First Draft on Politics: The Biggest Stories in American Politics This Week

The leaders of the national security agencies promised to help state and local governments counter what they called Russia’s efforts to influence the elections. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Saturday, August 4, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( 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 [The Biggest Stories in American Politics This Week]( By EMILY COCHRANE President Trump called for the end of the special counsel’s investigation, even as top officials warned of Russian interference. [President Trump with Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions in May.] President Trump with Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions in May. Doug Mills/The New York Times President Trump urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday[to end the special counsel’s investigation]( into Russian interference in the 2016 election, raising more questions about whether Mr. Trump has tried to obstruct the investigation. The White House and the president’s lawyers sought to minimize any damage by arguing that the call, issued on Twitter, was an angry opinion, not an order. Mr. Trump has also [sought an interview]( with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and his office, in an attempt to clear himself of any wrongdoing. Yet even as Mr. Trump characterizes the investigation as a “[Russian hoax]( top administration officials [came forward on Thursday]( to assert that Russian election interference was a serious threat and to vow to prevent it. Additional Reading [■How Trump Allies Shifted Their Defense as Evidence of Contacts With Russians Grew]( [■Mueller Passes 3 Cases Focused on Illicit Foreign Lobbying to Prosecutors in New York]( ■News Analysis: [There’s Trump’s Foreign Policy and Then There’s His Administration’s]( The financial fraud trial of Paul Manafort began this week. [There is evidence that Paul Manafort saw the Trump campaign as a way to boost his stature and eventually gain more work for foreign clients.] There is evidence that Paul Manafort saw the Trump campaign as a way to boost his stature and eventually gain more work for foreign clients. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Prosecutors began their case this week against Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman, in federal court in Alexandria, Va. They say that Mr. Manafort hid tens of millions of dollars he received for his work in Ukraine and then engaged in bank fraud when he no longer earned that income. Mr. Manafort’s defense team made clear in their opening arguments that they intended to [shift the blame]( to Rick Gates, Mr. Manafort’s former business partner and likely the government’s star witness. Federal prosecutors spent the first few days [emphasizing Mr. Manafort’s lavish spending]( and the [reversal of his fortune]( after 2014. Mr. Manafort’s accountant also [testified]( that she had agreed to alter tax and bank documents to help Mr. Manafort out of his financial problems. Additional Reading [■Paul Manafort Was Deep in Debt. He Saw an Opportunity in Trump.]( [■Manafort’s Trial Isn’t About Russia, but It Will Be in the Air]( [■Mueller’s Digging Exposes Culture of Foreign Lobbying and Its Big Paydays]( In midterm elections: more primary victories and an influence campaign on Facebook. [Mark Zuckerberg testifying during a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees in April.] Mark Zuckerberg testifying during a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees in April. Alex Brandon/Associated Press Facebook [announced on Tuesday]( that it had identified an active political influence campaign, potentially intended to disrupt the midterm elections in November. The company said it had removed a number of false accounts and pages that were involved in activity around divisive issues. But as midterm primaries [continued]( this week, Mr. Trump’s stamp is clear in some aspects of the midterm elections: [shaping]( a governor’s race in Florida and [potentially providing an opportunity]( for Democrats in Kansas. Additional Reading ■News Analysis: [Facebook Grapples With a Maturing Adversary in Election Meddling]( [■Obama Endorses Dozens of Democrats, Rewarding Diversity and Loyalty]( [■Campaigns Enter Texting Era With a Plea: Will U Vote 4 Me?]( ■The Upshot: [99 Days to Go, and the Midterm Elections Battleground Is Not What Was Expected]( The administration escalated the trade war with China and contemplated more tariffs and other economic measures. [Since formal talks between Beijing and Washington fell through in May, President Trump has doubled down on his threat to punish China, saying he was prepared to impose tariffs on all Chinese imports. Beijing has promised to retaliate.] Since formal talks between Beijing and Washington fell through in May, President Trump has doubled down on his threat to punish China, saying he was prepared to impose tariffs on all Chinese imports. Beijing has promised to retaliate. Chinatopix, via Associated Press President Trump[intensified the trade war with China]( on Wednesday, ordering his administration to consider more than doubling proposed tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. (China [threatened retaliation]( on Friday.) The United States and Mexico [are moving closer to agreement]( on how to rewrite important parts of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Talks this week, however, have excluded the pact’s third member, Canada Mr. Trump also [reiterated his threat]( to Congress on Monday to shut down the government this year if he did not receive sufficient funding for a wall at the southern border. His administration is also considering bypassing lawmakers and [granting a $100 billion tax cut]( primarily to the wealthy. Additional Reading [■Ahead of Asia Trip, Business Lobby Gives Pompeo an Earful on Trade War]( [■Trump Tariffs Are Lifting Profits, Steel Giant ArcelorMittal Says]( [■Faced With Crippling Sanctions, ZTE Loaded Up on Lobbyists]( The tension between the White House and the press corps increased. [In Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, President Trump defended his hard-line stance on immigration, calling for voter ID laws and bragging about saving “Merry Christmas” as a holiday greeting.] In Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, President Trump defended his hard-line stance on immigration, calling for voter ID laws and bragging about saving “Merry Christmas” as a holiday greeting. Doug Mills/The New York Times Mr. Trump [publicly clashed]( with the publisher of The New York Times, A. G. Sulzberger, on Sunday over the president’s threats to journalism and what Mr. Sulzberger said was a misrepresentation of a private meeting between them. While the president has always had a combative relationship with his perceived detractors — especially unfavorable news reports — it escalated this week in rallies [in Florida]( and [Pennsylvania]( centering many of his attacks on the press corps. Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and senior adviser, [appeared to disagree]( with that position on Thursday — a notable contrast with the [assertions made by Sarah Huckabee Sanders]( the press secretary, during a briefing. Additional Reading [■Crowds, Stoked by Trump’s Rhetoric, Increase Their Ire Toward the Press]( ■Understanding The Times: [What Does ‘Off the Record’ Really Mean?]( [■What Is QAnon: Explaining the Internet Conspiracy Theory That Showed Up at a Trump Rally]( [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 »]( LIKE THIS EMAIL? 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