The president’s nominee for director of central intelligence faces Wednesday what is expected to be a tough confirmation hearing. Gina Haspel will appear before the Senate Intelligence committee to defend not just her nomination but, in a sense, the CIA itself. My colleague Jenna Lifhits has reported on the “dozens of former intelligence and national security officials” lining up behind Haspel, as well as a “rare public push” from the CIA to advocate for its 33-year veteran.
The White House nonetheless has been preparing for Haspel to have to answer plenty of tough questions about her overseeing of CIA black sites where agents employed enhanced interrogation techniques on terrorist suspects. Some Democrats on the committee, led by Oregon’s Ron Wyden, have argued the CIA has not been forthcoming about the extent of Haspel’s role in EITs.
Marc Short, the White House congressional liaison, says to expect Haspel to defend her work related to EITs but also to reassure the Senate she will uphold the CIA’s policy and practice eschewing such techniques. Their hope—and there’s no indication it’s much more than a hope—is that her testimony on this in conjunction with her institutional backing will be enough to allay concerns. Short says it won’t be until after Wednesday’s hearing until the White House has a better idea of whether they’ll be able to put together a similar coalition of red-state Democratic senators that gave Mike Pompeo enough votes to get confirmed last month as secretary of state.
Mueller Watch—Politico reports: “Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney, faced explosive claims about his business dealings on Tuesday, prompting AT&T and a company with ties to a Russian oligarch to acknowledge retaining him after the 2016 election.”
President Trump announced Tuesday he would withdraw the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—the official name of the Iran nuclear deal. My colleague Jenna Lifhits has the story:
Shortly after announcing his Iran deal decision, Trump immediately pivoted to the next foreign policy challenge: his upcoming sit-down meeting with Kim Jong-un of North Korea, which is likely to take place early next month. Trump said Tuesday at the White House that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had traveled to North Korea to prepare for the meeting, and that the location, date, and time had already been agreed to.
“Plans are being made. Relationships are building,” Trump said. “Hopefully a deal will happen, and with the help of China, South Korea, and Japan, a future of great prosperity and security can be achieved for everyone.”
Trump’s comments came hours after President Xi Jinping of China met with Kim for a bilateral meeting of their own, during which the Chinese president praised the North Koreans for “promoting inter-Korean dialogue and easing tension.”
Trump spoke with Xi by phone after that meeting. According to a White House readout of the call, both leaders “agreed on the importance of continued implementation of sanctions on North Korea until it permanently dismantles its nuclear and missile programs.”
Must-Read of the Day—From Bari Weiss at the New York Times: “Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web”
On the President’s Schedule—Trump will hold a Cabinet meeting Wednesday morning at the White House.
2018 Watch—Despite speculation a problematic candidate had surged in the final days before Tuesday’s GOP Senate primary in West Virginia, Republicans dodged a bullet. State attorney general Patrick Morrisey took home the nomination, while coal baron Don Blankenship limped to a third-place finish, despite some internal polling showing Blankenship inching ahead.
The result comes as a relief for Republican leadership, who feared that Blankenship’s history and erratic behavior would cost them a winnable seat, and for President Trump, who on Monday publicly urged voters not to support Blankenship’s campaign.
The West Virginia race wasn’t the only outcome Trump could be happy about Tuesday, with several other pro-Trump Republican candidates winning important primaries. In Indiana, congressmen Luke Messer and Todd Rokita tussled over who was Trumpier, only for both to fall short to a rich political neophyte, Mike Braun. Meanwhile, in Ohio, Trump-endorsed Jim Renacci vanquished former banker Mike Gibbons.
Song of the Day—“Rock and Roll Never Forgets” by Bob Seger
Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected to remove an error
