Robert Mueller Impanels Grand Jury In Russia Investigation, And Other Trump News From Thursday
Thursday. August 3rd. Day 196.
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Russia Special Investigator Assembles Grand Jury, A Sign That The Probe Is Heating Up: Special Counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington on evaluate whether or not charges should be brought as a result of the investigation into Russia's efforts to influence the US election. Grand juries have special powers to subpoena documents and put witnesses under oath — a sign that the investigation into Russia and and potential collusion with the Trump campaign is heating up.
Update: Reuters reports that the grand jury has issued subpoenas related to Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Kremlin-connected attorney who claimed to have negative information about Hillary Clinton.
Secret Service Vacates Trump Tower Over Lease Dispute: The Secret Service has moved their Trump Tower headquarters to a trailer on the street after a lease dispute. The security agency used to have an office above Trump's office, but recently were forced to move after they couldn't reach an agreement over the price of rental space. The Secret Service still intends to lease space in Trump Tower, but Trump Tower says it would be best that they rent elsewhere.
West Virginia Governor Expected To Announce Switch To Republican Party With Trump Thursday Night: The New York Times reports that West Virginia Governor Jim Justice will announce his switch from the Democratic to the Republican party. Justice ran as a conservative Democrat who opposed Hillary Clinton. Trump previewed the announcement with reporters today when he said he would be making "a very big announcement" tonight in West Virginia.
Trump Blames Congress And Sanctions For Declining Relationship With Russia: Thursday morning, President Trump appeared to blame Congress for the US's declining relationship with Russia, suggesting he doesn't believe in the recent bill he signed imposing more sanctions on the superpower:
Trump signed the bill earlier in the week, but issued a statement calling portions of it "unconstitutional." Overwhelming congressional support of the bill would have allowed Congress to overpower Trump if he attempted to veto it.
Leaked Call Records Show Trump Told Mexican President To Stop Saying He Wouldn't Fund The Wall: In a leaked transcript of a call between Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, President Trump tells Nieto to stop telling the press he won't pay for the wall, and that the money will "come out in the wash".
Trump Suggests Firing Military Chief In Afghanistan Because He Thinks US Is Losing: NBC reports that in a tense meeting last month, President Trump told military leaders that the US was losing the war in Afghanistan, and that Defense Secretary James Mattis should replace General John Nicholson, who is leading the military effort there. Trump has not met with Nicholson.
Trump also inquired about getting a stake in Afghanistan's natural resources. Last week, The New York Times reported the President Trump has discussed the possibility of staying in Afghanistan for the mineral deposits with Afghanistan's president.
During the conversation, Trump used a famous New York restaurant to illustrate his belief that highly-paid, high-ranking consultants often produce bad ideas. He cited the 21 Club, which closed two months after a renovation based on advice from consultants. The story was apparently meant to disparage the advice of officials like General John Nicholson.
White House Purging Michael Flynn Appointees From National Security Council: The White House is slowly purging Michael Flynn's appointees to the NSC, angering conservative critics who believe the foreign policy community is taking over once again. Most recently the NSC's intelligence chief Ezra Cohen-Watnick was pushed out after a lengthy battle between NSC chief H.R. McMaster and Steve Bannon. Cohen-Watnick controversially briefed Representative Devin Nunes on incidental surveillance of the Trump transition team.
Four other staffers were also pushed out after expressing controversial ideas, such as former director of strategic planning Rich Higgins, who was fired after issuing a memo on the "deep state."
