| | | | | President Trump hosts a working lunch with the Baltic heads of state Tuesday in the Cabinet Room of the White House. Credit: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images | | | "Tippy-Top Shape": How Trump described the White House, which he said doesn't have a name
Dress Like the First Daughter: TIFFANY TRUMP EDITION
DJTJ is Trying to Make the Next Tide Pod Challenge Happen: Don Jr. tweets on condom snorting | | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump today meets with Baltic leaders.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
The news conference with the President and the three visiting Baltic heads of state scheduled for 1:35 ET this afternoon -- at which journalists will get to ask questions.
And building anticipation of some sort of afternoon announcement about the status of border protection and the "caravan" issue Trump has been tweeting about so much ...
Everything is Fine:
Last night, Trump called embattled EPA administrator Scott Pruitt in an effort to show his support -- something he also did for H.R. McMaster and David Shulkin one week before he fired them. Trump told Pruitt, "Keep your head up. .... Keep fighting. ... We got your back." Though, the word out of the White House yesterday was that it was looking into Pruitt's housing situation in DC and investigating possible ethical implications. So, which is it?
All the Tweeting:
Trump's unloaded five tweets this morning (one spelling Jeff Zucker's name wrong) and 14 yesterday, indicating it could be wheels-off -- or just already a particularly burdensome week -- for POTUS. Either way, Amazon, borders, NAFTA, fake news, Sinclair were all on the table for praise or criticism. | | "Tippy-Top Shape":
In perhaps the most interesting Easter Egg Roll welcome from a president in the history of the presidency, Trump said the White House didn't have a name but that they sometimes say it's in "tippy-top shape," and he also said it was "perfect weather," which it wasn't. Oh, and for the children, he mentioned the strong economy and why military funding is so important -- and that the band was unbelievable. We are all Melania's and the Easter Bunny's faces listening to his remarks: | | Credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
Guys, It's Just Trump Being Trump:
I say this a lot, but when are we going to stop being surprised when Trump is acting his Trumpiest? The past couple of weeks have been the ultimate indicator that teaching an old dog new Washington tricks ain't happening.
Guys, It's Just Louise Linton Being Louise Linton:
I say this a lot, but when are we going to stop being surprised when Louise Linton is acting her Louise-iest? She's done another interview, this time with Washingtonian magazine, and while much of the content feels familiar to the Elle magazine interview from last month, there are some fun parts. I maintain my theory, however unpopular, that Linton continues to be the most refreshingly honest Washington newcomer in recent memory, and I am fourth-generation Washingtonian.
I particularly enjoyed writer Elaina Plott's description of Linton at SoulCycle -- and Plott's admission she felt the need to pop an Adderall for fear she couldn't keep up with Linton being that girl we all see in our spin classes. (Spoiler: She couldn't.) Here's the story opener pic of Linton in Christian Louboutin pumps walking her Chihuahua: | | Credit: Marisa Guzman-Aloia for Washingtonian magazine
Wolf Blitzer, King of Brackets:
Wolf won the CNN NCAA bracket challenge. Congrats, Blitzer. | | Credit: @jaketapper/Twitter
Dress Like the First Daughter, TIFFANY TRUMP EDITION:
Making her debut in this space, Tiffany Trump, who yesterday wore her favorite designer, Taoray Wang, to the White House Easter Egg Roll. (She also employed the patented Melania Trump-coat-on-shoulders move.) To be fair, I know this because Wang tweeted it. But here's the runway, pinstripe version of the "Enlightenment Empress" white blazer dress Tiff wore: | | | Credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images, taoraywang.com | | What Washington is Talking About:
Connecticut Dem Rep. Elizabeth Esty said she won't seek re-election, and Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the Texas Dem challenging Ted Cruz for his Senate seat, announced he's raised $6.7 million in the first quarter of 2018.
What America is Talking About:
Villanova won the NCAA men's basketball championship, beating Michigan 79-62 for its second title in three years.
Trump Talked to Putin About Coming to the White House:
White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah confirmed Monday that President Trump talked with Vladimir Putin during their March phone call about the possibility of Putin visiting the White House. 👀
Yeah, No, We Can't Just Use Money for the Military to Build The Wall:
That's per two Dems, Sens. Richard J. Durbin of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and Jack Reed of the Armed Services Committee, who wrote a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis saying that "such a controversial move could only be funded by cutting other vital priorities for service members." They also asked Mattis to check on the legality of reappropriating money for The Wall in that way.
Marty Baron Defends WaPo:
Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron re-emphasized WaPo's editorial independence amid President Trump's attacks on owner Jeff Bezos' Amazon. In an interview with The New York Times, Baron said Bezos has on multiple occasions told him the paper should cover him "as they would any other business executive and treat Amazon no differently from any other company."
"I can't say more emphatically he's never suggested a story to anybody here, he's never critiqued a story, he's never suppressed a story," Baron said.
The Post is unfailing in its disclosure that Bezos is its owner in all coverage of him or his company and has published unflattering stories (like the story headlined, "Amazon wants a key to your house. I did it. I regretted it," published in December). | | Credit: Justin T. Gellerson for the New York Times
Sinclair Defends its Media-Bashing Promos:
Juxtapose the Post's editorial independence with local TV news owner Sinclair mandating its anchors read from a script bashing the media for sharing fake stories and trying to control what people think. After the mash-up of anchors reading the script went viral yesterday, the company is refusing to back down.
Sinclair's senior vice president of news, Scott Livingston, wrote in an internal memo that the fake news stories the company is talking about are ones like the Pizzagate conspiracy theory and the fake story about how the Pope endorsed Trump in 2016, stories, I might add, that the very same media outlets the script seems to be attacking didn't report.
Zuckerberg Needs a Few Years:
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said fixing the social network's problems won't happen quickly. In an interview with Vox, Zuck said:
"In terms of resolving a lot of these issues, I think it's just a case where because we didn't invest enough, I think we will dig through this hole, but it will take a few years. I wish I could solve all these issues in three months or six months, but I just think the reality is that solving some of these questions is just going to take a longer period of time."
He also responded to Apple CEO Tim Cook's criticism last week, calling it "extremely glib and not at all aligned with the truth" to suggest that because Facebook doesn't sell its product to its users that it doesn't care about them.
DJTJ is Trying to Make Condom Snorting Happen:
The development in political culture this year I find the most endlessly fascinating is how eating Tide Pods went from a weird internet meme to culture wars shorthand. It's used to demean young liberals, often by the same people who use the term "snowflake," and recently it's used in connection with the gun debate (i.e.: How can we allow these Tide Pod-eating millennials to dictate gun policy, etc., etc.?). Tomi Lahren did a "Final Thoughts" segment on them in January in which she links the Tide Pod challenge to the breakdown of the American family and a liberal media that pushes 64 gender options.
But alas, the Tide Pod Challenge is an old meme and it just doesn't have the same kick it used to. Enter condom snorting, in which you snort a condom up your nose and pull it out of your mouth. Gross? Yes. Something you need to worry about your teen doing? Probably not. But in a tweet (one of three on the topic yesterday), Donald Trump Jr., suggested it's the new Tide Pod challenge and used it to attack Dems. | | Credit: @DonaldJTrumpJr/Twitter
In Case You Didn't Believe Stormy Already ...:
Seth Rogan said Stormy Daniels, who appeared in Rogan's "Knocked Up" and "40-Year-Old Virgin," mentioned her alleged affair with Trump about a decade ago.
"She had mentioned it," Rogan said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." "At the time, when you ask a porn star who they've been sleeping with and the answer was Donald Trump, it was like the least surprising thing that she could have said," he recalled.
He also talked about meeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and described what it's like getting a hug from him: "I felt his muscles press into my body." | | Credit: TheEllenShow/YouTube
Karlie Kloss on Why She Doesn't Show Much Kushner:
The model, who's dating Jared Kushner's brother Joshua, said the reason she doesn't talk or post much about him is because she likes to keep her personal life personal. She said:
"Carolina Herrera always says, 'A woman who's an open book is boring.' There's no mystery anymore. I know in my life what really matters to me. I'm not trying to hide that from the world; I just really like having a more private private life. I've got nothing to hide, though!"
Street Art Sighting:
Spotted at 15 and U Street by Jordan Frasier: An "im🍑" sticker from an Easy shop heavy on Resistance-themed shirts, mugs and buttons. | | Credit: Jordan Frasier
If you spot political street art, I'd love to see it. Here's how you can reach me: 1. Tweet me @hunterschwarz, 2. Tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz, or 3. Email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com.
P.S.:
Drake is the first male solo artist to have two songs spend 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. "One Dance" feat. WizKid and Kyla was No. 1 for 10 weeks in 2016, and "God's Plan" just notched its 10th week at No. 1. | | | | | | |
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