memeorandum: Trump-Kim Summit Updates: ‘Sometimes You Have to Walk,’ Trump Says as Talks Collapse (New York Times)

8:50 AM ET, February 28, 2019

Top Items:

Matt Gaetz Under Investigation by Florida State Bar Over Michael Cohen Threat — The Florida congressman tells The Daily Beast he is unaware of the inquiry. — The Florida Bar has opened an investigation into whether Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) violated professional conduct rules …

Peter Wehner / New York Times:

Republicans Sink Further Into Trump's Cesspool — What they left out of their questioning of Michael Cohen says more about the degradation of my former party than anything they said. — Michael Cohen's testimony before Congress on Wednesday revealed as much about the Republican Party …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Vox, Raw Story, Washington Post and Townhall

Ken White / The Atlantic:

Republicans Committed the Classic Cross-Examination Blunder — Everyone involved in the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on Wednesday needed a good lawyer. — Michael Cohen, the convicted felon, disbarred lawyer, and former fixer to Donald Trump, needed a trial lawyer to rein …

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

After Michael Cohen's testimony, The Trump Organization can expect a wave of renewed scrutiny — Near the end of Michael Cohen's testimony yesterday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked the former fixer whether President Trump had ever run an insurance fraud.

Discussion: Raw Story

Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:

The Republican Party Completely and Utterly Disgraced Itself at Michael Cohen's Hearing — The questioning from these products of the conservative bubble world was so bad it made a career hoodlum look good. — WASHINGTON—On July 24, 1974, a congressman named Thomas Railsback leaned …

Issie Lapowsky / Wired:
How'd the Cohen Hearing Go? That Depends on Your Filter Bubble

Discussion: NPR

Bryan Lowry / Kansas City Star: Billionaire Phil Ruffin says he's the Kansan mentioned at Michael Cohen hearing

Ken Dilanian / NBC News:
Cohen testimony suggests NY prosecutors pose major danger to Trump

Discussion: Washington Press, twitchy.com, Washington Free Beacon and Mediaite

David Frum / The Atlantic:
Uncontradicted — Michael Cohen's testimony to the House …

Discussion: USA Today and CNN

John Solomon / The Hill:
Michael Cohen's pathetic ‘Cry for Me, Argentina’ performance

Discussion: Lawfare, New York Times, Washington Press and Viking Pundit

Noah Rothman / Commentary:
Michael Cohen's Morality Play

Discussion: Philly.com, Byline Times and The American Conservative

Melanie Zanona / Politico:
Pelosi and top Dems won't bite on impeachment despite Cohen bombshells

Discussion: New York Post, The Daily Beast, POLITICUSUSA and Rolling Stone

Erica Orden / CNN: Cohen's testimony escalates Trump's legal troubles in New York

Michael J. Stern / USA Today:
Michael Cohen testimony was a WWE body slam against Trump. Here's why it's credible.

Discussion: Raw Story and The Atlantic

ABC News:
Cohen testifies he's aware of another illegal act by Trump

NBC News:
Trump Org's Weisselberg not cooperating with feds, sources say

Discussion: Washington Post, ThinkProgress and New York Times

Wall Street Journal:
Cohen Erroneously Identifies Donald Trump Jr. as Executive Cited by Federal Prosecutors

Discussion: Politico, Vox, The Gateway Pundit and The Week

Barbara McQuade / The Daily Beast:
The Case Against Trump Has Never Been Stronger After Cohen Testimony

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and Raw Story

NBC News:
GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz apologizes for tweet targeting Michael Cohen

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Daily Wire and Florida Politics

The Guardian:
Michael Cohen: if Trump loses in 2020 ‘there will never be a peaceful transition of power’ - as it happened

Discussion: Joe.My.God.

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
Trump allies assault ‘worthless’ Cohen testimony as president stays quiet

Discussion: New York Daily News, Daily Wire and Washington Post

Bloomberg: Trump's Shifting Net Worth May Bear Clues for Investigators

NBC News:

U.S. drops demand for full accounting of N. Korea nuclear program ahead of talks — Negotiators focus in on Yongbyon reactor, the “heart” of North Korea's nuclear program. — HANOI, Vietnam — U.S. negotiators are no longer demanding that North Korea agree to disclose a full accounting …

Discussion: Splinter, twitchy.com, POLITICUSUSA and Al Jazeera

Edward Wong / New York Times:

Trump's Talks With Kim Jong-un Collapse Over North Korean Sanctions … Here's a look at how events unfolded in Hanoi. — The White House barred four American journalists from the two leaders' dinner. — MICHAEL COHEN TESTIMONY — Cohen Accuses Trump of Expansive Pattern of Lies and Criminality

Discussion: USA Today, The Week, Associated Press and Mashable

Washington Post:

Trump and Kim abruptly cut short summit after failing to reach nuclear deal — HANOI — President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abruptly cut short their two-day summit here Thursday after the two leaders failed to reach an agreement to dismantle that country's nuclear weapons.

Discussion: Politico, The Week, One America News Network, The Hill, The Daily Beast, Breitbart, NPR, ABC News and Power Line

New York Times:

Trump-Kim Summit Updates: ‘Sometimes You Have to Walk,’ Trump Says as Talks Collapse — • President Trump and Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, failed to reach a deal on denuclearization during their second summit meeting in eight months. “Sometimes you have to walk,” Mr. Trump said after the talks broke down.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Reuters

Associated Press:

Trump, Kim summit collapses amid failure to reach deal — HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un collapsed Thursday after the two sides failed to reach a deal due to a standoff over U.S. sanctions on the reclusive nation …

Discussion: fox8.com and WQAD-TV

Eliana Johnson / Politico:

‘Sometimes you have to walk’: Why Trump bailed on North Korea — HANOI - In the end, President Trump did the unexpected: He walked away. — A visibly deflated Trump began the press conference wrapping up his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by talking about anything else.

Discussion: Shareblue Media, Power Line, One America News Network, Washington Post, Breitbart, New York Times and ABC News

Josh Dawsey / Washington Post:
'He tells me he didn't know': Trump defends Kim Jong Un over death of Otto Warmbier

Discussion: Political Wire

Hazel Shearing / BuzzFeed News:
Trump Claimed Michael Cohen “Lied A Lot” During His Testimony

Discussion: Washington Press and Law & Crime

Politico: POLITICO Playbook: Bloomberg eyeing Manhattan office space for campaign

New York Times: White House Bars 4 U.S. Journalists From Trump's Dinner With Kim in Hanoi

Jonathan Allen / NBC News:
North Korea nuclear summit ends abruptly with no deal

Discussion: Townhall, CNN, Just Security, Joe.My.God., Politico, POLITICUSUSA, The Week and The Guardian

Associated Press:
The Latest: Kim, Trump open to US liaison office in NKorea

Discussion: ABC News, The Week and USA Today

Gromer Jeffers Jr / Dallas Morning News:

Sources: Beto O'Rourke won't challenge John Cornyn for Senate, paving way for presidential bid — Beto O'Rourke has decided not to run for Senate next year against Republican incumbent John Cornyn and likely will announce a campaign for president soon, confidants close to the former El Paso congressman told …

Discussion: The Texas Tribune, Politico, Outside the Beltway, CNN, The Root, FOX31 Denver, New York Times, POLITICUSUSA, Splinter, Breitbart, Axios, CNBC, Joe.My.God., Talking Points Memo and The Week

Washington Post:

Virginia first lady under fire for handing cotton to African American students on mansion tour — A Virginia state employee has complained that her eighth-grade daughter was upset during a tour of the historic governor's residence when first lady Pam Northam handed a ball of cotton …

Discussion: Liberty Unyielding, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall, Splinter, Daily Wire, Raw Story, Mediaite, The Daily Caller and The Root

Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:

Mueller's Team Acknowledges New Information in Allegations That Manafort Lied — WASHINGTON — The special counsel's office, citing new information from a cooperating witness, appeared on Wednesday to correct one element of its earlier allegations that Paul Manafort, President Trump's former …

Mike Allen / Axios:

Scoop: A new conservative media company — Jonah Goldberg is leaving National Review in the coming months to start a new conservative media company with Steve Hayes, who was editor-in-chief of The Weekly Standard when its owner shut it down in December. — Details: Goldberg and Hayes tell …

Discussion: Political Wire

Wall Street Journal:

Cohen in the Colosseum — The legal fixer unloads on his former boss, with little new information.

Kate Riga / Talking Points Memo:

LePage: Eliminating Electoral College Would Make Whites ‘A Forgotten People’ — Former Gov. Paul LePage (R) tore apart a bill currently in the Maine state legislature that proposes essentially eliminating the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote because it would only “be minorities that elect” the President.

Discussion: Beacon and Political Wire