News Reporter: The Daily 202: The GOP's invisible agenda

The GOP's invisible agenda

BY JAMES HOHMANN

with Breanne Deppisch

Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff speaks to volunteers and supporters at a campaign office as he runs for Georgia's 6th Congressional District on April 18, 2017. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

THE BIG IDEA is by David Weigel today as James is on vacation until next Monday. Enjoy!

There are just 20 days left in Georgia's snail-paced special election* for Congress, with Democrat Jon Ossoff still seen as a slight favorite over Republican Karen Handel. Infamously, there is so much ad money sloshing around north Atlanta's suburbs that a news station has expanded its broadcast in order to make more money.

Those ads tell a story that started in Kansas and continued in Montana. Republicans, in full command of Washington, are not running on their agenda. They've funded a series of scorching negative campaigns, from mailboxes to airwaves, banking on reminding Republicans why they should turn out less than converting anyone else into a new voter.

Georgia's examples are the freshest. In "Service," the congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with Speaker of the House Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), takes the umpteenth piñata swing at Ossoff over his claim to have worked with a national-security clearance in Congress. (He did, albeit for five months.)

In a Tuesday message to reporters, the National Republican congressional Campaign Committee sent around a CNN clip to insist that "Jon Ossoff has given up on the notion that he was a sophisticated national security staffer with 'top secret clearance.'"

The point, which at this time is difficult to miss, is that the 30-year old Ossoff oversold his credentials. Submerged below that argument, however: Republicans in the first races of 2016 are either not able or not eager to run on their Washington record. The low popularity of the president and his party, unusual this early in an administration, has led to incredibly tribal, negative campaigns that trade in efforts to sack the other party instead of engaging in the trickier sales job for the president's party.

It's not always like this. In 2009, during a comparable political moment at the start of a new presidency, two special elections were held to fill seats in New York – one that was held by a Democrat, one by a Republican. Nobody talks about the victories of Scott Murphy and Bill Owens anymore, but both ran blandly positive campaigns, not relying much on their party label, to promise that they could go to Washington and cut deals for job creation.

On The Road

Eight years later, the economy's in better shape – and yet the messaging in the specials so far is not about success, but about the threat posed by Democrats. The latest spot from Handel is an attack on Ossoff for backing the Iran nuclear deal, something that it is not within the power of a House member to obstruct.

"Safer"

An ad released the same day, "Caught," whacks Ossoff on – yes – his security clearance claims.

"Caught"

There are positive spots about Handel, who represented part of the district in county government. And there are negative spots from Ossoff and his allies, which hit Handel on that record, attacking the same Handel county spending record that the Club for Growth hit her on during previous Republican primaries.

But it's fair to say that the messaging in the district has largely skewed negative, ever since Ossoff's early ad blitz assured him a runoff slot. One piece of mail sent by Georgia Republicans to their voters in April's primary was simple: an image of a weeping man (bearded and young, seemingly distraught at having run out of avocados for toast) and the slogan "Make a Liberal Cry." Another fronted images of Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton with a slogan: "They're still looking for a win. Will you give them one?"

Montana's May 25 election hit some of the same notes. Two closing ads, seen constantly in the final days, demonstrated just how much the details of the GOP's American Health Care Act and the GOP's legislative agenda were allowed into the frame. One, paid for by the eventual victor Greg Gianforte, appealed explicitly to Republicans to come out and vote. The other played a clip of Gianforte promising not to back a health-care bill that adversely affected rural hospitals or preexisting conditions.

The point? At no point did Gianforte say he could support the AHCA. He promised generally to "drain the swamp" and oppose paychecks for members if they did not support balanced budgets. The actual, day-to-day Republican agenda was largely absent from the race, as Gianforte worked on the margins and super PACs julienned the Democratic nominee over his personal finances.

Montana gave a 20-point landslide to Donald Trump; Georgia's sixth gave Trump a 2-point win. In Georgia, Handel has similarly worked to describe an ideal health-care bill that is not the one Republicans would count on her to support.

"The fact is the bill that passed the Congress in the House a week before last [had] that provision making sure that no one can be denied insurance because of preexisting conditions was maintained," Handel insisted to one TV interviewer. "It is a fact that the bill has other protections for individuals with preexisting conditions, dollars for high risk pools... dollars for the safety net program."

That's quite the rosy description of the bill, though no one got harmed in the act of making it. It's just telling that no similar pitch is being made on TV – there, where time costs money, the message is about Ossoff.

None of this should come as a surprise. When parties can see storm clouds rising, they often – and frequently successfully – sack credible opponents before they can grow a following and challenge them. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, as in 2010, it fails as voters grow willing to oust their members of Congress over rage at their polices.

It is notable how much rage, and how many base appeals, define the campaigns of early 2017. As Alex Roarty and Katie Glueck report, a lesson some Republicans took from 2016 was that pummeling an opponent early set in "narratives" that could define them for years. It's just hard to think of a party that won absolute power in Washington and made a negative argument against losing it before any positive argument about keeping it.

*Countries that will have conducted elections in between Georgia's primary and runoff: France, Iran, the United Kingdom.

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Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt wants the U.S. to exit the Paris climate deal. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING:

--Several media outlets -- including Axios and Politico -- say that President Trump has decided to pull our of the Paris climate accord, the 195-nation pact to limit climate emissions. But the New York Times and CNN say not so fast -- Trump has yet to make his decision and will meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a player in the debate whose former company ExxonMobil wants to stay in the deal, at 1:45p.m. today. Maybe we'll know more after that. Trump teased this morning after the news broke that his decision hasn't been made just yet:

There has been intense lobbying on both sides of the issue -- with Pruitt wanting out; and Tillerson and ExxonMobil along with first daughter Ivanka wanting in. Some thought the leaks this morning were aimed at convincing Trump to leave the deal before he makes a final decision. From the Times's Michael D. Shear and Coral Davenport: "A senior White House official cautioned that the specific language of the president's expected announcement was still in flux Wednesday morning. The official said the withdrawal might be accompanied by legal caveats that will shape the impact of Mr. Trump's decision. And Mr. Trump has proved himself willing to shift direction up until the moment of a public announcement. "

And in case you haven't, now is a great time to sign up for Dino Grandoni's The Energy 202, which today breaks down the Paris rumbling in detail and will continue to do so as the news develops.

-- A massive suicide car bomb tore through the diplomatic quarter of Kabul on Wednesday, killing 80 and leaving more than 300 others injured. CNN's Ehsan Popalzai and Faith Karimi report: The explosion occurred close to a highly secure diplomatic area during rush hour, and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the attack was in the "immediate vicinity" of its embassy in Kabul. "The attack was aimed at civilians and those who are in Afghanistan to work with the people there for a better future of the country," Gabriel said. "In the attack, officials of the German embassy were also injured." The Afghan presidential palace and the Indian Embassy are nearby but appear to be unharmed. A spokesman for the U.S. embassy said it does not appear to have been targeted.

The Wall Street Journal's Afghanistan reporter Jessica Donati said the vehicle detonated close to an entrance to the green zone – a heavily-fortified area that houses Western embassies, government institutions and other high-ranking officials. The explosion injured one person in the newsroom, she said, and shattered a wall of windows.

The Pentagon on Tuesday cheered a successful, first-ever missile defense test involving a simulated attack by an intercontinental ballistic missile in a major milestone for a program meant to defend against a mounting North Korean threat.

GET SMART FAST:

The U.S. military obliterated a mock intercontinental ballistic missile thousands of miles over the Pacific for the first time on Tuesday, U.S. defense officials confirmed, advancing on a missile-defense program that has taken on new significance amid escalating tensions with North Korea. (Dan Lamothe)
A Cleveland police officer was fired after the death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy carrying an airsoft gun who was killed when his toy was mistaken for a weapon. But Timoty Loehmann was not ousted for shooting Rice but instead for withholding information about his previous employment history before he was hired by the department. (Lindsey Bever)
The Supreme Court agreed to review Ohio's method of "purging" voters from state registration rolls, weighing whether to reinstate a law that regularly removes those who do not participate in elections. (Robert Barnes)
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a transgender high-school student in Wisconsin can use the bathroom that corresponds to his gender identity, dismissing an argument that cited student privacy as "sheer conjecture and abstraction." (Emma Brown)
Jeb Bush has dropped his pursuit of purchasing the Miami Marlins – walking away from a reported partnership to purchase the team with former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter. "Gov. Bush has great respect for Derek Jeter, and Derek remains a great friend," a source said. It's unclear why Bush backed out, but early reports indicate Jeter could still move forward with the bid. (Marissa Payne)
Scott Pelley has been pushed out at "CBS Evening News." The 59-year-old is said to be shifting to a permanent role on "60 Minutes," a show on which he was reportedly out working as the network began clearing out his office. His replacement has not been named. (Page Six)
A group of influential Democrats are pushing an unlikely candidate in Ohio's gubernatorial race – Jerry Springer. The famed talk-show host and former Cincinnati mayor has been in talks with former governor Ted Strickland (D), and Democrats who have recently spoken to Springer say he has expressed more openness to the idea. (Business Insider)
A longtime British zookeeper was mauled to death by a tiger Monday in a "freak accident" after she was trapped alone in the big cat exhibit and her co-workers– unable to provide rescue – desperately dangled meat over the fence in hopes of distracting the animal. (Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Karin Brulliard)
A 16-foot, 3,500-pound great white shark known as Mary Lee was tracked near the coasts of Delaware and New Jersey on Sunday – circling the waters just two miles from the shore of a popular beach destination. Experts say the massive shark has also been spotted recently swimming near Virginia and Maryland – but luckily, a GPS tracker helps keep wildlife officials up to speed on her whereabouts. (Did we mention you can also follow her on Twitter?) (Dana Hedgpeth)

President Donald Trump talks with House Speaker Paul Ryan in the Rose Garden after the House pushed through a health-care bill. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

THE HONEYMOON IS OVER:

-- Trump's window to score early legislative victories is sinking as Congress's summer recess nears -- giving the president just two months to revive his health-care and tax efforts before lawmakers depart Capitol Hill for a long break. Damian Paletta and Mike DeBonis report: "White House officials said Tuesday that Trump has become increasingly incensed that legislation is bogging down in the Senate, something they blame on Democrats. Trump wrote on Twitter that the Senate should change its long-standing rules and 'switch to 51' votes to pass health-care changes and to vote on a tax bill instead of working to get 60 votes to end a potential filibuster. But the Senate is already trying to pass health-care and tax changes with just 51 votes, something it is unable to do because of splits within the GOP. Congress also faces an increasing number of legislative distractions that could further imperil Trump's agenda. There is a big divide among Republicans over whether they can vote to pass a budget resolution in the coming months …

Each of these efforts has stalled either in the White House or the [GOP-led] Congress, but Trump has pinned much of the blame on Senate Democrats. But critics from both parties have said the lack of progress is a reflection in part of Trump's inability to marshal votes or persuade lawmakers to follow his lead. Trump 'is the least policy-aware, policy-knowledgeable, policy-driven president that I can remember, maybe that we've ever had,' said David Boaz, executive vice president of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. "Most of the Republicans do have some kind of coherent framework through which they see things."

--Also slowing progress: The House's health-care bill, which remains deeply unpopular among voters. A fresh Kaiser Health Tracking Poll found that a 55 percent majority said they view the GOP effort negatively -- the same proportion who want the Senate to make major changes to the legislation or reject it. Just eight percent of voters want the legislation approved in its current form. Support for the Affordable Care Act, meanwhile, has jumped to its highest ratings yet. (Laurie McGinley and Scott Clement)

-- The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that an expansion of the laptop ban to some U.S.-bound European flights is still "on the table," breaking with earlier reports that said the agency had decided not to move forward with the plan. Lori Aratani reports: "The announcement followed a conference call on aviation security between [John Kelly] and his European counterparts, European Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc. According to a summary [of their discussion], the officials discussed the need to 'raise the bar' for aviation security globally and agreed that they would continue to work together, keeping clear lines of communication on how to deal with evolving threats to commercial aviation operations around the globe. "While a much-discussed expansion of the ban on large electronic devices in the cabin on flights to the United States was not announced today, the secretary made it clear that an expansion is still on the table," spokesman David Lapan said in an email."

-- Congressional Democrats on Tuesday vowed to fight a Trump administration draft rule that would allow religious employers to stop covering birth control in employer health plans, with Nancy Pelosi slamming it as a "sickening" plan that would deny millions of women access to "basic, preventative health care." Ariana Eunjung Cha reports: "The draft rule announced today attempts to tear away women's control over their own private health decisions and put that control in the hands of employers and politicians," she said in a statement. Pelosi said the draft rule is part of a larger 'campaign against women' and referred to another Trump executive order that blocks $8.8 billion of U.S. aid to groups abroad that counsel or provide referrals about abortion."

-- Meanwhile, Capitol Hill Republicans scored a quiet victory of their own, moving to dismantle federal internet privacy laws. Kimberly Kindy reports: "Congressional Republicans knew their plan was potentially explosive. They wanted to kill landmark privacy regulations that would soon ban Internet providers … from storing and selling customers' browsing histories without their express consent. So after weeks of closed-door debates on Capitol Hill over who would take up the issue first — the House or the Senate — Republican members settled on a secret strategy[:] While the nation was distracted by the House's pending vote to repeal Obamacare, Senate Republicans would schedule a vote to wipe out the new privacy protections. On March 23, the measure passed on a straight party-line vote, 50 to 48. Five days later, a majority of House Republicans voted in favor of it, sending it to the White House, where [Trump signed the bill] without ceremony or public comment."

"Trump and the Republicans are doing so many different things on parallel tracks, the news media and activists can't follow it all," said Trump adviser and former House speaker Newt Gingrich. "This is by design."

Want to read more about Trump's agenda and how -- or whether -- it's affecting financial markets? We've got a new newsletter anchored by Tory Newmyer called The Finance 202, debuting Tuesday. It will have the smartest and most engaging reporting on Trump and the financial sector, so sign up here.

See Sean Spicer praise Trump. Again and again:

Spicer praises Trump, again and again

INSIDE TRUMP'S SPIN ROOM:

-- Sean Spicer lauded Trump's diplomacy in sweeping, effusive terms during a press briefing Tuesday -- prompting comparisons to state-run media outlets as he launched into an epic and nearly unrecognizable retelling of Trump's first visit. "To most observers, [the trip] was either a moderate success that was at times overshadowed by viral GIFs or a disaster that damaged the United States' relationships with longtime European allies," Jenna Johnson writes. "But as Trump and his aides tell it, this was the most successful, most historic, most well-received foreign trip ever embarked on by a U.S. president. 'It truly was an extraordinary week for America and our people,' [Sean Spicer] said Tuesday, [kicking] off a gushing recap to reporters that lasted roughly nine minutes and featured the word 'historic' a half-dozen times. Spicer channeled his boss as he declared that Trump's speech to leaders of more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations 'was a historic turning point that people will be talking about for years to come' and 'was met with nearly universal praise.' He claimed that the president single-handedly 'united the civilized world in the fight against terrorism and extremism' and that his [G7 Summit meetings] 'were marked by outstanding success.'" The stunning exchange prompted comparisons to North Korean propaganda – longtime GOP consultant Mike Murphy called it "Great Leader-esque" – and left many others baffled, noting that such obviously-false claims ruin their own credibility.

BUT, BUT BUT: This phenomenon is not just limited to Spicer. Over the weekend, Gary Cohn — the former second-in-command at Goldman Sachs — declared Trump's economic development deal with Saudi Arabia to be "unlike anything he had seen" during his three decades of business. And Hope Hicks issued a full-throated defense of her boss after reports suggested he was "demeaning" towards White House staffers. "President Trump has a magnetic personality and exudes positive energy, which is infectious to those around him," said Hicks, who is 28. He has an unparalleled ability to communicate with people …He is brilliant with a great sense of humor."

-- In case you missed it, here's how Spicer responded to some of the nation's most pressing issues:

On the search for a new FBI director, Spicer said: "The president is the ultimate decision-maker. When he makes a decision as to who he believes is best to lead the FBI, he will let us know."
On Angela Merkel's remarks suggesting strained tensions between the U.S. and Germany: "I think the relationship that the president has had with Merkel, he would describe as fairly unbelievable. They get along very well."
On whether Trump has been meeting with lawyers to discuss the Russia investigation: "The president has a lot of meetings. If the president has a decision on anything, we'll be sure to let you know."
On Trump's stance on climate change: "I can't say. I haven't asked him. I can get back to you. I don't know. I honestly haven't asked him that specific question."

-- "What Spicer's briefing on Tuesday reinforced is that he is really only playing to an audience of one at this point," Chris Cillizza writes. "Unlike past press secretaries -- in Democratic and Republican administrations -- Spicer isn't trying to walk the tight rope between keeping up credibility and trust with the reporters who cover the White House and making sure he keeps his boss happy. He is only now working to make his boss happy -- facts be damned. That may be good for Spicer's longevity in the job. But, Spicer's approach further complicates efforts by the mainstream media to strip away spin and opinion down to just the facts. And those struggles lead to a misinformed (or uninformed) public -- which is a bad thing for all of us."

See Spicer spar with reporters over "fake news:"

Spicer spars with reporters over 'fake news'

And call the United States relationship with Germany "fairly unbelievable:"

White House says Trump and Merkel's relationship is 'fairly unbelievable'

HOME ALONE:

-- Back from overseas and confronting an unforgiving political environment, [Trump] appears increasingly isolated inside the White House, according to advisers, venting frustration over the performance of his staff and openly talking about shaking it up. The New York Times' Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman report: "But as he considers casting off old aides, Mr. Trump is finding it challenging to recruit new ones. The disclosures from investigations stemming from Russian meddling in last year's election — coupled with the president's habit of undercutting his staff — have driven away candidates for West Wing jobs that normally would be among the most coveted in American politics . Talks with former Trump campaign aides Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie have also grown increasingly complicated: On Tuesday Bossie signaled that he does not plan to join the staff, citing family concerns.

"The president, aides said, has not ruled out the possibility that his son-in-law and daughter Ivanka Trump … would return to New York this year, though White House officials said there were no plans for them to do so. Mr. Trump has been more open in discussing the possible departure of Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff. The president has joked repeatedly with Mr. Priebus, whose mother is of Greek descent, that he would send him to Athens as ambassador to Greece. [But] even if he ousted Mr. Priebus … finding a replacement might be no easier than it has been for other positions. Mr. Trump has asked associates about Gary D. Cohn, his national economics adviser, and David Urban, who was an aide to Senator Arlen Specter.

-- "He returns to Washington just as he left it … lonely, angry and not happy with much of anyone," CNN's Gloria Borger writes. "The presidency, [Trump] is discovering, is not an easy or natural fit. 'He now lives within himself, which is a dangerous place for [Trump] to be,' says someone who speaks with the President. 'I see him emotionally withdrawing. He's gained weight. He doesn't have anybody whom he trusts.' The question, he adds, is whether Trump will understand the enormity of what he faces …

Back in D.C. once again, Trump must now face the ongoing Russia investigation, lead his party in an uphill battle to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and, critically, nominate a new FBI director – a role he suggested two weeks ago that he could have filled in a matter of days. "[Trump] had warmed to the idea of former Sen. Joe Lieberman for the post, but Congress didn't. So as he was leaving for his first foreign trip he told friends Lieberman was out. In the wake of the Lieberman debacle, one source with knowledge says [Trump] even made New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, with whom he still chats, an offhand, polite, non-offer for the top FBI job, saying something like so-you-don't-want-it-right? Christie reportedly demurred, listing the reasons why it wouldn't work …"

-- Trump interviewed two more prospective candidates for FBI director Tuesday, extending his search after several contenders removed their names from consideration. Matt Zapotosky reports: "[Sean Spicer] said Trump interviewed John S. Pistole, an FBI veteran and former [TSA] director who is now the president of Anderson University, and Christopher A. Wray, the former head of the Justice Department's criminal division who now works in private practice at the King & Spalding law firm. Spicer would not say whether the two men were the only ones now under consideration, or if they were considered finalists."

-- But as Trump broadens his scope in the search, there appears to be a serious lack of applicants for one top-level White House gig – Trump's communications director after Mike Dubke's departure. Buzzfeed News reporters spoke with 20 Republican communicators and operatives, many of whom have worked on Capitol Hill and in presidential campaigns. Nearly all of them said they were not willing to replace Dubke. "[Heck] no," said one Republican — echoing one of the most common responses. "That would be career suicide." "That's like asking someone who just witnessed a horrific bungee jumping accident whether they would like to go next," quipped another.

One operative, whose spouse works in the Trump administration, dissolved into laughter when asked if they would want the role: "'Sorry, I'm sorry,' the source said between stifled laughter. 'Oh, you're being serious? Oh my god, I'm crying of laughter, why would anyone in their right mind want to be his communications director?'"

And many cued the "Call me maybe jokes:"

-- Trump has been handing out his cellphone number to world leaders and urging them to call him directly – a highly-unusual invitation that breaks diplomatic protocol and is raising concerns about the security and secrecy of his communications. The AP's Vivian Salama reports: Trump has urged leaders of Canada and Mexico to reach him on his cellphone, according to former and current U.S. officials ..." Of the two, however, only Justin Trudeau has taken advantage of the offer so far. The notion of world leaders calling each other up via cellphone may seem unremarkable in the modern, mobile world. But in the diplomatic arena, where leader-to-leader calls are highly orchestrated affairs, it is another notable breach of protocol for a president who has expressed distrust of official channels.

Presidents generally place calls on one of several secure phone lines, including those in the White House Situation Room, the Oval Office or the presidential limousine. Even if Trump uses his government-issued cellphone, his calls are vulnerable to eavesdropping, particularly from foreign governments, national security experts say. 'If you are speaking on an open line, then it's an open line, meaning those who have the ability to monitor those conversations are doing so,' said Derek Chollet, a former Pentagon adviser and National Security Council …"

And this may have been the best thing we've found on the Internet recently. Trump is featured in this "Call me maybe" riff by Miss USA contestants in 2012. Yes, this happened:

"Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen ft. Katherine Webb, Donald Trump, Andy Cohen

ANXIOUS REPUBLICANS KEEP AN EYE ON 2020:

-- McClatchy DC, "GOP taps anti-Clinton strategy to damage Elizabeth Warren early," by Alex Roarty and Katie Glueck: "Republicans are getting a jump on Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign. The Massachusetts Democrat is preparing to run for re-election to the Senate in 2018 and hasn't said yet whether she'll challenge [Trump] … But in-state and national Republican officials have decided to target the liberal icon anyway, saying they will try to inflict enough damage during the Senate race to harm any future presidential effort — and perhaps dissuade her from running altogether. Already, one national Republican group has begun a comprehensive effort to track Warren's every public appearance and add to a dossier of unflattering research on her. Other GOP officials predict that even in deep-blue Massachusetts, the senator's opponents could raise gobs of money from conservatives nationwide and even benefit from the attention of Trump. The goal is more about weakening Warren than defeating her: Republicans doubt that any of their party's likely candidates could topple her next year. But even with the next presidential election more than three years away, they say exposing her weaknesses now — or making sure her race is closer than expected — could do lasting damage …"

A Mexican soldier throws opium poppies onto a fire during an eradication operation in Iyotla. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Today's must-read WAPO HIGHLIGHT on the Mexican towns feeding America's heroin habit:

"In Mexico, the painful price of America's hunger for heroin," by Joshua Partlow and Michael Robinson Chavez: "In this skittish town on Mexico's heroin highway, civilians with rusty shotguns shake down passing cars for contributions to the public defense. The police were disbanded years ago. The mayor recently got a death threat and fled in the governor's helicopter. But it's when Highway 51 drops down from the rolling hills … that danger really starts to poison people's lives. Drug bosses known as 'the Tequila Man' and 'the Fish' rule like feudal lords ... [and] residents get kidnapped in groups. Tortured corpses are discarded in the valley and left to sear on hot pavement.

The opioid epidemic that has caused so much pain in the United States is also savaging Mexico, contributing to a breakdown of order in rural areas. Heroin is like steroids for drug gangs, pumping money and muscle into their fight to control territory and transportation routes to the United States. [The town of] Guerrero has produced marijuana and poppies for decades. But organized crime used to be more organized … [Now], the booming heroin business has encouraged the rise of new gun-toting trafficking bands, which in turn has triggered the rise of citizen militias. And along this 110-mile stretch of Highway 51 ... the social breakdown is plain to see. "This is a land without law," said one businessman who works in the region.

--Meanwhile, Trump escalated his feud with Berlin Tuesday, even as Angela Merkel and Trump's own spokesman tried to defuse the conflict – which has sent tremors through Washington's core postwar alliances. Michael Birnbaum and Rick Noack report: "Before the presidential tweets began flying early Tuesday, [Merkel] reaffirmed the importance of Germany's ties to the United States. But she pointedly did not back down from earlier comments about Europe's need to rely on itself rather than its friends. The dispute started as Trump sped through meetings in Europe last week and appeared to leave a trail of bruises in his wake. And it was further inflamed Tuesday … when Trump fired a white-hot shot straight at Berlin's glass-and-concrete chancellery. 'We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change,' Trump [tweeted].

"[And] Merkel's meetings this week — first a chummy meeting with India's leader on Tuesday and then a sit-down with the Chinese prime minister on Wednesday — were bracing reminders of the trade ties being forged outside the United States as Washington moves toward a sharply more nationalist and protectionist agenda.  The bilateral strains mean that the United States has, to some extent, lost the trust of one of Europe's most pro-American leaders …"

SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ:

The prime ministers of Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Finland recreated Trump's infamous "glowing orb" photo with a soccer ball:

Yet that was hardly the weirdest thing on Twitter. Trump launched this mysterious tweet at 12:06a.m. Wednesday: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe." That's it. He later erased it and replaced it with the tweet below:

Needless to say, "covfefe" launched a million memes:

Fusion did a poll:

Mike Levin, who has announced plans to run against GOP California Rep. Darrell Issa in 2018, pounced on the image of Issa on a rooftop during a town hall meeting:

Issa later said that he was just snapping a photo of his own.

But that didn't stop the Internet from doing what the Internet does best:

People from across the political spectrum came forward Tuesday to denounce an image of Kathy Griffin holding a beheaded Trump. From Trump himself:

Although Griffin originally defended her participation in the photo shoot, she later issued an apology and said that she would ask the photographer to take down the "disturbing" picture.

The Newseum offered a reminder that the current divisiveness in American politics will always be remembered, at least in their exhibits.

But NASA is exploring a possible escape from the news cycle—albeit a radical one.

Newt Gingrich. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

GOOD READS FROM ELSEWHERE:

-- The Atlantic, "Speaker of the House of Trump," by McKay Coppins: "A few weeks after the 2016 election, Newt Gingrich appeared at the Heritage Foundation to deliver what had been billed as a speech on the 'Principles of Trumpism.' [But] someone listening Gingrich's speech in search of a definition could have been forgiven for assuming 'Trumpism' aimed primarily to protect cashiers' right to say 'Merry Christmas,' and to shame NFL players who don't stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. It was not, in other words a fully formed political ideology—at least not yet. 'Trumpism,' he said, 'is a bold and profoundly different way of thinking that needs codification and development through action.' And Gingrich has decided he's just the man to do it. Since Trump was elected, Gingrich has written two books … and has expanded his original Heritage speech into a six-part lecture series on the subject of Trumpism. And yet, identifying the substantive victories of Trumpism proved challenging …"

-- New York Magazine, "The Saturday Night Live Season That Almost Was," by Jesse David Fox: "SNL is somewhere near the bottom of the list of institutions that were greatly affected by the election of [Trump], but it is on the list. You don't need much more proof that the show expected Clinton to win than the fact that they had Baldwin playing Trump in the first place, a choice that, if long-term, would turn into a logistical nightmare. Trump winning, and quickly proving to be the president he promised to be, hijacked the show and the narrative of the season. SNL was poised to have a breakout year that defined this era and this cast, but instead, it got its most popular season in years and, for die-hard fans, one of its hardest to watch."

--The Atlantic, "How Conservatives Awoke to the Dangers of Sean Hannity," by Conor Friedersdorf: "Hannity's angry claims elide the fact that the progressives at Media Matters have sought the scalps of conservatives like him for more than a decade… What's different today are the growing number of people on the right doing what they've seldom if ever done before: taking Hannity and his ilk seriously enough to criticize them."

HOT ON THE LEFT

"Democratic poll: Party has a shot in sleepy South Carolina race," from David Weigel: "The Democrat running for Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney's vacant South Carolina House seat claims to be putting it into play… A poll from Anzalone Liszt Grove Research, completed on May 25 and obtained by The Post, has Democrat Archie Parnell down by 10 points to Ralph Norman, a state legislator making his second run at the rural and suburban seat. That's a six-point bump for Parnell since March."

HOT ON THE RIGHT

"Virginia Has Booted 5,556 Non-Citizens From Voter Rolls Since 2011, Report Says," from the Daily Caller: "The commonwealth of Virginia has booted 5,556 self-reported non-citizens off the voter rolls since 2011, the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) announced Monday…Based on information gathered from three lawsuits, multiple record requests and reviews of voter history files across 133 Virginia jurisdictions, the group says that 1,852 non-citizens cast 7,474 votes before being booted from the rolls."

NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.:

-- Finally a forecast of sun! (Though you just might want to pack that umbrella just in case.) The Capital Weather Gang forecasts: "We do finally get a break from the constant threat of rain tomorrow and Friday. But first, we may see some more showers and storms today as temperatures trend warmer. And then after a couple of nice days with low humidity, the pattern becomes more unsettled again this weekend."

VIDEOS OF THE DAY:

Congress asked Trump attorney Michael Cohen to turn over documents and testify: