First Democratic Primary Debates Held – The 2020 presidential election won’t be taking place for another year and a half, but the race for the Democratic nomination is well underway. In two debates held on Wednesday and Thursday, candidates dueled it out as each seeks to stand out in the overcrowded field of wannabes. The 20 candidates who debated had to have been above certain thresholds set by the DNC in national polling and donors. The most notable thing to happen during the debates was when Kamala Harris took Joe Biden to task for allegedly defending former racist senators and supporting what many consider to have been racist policies.
Mueller To Testify – The House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees have reached a deal with former Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify before them on July 17th. Democrats have been eager to get Mueller to testify publicly and answer a horde of questions that Democrats say still remain unanswered even after the publication of his report into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mueller has said that any testimony he provides to Congress will not stray from the four corners of his publicly released report.
Border Aid Bill Passed – A $4.6 billion bill to provide aid to illegal immigrants being detained after crossing the US-Mexico border was passed in the House and Senate. The bill’s passage was seen as a setback for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership in the party, as she had previously been opposed to the bill. The bill divided Democrats in the House, with many saying that Pelosi capitulated to Republicans. In a tweet responding to the passage of the bill, President Trump implied that he would sign it into law, and urged lawmakers to fix “loopholes” in the immigration system and “asylum”.
Trump Attends G20 Summit – President Trump went to the G20 summit being held in Osaka, Japan where he has been holding meetings to advance US interests around the world. He reportedly brought along his entire trade team to discuss ongoing disputes with multiple countries regarding tariffs and other trade issues. Trump also met with Putin on the sidelines of the summit. Questioned by reporters whether he will tell Putin not to interfere in US elections, Trump playfully wagged his finger at Putin, saying “don’t meddle in our elections”. Some saw the move as making a mockery of a serious issue.
Another North Korea Summit? – US and North Korean officials are reportedly in talks to set up a third meeting between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. While talks between the countries regarding North Korea’s nuclear program have stalled since their last meeting, the two leaders have exchanged handwritten letters which seems to have had a great effect on President Trump. The contents of the letters have not been revealed, but both leaders expressed contentment with what was written.
More Iran Sanctions – The Trump administration imposed new sanctions against Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameini and several military figures. The sanctions are designed to block their access to financial resources and assets they have in the United States. President Trump said the new sanctions were in part due to the downing of a US drone near Iranian waters last week. Iran responded by saying that the new sanctions permanently shut the doors on a diplomatic resolution to tensions between the US and Iran. The Iranian regime also announced that they will speed up uranium production after a deadline to salvage the remnants of the 2015 US-led deal with Iran expired Thursday night.
Grisham Appointed Press Secretary – Stephanie Grisham, the spokeswoman for First Lady Melania Trump, was appointed this week to be the White House Press Secretary and Director of Communications. She will succeed Sarah Sanders who said she would be leaving the White House at the end of June. President Trump called Grisham “very talented” and said she had done a “fantastic job” as spokeswoman for the First Lady. Trump has also urged from press secretary Sanders to run for governor in her native Arkansas.
