memeorandum: What Does Trump Really Care About? What Ann Coulter Thinks (Matt Lewis/The Daily Beast)

12:45 PM ET, December 21, 2018

Top Items:

Trump call with Turkish leader led to US pullout from Syria — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria was made hastily, without consulting his national security team or allies, and over strong objections from virtually everyone involved …

Discussion: The Week, Hill Reporter, The Defense Post, Political Wire, Joe.My.God., Patterico's Pontifications and NPR

Axios:

Pre-Christmas Trump: Rebuked, rampaging — The last member of an informal alliance of top Trump officials with enough swat or stature to stand up to President Trump — the Committee to Save America, as Jim VandeHei and I called these officials 16 months ago — resigned in epic fashion.

Discussion: Reuters, New York Times, Associated Press, NPR, Althouse, Wall Street Journal, The Defense Post, Political Wire, Mediaite, The Week, KTLA, Breitbart, Defense One and USNI News

Axios:

What should worry Trump most: Republican allies are turning on him — Another reason this is a historic week — and what President Trump should really worry about — is that lots of different Republicans have been turning on him over different topics. — Why it matters: A former Trump aide …

Discussion: Politico, Joe.My.God., Washington Post, One America News Network, Raw Story and POLITICUSUSA

Helene Cooper / New York Times:

Jim Mattis, Defense Secretary, Resigns in Rebuke of Trump's Worldview — WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, whose experience and stability were widely seen as a balance to an unpredictable president, resigned Thursday in protest of President Trump's decision to withdraw American forces …

Ken Meyer / Mediaite:

Brian Kilmeade Goes Off on Sarah Sanders Over Syria: Trump Just ‘Refounded ISIS’ By Leaving — Brian Kilmeade grilled Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday by saying President Trump essentially “refounded ISIS” if he pulls the U.S. military out of Syria. — The White House press secretary gave …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and Joe.My.God.

Washington Post:

‘A tailspin’: Under siege, Trump propels the government and markets into crisis — President Trump began Thursday under siege, listening to howls of indignation from conservatives over his border wall and thrusting the government toward a shutdown. He ended it by announcing the exit …

Jamie Ross / The Daily Beast:

Trump Already Souring on Next Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney Over ‘Terrible Human Being’ Jibe, Says Report — Donald Trump is reportedly already turning on Mick Mulvaney—who hasn't even started his new job as acting White House chief of staff yet—due to a two-year-old video uncovered by The Daily Beast …

Discussion: The Resurgent and POLITICUSUSA

The Daily Beast:

Fear Mounts as Mattis Quits Pentagon — Mattis bent the knee to Trump on the border stunt, Yemen war, and transgender troop ban. National security professionals worry that his Pentagon replacement will be far worse. — Sometime during the “fire and fury” summer of 2017 …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Guardian, CNN, RedState and Hit & Run

Eli Lake / Bloomberg:

Mattis Puts Trump's Presidency in Peril — This resignation stings because it's not about policy, it's about values. — Donald Trump may not know it yet, but his presidency is collapsing. — His tweets Thursday announcing the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis by the end of February were polite and respectful.

Discussion: Jewish Insider

Associated Press:

Analysis: As advisers leave, Trump's guardrails come off — WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, during one particularly frenetic stretch in Donald Trump's presidency, a top Republican senator said there were three men guarding the country from chaos: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis …

Discussion: The Week and Politico

Dan Crenshaw / Washington Post:
Why guys like me go to places like Syria

Discussion: Townhall, Washington Times and Politico

CNN:
How the Trump-Mattis alliance crumbled

Discussion: KXLF-TV, HuffPost and Washington Free Beacon

Rachael Bade / Politico:
'I'm OK with a shutdown': Inside the chaos of the House GOP's last days

Discussion: New Republic, Fox News Insider, Raw Story and Outside the Beltway

Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
Jim Mattis Leaves the Kids in Charge at Trump's White House

Discussion: NPR, EURACTIV.com and New York Times

Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker: The Year in Trump Freakouts

Fred Kaplan / Slate:
The Last Grown-Up Is Gone — James Mattis is not “retiring with distinction.”

Discussion: New York Times, The Atlantic and CNN

Nahal Toosi / Politico:
A ‘Never Trumper’ bets on Trump, and loses

Discussion: Defense One, One America News Network, Raw Story, CNN and Washington Post

Erin Dunne / Washington Examiner:
In leaving Syria, the US sells out its Kurdish allies to bloodthirsty Turkey

Discussion: twitchy.com, Politico and Washington Times

Joyce Karam / The National:
Trump decided to leave Syria after call with Erdogan, says US defence official

Discussion: emptywheel

David Rothkopf / The Daily Beast:
Mattis' Message to the World: Trump Is Out of Control

Discussion: CNN, Washington Free Beacon and Patterico's Pontifications

Mark Landler / New York Times:
After Mattis's Resignation, a President Unbound

Discussion: Mother Jones, ThinkProgress, The Atlantic, LewRockwell and Daily Wire

Hugh Hewitt / Washington Post: In withdrawing from Syria, Trump makes a major error

Ken Meyer / Mediaite:
Kilmeade Blasts Trump's Syria Withdrawal: We're Abandoning Kurds Who are ‘Three Weeks from Total Slaughter’

Discussion: Splinter

Julia Ioffe / Washington Post:

Please don't wish me ‘Merry Christmas’ — It's impolite and alienating to assume I follow your religion. — 'Twas five nights before Christmas, and my Lyft driver was the umpteenth person to wish me a “Merry Christmas” that day. He probably just meant it the way most people do …

Discussion: twitchy.com

Dan Berman / CNN:

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg undergoes surgery — Washington (CNN)Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had two malignant nodules removed from her left lung Friday at a New York hospital, the Supreme Court announced. — There is no evidence of any remaining disease, says a court spokesperson …

Discussion: NPR, Townhall, Mediaite and The New Civil Rights Movement

Politico: Justice Ginsburg had surgery to remove malignant nodules in her lung

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic:

Mattis Always Understood Trump's Severe Defects — In the spring of 2016, not long after The Atlantic published an article I had written about President Barack Obama's foreign-policy record, I visited the Hoover Institution, a think tank on the campus of Stanford University …

Discussion: The Week and The Daily Signal

David Frum / The Atlantic:
No More Excuses — For almost two full years, James Mattis …

Discussion: Vox, Fox News, Fox News Insider, New York Times, CNN, The Moderate Voice and The Root

Colby Hall / Mediaite:

Maggie Haberman: ‘Disgusted’ Republicans Now Privately Admitting They Regret Supporting Trump — New York Times reporter and CNN contributor Maggie Haberman appeared on New Day Friday morning and revealed insight into the current turmoil in Washington D.C. — In light of the many issues challenging …

Discussion: The Week

New York Times:

A Top Aide's Exit Plan Raises Eyebrows in the White House — WASHINGTON — After weeks of discussions about his future, Zachary D. Fuentes, the 36-year-old deputy White House chief of staff, had a plan. — Mr. Fuentes told colleagues that after his mentor, John F. Kelly …

NBC News:

Founder of viral fundraiser for Trump's border wall has questionable news past — Brian Kolfage told NBC News he didn't want to mention his previous projects because he “didn't want it to be a distraction.” — An internet fundraiser for Donald Trump's border wall took in more than $7 million …

Discussion: USA Today, Shareblue Media, AOL, Media Matters for America, HuffPost, twitchy.com and Snopes.com

Jonathan Andrews / ODNI Newsroom:

DNI Coats Statement on the Resignation of Secretary Mattis — I was deeply saddened to learn the news that General Mattis will resign from his post as Secretary of Defense at the end of February. — DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE — WASHINGTON, DC 20511 — December 21, 2018

Discussion: Politico

Matt Lewis / The Daily Beast:

What Does Trump Really Care About? What Ann Coulter Thinks — A president who cares only about his base will respond mainly to its voices. — Matt Lewis — BEAST INSIDE — What we've found out in the past 24 hours is that Ann Coulter matters more to Donald Trump than James Mattis.

Robert Morrison / The Guardian:

The death of our Siemens factory is the result of another Trump lie — Trump has the power to tell companies such as Siemens to keep plants open. All he would have to do is sign an executive order — This week, days before Christmas, I will clock into my good, union job one last time.

Discussion: Raw Story

NBC News:

Mueller may submit report to attorney general as soon as mid-February, say sources — “They clearly are tying up loose ends,” said a lawyer who has been in contact with the Mueller team. — WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller is nearing the end of his historic investigation …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Post, Law & Crime and The Week

Natasha Bertrand / The Atlantic:
The Special Counsel Is Bearing Down on Roger Stone

Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Kos and Washington Press

Washington Post:

As stocks drop, Trump fears he's losing his best argument for re-election — President Trump has kept an almost obsessive watch on the stock market as it has lurched lower in recent weeks. — He has complained to aides how unfair it is that he is blamed for the market's slide …

Discussion: Political Wire

Thomas Heath / Washington Post: Dow's dive reaches nearly 500 points after White House ups the chance of government shutdown

Alex Marshall / New York Times:

Barack Obama Joins Lin-Manuel Miranda on a ‘Hamilton’ Remix — In the early hours of Friday morning, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton,” released “One Last Time (44 Remix),” a gospel reworking of a song from the hit musical. Halfway through, Barack Obama — the 44 in question …

Discussion: The Week and IJR

John Wagner / Washington Post:

Trump threatens government shutdown ‘will last for a very long time’ if Democrats oppose House bill that includes border wall money — President Trump on Friday threatened that a partial government shutdown would last “for a very long time” if Congress does not meet his demand Friday …

Discussion: Townhall, Balloon Juice, Contemptor, Washington Free Beacon, Daily Wire, Washington Times, Axios and RAPPLER

Tyler Pager / New York Times:

After Big Losses, a N.Y. House Republican Clashes With Her Party — She arrived in Washington as a rising star, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and she quickly won leadership positions and garnered effusive praise from her party leaders. — Now, not even four years later …

Ben Zimmer / The Atlantic:

Why Kirstjen Nielsen Sounds Like the Hulk — On a worrisome day in Washington—with a government shutdown looming and the defense secretary resigning—a clip of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen served as unexpected comic relief. Nielsen, speaking before the House Judiciary Committee …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mother Jones