memeorandum: EXCLUSIVE: Trump cites lessons from Nixon, says he ‘was never going to fire Mueller’ (Quinn Scanlan/ABC News)

2:20 PM ET, June 16, 2019

Top Items:

Trump campaign cutting ties with pollsters after internal numbers leaked — The president's re-election campaign says series of polls showing Joe Biden ahead in key states are “ancient” news. — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's re-election campaign is cutting ties with some of its own pollsters …

Discussion: Daily Wire, Splinter, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit and Political Wire

Andy Shain / Post and Courier:

Warren, Buttigieg surge in SC 2020 Democratic presidential poll as Biden still leads — Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a commanding 20-point lead in the 2020 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, but his post-announcement advantage is shrinking — and he has a surprising new set of top challengers.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Axios and Political Wire

CBS News:

CBS News Battleground Tracker poll: Biden leads, with Warren, Harris, Sanders close behind — The belief that he could fare best against President Trump is currently propelling Joe Biden in the early Democratic nomination race by two measures — vote preference, and the delegates that would come with them.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Times and Political Wire

Dana Blanton / Fox News:

Fox News Poll: Democrats want a steady leader, Biden leads Trump by 10 points — Former Vice President Joe Biden is still, by far, the leader in the Democratic Party's presidential nomination race. His lead reflects the mood of the party, as Democratic primary voters want someone who will unite Americans …

Discussion: Political Wire, New York Post and Washington Times

Andrew Ferguson / The Atlantic:

Tyranny of the 70-Somethings — Why have national Democrats and not national Republicans fallen under the tyranny of the 70-somethings? It seems so contrary to common expectation. Democrats are, as they often remind us, the party of progress and the future.

Quinn Scanlan / ABC News:

EXCLUSIVE: Trump cites lessons from Nixon, says he ‘was never going to fire Mueller’ — President Donald Trump told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos that he did not fire special counsel Robert Mueller because “that didn't work out too well” for former President Richard Nixon.

Discussion: Politico, The Gateway Pundit, Axios, twitchy.com, Breitbart and New York Post

Quinn Scanlan / ABC News:

‘Every day that passes, the pressure to impeach grows’: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday that with every passing day “the pressure to impeach (President Donald Trump) grows.” — She added that Democrats need to start an impeachment inquiry …

Discussion: Inquirer.com, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Axios and Breitbart

John Cassidy / New Yorker:
The Stephanopoulos Interview Is Another Fine Mess for Trump

Discussion: BostonGlobe.com

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:

Trump says supporters might ‘demand’ that he serve more than two terms as president — President Trump on Sunday floated the possibility of staying in office longer than two terms, suggesting in a morning tweet that his supporters might “demand that I stay longer.”

Discussion: Daily Kos, Deadline, Political Wire, TheBlaze and Mediaite

Washington Post:

Pompeo says there is more evidence that Iran attacked tankers — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that more evidence will be released soon to prove the administration's assertion that Iran was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week.

Discussion: Consortiumnews.com

Ursula Perano / Axios:
U.S. doubles down as more nations point fingers at Iran for oil tanker attacks

Discussion: PJ Media Home, New York Times and Newsweek

Fox News: Judith Miller and William Tobey: To protect against Iranian attacks, US should be ready to escort oil tankers

Mark Murray / NBC News:

Support for beginning impeachment hearings grows among Democrats in new NBC News/WSJ poll — Americans overall remain divided over beginning impeachment hearings but Democratic support has surged since last month. — WASHINGTON — More Democratic voters believe Congress should begin impeachment hearings …

Discussion: Rolling Stone, TheStreet, Fox News and Political Wire

Joshua Jamerson / Wall Street Journal: Nearly Half of Democrats Back Impeachment Hearings Against Trump

Gabby Orr / Politico:

Trump campaign makes a radical break from 2016 — President Donald Trump is sitting on a war chest topping $40 million, boots on the ground spread across nine regions crucial to his 2020 map and a sprawling network of volunteers who've been rigorously trained for the months ahead.

Discussion: Althouse

Michael Sainato / The Guardian:

Bosses pocket Trump tax windfall as workers see job promises vanish — AT&T, General Motors and Wells Fargo vowed to use tax cuts to create jobs. In fact, they did the opposite — Stephen Smith worked at an AT&T call center in Meriden, Connecticut, for over 20 years …

Louisa Lim / The Guardian:

Hong Kong is not China yet, but that feared day is coming ever nearer — The extradition law was delayed after a million people took to the streets, but the fight for the territory's values is far from over — Hong Kong has become a place whose present is unresolved and whose future is unimaginable.

Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:

Wall Street Donors Are Swooning for Mayor Pete. (They Like Biden and Harris, Too.) — The behind-the-scenes competition for Wall Street money in the 2020 presidential race is reaching a fevered peak this week as no less than nine Democrats are holding New York fund-raisers in a span of nine days …