Trump Injects Chaos Into Immigration Debate

What the DOJ inspector general report revealed about the Russia imbroglio [NPR Politics]( [In separate remarks to reporters at the White House on Friday, President Trump insisted he wanted to see Congress pass legislation that would end his administration's policy of separating migrant families at the border.]( Evan Vucci/AP --------------------------------------------------------------- The Big Picture: Trump's Gamble Immigration has been at the core of what’s defined the Trump brand. And almost nothing else fires up his base quite like it. So it wasn’t surprising that the president on Friday initially said he would not back a “moderate” immigration proposal floated in the House that was coming up for a vote next week. Hours later, the White House corrected that, [saying the president “just misunderstood”]( a query during an impromptu interview. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has been trying to find a compromise that helps the small group of moderate GOP members whose voters support an immigration compromise. This is the gamble Trump is making: His instincts are to hew closely to his base. He has done little to try to win over voters in the middle. The key to control in Congress, however, is coalition-building. To keep enough Republicans together, many of the moderates facing tough re-elections believe they need to take action on immigration. And immigration has become such a third rail that one false move could be fatal politically. The question for Trump is whether he can maintain the majorities he needs in Congress while showing so little willingness to compromise. — Domenico Montanaro, NPR's lead political editor --------------------------------------------------------------- [President Trump walks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday on Sentosa Island in Singapore.] Evan Vucci/AP ICYMI: Top Stories Trump sounds off: The president gave a [freewheeling, impromptu news]( conference outside the White House on Friday, NPR’s Brian Naylor reports. During his appearance before reporters, Trump said the Justice Department’s recently released inspector general report “totally exonerates” him — even though the report is separate from the ongoing special counsel investigation. Trump also addressed immigration. And he said he plans to call North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the weekend after their summit Tuesday. Trump-Kim nuclear summit: The historic summit between Trump and North Korea’s KIm took place in Singapore. The two leaders [signed a broad statement]( that calls for "firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.” The statement also included a pledge from North Korea to [help repatriate the remains of Americans killed in action]( during the Korean War. After the summit, Trump took questions from reporters about his meetings with Kim; [NPR journalists have annotated his answers](. Trump has [faced criticism for his kind words about Kim]( since their meeting. As NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe reports, Trump’s embrace of the North Korean leader “stands in sharp contrast to the harsh language and threats” he’s leveled at longtime U.S. allies in recent weeks. Supreme Court upholds voter-purge law: The Supreme Court on Monday [upheld a controversial voter-purge law in Ohio](. NPR’s Nina Totenberg reports the law, also known as “use-it-or-lose-it,” “allows the state to strike voters from the registration rolls if they fail to return a mailed address confirmation form, and don't vote for another four years.” The court upheld the law by a 5-4 margin. This week, the court also [struck down a Minnesota law]( barring voters from wearing political apparel inside polling places. GOP is Trump's party now: Tuesday’s primary results underscore one major theme of this midterms year, NPR’s Jessica Taylor writes — [the Republican Party belongs to Donald Trump](. In South Carolina, GOP Rep. Mark Sanford, who had previously criticized Trump, lost his primary, his first defeat in more than two decades. NPR’s Susan Davis notes: Trump is in charge, and Republicans in Congress have zero willingness — or political self-interest — to push back against him on virtually any issue. Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, women swept the party’s nominations in several key Virginia congressional districts. McConnell makes history: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell became [the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history]( this week, surpassing Bob Dole. The Kentucky Republican shows no signs of calling it quits, NPR’s Susan Davis reports, despite ranking as the most unpopular senator in the country. McConnell is next up for re-election in 2020, and his allies say he’s intent on running again. Davis writes: “The bigger question may not be whether McConnell will remain leader, but whether it will be in the majority, or the minority.” Scalise returns to the baseball field: Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was seriously injured when a gunman opened fire on a congressional baseball practice in June 2017. On Thursday, Scalise [returned to the field]( to play in the 57th Congressional Charity Baseball game just as he experiences one of the most powerful political moments of his career. As NPR’s Kelsey Snell reports, his recovery from the injury has left a mark on his work in Congress. "My relationship with members I think is deeper because people really were there for me when I was going through the tough time,” he told NPR. — Brandon Carter, NPR Politics social media producer --------------------------------------------------------------- [The FBI headquarters is seen on February 2, 2018, in Washington, D.C.]( Mark Wilson/Getty Images The Russia Imbroglio: What The Justice IG Report Revealed Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz has painted his masterpiece. [His report about the 2016 investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server]( is the Ulysses of government reports — a universe in microcosm, a bottomless trove, a palimpsest that will be studied for generations ... or at least until the next big flap blows up on TV. Even though Horowitz didn't focus on the department's Russia investigation, he did address it at length because of the role it played as a subplot to the main narrative and the details he included are interesting. [Read the report's executive summary here](. Here are a few of the high points, the questions they answer — and also the questions they raise. [Read the full imbroglio update on NPR.org](. Briefly: - [President's "not going to pardon anybody" — yet]( Giuliani says - [Judge orders Paul Manafort detained]( amid witness tampering allegations - The huge Justice Department IG report is out. [What comes next?]( - [Lawyer for ex-FBI Deputy Director McCabe sues government]( over his firing - Leery of Russian spies, [special counsel asks judge to limit information sharing]( - [Catch up on the previous imbroglio update here](w — Philip Ewing, NPR's national security editor --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( You received this message because you're subscribed to our Politics emails. | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 [NPR]