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Political Cornflakes: In ’60 Minutes' interview, Trump portrays himself as an isolated but empowered leader

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Lotte New York Palace hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday evening, President Donald Trump defied climate scientists and intelligence specialists, bashed the press and America’s long-standing allies and portrayed himself as an isolated but empowered commander in chief. “I feel like the president,” he said, noting that it was “a little surreal” to hold the title at first. But he also showed signs of a heightened sense of loneliness and feelings of paranoia amid reports describing a “quiet resistance” within his administration. “This is the most deceptive, vicious world,” he said. “It is vicious, it’s full of lies, deceit and deception. You make a deal with somebody and it’s like making a deal with that table." [Politico]

Happy Monday.

Topping the news: House candidate Ben McAdams says an internal poll shows him leading in the race against Rep. Mia Love by one point. The Cook Political Report recently rated the race a “toss up," indicating that the McAdams-Love battle is Utah’s hottest, closest race. [Trib] [DNews]

-> A new Salt Lake Tribune-Hinckley Institute of Politics poll shows U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney winning among men, women, all age groups, Republicans and unaffiliated voters, with an overall lead of 59 percent. [Trib]

-> Immigration reform has been a central issue for both of Utah’s Senate candidates, but they diverge in the details. Romney, favors a border wall and merit-based citizenship, while his opponent, Jenny Wilson, opposes the wall and supports legal status for undocumented residents who are already in the U.S. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: From @BjaminWood: “Just finished voting by mail and I’ve got two beefs. 1. Those are really big ovals that take a weird amount of effort to fill completely. 2. WHERE’S MY STICKER @SpencerJCox ?!?!?!!?!?!? #utpol

-> From @phantom_cruiser: “Question: Now that I’ve sent in my mail in ballot, where do I go to exempt myself from these ridiculous political ads? #utpol

-> From @ConanOBrien: “Social media use among the young is getting worse. Latest research: 1 out of 3 teenagers today IS a phone.”

In other news: A two-part investigation by the Utah Investigative Journalism Project into the murders of Anthony Adams, Doug Coleman and Mona Ulibarri — all members of the gay community killed during the 1970s — found there’s evidence missing from their cases. But police have never done an audit to know how much. [Part 1: UIJPviaTrib; Part 2: UIJPviaTrib]

-> Federal water managers say Romney oversimplified Utah’s water shortage during a debate with Wilson. [APviaTrib]

-> Romney appeared at a political rally in an Arizona area heavily populated by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an effort to help Republican Senate hopeful Martha McSally’s campaign. [APviaTrib]

-> Supporters of Utah’s education ballot initiative went door-to-door on Saturday asking people to vote for the proposition, which seeks to raise gas prices by 10 cents to raise money for public education. The vote is non-binding but would stimulate action by the Utah Legislature. [DNews]

-> A new Salt Lake Tribune-Hinckley Institute of Politics poll shows support for the gas tax is up slightly and opposition down. Still, the initiative appears poised to fall short in November, and those backing the plan say its approval will come down to residents returning their ballots or showing up at the polls. [Trib]

-> Uintah County officials are pushing for a $1.4 billion railroad in Utah’s oil country, which they say will bring 27,000 new jobs, quintuple oil production and bring higher prices. To do it, they need to acquire funds, and they’re asking for help from the Utah Community Impact Board and the Utah Transportation Commission. [Trib]

-> The housing industry is booming in Salt Lake City, and with skyrocketing property values and a growing population comes rising rent prices and higher eviction rates. [UIJPviaTrib]

-> Salt Lake City’s Project Homeless Connect provided dozens of services to individuals experiencing homelessness at an event Friday, including dental health assessments, vision services, flu shots, housing assistance, haircuts and voter registration. [Trib]

-> Provo voters will have a chance to weigh in on a $69 million bond that would aim to fix their crumbling city center. But while residents have acknowledged the need for a new police department and fire station, some have questioned the multi-million dollar cost. [Fox13]

-> Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke says Sen. Mike Lee’s Utah Solutions Summit was a step in the right direction to combat the state’s opioid crisis. But he argues the Senator has missed or rejected a lot of opportunities to do more to help. [Trib]

-> Pat Bagley compares First Lady Melania Trump with Michelle Obama. [Trib]

-> LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli explore the consequences of the controversial confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in both the midterm elections and daily interactions. [DNews]

Nationally: Trump says his relationship with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is very good, but he described him Sunday night as being “sort of a Democrat" — a party the president has called “an angry, left wing mob" — and speculated Mattis might soon leave the administration. [NYTimes] [CNN] [Fox]

-> After reports that Saudi Arabia killed and dismembered a Saudi journalist with U.S. ties using a bone saw in Turkey, Trump was forced to choose between punishing the country for human rights violations and the potential boost to the American economy of a trade agreement with them. In the end, Trump has decided that trade interests will win out. [NYTimes] [Fox]

-> Trump’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner allegedly paid very few federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, despite a net worth of around $324 million. The New York Times reports Kushner might have been using a common tax-minimizing maneuver to limit his federal income tax payments. [NYTimes] [CNN]

-> Trump has created a new foreign aid agency to help bankroll infrastructure projects and companies in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, which he believes might help counter the global influence China has gained through its trade connections. [NYTimes]

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-- Taylor Stevens and Cara MacDonald

https://twitter.com/tstevensmedia and Twitter.com/carammacdonald