memeorandum: About 50 Republicans are going to decide whether America becomes a dictatorship (Will Bunch/Inquirer.com)

10:40 PM ET, October 20, 2019

Top Items:

Trump reversed course on hosting G-7 at his club after learning that impeachment-weary Republicans were tired of defending him — President Trump was forced to abandon his decision to host next year's Group of Seven summit at his private golf club after it became clear the move …

Discussion: Political Wire, Common Dreams, The Hill, Bloomberg and Axios

Justine Coleman / The Hill:

Fox's Wallace says ‘well-connected’ Republican told him there's a 20 percent chance GOP will vote for impeachment — Fox's Chris Wallace said a “well-connected” Washington Republican told him that there's a 20 percent chance enough Republicans will vote to remove President Trump from office in an impeachment trial in the Senate.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, The Gateway Pundit and PJ Media Home

Wall Street Journal:

White House Moves Testing Republican Support for Trump — The House impeachment inquiry is reducing the president's margin for error with members of his party — WASHINGTON—President Trump faces increasing public and private scrutiny from his own party over a series of recent White House moves …

Nancy Cook / Politico:

Mick Mulvaney's bad week just got worse — Mick Mulvaney's week went from bad to worse on Sunday, as he again tried to explain why President Donald Trump and the administration had withheld aid to Ukraine for weeks — one of Democrats' central questions in their impeachment inquiry.

Discussion: Bloomberg and Political Wire

Will Bunch / Inquirer.com:

About 50 Republicans are going to decide whether America becomes a dictatorship — The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. His heart sank as he thought of the enormous power arrayed against him.

Discussion: Washington Post, HuffPost and RealClearPolitics

CNN:
Mulvaney faced White House ouster threat before impeachment crisis took over

Discussion: Fox News, New York Times, Politico, New York Post, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, The Guardian and Law & Crime

New York Times:
Why Trump Dropped His Idea to Hold the G7 at His Own Hotel

Discussion: HuffPost, The Hill and Daily Kos

Daniel Chaitin / Washington Examiner: Chris Wallace: ‘Well-connected’ DC Republican says 20% chance Senate would remove Trump

Zachary Basu / Axios:
Mulvaney: Trump was “honestly surprised” at level of backlash over G7 decision

Discussion: NBC News, CANNONFIRE, The Hill, Political Wire and Breitbart

Ashley Feinberg / Slate:

This Sure Looks Like Mitt Romney's Secret Twitter Account — Earlier today, The Atlantic's McKay Coppins published a lengthy profile on Mitt Romney, apparently part of Romney's effort to set himself up as the noble Republican foil to an out-of-control president.

Discussion: The Hill, Law & Crime, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Political Wire, Mediaite and twitchy.com

Mike Allen / Axios:

Exclusive: Mitt Romney's Trump indictment — Sen. Mitt Romney, in an interview with “Axios on HBO,” outlined a broad indictment of President Trump, criticizing his rhetoric, his abandonment of the Kurds, his plea to Ukraine and China to undermine a political opponent, his character and past personal life.

Discussion: Fox News and Raw Story

McKay Coppins / The Atlantic:

The Liberation of Mitt Romney — Mitt Romney is leaning forward in his chair, his eyes flashing, his voice sharp. — It's a strange look for the 72-year-old senator, who typically affects a measured, somber tone when discussing Donald Trump's various moral deficiencies.

Discussion: Breitbart and twitchy.com

Ursula Perano / Axios:

Mitt Romney: Republicans keep quiet on Trump because they fear Elizabeth Warren — Republican Sen. Mitt Romney told Axios' Mike Allen in an interview with “Axios on HBO” that he believes Republican lawmakers stay quiet on their Trump criticisms for fear of losing the Senate or the presidency to Democrats …

Discussion: The Hill and Political Wire

Ursula Perano / Axios: Mitt Romney opposes cutting capital gains tax rate for the rich

Katie Benner / New York Times:

Justice Department Distances Itself From Giuliani — In an unusual statement, a spokesman said department officials would not have met with President Trump's personal lawyer had they known his associates were under investigation. — The Justice Department distanced itself on Sunday …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and Mediaite

Alayna Treene / Axios:

Amid Ukraine scandal, Trump officials worry about Rudy Giuliani's financial motives — Amid near-daily revelations of Rudy Giuliani's “shadow” foreign policy, senior administration officials are worried that more information could surface connecting official Trump administration policy to Giuliani's personal financial gain.

Discussion: Political Wire

Nahal Toosi / Politico:
The revenge of the State Department

Discussion: ABC News and The Hill

Axios:

Graham open to other evidence on impeachment — In an interview with “Axios on HBO,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Trump's most vital allies on Capitol Hill, opened the door to changing his mind on impeachment if there turns out to be what he considers a quid pro quo.

Discussion: Political Wire, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Breitbart

Tim Ahmann / Reuters:
Syria critic Lindsey Graham reverses stance, says Trump's policy could succeed

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Maeve Reston / CNN: Lindsey Graham does not rule out the possibility of Trump impeachment if new evidence emerges

Bob Brigham / Raw Story: Eric Trump bashes the children of politicians profiting off their family name to enrich themselves: ‘It is sickening’

Adia Robinson / ABC News:
‘I never saw that’: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Mulvaney quid pro quo admission

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, HuffPost, Politico, Raw Story, Rolling Stone, Breitbart, The Hill and Contemptor

Baltimore Sun:

Former Baltimore Mayor Thomas ‘Young Tommy’ D'Alesandro III dies at 90 — Thomas D'Alesandro III, a former Baltimore mayor and member of a storied political family affectionately known as “Young Tommy,” died at his North Baltimore home Sunday of stroke complications. — He was 90 years old.

Discussion: ABC News, Fox News, Occupy Democrats, New York Post, Politico and The Hill

Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
Pelosi Statement on the Passing of Thomas D'Alesandro III

Discussion: KFOR-TV, New York Times, CNN, UPI and HuffPost

David Leonhardt / New York Times:

Want Trump to Go? Take to the Streets — Another moment for public protest has arrived. — On Nov. 9, 2016, the day after Donald Trump's election, Obamacare looked to be doomed. Millions of Americans, it seemed, were going to lose their health insurance.

Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:

Justice Dept. confirms Trump Jr. and McGahn did not testify to Mueller grand jury — The Justice Department confirmed Sunday that President Donald Trump's son Donald Jr. and former White House counsel Don McGahn were never called before a grand jury that heard witnesses called by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Discussion: HuffPost

Jonathan Lemire / Associated Press: Donald Trump Jr.: provocateur, master preacher for father

Ken Meyer / Mediaite:

Jake Tapper Calls Out Top Republicans Avoiding His Show for 4th Week in a Row, ‘Shirking’ Their Duties of Accountability — CNN's Jake Tapper called out Republican lawmakers on Sunday for their avoidance of CNN amid the latest controversial developments surrounding President Donald Trump.

Discussion: Althouse

David / Latest from Crooks and Liars:
Viewers Lash Out At CNN For Hiring ‘Conspiracy Dunce Sean Duffy’

Discussion: Raw Story and Hullabaloo

Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast: CNN Hires Former GOP Congressman and Trump Loyalist Sean Duffy as Political Commentator

Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

Pelosi, Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Conclude Visit to Afghanistan — Kabul, Afghanistan - Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a high-level bipartisan Congressional delegation have concluded a visit to Afghanistan, meeting with President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah …

Steve Hendrix / Washington Post:
Pelosi and congressional delegation make unannounced trip to Afghanistan in outreach to allies …

Discussion: Associated Press, Raw Story and Occupy Democrats

Yuliya Talmazan / NBC News:
U.S. troops leaving Syria for western Iraq as Kurds look to withdraw amid cease-fire

Discussion: Occupy Democrats, Hot Air, Slate and News & Guts Media

Rick Wilson / New York Daily News:

DEFDON 1: Trump has more reason than ever for genuine alarm — For Republican voters, the 2016 campaign was a contest between two compelling illusions: the rough and ready outsider billionaire versus the conniving socialist hellbeast of Chappaqua. Some embraced Trump and hoped for the best.

Josh Kraushaar / National Journal:

Red Flags All Over for Senate Republicans — New polls and fundraising reports show key GOP senators in political trouble, giving Democrats a solid shot to win back control of the upper chamber. — Buried in the Washington drama of impeachment, corruption, and foreign policy chaos …

Discussion: CNBC

Ursula Perano / Axios:
Democratic challengers outpace vulnerable GOP senators in Q3 fundraising

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA

Thomas Kaplan / New York Times:

Elizabeth Warren Says She Will Release a Plan to Finance ‘Medicare for All’ — Ms. Warren had been criticized for sidestepping questions about whether she would raise taxes on the middle class to help finance her “Medicare for all” plan. — INDIANOLA, Iowa — Senator Elizabeth Warren …

Discussion: The Daily Caller and The Hill