordinating with Russia, alleging that the group has …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, Raw Story and The Daily Caller

Axios:

What McCabe told Mueller — Andrew McCabe says President Trump asked him: “What was it like when your wife lost? ... So tell me, what was it like to lose?” McCabe — the former FBI deputy director who was fired Friday night, 26 hours short of being eligible for a full pension …

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Caller, Power Line and bizpacreview.com

Joseph Weber / Fox News:
Fired McCabe kept notes on Trump, as Comey did, and gave them to Special Counsel Mueller

Discussion: CNNMoney, American Thinker, Breitbart and Washington Times

Erica Pandey / Axios:
Trump attacks FBI and Mueller investigation in morning tweets

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Caller, Splinter, bizpacreview.com, NBC News and CNN

Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
Andrew McCabe was just offered a job by a congressman so he can get his full retirement.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Forbes, Mashable, Realtime Politics, bizpacreview.com, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, RedState, twitchy.com, Mediaite, The Hill, IJR, Althouse, CANNONFIRE, The Gateway Pundit and Politicus USA

Quinn Scanlan / ABC News:
On danger that Trump could fire Mueller, Congress needs to speak up, 'don't wait for crisis': Leading Democrat

Discussion: Axios, Hullabaloo, JONATHAN TURLEY, RedState and The Gateway Pundit

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
After McCabe firing, Trump attacks FBI, and his lawyer says Russia probe must end

Ryan Goodman / Just Security:
Sessions' Firing McCabe Violated His Promise to Recuse

Discussion: The Mahablog and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Eric Tucker / Associated Press:
Mueller now has memos McCabe kept on Trump dealings

Discussion: Politico, The Week, The Daily Caller and CNN

Bernard Condon / Associated Press:

AP Exclusive: Kushner Cos. filed false documents with NYC — NEW YORK (AP) — When the Kushner Cos. bought three apartment buildings in a gentrifying neighborhood of Queens in 2015, most of the tenants were protected by special rules that prevent developers from pushing them out, raising rents and turning a tidy profit.

Discussion: Axios, Political Wire, Outside the Beltway, The Real Deal New York and Raw Story

Mark Murray / NBC News:

Democrats hold double-digit lead for 2018 midterm elections — A new NBC News/WSJ poll also shows President Trump's approval ratings edging up — WASHINGTON — Democrats enjoy a 10-point advantage over Republicans in congressional preference for the 2018 midterm elections …

Discussion: Political Wire, Vox, Politicus USA and Axios

Janet Hook / Wall Street Journal:

Democrats Regain Double-Digit Advantage Over GOP in Voter Sentiment Poll — Republicans lost ground, even as Americans adopted more favorable view of Trump's job — Democrats have regained a double-digit advantage over Republicans as the 2018 midterm congressional campaign intensifies …

Ellen Barry / New York Times:

Britain Says It Has Proof Russia Stockpiled Lethal Nerve Agent — London — Britain has evidence that Russia has been manufacturing and stockpiling the nerve agent used in an attack on a former Russian double agent on British soil, the British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said on Sunday.

Terry Moran / ABC News:

Russian ex-spy's poisoning in UK believed from nerve agent in car vents; at least 38 others sickened: Sources — The Russian ex-spy who along with his daughter was poisoned by a nerve agent in the U.K. may have been exposed to the neurotoxin through his car's ventilation system, sources told ABC News.

Paul Dallison / Politico:
Russian ambassador says UK lab could have poisoned ex-spy

Discussion: BBC, One America News Network and Sputnik International

New York Times:

Data Firm Tied to Trump Campaign Talked Business With Russians — When the Russia question came up during a hearing at the British Parliament last month, Alexander Nix did not hesitate. — “We've never worked in Russia,” said Mr. Nix, head of a data consulting firm that advised the Trump campaign on targeting voters.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Recode, The Verge, Refinery29, Mediaite, Axios, CNNMoney, The Week, Breitbart, Raw Story, Shareblue Media, Just Security, CNN, The Guardian, Engadget and Margarita Noriega, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

Kris Kobach's Voting Sham Gets Exposed in Court — This is part of a series on voting in America, which will run up to Election Day in November. For part 1, on the importance of voting, go here. — The modern American crusade against voter fraud has always been propelled by faith.

Cleve R. Wootson Jr / Washington Post:

Legend says a load of Union gold went missing during the Civil War. Did the FBI just find it? … As a 155-year-old legend goes, a Union Army wagon train left Wheeling, W.Va., before the Battle of Gettysburg, carrying two tons of gold, but never completed its 400-mile mission.

Discussion: Cafe Hayek