memeorandum: G7 summit: Iran foreign minister makes surprise Biarritz appearance (Julian Borger/The Guardian)

12:10 PM ET, August 25, 2019

Top Items:

Trump expresses regret about escalating China trade war, then reverses course and says he wishes he raised tariffs higher — ● The White House said President Trump's earlier suggestion that he regretted escalating the trade war with China was “misinterpreted” and that what he regrets is not raising tariffs higher.

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, One America News Network, Associated Press, The Week and UPI

Washington Post:

Iran's Zarif makes surprise trip to G-7, catching Trump off-guard — BIARRITZ, France — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made a surprise visit to the city hosting the Group of Seven summit Sunday, a move that caught President Trump off-guard and added another element of tension to the meeting of world economic leaders.

Rebecca Falconer / Axios:

China trade war: White House clarifies Trump comments about “second thoughts” — White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham clarified remarks that President Trump made at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, in which he appeared to express regret about the United States' escalating trade war with China.

Discussion: Reuters, The Guardian and BizPac Review

Julian Borger / The Guardian:

G7 summit: Iran foreign minister makes surprise Biarritz appearance — Visit comes during summit at which policy on Iran has been one of most contentious issues — Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has made a surprise appearance in Biarritz in the middle of a G7 summit …

Bloomberg:

Macron Invites Iran's Zarif to G-7 Sidelines, Risks U.S. Outrage — Emmanuel Macron has thrown his G-7 guests a mid-summit curveball — inviting Iran's foreign minister for a surprise visit in a move that risks infuriating Donald Trump's administration. — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad …

Yasmeen Serhan / The Atlantic:
Boris Johnson's G7 Balancing Act

Discussion: BBC

Associated Press: High-stakes gamble: Iranian envoy gets surprise G-7 invite

Associated Press:
Trump signals some regret on China trade war

Discussion: Politico, Slate, Axios, The Week and New York Times

Associated Press:
The Latest: Trump expresses confidence on Brexit talks

Discussion: Meduza.io

Associated Press:
The Latest: G-7 leaders meeting on threats to global economy

Discussion: One America News Network

Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Trump Aides Slam French for Focusing on ‘Niche Issues’ at G7

Discussion: The Guardian and Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal: G-7 Summit Off to Rocky Start as U.S. Officials Assail France

Will Steakin / ABC News:

‘THIS WEEK’ EXCLUSIVE: Joe Walsh announces Republican primary challenge against Trump — Conservative firebrand former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh announced Sunday with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on ABC's “This Week” that he's launching a long-shot Republican presidential primary challenge against President Donald Trump.

Discussion: Politico, UPI, Rolling Stone, The Daily Caller, Political Wire, The Week, Associated Press, Mediaite, Breitbart and New York Post

Ronn Blitzer / Fox News:

Joe Walsh announces Trump primary challenge: 'I'm in' — Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh announced Sunday morning that he is running for president as a Republican, challenging President Trump in the GOP primary race. — “Friends, I'm in. We can't take four more years of Donald Trump.

Axios:
Republican Joe Walsh announces he will primary Trump in 2020

Discussion: Chicago Sun-Times, CBS Chicago and Mediaite

Washington Post: Former congressman Joe Walsh announces primary challenge against Trump

CNN:

Under Trump, the deficit has ballooned, exploding a GOP myth — Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, and author, with Kevin Kruse, of the new book “Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974.” Follow him on Twitter at @julianzelizer.

Teresa Ghilarducci / Forbes:

Trump's Second-Term Plan For Social Security: Starve The Beast — I am an economics professor focusing on retirement security and jobs. — “> In using deficit fears to target entitlement programs, many Republicans are hoping to use Trump's second term to cut Medicare and Social Security.

Lachlan Markay / The Daily Beast:

Steve King Is Broke And Has Been Abandoned by His Colleagues as He Runs for Re-Election — It turns out that there are some actual political consequences for a congressman sounding off repeatedly about white supremacy and abortion. — As he gears up for a difficult re-election cycle, Rep. Steve King's campaign is strapped for cash.

Carrie Dann / NBC News:

‘A deep and boiling anger’: NBC/WSJ poll finds a pessimistic America despite current economic satisfaction — A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that 70 percent of Americans say they're angry at the political establishment — WASHINGTON — The political and cultural upheaval …

Discussion: CBS News and Political Wire

Jon Levine / New York Post:

Former Kirsten Gillibrand staffers want senator to quit presidential campaign — It's time for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's sputtering presidential campaign to call it quits, a friend of hers and two former aides told The Post. — “It would be best if she decided that this was not her time …

Discussion: Breitbart and BizPac Review

Julio Rosas / Washington Examiner:

Duke psychiatrist: Trump ‘may be responsible for many more million deaths’ than Hitler, Stalin, and Mao — The former chairman of the Psychiatry Department at Duke University claimed on CNN that President Trump is as bad as the worst dictators of the 20th century, and that his presidency might lead to even more deaths than they did.

Mary Papenfuss / HuffPost:

Anthony Scaramucci Turns Up At Hamptons Charity Event Featuring ... Joe Biden — Biden trumpets fight for “soul of the nation.” The Mooch says he's still a Republican, and searching for a GOP candidate to challenge Trump, who has “lost his mind.” — President Donald Trump's former long …