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Donald Trump has offered no proof to his claims that former President Obama wiretapped his phones during the campaign. This prompted FBI Director James Comey to ask the DOJ to publicly rebuke what he called a false assertion. Meanwhile, Trump is expected to sign a revised version of his executive order that restricted travel from seven Muslim-majority nations today. Domestic hate crimes continue to rise. Global threats certainly warrant the executive branch’s attention as North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan over the weekend. Millions of undocumented immigrants await policy as their lives and livelihood hang in the balance. A replacement for the ACA faces numerous obstacles. Policies that greatly, and disproportionately, impact communities of color continue to advance on Capitol Hill. And the investigation into Trump's ties to Russia continue. But let’s first address the president’s very serious accusations against President Obama that he launched via Twitter...
Obama Spokesman Says No Truth to the Red Herring
Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis says Trump’s claims that POTUS 44 wiretapped him are false. “A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice. As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.” More here.
Obama Visits National Gallery of Art
Meanwhile, POTUS 44 goes about his business. While pundits populated cable news, Barack and Michelle Obama visited the National Gallery of Art yesterday. A crowd could be seen watching as the former president left the Smithsonian property. There was also a round of applause and cheers for the former president. More here.
Congressman Lieu Warns Trump
Although Trump provided no information that he may have been monitored, Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) stated that the president might want to lawyer up. “Mr. President: If there was a wiretap at Trump Tower, that means a fed judge found probable cause of crime which means you are in deep shit,” Lieu wrote. “Either @realDonaldTrump is paranoid like Nixon, or judge found probable cause of crime for #wiretap. Either way our President is in trouble,” he continued. More here.
CHC Requests Immediate Meeting with ICE
CHC Chair Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) joined other members of the CHC in sending a letter asking for an immediate meeting with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan. CHC members want to discuss the implementation of Trump's executive orders on immigration enforcement and reports that those orders have led to significant and troubling changes at the U.S.-Mexico border, in border communities and at ports of entry, specifically airports. See text of the letter here.
Mexico Opens Migrant Defense Centers at U.S. Consulates
The Mexican government has opened legal assistance centers at its 50 consulates in the U.S., amid fears of a crackdown on undocumented immigrants by the Trump administration. Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray exhorted the U.S. government to respect the rights of Mexicans and called for the United States to allow a path to legalization for undocumented migrants. More here.
Indians Urge Travel Warning Against U.S.
After three high-profile attacks on Indians in the United States in 10 days — two of them being investigated as possible hate crimes — concerns about travel to the country and the safety of relatives there are rising in India. On social media on Sunday, some Indians urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to issue a travel warning against the U.S. More here.
FCC Chair to End Obama Era Net Neutrality Rules
New FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will clue in lawmakers about his plans to end net neutrality rules, wrapping up the broadcast spectrum auction and rewriting media ownership rules when he and fellow FCC members appear before the Senate Commerce Committee as well as the communications subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, March 8. But first, he meets with the president today at the WH. More here.
New Staff at the Obama Foundation
Barack Obama has named Yohannes Abraham as a senior adviser to the Obama Foundation. He’s coming on for what’s expected to be a six-month stint as the top deputy to foundation Chief Executive Officer David Simas, Obama’s former White House political director. Yohannes previously served as the CoS for the Office of Public Engagement where he reported directly to Valerie Jarrett. More here.
FLOTUS 44 Surprises High School Students
Former First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise visit Tuesday to Ballou High School in DC to speak with 14 students for two hours. Upon arriving, she hugged each of them before taking her seat in the circle. “Mrs. Obama had an emotional and heartfelt discussion with the students," Caroline Adler Morales, a spokeswoman for the former first lady, wrote in an email. “There were tears, laughs and lots of hugs.” More here.
Bloody Sunday
Thousands of people in Alabama crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma into Montgomery on Sunday to recreate a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement on its 52nd anniversary. On March 7, 1965, images of police beating and throwing tear gas at 600 marchers flashed across television screens nationwide, capturing what is now known as "Bloody Sunday." More here.
Danny Glover Joins Sanders and NAACP in March on MS
Activist and actor Danny Glover joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson, Nissan workers and others in the March on Mississippi. They marched about two miles from the Canton Sportsplex to a Nissan vehicle assembly plant to demand that the automaker halt its alleged intimidation tactics discouraging workers from voting to join the United Automobile Workers union. More here.
CHC Members Hosts Forum in Vegas
On Saturday, Congressman Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) hosted a forum on Trump’s recent immigration executive orders, congressional actions, and the resources available to them. He was joined by colleagues Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Darren Soto (D-FL), Vicente González (D-TX), Ben Ray Luján (D-AZ), Filemón Vela (D-TX), Mark Takano (D-CA), and Salud Carbajal (D-CA).
Trump Seeks to Remake Immigration Policy
Trump and his top aides seek to more broadly remake U.S. immigration policy to match a nationalist ideology that views large numbers of foreigners as harmful to U.S. society. To Trump, the goal is to protect American workers by slashing immigration levels and limiting competitors he views as taking jobs and suppressing wages. To his opponents, the president is pursuing restrictionist policies that could harm an economy that relies on robust immigration for growth. More here.
NAACP’s Brooks Meets with Sessions
On Friday, NAACP’s Cornell William Brooks met privately with AG Jeff Sessions for 35 minutes at his DC office for what Mr. Brooks described as a polite but candid conversation about voter suppression, police misconduct, and civil rights. The meeting, arranged at the invitation of Mr. Sessions, did not change any minds but was a chance to impress on the attorney general how the civil rights group sees its mission. “The weight of history is on his shoulders and the Department of Justice,” Brooks said. More on the meeting here.
Women Covering the WH Strike A Pose
Vogue Magazine profiles some of the women covering the Trump administration, including AURN’s April Ryan, NBC News’ Kristen Welker, Univisión’s Janet Rodríguez, and others. Click here to see the full profile. More here.
Diversity Veteran to Lead Newsroom Training
Keith Woods, vice president of diversity in news and operations at NPR, will add newsroom training to his portfolio, the network announced. Woods’ title will be vice president for newsroom training and diversity, though “he will remain a part of [President and CEO] Jarl Mohn’s executive team to ensure that diversity continues to be a central part of our organizational culture.” More here.
Two Staffers Leave Voto Latino
María Urbina leaves Voto Latino to become a strategic advisor to the newly formed immigrant rights war-room, a project of Emerson Collective and America's Voice. María Samaniego is also leaving Voto Latino to join The Aspen Institute's Latino & Society program.
Blue Lives Matter
Since the beginning of the year, lawmakers in 14 states have introduced at least 32 bills proposing that members of law enforcement be included in hate crime protections -- like those received by people of color, religious minorities and members of the LGBTQ community -- according to an analysis of state legislatures. More here.
Trump Supporter Passes on Running for Office
Speaking of Blue Lives Matter, remember Trump supporter and Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke? Well, he is passing on a challenge to Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin in 2018. "I have no interest in running for elected office other than being sheriff," Clarke, who runs as a Democrat, writes in the book, "Cop Under Fire.” More here.
Why Does Everybody Seem to Hate Omarosa Manigault?
It’s a question heard frequently. MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid attempts to get some answers in this piece that she penned for The Daily Beast. She writes, “The Black Republicans who spoke to The Daily Beast made no attempt to hide their disdain for Omarosa, whose ascent has confounded political insiders who still see her as a product of crass reality TV -- not unlike the way many of them view her boss.” Read the entire piece here.
Artist Enters Detroit Mayoral Race
It is no doubt the era of the political outsider. Last month, artist, curator, and community organizer Ingrid LaFleur made the exciting announcement that she would throw her hat in the ring for the upcoming Detroit mayoral race. She said she was nearing the 500 petition signatures needed to get her name added to the ballot to challenge Mayor Mike Duggan -- who has served the first white mayor of the majority-black city since 1973 -- who has announced he will run again. More here.
FBI Arrest Man for Threatening Rep. John Lewis
The FBI and Capitol Police arrested a man accused of threatening Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) and his staff. Dante Antoine Rosser made the threats after “demanding that Congressman Lewis and his staff seek financial reparations on his and his family’s behalf.” Rosser is accused of calling Lewis’ office 46 times between Feb. 22nd and 23rd, allegedly telling a staffer at one point “I will blow your head off. You’re dead.” More here.
Richmond Apologizes for Conway Joke
Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA) apologized for a joke he made at a media dinner about WH advisor Kellyanne Conway, who stirred controversy when a picture showed her kneeling on a sofa in the Oval Office as she took a picture of a group gathered there. He said in a statement, “I have consistently been a champion for women and women’s issues, and because of that the last thing I would want to ever do is utter words that would hurt or demean them. I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive.” More here.
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Videos of the Day
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| The CHC released its “Voices of the CHC” video message featuring Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY).
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| Former AG Loretta Lynch speaks with HBO's VICE on why trans rights are civil rights.
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| Cornell Belcher and Danielle Pletka talk about James Clapper, Trump, and all things Russia with NBC’s Jordan Frasier in the MTP Post Game.
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| SNL presents the story of the Republican who stood up to Donald Trump.
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| Global Policy Solutions' Maya Rockeymoore offers her take on AG Jeff Sessions.
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| On Friday, Chance The Rapper met with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to discuss a funding bill for Chicago’s public schools. Chance -- who previously expressed his frustrations with the state and city’s dismal education and housing budgets -- had a private thirty-minute meeting with Rauner at Chicago’s Thompson Center to help shift the governor’s decision. But to the rapper’s dismay, he was met with “vague answers” from the governor.
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| HBO's Vice News explores how Stephen Miller developed his views on race relations and rose to the highest levels of government.
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Pics of the Day
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Former President Barack Obama, accompanied by former First Lady Michelle Obama, waves as they leave the National Gallery of Art in Washington on Sunday. (AP Photo/José Luis Magaña)
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| Former Obama WH photographer Pete Souza posted this photo on Sunday with the caption reading, "Say what?"
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| On Saturday, NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker married John Hughes in Philadelphia. The official wedding hashtag was #itsgonnabehughes.
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| Thousands journeyed to AL and crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma into Montgomery on Sunday to recreate "Bloody Sunday."
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| CBCF's Tasha Cole and Janaye Ingram spotted in Alabama for the Bloody Sunday pilgrimage.
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| Rev. Jesse Jackson, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), and DNC Deputy Chair Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), in Alabama to commemorate Bloody Sunday.
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March 8th, 6P: A reception honoring "Top Latinos in Foreign Policy Under 40," at The Raben Group, 1341 G St. NW, Suite 500.
Friday, March 24th, 12P: The Congressional Staff Association Fair takes place in the Rayburn Foyer. The event is open to all current Senate and House staff.
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