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The Note: Divisions Down Under 

 

   
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February 2, 2017 MORE POLITICS >
Divisions Down Under
The Big Story
The wild first dozen days of the Trump administration didn't have world affairs and national-security crises to complicate them any further from their messy reality. That has changed now, with a series of diplomatic challenges – some self-inflicted, others ongoing – making themselves known almost all at once. Reports of a threatening phone call with the president of Mexico, an abruptly ended one with the prime minister of Australia – it's all part of President Trump's day. But it's Iran that's the real story, amid signs that Tehran is testing the Trump administration. Iran is now "on notice," according to the ominous words of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. In a foreign policy that includes "taking names," it's either very easy or very, very hard to imagine what that means.
The Sleeper Story
It's covered, rightly, as a Trump nominee in trouble. But the confirmation woes facing Betsy DeVos, the president's pick for education secretary, has bigger stakes and implications for governance in the Trump era. Two Republican senators – Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski – came out against DeVos, leaving her with a zero-vote margin for error from here. The reasons are shockingly traditional, in the age of Trump. DeVos had a halting committee appearance, where she struggled to outline controversial views on public education and charter schools. Interest groups and the people of Maine and Alaska contacted their senators. The senators announced their decisions. Isn't this how the system supposed to work? As for what's next, how does the president react if and when members of his own party stop him from getting his way?
The Shiny Story
The kind of nukes President Trump controls don't matter for Senate rules. Yes, it matters when the president calls on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to "go nuclear" if Democrats try to block Judge Neil Gorsuch's selection for the Supreme Court. But Trump's bluster is unlikely to change Senate dynamics. If Democrats do filibuster, McConnell will go there – of that there's little doubt. And Schumer and his fellow Democrats may get boxed in on this front by their own base. That may be where Trump's bluster matters most – threaten enough, and Senate Democrats will feel like they have no choice but to do what they can to block Gorsuch. Does that put everyone in Washington "on notice"?
TLDR
It was always going to be the number one issue, but now national security and foreign affairs are dominating the Trump administration, some self-inflicted challenges as reports of threatening and abrupt phone calls with Mexico and Australia come to light. And now Iran is "on notice" says the administration, thanks to signs they are testing the new POTUS.
Trump Slams 'Dumb' Refugee Deal with Australia
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Wednesday night to slam a deal the U.S. forged with Australia during the Obama administration last year to resettle refugees in the U.S. from two remote Pacific islands. The president tweeted, "Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!" The deal -- which involves resettling an undisclosed number of asylum seekers held in Australian processing centers on a pair of remote islands -- was a topic of conversation between Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during their 25-minute phone call on Saturday, according to Turnbull, reports ABC's DAVID CAPLANhttp://abcn.ws/2ktvlgN
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Trump Offers Prayer for Arnold Schwarzenegger, 'Apprentice' Ratings
President Trump offered up a prayer to Arnold Schwarzenegger as he addressed the audience at this morning's National Prayer Breakfast "They hired a big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger to take my place, and we know how that turned out," Trump said at the top of his remarks. As ABC's ADAM KELSEY reports, he continued, "The ratings went right down the tubes. It's been a total disaster. And Mark [Burnett] will never, ever bet against Trump again, and I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings." http://abcn.ws/2kWd35m
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Trump to Senate Majority Leader: 'Go Nuclear' If Faced With SCOTUS Confirmation Gridlock
President Trump said today that he would encourage Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to push his Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, through the confirmation process by using the nuclear option. "If we end up with a gridlock, I will say it if you can, Mitch, go nuclear," Trump said at the White House. "That would be an absolute shame if a man of this quality was caught up in the web," Trump said of Gorsuch. "I would say it's up to Mitch, but I would say go for it."http://abcn.ws/2kWgKa9
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