WTF Just Happened Today

Friday, June 14, 2019

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1/ Trump backtracked on his willingness to accept help from foreign governments, saying "of course" he would "absolutely" report an encounter to the FBI. Trump, however, added that he'd alert the FBI only after reviewing the material first, "because if you don't look at it, you won't know it's bad." (New York Times / Politico)

• ???? Day 875: Trump admitted that he'd "want to hear" from foreign governments with damaging information about his political opponents. Trump claimed "there isn't anything wrong with listening" to a foreign government if they contacted him and said "we have information on your opponent." Trump also rejected the notion that accepting damaging information from a foreign government would constitute election interference, saying "It's not an interference, they have information – I think I'd take it." FBI Director Christopher Wray during congressional testimony last month told lawmakers that "the FBI would want to know about" any foreign election meddling. Trump, however, said he might alert the FBI "if I thought there was something wrong," but then said "The FBI director is wrong, because frankly it doesn't happen like that in life." (ABC News / Associated Press / NBC News / New York Times / Bloomberg)

2/ Mitch McConnell downplayed Trump's willingness to accept foreign dirt on political opponents and not report it to the FBI in 2020. McConnell said Democrats keep bringing up the 2016 presidential election because they "can't let it go," and accused Democrats of trying to "harass" Trump. Lindsey Graham, meanwhile, said taking help from foreign agents would be "probably not a good idea." John Cornyn added: "I'd rather just have Americans participate in American elections." (Politico / CNN)

3/ Senate Republicans blocked a bill requiring campaigns to tell the FBI about any offers of foreign assistance they receive. Marsha Blackburn called the legislation's reporting requirements "overbroad," and complained that it would require campaigns to worry about disclosures at "so many different levels." Mark Warner said Blackburn's assessment of the bill was "not accurate," and "The only thing that would have to be reported is if the agent of a foreign government or national offered that something that was already prohibited." (Axios)

4/ The head of the Federal Election Commission reiterated that foreign assistance is illegal in U.S. elections. "I would not have thought that I needed to say this," Ellen Weintraub tweeted. "Let me make something 100 percent clear to the American public and anyone running for public office: It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection wi...

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