First Draft on Politics: Stripping Security Clearances

President Trump is considering revoking the security clearance of former officials who have been critical of him. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, July 24, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [President Trump is considering revoking the security clearances of former officials, including the former C.I.A. director John O. Brennan, the White House said Monday.]( President Trump is considering revoking the security clearances of former officials, including the former C.I.A. director John O. Brennan, the White House said Monday. Al Drago/The New York Times Good Tuesday morning, Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today: - President Trump [threatened to strip]( the security clearances of top former officials who criticized his refusal to confront Russia over its election interference. Among those who could lose access are John O. Brennan, the former C.I.A. director, and James B. Comey, whom Mr. Trump fired as F.B.I. director last year, said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary. - The escalating invective between Mr. Trump and Iran’s leaders, reminiscent of the president’s bombastic exchanges with North Korea, [has raised fears]( of a military confrontation in the Persian Gulf or something even bigger. But many analysts of Iranian politics viewed Mr. Trump’s message as more of an intimidation gambit than an actual threat. - The Senate [voted overwhelmingly in favor]( of Mr. Trump’s latest pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, confirming Robert Wilkie as the next secretary. Mr. Wilkie will be responsible for revamping the veterans health care system to make it easier for veterans to take their benefits to private doctors. - A federal judge [delayed the financial crimes trial]( of Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman, for six days to allow Mr. Manafort’s lawyers more time to review a trove of documents that they said could be crucial to his defense. - In the two weeks since Mr. Trump nominated him to the Supreme Court, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh has met with 23 Republicans, and not a single Democrat. Senate Democrats are [refusing the customary “courtesy visits”]( until Republicans agree to turn over voluminous documents from Judge Kavanaugh’s past. — The First Draft Team HAVE A CONFIDENTIAL NEWS TIP? Do you have the next big story? Want to share it with The New York Times? We offer several ways to get in touch with and provide materials to our journalists. [Learn More »]( ADVERTISEMENT [Climate Fwd: Newsletter]( What on Earth is going on? Sign up to get our latest stories and insights about climate change — along with answers to your questions and tips on how to help. [• Sign Up »]( [Trump’s All-Caps Threat Against Iran: Loud but Hardly Clear]( By MARK LANDLER [President Trump's national security team has put the focus more on toppling the Iranian government than striking a new deal with it.]( President Trump's national security team has put the focus more on toppling the Iranian government than striking a new deal with it. Tom Brenner for The New York Times President Trump’s vituperative tweet against Iran late on Sunday showed his determination to use the same approach that he took to engineer a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea. But Mr. Trump’s top advisers are far more united in their hostility to engaging with Iran, and Iran is far less likely to bend to such pressure. Mr. Trump’s threat that Iran would “suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before,” delivered before midnight in all capital letters, succeeded in changing the subject after a week of bad headlines about his meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. But it only deepened questions about the long-term direction of Mr. Trump’s Iran policy. [Read more »](  [Satellite imagery appears to be efforts by North Korea to dismantle facilities at its Sohae Satellite Launching Station.]( [North Korea Starts Dismantling Key Missile Facilities, Report Says]( By CHOE SANG-HUN North Korea has begun dismantling a missile-engine test site, as President Trump said the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, had promised during their historic summit meeting. [President Trump repeated a false claim about the origins of the Russia investigation.]( Fact Check of the Day [Trump Again Falsely Claims Russia Investigation Started With Steele Dossier]( By LINDA QIU The president and his press secretary repeated the false claim that the findings of a former British spy prompted the inquiry. A congressional report found it began with a diplomat’s tip about a Trump political adviser. [Senator Heidi Heitkamp greeting a constituent in Lakota, N.D. She is running for re-election against a Republican congressman who is closely allied with President Trump, who won the state handily.]( [A Supreme Court Vote Is Just One of Heidi Heitkamp’s Headaches]( By THOMAS KAPLAN In North Dakota, Senator Heidi Heitkamp is grappling with a Supreme Court pick, a trade war, a hostile president and a well-known Republican challenger. [A Banner Metals worker loading a roll of steel onto a machine at the company’s factory in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to paying 20 to 25 percent more for raw materials, Banner has had to scramble to find supplies.]( [Tariffs Trim a Factory’s Profit, but Loyalty to Trump Endures]( By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ An Ohio plant owner and his blue-collar workers alike voice support for President Trump’s tactics in the trade fight, even if it means sacrifice. [A single sentence holds the key to understanding why Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, would be likely to uphold and expand on the court’s Citizens United decision.]( Sidebar [How to Tell Where Brett Kavanaugh Stands on Citizens United]( By ADAM LIPTAK A single sentence in a 1976 Supreme Court decision holds the key to understanding Judge Kavanaugh’s approach to campaign finance law. [Eric D. Hargan, the deputy secretary of health and human services, told the board of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America that a continuation of aggressive price increases could invite distasteful remedies.]( [How Trump Is Browbeating Big Pharma on Drug Prices]( By ROBERT PEAR Administration officials issued a blunt warning to the board of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and announced a flurry of actions and plans to coincide with its meeting. [A rally in Lansing, Mich., on July 18 supporting a ballot measure that would change how the state’s legislative district maps are drawn.]( [Drive Against Gerrymandering Finds New Life in Ballot Initiatives]( By MICHAEL WINES Groundswells of voter support are advancing measures in five states to end the tailoring of district maps for maximum partisan advantage. [Stephanie Clifford and Glendon Crain in 2012. They were married in 2015.]( [Stormy Daniels and Her Husband Are Divorcing, Lawyer Confirms]( By NOAH WEILAND Ms. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has waged a legal battle against President Trump over a nondisclosure agreement. LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. And consider [subscribing to get unlimited access to nytimes.com and our apps.]( ADVERTISEMENT HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [washington-newsletter@nytimes.com](mailto:washington-newsletter@nytimes.com?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback). FOLLOW NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@NYTPolitics]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »](  | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $9.99. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's First Draft newsletter. 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