The Biggest Stories in American Politics This Week
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Version 0 of 1. President Trump, unusually isolated and at odds with his counterparts, arrived Friday in Canada for an annual summit meeting with some of the United States’ closest allies. Before he left Washington, he raised the prospect of welcoming Russia back into the Group of 7 and he vowed not to back down on tariffs. On Thursday, Mr. Trump had skirmished with the leaders of France and Canada over trade, and later that night, he abruptly announced his decision to leave the summit meeting in Quebec early. Much of the tension stemmed from Mr. Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada called “insulting and totally unacceptable.” Once Mr. Trump leaves Quebec, he will head to Singapore, where he is expected to meet next week with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. White House Analysis Finds Tariffs Will Hurt Growth, as Officials Insist Otherwise Trump Says a ‘Big Operation’ Kept Melania Trump From G-7 News Analysis: Trump Greets Plans for North Korea-Syria Meeting With Deafening Silence Mr. Trump declared Monday on Twitter that he had “the absolute right” to pardon himself for any crime. The assertion came as his legal advisers continue to argue that as president, Mr. Trump is above obstruction statutes. The president also declared on Twitter that the appointment of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel in the Russia investigation, was “totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL!” Later that day, Mr. Mueller accused Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman, of trying to tamper with witnesses. And on Friday, the special counsel brought new obstruction charges against Mr. Manafort and one of Mr. Manafort’s associates. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump offered clemency to a woman serving life in prison for a nonviolent drug conviction, a case championed by Kim Kardashian West, and on Friday he said he was considering pardoning Muhammad Ali. (Mr. Ali’s conviction, however, was overturned nearly 50 years ago.) Trump Team Pushed False Story Line About Meeting With Kremlin-Tied Lawyer, Memo Shows Giuliani Speaks for Trump. Except When He Doesn’t. White House Memo: Why Is Trump Mad at Sessions? A Tweet Provides the Answer With Mueller Closing In, Manafort’s Allies Abandon Him The Supreme Court narrowly ruled on Monday in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. The court also turned away a request from the Justice Department to discipline lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union for helping an undocumented teenager get an abortion. On Thursday, a former Senate aide was arrested in an investigation of classified information leaks, where prosecutors also seized years’ worth of phone and email records from a New York Times reporter. The investigation was the first known instance of the Justice Department seeking a reporter’s data during the Trump administration, signaling that the aggressive tactics employed under President Barack Obama will probably continue. Also Thursday, prosecutors from the Justice Department told a federal court that it would no longer defend provisions of the Affordable Care Act that protect consumers with pre-existing medical conditions. If that argument is accepted, insurers could again deny people coverage because of their medical conditions or history. Trump Praises Arrest of Former Senate Committee Aide in Leaks Inquiry How The Times Decides When to Publish Leaked News American ISIS Suspect Fights Plan to Release Him in Syria Primary elections dominated on Tuesday. In New Jersey and seven other states, Democrats enhanced their prospects for potentially taking control of the House. Their challengers include a former Navy pilot, a veteran White House national security adviser and a conservative pro-gun state senator. Both major parties avoided worst-case scenarios in California: Democrats had candidates set to advance in seven of the most competitive districts, while Republicans avoided a shutout in the races for Senate and governor. Also Tuesday, Senator Mitch McConnell announced that he was canceling the majority of the Senate’s August recess, which could keep vulnerable Democrats from leaving Washington to campaign. 5 Takeaways From Tuesday’s Primary Elections New Mexico Could Elect First Native American Woman to Congress The Most Powerful Conservative Couple You’ve Never Heard Of California Democrats Favor Mainstream House Candidates, Despite Liberal Energy Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, faced renewed backlash over the demands he made of his aides as new documents and congressional testimony were made public. According to the new information, Mr. Pruitt used a top aide essentially as a personal assistant, having her try to procure a used mattress from the Trump International Hotel and to help search for an apartment for him. The aide, Millan Hupp, was also said to have helped him obtain tickets to last year’s Rose Bowl game. Ms. Hupp and another top aide in the agency both resigned this week. Mr. Pruitt also tasked another aide with helping him seek a business opportunity for his wife with the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, documents released Tuesday show. The Chemical Industry Scores a Big Win at the E.P.A. From April: 12 Scott Pruitt Investigations: The Running List of E.P.A. Troubles |