memeorandum: Some Republicans unsettled by Trump's sweeping claims of immunity (Kyle Cheney/Politico)

6:30 PM ET, May 20, 2019

Top Items:

Trump Instructs McGahn to Defy Subpoena and Skip House Testimony — Donald McGahn, the former White House counsel, risks being held in contempt of Congress. But if he defies the president, he could damage his career or put his law firm's business at risk.

Discussion: Bloomberg, Talking Points Memo, Progress Pond, The Week, Daily Kos, CNBC, Raw Story, Roll Call and Mediaite

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Some Republicans unsettled by Trump's sweeping claims of immunity — Senior House Republicans are breaking with Donald Trump over the president's legal claims that Congress can't investigate whether a commander in chief violated the law. — That view, advanced by Trump's personal attorney …

Discussion: Washington Post, One America News Network, Shareblue Media, Splinter, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story and Axios

Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:

Judge upholds House panel subpoena for Trump financial records — District Judge Amit Mehta on Monday ruled in favor of a subpoena issued by the House Oversight Committee for President Trump's financial records from the accounting firm Mazars. — In a 41-page-long opinion, Mehta found that …

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:

Judge orders Trump accounting firm to hand over records to Congress — Washington (CNN)A federal district judge has told the accounting firm Mazars it will need to turn over Donald Trump's accounting records from before he was President to the Democratic-controlled House Oversight Committee.

Associated Press:
Trump tells ex-counsel McGahn to defy congressional subpoena

Discussion: The Guardian

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Judge upholds Dem subpoena for Trump financial records

Discussion: Axios, Townhall, CNBC, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Week, New York Post and The New Civil Rights Movement

Fox News:
White House tells McGahn to skip House hearing, as DOJ asserts ‘immunity’

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Kia Rahnama / The Atlantic: What Congress Can Do When Trump Appointees Defy It

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
White House instructs McGahn to defy Dem subpoena to testify

Discussion: ABC News, Washington Post, Shareblue Media and Common Dreams

CNN:
White House directs former counsel Don McGahn not to testify before House panel

Discussion: The Root and Splinter

Washington Post:
White House blocks former counsel McGahn from testifying to Congress

Discussion: The Daily Beast and National Review

Todd Spangler / Detroit Free Press:

After impeachment remarks, Rep. Justin Amash gets Republican challenger — WASHINGTON — A Republican state representative plans to challenge U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, after Amash said this weekend he believes President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses.

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

How Throwing Justin Amash Out of the GOP Might Make Trump Lose 2020 — Saturday, Representative Justin Amash became the first Republican in Congress to call for impeaching President Trump on the basis of the massive misconduct detailed by the Mueller report. It was a rare act of bravery, one likely to end his career in Congress.

Discussion: CNN, The Intercept, Raw Story, Outside the Beltway and The Week

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Why Trump should be worried about Justin Amash

Discussion: The Daily Caller

New York Times:

A Would-Be Trump Aide's Demands: A Jet on Call, a Future Cabinet Post and More — Access to a government jet 24 hours a day. An office in the West Wing, plus guaranteed weekends off for family time. And an assurance of being made secretary of homeland security by November.

Trip Gabriel / New York Times:

There's No Boom in Youngstown, but Blue-Collar Workers Are Sticking With Trump — YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — In May 2016, David Betras, a Democratic Party leader in the heart of industrial northeast Ohio, sent a memo warning Hillary Clinton's campaign that it was on the verge of losing Ohio …

Discussion: Washington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Caller, Raw Story and NTK Network

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Trump scrambles to reverse Rust Belt slide

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, Fox News, Washington Monthly, Raw Story, New York Post, Talking Points Memo and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

Tim Elfrink / Washington Post:

‘Mindless murdering savages’: Border agent used slurs before allegedly hitting migrant with his truck — In November 2017, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Matthew Bowen fumed about the humane treatment his agency was expected to give migrants who had illegally crossed into the country.

Discussion: Arizona Republic, The Daily Beast, ThinkProgress, New York Post, The Daily Caller, Slate and Talking Points Memo

Associated Press:
5th Migrant Child Dies After Detention by Border Patrol

Discussion: Shareblue Media, Axios and Daily Kos

Media Matters for America:

After his Fox News town hall, Fox & Friends launches a propaganda onslaught against Pete Buttigieg — South Bend, IN, Mayor Pete Buttigieg's performance at a Fox News town hall garnered rave reviews Sunday night from journalists and pundits, with some arguing that his successful turn proved …

Discussion: Raw Story, CNN, The Bulwark, twitchy.com, Right Wing Watch and Daily Kos

Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:
Here's How Much Money Fox News Hosts Have Made Off GOP Speaking Gigs

Discussion: Raw Story, Media Matters for America and Shareblue Media

Pat Rynard / Iowa Starting Line:
Starting Line/Change Research Poll: Biden, Sanders Locked In Iowa Tie

Discussion: Fox News, NPR, Talking Points Memo, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and NTK Network

Washington Post:

Cohen told lawmakers Trump attorney Jay Sekulow instructed him to falsely claim Moscow project ended in January 2016 — Michael Cohen, President Trump's former longtime personal attorney, told a House panel during closed-door hearings earlier this year that he had been instructed …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Political Wire and Mediaite

Kara Scannell / CNN:

Prosecutors examining tens of thousands of Trump inauguration documents — WH downplaying Trump inaugural committee subpoena — (CNN)Federal prosecutors in New York are scrutinizing tens of thousands of documents relating to Donald Trump's inauguration in a sign that the investigation into the committee's finances is advancing.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story and The New Civil Rights Movement

Peter Baker / New York Times:

The Profanity President: Trump's Four-Letter Vocabulary — WASHINGTON — In modern times, presidents have rarely been church mice afraid of a little salty language. But President Trump has grown increasingly willing in recent months to say in public what most of his predecessors tried to keep behind closed doors.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Splinter

Greg Stohr / Bloomberg:

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Let Businesses Donate to Candidates — The U.S. Supreme Court declined an opportunity to give businesses broader rights to contribute money to political candidates and causes. — The justices, without comment Monday, refused to question a Massachusetts law …

Greg Stohr / Bloomberg: U.S. Supreme Court Again Defers Action on Abortion Cases

Jim Geraghty / National Review:

ESPN President: ‘Our Fans Do Not Want Us to Cover Politics’ — Does it seem you hear a little bit less about political controversies in the sports world than you did a year or two ago? Do you find yourself grumbling at your television, “I just want to enjoy watching the game” less frequently?

Discussion: Los Angeles Times

Popular Information:

These six corporations are financing the war on women in six states — In 2019, state legislatures across the country are enacting radical new restrictions on abortion. Alabama banned virtually all abortions. Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio banned all abortions after six weeks …

Discussion: Common Dreams

Wall Street Journal:

‘Playing Catch-Up in the Game of Life.’ Millennials Approach Middle Age in Crisis — New data show they're in worse financial shape than every preceding living generation and may never recover — American millennials are approaching middle age in worse financial shape than every living generation ahead …

Domenico Montanaro / NPR:

Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Native American Rights In Wyoming Hunting Case — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Native American rights in a 5-4 decision in a case out of Wyoming. Justice Neil Gorsuch, the only Westerner on the court, provided the decisive vote in this case …

Discussion: RedState

Ronn Blitzer / Fox News:
Gorsuch breaks with conservative justices, delivering win to Native American hunter

Discussion: Townhall

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez / Arizona Republic:

How extremists are reasserting themselves in mainstream GOP politics in Arizona — Kelli Ward, Russell Pearce and Andy Biggs (Photo: David Wallace/The Republic; Michael Schennum/The Republic; David Wallace/The Republic) — Russell Pearce stepped up to a podium in Gilbert, one of the more affluent and educated communities in Arizona.

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:

Pro-Trump college GOP activist Charlie Kirk will launch a new group to target Democrats in 2020 — KEY POINTS — Charlie Kirk, a firebrand conservative activist and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, is preparing to unveil a nonprofit that will allow his organization to campaign …

Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:

Trump: E-Verify Would Make It Too Hard to Hire Undocumented Workers — Since taking office, Donald Trump has revoked the legal status of roughly 1 million longtime U.S. residents, used the mass psychological torture of children as a means of deterring asylum seekers, overseen the deportation …

Discussion: Vox, Washington Monthly and Washington Post

Hen Mazzig / Los Angeles Times:

No, Israel isn't a country of privileged and powerful white Europeans — Along with resurgent identity politics in the United States and Europe, there is a growing inclination to frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms of race. According to this narrative, Israel was established …

Associated Press:

Packing his bags: Trump plans jet-setting summer of travel — WASHINGTON (AP) — Four days in Tokyo. Then it's off to see Queen Elizabeth before a jaunt to Normandy, France, and perhaps time in Ireland. — A return trip to Japan? Why not. And throw in Seoul.

John McCormack / National Review:

Crenshaw: Navy SEAL Should Face War-Crimes Trial Before Trump Considers Pardon — President Trump is considering issuing pardons on or around Memorial Day for several servicemen accused or convicted of war crimes, the New York Times reported over the weekend.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, Salon and Shareblue Media

James Hohmann / Washington Post:

The Daily 202: The Koch network is reorganizing under a new name and with new priorities — THE BIG IDEA: The Koch network is getting a new name to reflect its shifting strategy. — The Seminar Network, which includes the constellation of groups funded by the billionaire industrialist Charles Koch …