What we're covering today
- The President and First Lady welcome Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife to the White House today at 12 p.m. ET.
- Sarah Sanders holds a White House press briefing at 2.
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Today in politics
Updates
(42)Trump says "terrible" bombings in Austin done by "very, very sick" person or people
President Trump has commented on the bombings in Austin, calling them terrible and describing the bomber as a “very very sick individual.”
The President added: “Local, state and federal law enforcement working hand in hand to get to the bottom of it. This is obviously a very, very sick individual or maybe these are sick people, and we will get to the bottom of it. We will be very strong. We are searching what’s going on in Austin — a great place, a tremendous place — It is absolutely disgraceful.”
Trump says he'll probably meet Putin "in the not-too-distant future"
Trump said he spoke to Vladimir Putin today, and he congratulated the Russian President on his recent election win.
“The call had also to do with the fact that we will probably get together in the not-too-distant future so that we can discuss arms, we can discuss the arms race,” Trump said.
“We had a very good call and I suspect that we’ll probably be meeting in the not-too-distant future to discuss the arms race, which is getting out of control,” he said.
He continued: “I think probably we’ll be seeing president Putin in the not-too-distant future.”
Here's what Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince will talk about today
President Trump in his meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince will discuss a range of topics including “Iran’s aggression” in the Middle East and the support Russia offers to both Iran and Syria, saying that the two countries will look for ways to make “Russia pay a price” for its aggressions, according to senior administration officials.
The Senior Administration officials say Trump still believes unity is critical in the Gulf and still wants to organize a meeting with all of the Gulf Leaders, despite ongoing disagreements over Qatar.
The officials said the two countries will also discuss Saudi’s nuclear ambitions.
NYC mayor announces $22 million investment into combatting opioid epidemic
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $22 million annual investment into the citywide plan to combat the opioid epidemic – an investment that will create peer intervention programs at more hospitals, increase naloxone distribution and training, and connect more people with treatment, his office said in a statement.
With this new investment the city will spend $60million annually to reduce opioid overdose deaths, the city of New York said in a press release. More New Yorkers died from drug overdose in 2016 than they did from suicides, homicides, or motor vehicle crashes combined, the release said.
President Trump & Melania Trump will head to New Hampshire to deliver remarks on combatting the opioid crisis
The President’s White House departure has been pushed back to 12:20pE.
Here's what is in Trump's three-pronged opioid plan
President Donald Trump will roll out new plans to tackle the country’s opioid epidemic on Monday in New Hampshire, the White House said Sunday.
The plan will include stiffer penalties for high-intensity drug traffickers, including the death penalty for some, Andrew Bremberg, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, told reporters Sunday.
Trump’s long-awaited plan will focus on three areas: Law enforcement and interdiction, prevention and education through a sizable advertising campaign, improving the ability to fund treatment through the federal government, and help those impacted by the epidemic find jobs while fighting addiction, Bremberg and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said.
Kushner Company statement on report of misleading property paperwork
In response to reports that Jared Kushner’s family business skirted New York City laws to quickly profit off of buildings, a Kushner company spokesperson said in a message to CNN:
“Kushner Companies values all of our tenants and takes our legal and ethical responsibilities very seriously. Our development team has renovated thousands of apartments with minimal complaints over the past 30 years. If mistakes or typographical errors are identified, corrective action is taken immediately with no financial benefit to the company. The investigation is trying to create an issue where none exists. Kushner Companies did not intentionally falsify DOB filings in an effort to harass any tenants.”
Trump tweets "WITCH HUNT" following his attacks on Mueller
President Donald Trump on Monday continued his Twitter attack on special counsel Robert Mueller, calling the ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election a “witch hunt.”
“A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!” Trump tweeted. He has frequently slammed the probe as a “witch hunt,” dismissing it as a frivolous investigation launched by his political enemies seeking to delegitimize his election victory.
White House: Kellyanne Conway complied with the Hatch Act
A White House spokesman defended counselor Kellyanne Conway over the claim she violated the Hatch Act in two television interviews, saying her “statements actually show her intention and desire to comply with the Hatch Act.”
“Kellyanne Conway did not advocate for or against the election of any particular candidate,” deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said.
Gidley added that Conway was only expressing Trump’s “obvious position” that the President wants “people in the House and Senate who support his agenda.”
“In fact, Kellyanne’s statements actually show her intention and desire to comply with the Hatch Act — as she twice declined to respond to the host’s specific invitation to encourage Alabamans to vote for the Republican,” he said.
Why we’re talking about this now
The US Office of Special Counsel announced today that Conway violated the Hatch Act on two occasions by “advocating for and against candidates” in last year’s Alabama Senate special election.
What is the Hatch Act, anyway?
The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939, which limits certain political activities of federal employees, according to the office of the Special Counsel. (It also covers some state, and local government employees who work with federally funded programs.)
“The law’s purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation,” according to the office.
What to look for in tonight's Texas primary
This year’s midterm elections officially kick off Tuesday with the Texas primaries, where voters will sift through jam-packed fields of Democratic candidates vying to take on vulnerable Republican members of Congress
Here’s what you need to know:
- Polls open at 8 a.m. EST and close at 8 p.m. EST for most of the state. In the El Paso area, the polls open at 9 a.m. EST and close at 9 p.m. EST.
- Democrats are running in all of Texas’ 36 congressional districts for the first time in 25 years.
- Democrats have an edge in early voting, a notable, though limited, gauge of voter enthusiasm in what’s been a reliably red state.
- Candidates must top 50% in their primary, or the top two finishers will head to a runoff election in six weeks.
- Incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke are likely to win their respective primaries. CNN recently moved the Texas Senate race from Solid Republican to Likely Republican.
In America's debate about guns, "There's not enough attention paid to what the majority wants"
Late-night comedian Jordan Klepper is taking the gun debate very seriously. He spoke with Brian Stelter:
Carson on HUD: 'There are more complexities here than in brain surgery'
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is acknowledging the challenges of his role in the Trump administration, telling The New York Times that being responsible for the agency is a complicated undertaking.
“There are more complexities here than in brain surgery,” he told the Times in an interview last week. “Doing this job is going to be a very intricate process.”
Speaker Ryan statement on tariffs: "We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war..."
The following was obtained by CNN’s Lauren Fox in response to questions about an article distributed by Speaker’s office detailing adverse impact of Trump tariff plans.
“We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan,” said AshLee Strong, Paul Ryan’s spokeswoman.
“The new tax reform law has boosted the economy and we certainly don’t want to jeopardize those gains.”
Jared Kushner will play a role in Netanyahu meeting
A White House official says Jared Kushner will play a part in talks with Netanyahu today, despite his tenuous clearance status. Kushner has already paid a call to Blair House, where Netanyahu is staying, to check in with him before formal talks begin today.
Officials are downplaying the effect Kushner’s downgraded security clearance will have on the talks today, though acknowledge this will be the first high-profile engagement for Kushner since he lost his “top secret” access.
Sorry not sorry: John Kelly doesn't think he has anything to apologize for
John Kelly hasn’t been chief of staff to President Donald Trump for even a year yet, but he appears to have learned one of the real estate tycoon’s most central life lessons: Never, ever apologize.
“I have absolutely nothing to even consider resigning over,” Kelly told reporters at the White House on Friday in response to questions over his botched handling of the allegations of domestic abuse against former White House staff secretary Rob Porter.
Kelly’s defense – and defensiveness – simply doesn’t jibe with what we know of the timeline of events surrounding Porter’s firing.
John Kelly renews defense in wake of Rob Porter abuse scandal
White House chief of staff John Kelly, seeking to defend himself from questions about how he handled the dismissal of Rob Porter, told reporters on Friday that he never considered resigning over the fallout.
Porter, President Donald Trump’s staff secretary, was accused of domestic abuse against two ex-wives, though he denied any wrongdoing.
“I have absolutely nothing to even consider resigning over,” Kelly said.
US embassy in Cuba to reduce staff indefinitely after "health attacks"
The State Department announced Friday it will continue to staff its embassy in Havana, Cuba, at the minimum level required to perform “core diplomatic and consular functions,” due to concerns about “health attacks” on staff.
The move comes amid continued uncertainty about the cause of the attacks, which affected at least 24 diplomats and family members in 2016 and 2017.
Chuck Schumer on Trump's changing gun stance: "He just says what's convenient"
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized President Donald Trump Friday for seemingly reversing his positions on gun control efforts after a meeting with the National Rifle Association.
“When I dealt with the President on immigration, I said negotiating with him is like negotiating with Jell-O. And that’s what happens,” the New York Democrat said in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “He believes one thing one day and then seems to contradict himself.”
“Here with guns, it’s a typical pattern,” Schumer said of the President. “With the bipartisan group and the camera lights on, his instincts were to do the right thing.”
Trump has been briefed on shooting at Central Michigan University
President Trump has been briefed on the shooting at Central Michigan University, according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley.
Georgia governor signs tax overhaul bill into law
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed a tax overhaul bill into law, Deal said on Twitter Friday morning.
“Today I signed HB 918 into law, allowing Georgians to immediately file their 2017 income tax returns. I join members of General Assembly in celebrating this historic $5 billion tax reform deal,” the Governor tweeted.
A Georgia state Senator tells CNN that the bill did not include the lucrative jet fuel tax exemption that would have benefited Delta Airlines.
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