memeorandum: Does Trump Want to Fight for a Second Term? His Self-Sabotage Worries Aides (New York Times)

11:00 PM ET, June 17, 2020

Top Items:

The Scandal of Trump's China Policy — The president pleaded with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for domestic political help, subordinated national-security issues to his own reelection prospects and ignored Beijing's human-rights abuses — U.S. strategy toward the People's Republic of China …

Jennifer Szalai / New York Times:

John Bolton's Tone in ‘The Room Where It Happened’ Swings Between Tedious and Slightly Unhinged — Pity, for just an infinitesimal moment, John Bolton. — There he was last January, commanding an enormous share of the public's attention with news of a forthcoming book that reportedly included an …

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Post, The Hill, IJR, Patterico's Pontifications and Daily Kos

Josh Dawsey / Washington Post:

Trump asked China's Xi to help him win reelection, according to Bolton book — President Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help him win the 2020 U.S. election, telling Xi during a summit dinner last year that increased agricultural purchases by Beijing from American farmers would aid …

Peter Baker / New York Times:

Bolton Says Trump Impeachment Inquiry Missed Other Troubling Actions — In his new book, John R. Bolton, the former national security adviser, describes episodes where the president sought to halt criminal inquiries. He also says President Trump's loyalists mocked him behind his back.

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Post, The Guardian, The Daily Caller, Mother Jones, Axios, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Al Jazeera, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Beast, Pajiba, Balloon Juice and Raw Story

Del Quentin Wilber / Los Angeles Times:

Federal prosecutors are mulling criminal charges against John Bolton — Federal prosecutors are weighing whether to criminally charge John Bolton with disclosing classified information in his upcoming White House memoir, and the Justice Department is expected in coming days to ramp …

Discussion: Mediaite, New York Times, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, The Hill, NPR, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit, Reason, Breitbart, Fox News, Axios and Vanity Fair

Washington Post:

Bolton's new book blows apart one of Trump's biggest reelection arguments — Even after impeachment, even after his disastrous mishandling of coronavirus, even after over 19,000 false and misleading claims and thousands of appalling tweets, President Trump still retains the capacity to shock us with the depth of his corruption.

Discussion: Fox News, The Guardian, The Mahablog, Raw Story and The Hill

Business Insider:

Trump said it would be ‘cool’ to invade Venezuela because the country is ‘really part of the United States,’ according to John Bolton's new book — Foto: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images National Security Advisor John Bolton (R) listens to U.S. President Donald Trump talk to reporters during …

William Kristol / The Bulwark:

John Bolton Tells the Truth — Even if they don't like him, every Republican and conservative in Washington knows that Bolton doesn't make things up. What will they do now? — Twice over the last few years, I've met with individuals who had recently departed the Trump administration after serving at very senior levels.

Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:

Trump Thought Elton John Would Love His Rocket Man Gift to Kim — The president was going to personally sign the CD to the North Korean leader. And, for some reason, he thought Elton John would love the publicity. — In the summer of 2018, the president spent an immoderate amount …

CNN:

Anti-Trump Republican group launches new ad attacking President over China policies — Bolton claims Trump asked China for re-election help — (CNN)A group formed by anti-Trump Republicans is airing a new ad attacking President Donald Trump for getting “rolled” by China and its powerful President Xi Jinping.

David Ignatius / Washington Post:

John Bolton's book is full of startling revelations he should have told us sooner — “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord,” reads a famous passage from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans. John Bolton has provided a secular version of that cosmic payback in his account of Donald Trump's presidency …

Washington Post:

Justice Department seeks emergency order to block publication of Bolton's book — The Justice Department on Wednesday night sought an emergency order from a judge blocking the publication of former national security adviser John Bolton's forthcoming White House memoir, escalating a legal battle …

Discussion: New York Times, The Wrap, The Hill and Just Security, more at Mediagazer »

Michael C. Bender / Wall Street Journal:
‘He Is a Liar’: Trump Pushes Back on Bolton Book

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Axios:
John Bolton gets his revenge six months after Democrats needed him for impeachment

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Twitchy, The Hill and The Daily Caller

NBC News:
John Bolton says Trump asked China for re-election help in explosive new book

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Mediaite

Axios:
John Bolton: Putin thinks he can play Trump “like a fiddle”

Discussion: ABC News, New York Post and Raw Story

Conor Finnegan / ABC News:
‘I think Putin thinks he can play [Trump] like a fiddle’: Former national security adviser John Bolton …

Discussion: Political Wire

CNN:
'They're in denial': How Trump's White House is ignoring the pandemic

Discussion: Fox News, KEYT-TV, The Daily Caller and Washington Post

Wall Street Journal:
Trump Put Re-Election Prospects Ahead of National Interest, Bolton Alleges

Discussion: Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Axios:
Scoop: Republican operatives launch pro-Biden super PAC

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Post, Disrn, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, KEYT-TV, National Review and Just The News

Theodore J. Boutrous Jr / Washington Post:
Why Trump's lawsuit against John Bolton will fail

Discussion: New York Times and The Wrap

New York Times:

Does Trump Want to Fight for a Second Term? His Self-Sabotage Worries Aides — Advisers and allies say the president's repeated acts of self-destruction have significantly damaged his re-election prospects, and yet he appears mostly unable, or unwilling, to curtail them.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Patterico's Pontifications

Madeline Charbonneau / The Daily Beast:

Trump Wants to Find, Prosecute Person Who Leaked His Trip to the Bunker: NYT — LET IT GO — President Donald Trump has told advisers he wants to find and prosecute the person who leaked the fact he went to the White House bunker as protests escalated in Washington, D.C. earlier this month …

Discussion: Raw Story

Washington Post:

Impeachment casts shadow over Army officer's promotion — An Army officer's promotion is in jeopardy over what some officials fear could be White House retaliation for his role in last year's impeachment inquiry, raising the possibility that President Trump might again intervene in military affairs …

Discussion: Raw Story

Ben Kesslen / NBC News:

Aunt Jemima brand to change name, remove image that Quaker says is ‘based on a racial stereotype’ — The Aunt Jemima brand of syrup and pancake mix will get a new name and image, Quaker Oats announced Wednesday, saying the company recognizes that “Aunt Jemima's origins are based on a racial stereotype.”

Discussion: New York Times, Forbes, Breitbart, Rolling Stone, Outside the Beltway, The Western Journal, Mediaite, The Stranger, Townhall, TheGrio, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CNN, The Guardian, Redstate, The Daily Caller, WRIC-TV and Twitchy

Doha Madani / NBC News:
Uncle Ben's rice to change brand as part of parent company's stance against racism

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Daily Caller and NPR

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
Corporate Pandering Means Invisibility

Discussion: Louder With Crowder

CNN:

‘Wednesday night massacre’ as Trump appointee takes over at global media agency — New York (CNN Business)The heads of four organizations overseen by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) were all dismissed Wednesday night — a move likely to heighten concerns that new Trump-appointed CEO Michael Pack means …

Discussion: The Hill and Columbia Journalism Review, more at Mediagazer »

Brian Schwartz / CNBC: Federal media chief Michael Pack installs Trump loyalists to leadership posts, memo says

Politico:

House Republican leaders condemn GOP candidate who made racist videos — The House's highest-ranking Republicans are racing to distance themselves from a leading GOP congressional candidate in Georgia after POLITICO uncovered hours of Facebook videos in which she expresses racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic views.

Discussion: Fox News, Facebook, Axios, Raw Story, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, The Hill and Right Wing Watch

Jon Jankowski / WKMG:

260 workers test positive for COVID-19 at Orlando International Airport — 2,993 people have died from COVID-19 in the state — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis said 260 workers at the Orlando International Airport have tested positive for the coronavirus after nearly 500 employees were tested.

Discussion: TheGrio, New Republic, Florida Politics, TheBlaze, Twitchy, The Guardian, Raw Story and ABC News

Chris Kahn / Reuters:

Biden opens 13-point advantage as Trump popularity drops to seven-month low: Reuters/Ipsos poll — NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has opened up a 13-point lead over President Donald Trump - the widest margin this year - according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll …

Discussion: Washington Post, POLITICUSUSA, Breitbart, The Hill and Political Wire

Malachi Barrett / MLive.com:
Michigan pollster: Trump's Bible photo op caused immediate drop in support

Discussion: Daily Kos

CBS News:

Oklahoma officials worry about Trump's rally as Tulsa County COVID infections rise to record levels — Days before President Trump's first rally in over three months, on June 20 in Tulsa, city officials and politicians are worried, as the number of COVID-19 cases in Tulsa County rise to record levels.

Discussion: Mother Jones and Breitbart

Marisa Schultz / Fox News:
Oklahoma GOP Sen. Lankford urges elderly to avoid Tulsa Trump rally

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Vanity Fair and Breitbart

jsonline:

Wisconsin Elections Commission approves sending 2.7 million absentee ballot request forms to voters — MADISON - State election officials signed off Wednesday on a plan to send absentee ballot request forms to most registered voters despite a last-minute push by a Republican lawmaker to halt the effort.

Ryan Parker / Hollywood Reporter:

'That ‘70s Show’ Star Danny Masterson Charged With Raping Three Women — The alleged separate incidents occurred between 2001 and 2003, according to authorities. — Daniel Masterson was charged on Wednesday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office with raping three women.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Washington Post:

Blackface incident at Post cartoonist's 2018 Halloween party resurfaces amid protests — Every year, Tom Toles's Halloween party draws an eclectic mix — journalists and political types from Washington's power elite, but also artists and musicians, everyone from retirees to college kids …

Wall Street Journal:

NBC Tries to Cancel a Conservative Website — The network colluded with a foreign advocacy group that wanted Google to demonetize the Federalist. — NBC News attempted this week to use the power of Google to cancel our publication, the Federalist. The effort failed, but it should serve …

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Anti-intellectualism at Cornell Law School: Student groups organize boycott of my course — “we further urge the administration to critically examine the views of the individuals they intend to employ” — I have been chronicling the saga of efforts to get me fired and denounced …

Discussion: Althouse

Jared Holt / Right Wing Watch:

Cassandra Fairbanks Claims Antifa Attacked Her. Police Reports and Neighbors Say Otherwise — Cassandra Fairbanks and her right-wing media colleagues solicited nearly $25,000 in a fundraiser benefiting Fairbanks after she claimed she was targeted …

Matthew Boyle / Breitbart:

Financial Problems Plagued Rick Wilson as He Became Never Trump Leader — Never Trump leader Rick Wilson's hypocrisy is not limited to now attacking those who support the Confederate flag after previously supporting it himself. — As Wilson's personal financial situation turned dire …

CNN:

US stockpile stuck with 63 million doses of hydroxychloroquine — (CNN)The federal government is stuck with 63 million doses of hydroxychloroquine now that the US Food and Drug Administration has revoked permission for the drug to be distributed to treat coronavirus patients.

Discussion: New York Times

Kevin D. Williamson / National Review:

The Revolution Comforts the Comfortable — The class war in our country isn't a matter of the poor vs. the rich; it's a matter of business class vs. first class, E-Class vs. S-Class. — W — here the Left goes, squalor follows. — The scene in militia-occupied Seattle is entirely familiar …

The Guardian:

Revealed: officer who killed Rayshard Brooks accused of covering up 2015 shooting — The Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks was accused of covering up an earlier shooting he and other officers participated in, according to a judge who reviewed the case.