Your Daily Dose of Trump and His Administration News
- House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler had a blunt message as he privately addressed Democrats the day before his panel assumes a starring role in the impeachment inquiry. “I’m not going to take any shit,” Nadler said in a closed-door prep session Tuesday morning — a rare cuss word from the Manhattan Democrat that prompted some lawmakers to sit up in their chairs, according to multiple people in the room.
Nadler’s warning referred to likely GOP antics to try to undermine the first impeachment hearing in the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. But it wasn’t lost on Democrats that Nadler’s message could also apply to those in his own party who have closely scrutinized his role in the House’s impeachment probe.
- A video of world leaders caught Trudeau, Macron, and Johnson on camera mocking and laughing at Trump. Later, Trump called Trudeau “two-faced” adding, “and honestly, he’s a nice guy.” Trump then cancelled a press conference and left the Nato summit early.
- The House Judiciary Committee began impeachment hearings with a panel of four Constitutional experts.
- The Trump administration said Wednesday it had finalized a new rule tightening work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which could cut hundreds of thousands from food stamps. The rule would tighten work requirements for able-bodied adults with no dependents, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced.
The new plan will strip states’ ability to issue work requirement waivers unless a city or county has an unemployment rate of 6% or higher. The rule will cut food stamps for nearly 700,000 people.
- 14 states filed a brief to the Supreme Court expressing support for the Trump administration’s push to resume federal executions. The filing came a day after the Trump administration asked the justices to authorize the U.S. government to carry out four death sentences. The executions, which were scheduled to occur over the coming weeks, were put on hold last month when a federal trial judge ruled that a separate legal challenge to the Trump administration’s new lethal injection protocol should have a chance to play out in court.
- Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, has been in Budapest and Kyiv this week to talk with former Ukrainian prosecutors for a documentary series intended to debunk the impeachment case.
- Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General to request a review of the awarding of the contract to Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. to build several miles of barrier along the border with Mexico.
The president had pushed for the firm to be tasked with the job despite having been told Fisher’s bids did not meet the required standards. The presidential endorsement came after the company’s CEO, Tommy Fisher, appeared on Fox News to promote his firm’s ability to swiftly construct the wall.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that the U.S. would be exchanging ambassadors with Sudan in a boost to diplomatic relations between the two countries. “Today, we are pleased to announce that the United States and Sudan have decided to initiate the process of exchanging ambassadors after a 23-year gap,” Pompeo said in a statement.
- Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp appointed business executive Kelly Loeffler to fill Senator Johnny Isakson’s seat when he retires at the end of the year, rebiking President Trump’s wishes. Trump and his allies had called for the governor to appoint Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) to Isakson’s seat.
- The Senate confirmed Sarah Pitlyk to the federal judiciary on Wednesday by a 49–44 vote. Every Democrat present voted in opposition; every Republican present except Sen. Susan Collins voted in her favor. Pitlyk’s nomination drew controversy for her extreme opposition to reproductive rights: She opposes not just abortion but also surrogacy and even fertility treatments.
The Past 24 Hours Or So 