Thanks to
@NBCNews
and
@MSNBC
for four years of adventure in DC, across the country and around the globe. Excited for a new challenge
@axios
, but leave with many memories and even more friends.
WHOA: Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher just attacked his chain of command on Fox, which the President encouraged everyone to watch. "It’s all about retaliation....The Secretary of the Navy was meddling in my case... What the admiral (Green) is doing is showing complete insubordination."
JUST IN: Pentagon Chief of Staff has resigned. "After two years in the Pentagon, I've decided the time is right to return to the private sector. It has been an honor to serve again alongside the men and women of the Department of Defense," said Rear Adm Kevin Sweeney, USN (Ret.)
Biden commits to
@jaketapper
that he'll raise the corporate tax rate on "day one," regardless of the unemployment rate. Doesn't think it will affect hiring.
Austin told members of the House that military officials are looking at ways to provide more defense equipment — including ammunition — to Ukrainian forces, but it's more difficult now with Russian troops swarming the country. w/
@jonathanvswan
and
@zacharybasu
I present Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino, owned by Trump friend Sheldon Adeldson. If I were a gamblin’ man, I’d bet on this as the summit site. If I were a drinkin’ I’d check out the roof top bar. If I were an architecture critic, I’d spare no feelings.
Pentagon confirms WaPo scoop ON THE RECORD. “We are aware of the request and are looking at possible dates,” Charlie Summers, a Pentagon spokesman, just told reporters.
Good morning from Camp Donna on the border, where the deep fryers are boiling at 600AM. These guys started at 0400 and are cooking for 2000. So don’t complain about hosting your crazy uncle.
The first U.S. combat death of 2018 in Afghanistan was an immigrant from Latvia: 34-year old Mihail Golin of Ft Lee, NJ. He immigrated just before he was 21, according to his father (per NYPost).
I hesitate to post the Pentagon Press Parking Index (PPPI) tonight because if it’s flashing red tomorrow, I may not share. But for the next 12 hours, prospects of Assad strikes are low.
Secretary Mattis has cancelled his trip to New York tonight, per a Pentagon spokeswoman. He was scheduled to stay overnight and have a meeting with Henry Kissinger.
Change that to "definitely"...Biden, just now: "One of the things we’re thinking about is I’m going to be going up into Wisconsin, and Minnesota, spending time in Pennsylvania, out in Arizona. But we’re going to do it in a way that is totally consistent with being responsible."
1/4 McCain didn't talk much about his faith in God, but he always said it got him through captivity in Vietnam: `my faith was tested in extraordinary fashion.'' He added that ``it was my faith that got me through, not the next day or the next hour but through the next minute.''
Austin told members of the House that military officials are looking at ways to provide more defense equipment — including ammunition — to Ukrainian forces, but it's more difficult now with Russian troops swarming the country. w/
@jonathanvswan
and
@zacharybasu
NEW: Part of Trump's statement on his twitter ban: "We have been negotiating with various other sites, and will have a big announcement soon, while we also look at the possibilities of building out our own platform in the near future. We will not be SILENCED!"
Democrats are digging in on Mueller/Barr, preparing to play the long game.
@SenKamalaHarris
: "The Attorney General must be required to testify, instead of just submitting a four-page memo on what happened."
Pentagon Preemption on North Korea: Officials are walking along correspondents corridor, telling reporters that they don't know what the announcement is.
Have wanted to write this sentence for some time. “There’s a tunnel connecting the Treasury Department to the East Wing of the White House, making Treasury the only (known) department with direct — and discreet — access to the Oval Office.”
Exclusive: Former Harris aide Lily Adams is joining the Treasury Department to help promote Biden's stimulus package and the administration's broader plans to combat income inequality.
Tonight, for loyal Pentagon Press Parking Index followers: two shots. Bottom snap at 17:30, military action is clearly still possible. But at 20:00, the
#PPPI
is saying: All clear.
NEW: WH made no attempt to STOP Muller from speaking at DoJ this morning, a senior administration official tells me. But WH was not told WHAT Mueller would say in the initial notification. Just that he *may* make a statement.
JUST IN: Mattis raised the possibility of a military strike against the Assad regime if they have used Sarin gas again. "We are even more concerned about the possibility of Sarin gas use," he just told reporters at the Pentagon.
NEW: Biden to name Ajay Banga, who was raised in India before a storied international banking career, to be president of the World Bank. The focus: combatting climate change.
Mattis says Russia is "complicit" in helping Syria retain chemical weapons. Also, says "Russia has continually blocked the efforts" of diplomacy to end the war in Syria.
Trump isn't wrong that Germany relies on Russia for energy. He's off on the percentage and the kind of energy. It gets 40% of natural gas from Russia. And a total of 9% of all energy. Not 70%.
NEWS: Steve Mnuchin tells my colleague
@EamonJavers
that there are no China trade talks scheduled in the future. So stalemate, for now. Repeats that the talks were "constructive."
NEW: Tom Williams, who was the Senior Director for European and Russia Affairs is leaving the National Security Council and will be heading back to DoD. "Tom has served President Trump well and faithfully since day one of his administration" – NSA Robert C. O’Brien
The President appears to leave room for negotiations with Iran. "I have a feeling that it was a mistake made by someone doing what they shouldn't have been doing....I find it hard to believe that it was intentional. It could have been someone loose and stupid."