White House chief of staff suggests ‘lack of an ability to compromise’ led to the Civil War. Utah’s members of Congress stand by Mueller as he investigates Trump’s campaign. Utah guv urges residents to donate to Puerto Rico hurricane relief.
Happy Tuesday. During an interview on Fox News, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly defended Robert E. Lee, general of the Confederate Army, as “an honorable man” and said “the lack of an ability to compromise” led to the Civil War. “[Lee] was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country,” Kelly said. The comments revived the debate, started by President Donald Trump this summer, over Confederate monuments that devolved into the violent rallies in Charlottesville. [WaPost]
Topping the news: Special counsel Robert Mueller, investigating possible ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia, announced 12-count indictments against Paul Manafort and his longtime business associate Rick Gates on Monday, as well as a guilty plea by a Trump foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos. [NYTimes]
-> Utah Rep. Chris Stewart and Sens. Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch stood by Mueller. [Trib] [KUTV]
-> Gov. Gary Herbert encouraged Utahns to donate to Puerto Rico hurricane relief efforts on Monday. [Trib] [ABC4]
Tweets of the day: From @TMannWSJ: “WH response to the news of the day seems to be reading an email forward from my uncle about how taxes are bad.”
-> From @ryanbeckwith: “If a train carrying the U.S. tax code leaves San Francisco at7 p.m.going 82 mph, while a train carrying tax cuts leaves D.C….”
-> From @DoreyScheimer: “Is it still infrastructure week? or...”
Heads up: The Salt Lake Tribune team that produced the Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of sexual assault on Utah’s college campuses will speak at Utah Valley University (Sorenson Student Center) on Friday at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
In other news: One person died after a shooting at the University of Utah. [Trib] [DNews] [ABC4] [Fox13] [KUTV]
-> Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski signed an amicus brief Monday, along with several other mayors and counties, to oppose a Colorado baker refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. [DNews] [Fox13]
-> Sens. Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch defended federal judge nominee Amy Coney Barrett and her religious beliefs. [DNews]
-> Pat Bagley illustrates how he believes Fox News flips everything upside down. [Trib]
-> Paul Rolly praises University of Utah President David Pershing’s apology to Jon M. Huntsman Sr. and the effect it had on the school. [Trib]
Nationally: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the indictment of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates has “nothing to do with the President.” [NYTimes]
-> President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have dropped to 38 percent. [WaPost]
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— Courtney Tanner and Karenna Meredith
Follow @sltribpolitics