Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey), Madeleine Carlisle (@maddiecarlisle2), and Olivia Paschal (@oliviacpaschal)
Today in 5 Lines
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The New York Times published an anonymous op-ed in which a senior official in the Trump administration claims that there is a “resistance” within the administration, and that many Trump appointees have vowed to thwart the president’s “more misguided impulses.” The White House issued a statement denouncing the op-ed.
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During the second day of his confirmation hearings, Trump’s Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh stressed the importance of judicial independence and declined to answer whether a sitting president could be subpoenaed.
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Trump dismissed the new tell-all book by journalist Bob Woodward in which administration officials and aides are quoted criticizing the president. “The book means nothing,” Trump told reporters.
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The White House is reportedly discussing potential replacements for Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who was quoted in Woodward’s book making disparaging comments about Trump. Mattis called the book “fiction” on Tuesday.
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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Today on The Atlantic
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This Is a Constitutional Crisis: The author of the anonymous op-ed in The New York Times has thrown “the government of the United States into even more dangerous turmoil,” writes David Frum: “He or she has enflamed the paranoia of the president and empowered the president’s willfulness.”
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The Nationalizing of American Politics: Chicago-born Ayanna Pressley’s victory in a Massachusetts congressional district Tuesday night is one of many signs that American politics isn’t that local anymore, writes Peter Beinart.
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Confirmation Bias: On the second day of Senate hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Democrats focused on abortion rights—providing a preview of the party’s midterm strategy. (Emma Green)
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Undercover: While he was an editor at the Daily Caller, Scott Greer also wrote for a white-supremacist journal—under a pseudonym. (Rosie Gray)
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Flameout: The people burning their own Nike apparel to protest the brand’s newest ad campaign, which features activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, aren’t actually achieving anything, writes Hannah Giorgis.
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Snapshot
What We’re Reading
Preferential Treatment?: Elizabeth Warren’s critics have suggested that she used her Native American ethnicity to get ahead professionally. A new Boston Globe investigation shows they’re wrong. (Annie Linskey)
‘Turn Off The NFL’: Republicans aim to use the NFL kneeling controversy against Democrats running in states President Trump won in 2016. (Tarini Parti, Henry J. Gomez, Buzzfeed News)
Old Dog, New Tricks?: When he ran for governor in 2006, Democrat Phil Bredesen won all 95 of Tennessee’s counties. Now, he’s a quiet favorite to replace retiring Republican Senator Bob Corker in a state that went for Trump by 26 points. (Gabriel Debenedetti, New York Magazine)
What’s Become of Rudy: Rudy Giuliani shares President Trump’s political style—theatrical, combative, and played to the base. Jeffrey Toobin profiles the former mayor turned presidential lawyer. (The New Yorker)
Visualized
Midterm Madness: Keep track of all the midterm elections, and see who’s most likely to win key races. (Politico)
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