memeorandum: G-7 Members Condemn U.S. Trade Actions (Joshua Zumbrun/Wall Street Journal)

7:45 AM ET, June 3, 2018

Top Items:

Trump's Lawyers, in Confidential Memo, Argue to Head off a Historic Subpoena — WASHINGTON — President Trump's lawyers have for months quietly waged a campaign to keep the special counsel from trying to force him to answer questions in the investigation into whether he obstructed justice …

Katherine Faulders / ABC News:

Giuliani threatens legal battle with Mueller over subpoena — The president's lawyer Rudy Giuliani threatened a legal battle with special counsel Robert Mueller if he attempts to subpoena Donald Trump. — “If Mueller tries to subpoena us, we're going to court,” Giuliani told ABC News.

Discussion: Washington Press, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, Florida Politics, Mediaite, POLITICUSUSA and Raw Story

New York Times:

The Trump Lawyers' Confidential Memo to Mueller, Explained — The Times obtained copies of a confidential letter sent by President Trump's lawyers to the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Reporters added context in annotations. Below it is another letter from the president's lawyers sent last summer.

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Press, HuffPost, The Daily Beast, emptywheel, The Gateway Pundit, POLITICUSUSA, IJR and Mediaite

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

The Constitutional Crisis Is Already Underway — For most of Donald Trump's presidency, the specter of a coming Constitutional crisis has loomed over the Russia investigation. The newly leaked memo by Trump's lawyers, obtained by the New York Times, suggests that such a crisis is not merely a likelihood …

Discussion: Washington Press

David Corn / Mother Jones:

Why the Bombshell Trump Letter Could Be a Big Problem for Donald Trump Jr. — It undercuts the veracity of Trump Jr.'s testimony to Congress. … On Saturday afternoon, the New York Times revealed a 20-page private letter that President Donald Trump's lawyers had sent special counsel Robert Mueller …

Discussion: Daily Kos, New York Times and Balloon Juice

Marshall Cohen / CNN:

Trump lawyers say he ‘dictated’ statement on Trump Tower meeting, contradicting past denials — (CNN)In a confidential letter to special counsel Robert Mueller in January, President Donald Trump's legal team acknowledged for the first time that Trump “dictated” the first misleading statement put …

Discussion: HuffPost and emptywheel

Quinta Jurecic / Lawfare:

Documents: Letters to Special Counsel Robert Mueller from the Trump Legal Team — The New York Times has obtained letters sent to the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller by the president's legal team, one in January 2018 and one in June 2017. The correspondence makes an aggressive case …

Discussion: New York Times

Caroline Orr / Shareblue Media:
In newly revealed memo, Trump asserts absolute power over Russia probe

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Press and The Gateway Pundit

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Obama - Just Too Good for Us — WASHINGTON — It was a moment of peak Spock. — Hours after the globe-rattling election of a man whom Barack Obama has total disdain for, a toon who would take a chain saw to the former president's legacy on policy and decency, Obama sent a message …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Penguin Random House

Kansas City Star:

This ‘replica’ in the jeep next to Kobach stunned some onlookers at Shawnee parade — Kris Kobach made his way through a parade in Johnson County Saturday morning, waving from an American flag colored jeep with a large gun mounted in back. — The sight of Kobach, a Republican candidate …

Discussion: Associated Press

Mike Shoro / Las Vegas Review-Journal:

2 tourists stabbed to death at Circus Circus in Las Vegas — The Circus Circus is seen in Las Vegas, Friday, June 1, 2018. Las Vegas police are investigating the deaths of two people inside a Circus Circus hotel room Friday evening. Chitose Suzuki Las Vegas Review-Journal @chitosephoto

Discussion: WHNT-TV, Breitbart and Nevada - FOX5 Vegas

Joshua Zumbrun / Wall Street Journal:

G-7 Members Condemn U.S. Trade Actions — Ministers of developed nations express ‘unanimous concern and disappointment’ with U.S. tariffs — WHISTLER, British Columbia—Six finance ministers, representing some of the closest allies of the U.S., issued a stern rebuke of the protectionist policies …

Lauren Meier / Axios:
Under cloud of tariffs, a U.S. trade delegation arrives in Beijing

Discussion: Associated Press and One America News Network

Politico:

Trump to host Ramadan dinner — President Donald Trump will host an iftar dinner at the White House next week to recognize the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to a White House official, a departure from last year's decision not to host the traditional post-sundown meal.

Discussion: New York Times

John Bowden / The Hill:

ZTE hired former Trump aide as lobbyist: report — Chinese telecommunications company ZTE hired a former member of the Trump campaign as a lobbyist amid negotiations with President Trump — to loosen restrictions hampering the company's ability to do business with the U.S.

Discussion: Shareblue Media

Sylvan Lane / The Hill:

Trump's economy faces new threats ahead of midterms — has presided over a strong U.S. economy during his first term, maintaining low unemployment and solid growth ahead of the November elections. — Republicans hope the positive trends will carry them to victory in the midterm campaign …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA