President Donald Trump rarely sends staff members packing without a parting jab. On occasion, as with Linda McMahon, the former Small Business Administration chief, he praises them as they’re headed out the door. But either way, Trump seems keenly aware of the public’s perception of the constant departures from his administration. “He’s always thinking optics,” said former White House staffer Cliff Sims, who wrote a book about the Trump White House. This week, Trump announced the exit of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielson with a curt tweet. On several occasions, the president has blindsided his own aides by announcing someone’s exit. It’s important to Trump to look like he’s in control of the staff changes, one anonymous source told Politico. “He jumps everyone who wants to leave so that it makes it look like the president is the one doing the rejecting, not the other way around,” the source said. [Politico]
Happy Tuesday!
Topping the news: Several anonymous sources told the Deseret News and the Tribune that Jon Huntsman Jr., former Utah governor currently serving as U.S. ambassador for Russia, may run for governor during the 2020 election. If he does, it will be Huntsman’s third term in the position, as he won the office in 2004 and was re-elected in 2008. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Elizabeth Warren, 2020 presidential hopeful and well-known senator from Massachusetts, is hosting an organizing event in Utah next week — the third Democratic candidate to do so this year despite the state’s predominantly red status. [Trib] [DNews] [KUTV]
->Entrata CEO Dave Bateman has been a key player in Utah Republican politics since 2018 when he helped pull the party away from bankruptcy by taking on its legal debts. Bateman recently said he does not plan to recoup any of that money. Instead, he is encouraging new leadership on the Utah GOP’s State Central Committee. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: @aedwardslevy: “Storm Clouds Descending Upon DC Unsure If They Are Metaphorical.”
-> @pourmecoffee: “Acting Cabinet members should have to wear a colorful vest.”
-> @BenWinslow: “I’ve been interviewing witnesses to the downtown portion of today’s shooting and crime spree. Quite frankly, it is a miracle no one was killed. @fox13 #SLC #Utah.”
-> @BasicProvoBro: “We were interviewed by @NPR last night and I just set up an interview with @nytimes. The wide-scale publicity attests how powerful the @restorehonorbyu movement is. - Accountability - Advocacy - Protection- Empowerment. Positive change is on the horizon Provo!!!”
-> @madsbarr: “I’m glad BYU is taking students seriously about reforming the honor code but when I was a student, I wrote letters and emails and made phone calls to BYU administrators and was ignored. When I did get a response I was told I was ‘too emotional.’”
-> @NormOrnstein: “Anyone who thought Mitt Romney would be an adult in the room, a voice of reason and courage, was naive to the point of embarrassment.”
Happy Birthday: to Utah Rep. Carl Albrecht
In other news: The state treasurer announced that the government has about $54.8 million of properties on hand that was lost during 2018. The properties are awaiting claim by their rightful owners. [Trib]
-> Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke penned an editorial arguing that Brigham Young University has a right to keep its Honor Code — the rules of conduct implemented by the Latter-day Saint owned school. But the school should enforce the code in a way more respectful of students. [Trib]
-> Tribune cartoonist Pat Bagley offered his take on radical extremism with help from a cartoon version of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. [Trib]
Nationally: Several senior officials in the Trump administration say the president wants to restart the zero-tolerance policy that separated children from their parents at the border despite its suspension several months back after immense public pressure. [NYTimes] [WaPost] [NBC News]
-> A U.S. judge from California blocked President Donald Trump’s push to force individuals seeking asylum to wait in Mexico while their cases are considered in immigration court. [Politico] [WaPost]
-> In wake of the forced resignation of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, several other top officials from the department will likely also be replaced. [NYTimes] [WaPost]
-> Actress Felicity Huffman along with 12 other parents and one coach included in the sweeping college admissions scandal plan to plead guilty to the charges. [NYTimes] [WaPost]
-> During a town hall in Iowa, Sen. Bernie Sanders told the audience that he does not support an open border policy. Instead, the Vermont senator emphasized, he favors comprehensive immigration reform. [Politico]
-> Rep. Eric Swalwell of California announced his Democratic candidacy for the 2020 presidential election Monday night. [NYTimes] [Politico] [WaPost]
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-- Bethany Rodgers and Sahalie Donaldson
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