Section: POLITICO – U.S. Edition (USA)
What’s the Biggest Test Trump Will Face in 2017?
“It is going to be so easy.” Those were the words candidate Donald Trump used in October, imagining a future where he, as president, would replace the Affordable Care Act with something “great.”In reality, no presidency is easy—the office’s unique role at home and around the world assures that. To be president is to face an unending barrage...
Spicer questions Obama’s Russia hacking response
Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer questioned Sunday morning President Barack Obama imposing sanctions on Russia, asking “is that response in proportion to the actions taken?”“I think one of the questions that we have is why the magnitude of this?” Spicer said on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos. “I mean you look at 35...
Putin’s Real Long Game
A little over a year ago, on a pleasant late fall evening, I was sitting on my front porch with a friend best described as a Ukrainian freedom fighter. He was smoking a cigarette while we watched Southeast DC hipsters bustle by and talked about ‘the war’ — the big war, being waged by Russia against all of us, which from this porch felt very...
NEW YEAR’S EVE EDITION — What HILL REPUBLICANS think of Trump’s PUTIN embrace — FEDS rush to hire before Trump WH — PETE SOUZA’s favorite 2016 WH pix — B’DAY: Don Trump Jr.
TRUMP’S NYE MESSAGE — @realDonaldTrump at 8:17 this morning: “Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don’t know what to do. Love!”Good Saturday morning, and Happy New Year’s Eve! We know there are lots of readers looking forward to 2016 being over. And...
How Putin and Netanyahu are exploiting the transition
What do you get when you mix eight years of grudges, complex geopolitics and four world leaders — including incoming and outgoing American presidents with diametrically opposing views of the world — all convinced that this is a make-or-break moment with historic implications?This week, apparently.Presidential transitions tend to be quiet affairs,...
Trump tweets praise of Putin: ‘I always knew he was very smart!’
President-elect Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, calling him “very smart” and lauding his “great move” not to retaliate against the U.S. over sanctions intended to punish the Kremlin for launching cyberattacks targeting the American electoral system. “Great move on delay (by V. Putin) – I always knew he was very...
Putin poses early test for Trump
Vladimir Putin was bound to test Donald Trump at some point. But few thought it would happen so fast.In the wake of President Barack Obama’s decision to expel dozens of Russian diplomats and impose new sanctions on Moscow for allegedly interfering in the 2016 election, Putin said Friday that he would not reciprocate with similar measures...
McCain plans Russia cyber hearing for Thursday
Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain has scheduled a hearing on cyber threats for Thursday, where Russia’s election-year hacking will take center stage, a source familiar with the committee’s planning told POLITICO.Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, National Security Agency and Cyber Command chief Adm. Mike Rogers...
Putin: Russia won’t ‘expel anyone’ in response to U.S. hacking sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not kick out American diplomats in response to President Barack Obama’s expulsion of 35 Russian spies.”Although we have the right to retaliate,” Putin said in a statement, “we will not resort to irresponsible ‘kitchen’ diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore...
Putin says Russia won’t expel U.S. diplomats
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin has condemned a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia but said Moscow will not retaliate by expelling American diplomats.U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election by...
