memeorandum: Republicans Sink Further Into Trump's Cesspool (Peter Wehner/New York Times)

9:30 AM ET, February 28, 2019

Top Items:

U.S. drops demand for full accounting of N. Korea nuclear program ahead of talks — Negotiators focus in on Yongbyon reactor, the “heart” of North Korea's nuclear program. — HANOI, Vietnam — U.S. negotiators are no longer demanding that North Korea agree to disclose a full accounting …

Discussion: The Bulwark, Breitbart, Splinter, twitchy.com, POLITICUSUSA, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, NK News, CNBC and Mediaite

Edward Wong / New York Times:

Trump's Talks With Kim Jong-un Collapse Over North Korean Sanctions — “Sometimes you have to walk,” President Trump said after he and North Korea's leader abruptly ended their meeting. — “They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we want, but we couldn't give …

Discussion: The Week, USA Today and Associated Press

Washington Post:

Trump and Kim abruptly cut short summit after failing to reach nuclear deal — HANOI — President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abruptly cut short their two-day summit here Thursday after the two leaders failed to reach an agreement to dismantle that country's nuclear weapons.

Discussion: Politico, Breitbart, The Week, One America News Network, The Hill, The Daily Beast, NPR, ABC News and Power Line

Eliana Johnson / Politico:

‘Sometimes you have to walk’: Why Trump bailed on North Korea — HANOI - In the end, President Trump did the unexpected: He walked away. — A visibly deflated Trump began the press conference wrapping up his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by talking about anything else.

Discussion: Washington Post, Shareblue Media, Power Line, One America News Network, Breitbart, New York Times and ABC News

Associated Press:

Trump, Kim summit collapses amid failure to reach deal — HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un collapsed Thursday after the two sides failed to reach a deal due to a standoff over U.S. sanctions on the reclusive nation …

Discussion: fox8.com and WQAD-TV

New York Times:

Trump-Kim Summit Updates: ‘Sometimes You Have to Walk,’ Trump Says as Talks Collapse — • President Trump and Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, failed to reach a deal on denuclearization during their second summit meeting in eight months. “Sometimes you have to walk,” Mr. Trump said after the talks broke down.

Discussion: Washington Post, Outside the Beltway and Reuters

Josh Dawsey / Washington Post:
'He tells me he didn't know': Trump defends Kim Jong Un over death of Otto Warmbier

Discussion: NBC News and Political Wire

Hazel Shearing / BuzzFeed News:
Trump Claimed Michael Cohen “Lied A Lot” During His Testimony

Discussion: Washington Press and Law & Crime

Fox News:
Trump cuts short North Korea summit after dispute over sanctions: ‘Sometimes you have to walk’

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Caller, CNBC and Daily Wire

New York Times: White House Bars 4 U.S. Journalists From Trump's Dinner With Kim in Hanoi

Politico: POLITICO Playbook: Bloomberg eyeing Manhattan office space for campaign

Associated Press:
The Latest: Kim, Trump open to US liaison office in NKorea

Discussion: ABC News, USA Today and The Week

Jonathan Allen / NBC News:
North Korea nuclear summit ends abruptly with no deal

Discussion: Townhall, CNN, Just Security, Joe.My.God., Politico, The Week, POLITICUSUSA and The Guardian

Peter Wehner / New York Times:

Republicans Sink Further Into Trump's Cesspool — What they left out of their questioning of Michael Cohen says more about the degradation of my former party than anything they said. — Michael Cohen's testimony before Congress on Wednesday revealed as much about the Republican Party …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Vox, Washington Post, Townhall, Philly.com and Talking Points Memo

The Daily Beast:

Matt Gaetz Under Investigation by Florida State Bar Over Michael Cohen Threat — The Florida congressman tells The Daily Beast he is unaware of the inquiry. — The Florida Bar has opened an investigation into whether Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) violated professional conduct rules …

Ken White / The Atlantic:

Republicans Committed the Classic Cross-Examination Blunder — Everyone involved in the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on Wednesday needed a good lawyer. — Michael Cohen, the convicted felon, disbarred lawyer, and former fixer to Donald Trump, needed a trial lawyer to rein …

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

After Michael Cohen's testimony, The Trump Organization can expect a wave of renewed scrutiny — Near the end of Michael Cohen's testimony yesterday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked the former fixer whether President Trump had ever run an insurance fraud.

Discussion: Raw Story

Charles P. Pierce / Esquire: The Republican Party Completely and Utterly Disgraced Itself at Michael Cohen's Hearing

NBC News:
Trump Org's Weisselberg not cooperating with feds, sources say

Discussion: Washington Post, ThinkProgress and New York Times

Lawfare:
The Cohen of Silence Breaks: What to Make of Wednesday's Testimony

Discussion: Washington Post, HuffPost and New York Times

Michael J. Stern / USA Today:
Michael Cohen testimony was a WWE body slam against Trump. Here's why it's credible.

Discussion: Raw Story and The Atlantic

Barbara McQuade / The Daily Beast:
The Case Against Trump Has Never Been Stronger After Cohen Testimony

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and Raw Story

John Solomon / The Hill:
Michael Cohen's pathetic ‘Cry for Me, Argentina’ performance

Discussion: Boston Globe, Pirate's Cove, Washington Press, New York Times and Viking Pundit

Issie Lapowsky / Wired:
How'd the Cohen Hearing Go? That Depends on Your Filter Bubble

Discussion: NPR

Ken Dilanian / NBC News:
Cohen testimony suggests NY prosecutors pose major danger to Trump

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Washington Press, twitchy.com and Mediaite

David Frum / The Atlantic:
Uncontradicted — Michael Cohen's testimony to the House …

Discussion: USA Today and CNN

Bryan Lowry / Kansas City Star: Billionaire Phil Ruffin says he's the Kansan mentioned at Michael Cohen hearing

Melanie Zanona / Politico:
Pelosi and top Dems won't bite on impeachment despite Cohen bombshells

Discussion: New York Post, The Daily Beast, POLITICUSUSA and Rolling Stone

Noah Rothman / Commentary:
Michael Cohen's Morality Play

Discussion: Byline Times and The American Conservative

ABC News:
Cohen testifies he's aware of another illegal act by Trump

Erica Orden / CNN: Cohen's testimony escalates Trump's legal troubles in New York

Wall Street Journal:
Cohen Erroneously Identifies Donald Trump Jr. as Executive Cited by Federal Prosecutors

Discussion: Politico, Vox, The Gateway Pundit and The Week

Kate Riga / Talking Points Memo:

LePage: Eliminating Electoral College Would Make Whites ‘A Forgotten People’ — Former Gov. Paul LePage (R) tore apart a bill currently in the Maine state legislature that proposes essentially eliminating the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote because it would only “be minorities that elect” the President.

Mike Tipping / Beacon:
LePage claims national popular vote bill will silence ‘white people’

Discussion: Political Wire

Washington Post:

Virginia first lady under fire for handing cotton to African American students on mansion tour — A Virginia state employee has complained that her eighth-grade daughter was upset during a tour of the historic governor's residence when first lady Pam Northam handed a ball of cotton …

Discussion: theGrio, AOL, Liberty Unyielding, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall, Splinter, Daily Wire, Raw Story, Mediaite, The Daily Caller and The Root

Mike Allen / Axios:

Scoop: A new conservative media company — Jonah Goldberg is leaving National Review in the coming months to start a new conservative media company with Steve Hayes, who was editor-in-chief of The Weekly Standard when its owner shut it down in December. — Details: Goldberg and Hayes tell …

Discussion: Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:

GOP nightmare as Alabama's Roy Moore signals he might run again — Roy Moore, a conservative lightening rod who cost the Republican party a Senate seat in deep-red Alabama, is signaling fresh interest in mounting another campaign in 2020, sparking alarm on the right that Democratic Sen. Doug Jones …

Gromer Jeffers Jr / Dallas Morning News:

Sources: Beto O'Rourke won't challenge John Cornyn for Senate, paving way for presidential bid — Beto O'Rourke has decided not to run for Senate next year against Republican incumbent John Cornyn and likely will announce a campaign for president soon, confidants close to the former El Paso congressman told …

Discussion: The Texas Tribune, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Outside the Beltway, Politico, CNN, The Root, FOX31 Denver, New York Times, POLITICUSUSA, Splinter, Breitbart, Axios, CNBC, Joe.My.God., Talking Points Memo and The Week

Wall Street Journal:

Cohen in the Colosseum — The legal fixer unloads on his former boss, with little new information.

Sarah Ferris / Politico:

House Democrats weigh rules change after GOP floor victory — Democratic leaders are considering changing House rules to make it harder for Republicans to spring surprise procedural votes on the majority after several embarrassing incidents on the floor in recent weeks.

Discussion: Political Wire