Day 760: The Latest.
Updated 2/18/2019 11:31 AM PST
Programming note: There will be no daily update or newsletter on today due to Washington's Birthday. Below are a few stories from the weekend. For more, check out Current Status.
Robert Mueller recommended that Paul Manafort spend 19-24 years in prison and pay up to $52 million in fines and forfeitures. Trump's former campaign chairman was convicted in August on eight felony counts including tax and bank fraud. Mueller added that "the government does not take a position as to the specific sentence to be imposed here," but he did remind the court about Manafort's long career of criminal activity. "Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law," Mueller said, "and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars." He continued: "The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct." (The Hill / CNBC / BuzzFeed News / Bloomberg / Politico)
Trump circulated a call by Rush Limbaugh to imprison the people investigating him and his administration, including Robert Mueller. Trump quoted Limbaugh in a tweet, writing, "These guys, the investigators, ought to be in jail. What they have done, working with the Obama intelligence agencies, is simply unprecedented." He continued: "This is one of the greatest political hoaxes ever perpetrated on the people of this Country, and Mueller is a coverup." Later, Trump added his own condemnation of Mueller and his team, calling the investigation "totally conflicted, illegal and rigged!" (Daily Beast)
House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff said there is "evidence in plain sight" of collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Schiff rejected the conclusions of Senate Intelligence Chair Richard Burr, who said no such evidence exists. "You can see evidence in plain sight on the issue of collusion, pretty compelling evidence," Schiff said. "There is a difference between seeing evidence of collusion and being able to prove a criminal conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt." (Politico)
Trump is prepared to veto any resolution that reaches his desk if Congress votes to disapprove of his national emergency declaration, according to Stephen Miller. When asked if Trump will veto a joint resolution disapproving of the declaration, Miller said, "the president is going to protect his national emergency declaration, guaranteed." The veto would be the first of Trump's presidency. (NPR / Fox News)
Former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe said Trump is unwilling to accept intelligence on North Korea given to him by U.S. officials, telling them, "I don't care, I believe Putin." Trump said he didn't believe that North Korea has missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland because Putin told him the missiles didn't exist. (The Hill / 60 Minutes)
Watch the full 60 Minutes interview with Andrew McCabe. (CBS News)
Trump accused Andrew McCabe and deputy AG Rod Rosenstein of plotting treason against him. In a tweet, Trump said McCabe and Rosenstein "look like they were planning a very illegal act, and got caught" in response to McCabe's interview on 60 Minutes. "There is a lot of explaining to do to the millions of people who had just elected a president who they really like and who has done a great job for them with the Military, Vets, Economy and so much more," Trump continued. "This was the illegal and treasonous 'insurance policy' in full action!" (Daily Beast)
Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage and his staff bought more than 40 rooms in Trump's D.C. hotel for $22,000 over a two-year period. The LePage administration paid anywhere from $362 to more than $1,100 per night for the rooms, which coincided with trips to meet with Trump or members of his inner circle, as well as visits to White House events and Congressional meetings. LePage and his staff also spent hundreds of dollars on expensive steaks and other luxury menu items at the restaurants in Trump's hotel. (Portland Press Herald)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize last fall at the request of the U.S. government for Trump's role in opening talks and easing tensions with North Korea. Trump claimed on Friday that Abe had nominated him and given him "the most beautiful copy" of a five-page nomination letter, but he failed to mention that the U.S. requested that Abe nominate Trump. (Reuters)
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