Democrats Confident They Have Votes To Confirm Hagel

“President Donald Trump prodded congressional leaders to consider recess appointments for his top nominees and expressed interest in trading California wildfire aid for a debt limit increase in a White House meeting Tuesday — resurfacing two controversial proposals floated during the returning president’s transition,” Politico reports.

New York Times: “In an executive order he signed on Monday night, Mr. Trump made clear that he has every intention to seek out and possibly punish government officials in the Justice Department and America’s intelligence agencies as a way to ‘correct past misconduct’ against him and his supporters.” “This is what retribution could look like during the second Trump presidency: payback dressed up in the language of victimhood.” CNN: Trump touts political firings and retribution as he begins a government overhaul in his image.

“The bishop at President Donald Trump’s inaugural prayer service on Tuesday was imploring him to ‘have mercy’ on gay, lesbian and transgender children, as well as undocumented immigrants,” the New York Times reports. Said Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: “I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.

White House trade counselor Peter Navarro said President Trump “laid out an ambitious trade agenda Monday night that paves the way for tariffs on a number of fronts,” Politico reports. Said Navarro: “I think you could call it the blueprint and the foundation for the tariffs and trade policies that may or may not emerge over the next 100 days.

“President Trump is using the threat of imposing stiff tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico as soon as next week to pressure the two nations to start renegotiating a continental trade deal,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Trump is particularly focused on using the threat of tariffs to change automotive rules under the continental trade pact, forcing car plants to move from Canada and Mexico back to the U.

New York Times: “More than 150 police officers from the two agencies were injured during the assault on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob four years ago. Some were hit in the head with baseball bats, flagpoles and pipes. One lost consciousness after rioters used a metal barrier to push her down as they marched to the building.” “Now many of those officers described themselves as struggling and depressed in response to Mr.