The Note: Trump turns up the heat with Paris Accords threat

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June 1, 2017

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Trump turns up the heat with Paris Accords threat

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

1. Forget Paris? Trump is announcing his decision on the Paris climate accord at 3 pm ET from the Rose Garden. 2. Congressional investigators want to know whether U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Russia's ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kisylak had a third private meeting, this one at the Mayflower Hotel, which is living up to its notorious reputation, in April 2016. 3. Former national security adviser Mike Flynn and Trump lawyer Michael Cohen have been served; The House intelligence committee issued seven subpoenas for the Russia probe and the unmasking. 4. Trump on Twitter this morning argues the "big story is the 'unmasking and surveillance'" under the Obama administration.

THE TAKE with ABC News' Rick Klein

He coined a word. He baited Hillary Clinton into a Twitter war, even calling her "crooked" again. He has the world watching him for a decision with global consequences. So is this where all the winning starts? The news cycle President Trump follows so obsessively also reveals ethics waivers for lobbyists in his White House; major concessions possible for Russia; policy reversals pending on Cuba; staffers on edge over shake-ups; and enough infighting among congressional committees to push their inquiries off top-of-mind status. Then there's Paris, where Trump's decision will mark a signature move on the international stage – a reflection of the values the president wants the nation to stand for, as well the state of internal politics in his White House. Yes, he'll be hurting alliances and potentially breaking promises this week. But this is disruptive Trump, and this president is at his most comfortable when others are off balance. This week settling back into Washington has given the president the chaos he thrives on. In other words, if it is winning, it's of a distinctive Trumpian sort.

LEEPER STORY with ABC News' MaryAlice Parks

It must be nice. Lawmakers are still home in their districts, enjoying a relatively quiet recess week. We haven't seen pictures of people yelling from chairs in packed auditoriums, perhaps because very few Republicans have scheduled public events this week. Democrats, though, are still trying to beat the drum on health care. In Ohio Wednesday night, they held a mock "field hearing" with their own witness, the former Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Andy Slavitt, who bashed the GOP health care bill. And over in Fresno California, other advocates held another a fake "town hall" complete with a cutout, life-size image of Rep. Devin Nunes, who was not there. Those in the audience hurled questions at "flat Devin." The cheeky, adopt-a GOP-district idea is back too. This weekend, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., is scheduled to join Planned Parenthood activists for a town hall-style meeting in a neighboring Republican held district outside Chicago.

C'EST FINI?

With all the speculation over whether Trump will formally withdraw from the Paris climate agreement this afternoon, it's worth noting that the United States is nowhere close to honoring its commitment under the pact. Trump has already ditched the Clean Power Plan and plans to slash the EPA budget -- plus Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke just Wednesday laid the groundwork for more drilling in the arctic -- essentially conceding that the United States will not live up to its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2025. (The Clean Power Plan itself was just a start toward meeting that mark.) A 2016 report from the International Energy Agency put it bluntly: "Coal must be virtually eliminated if Paris targets are to be met." So while we wait for the president's decision in the Rose Garden, in many ways, the decision has already been made, ABC News' Ryan Struyk writes.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"So I'm now the nominee of the Democratic party. I inherit nothing from the Democratic party… I mean it was bankrupt, it was on the verge of insolvency. Its data was mediocre to poor, nonexistent, wrong. I had to inject money into it," Hillary Clinton's speaking about her campaign at the Recode conference Wednesday.

CLINTON'S POST MORTEM ON HER CAMPAIGN

In a sweeping interview that addressed the array of performers she believes played a role in the drama of her presidential election defeat, Hillary Clinton connected the actions of Russian interlopers in the campaign to domestic actors. http://abcn.ws/2rqjbsf