Tipsheet: Retiring GOP lawmakers cut loose on Trump

View in your browser     Retiring GOP lawmakers cut loose on Trump By Melanie Zanona   Few Republicans in Washington are willing to go head-to-head with President Trump, but there is one band of GOP members willing to stand up to the leader of their own party: lawmakers who have announced their retirements. While it’s not uncommon for members to feel far more liberated on their way out the door, it has taken on a whole new meaning in the Trump era, where lawmakers are confronted daily by a never-ending stream of White House controversies. Read the full story here     Tariff fight could hit GOP in key Senate states By Ben Kamisar and Lisa Hagen   Democrats see President Trump's escalating trade war with China as an opportunity that could help them win several Senate races in states where a trade fight would damage local economies.  Read the full story here     US calls on Russia to end support for Syrian regime after alleged chemical attack By The Hill staff  VIDEO | At least 70 people were killed in the alleged chemical attack. Read the full story here     Five things to know about Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska By Max Greenwood The Trump administration's decision to hit dozens of Russian oligarchs, companies and government officials with sanctions on Friday took direct aim at those close to President Vladimir Putin.  Read the full story here       With questions mounting, Pruitt fights for his job By Luis Sanchez As questions mount about his use of taxpayer funds and relationships with lobbyists, Scott Pruitt’s future remains uncertain. Read the full story here     Trump: Pruitt 'doing a great job' By Max Greenwood President Trump expressed confidence in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt on Saturday, appearing to dismiss the controversies swirling around the official. Read the full story here     One person dead after fire in Trump Tower By Max Greenwood One man is dead after a fire broke out at Trump Tower in New York on Saturday. Read the full story here     Kelly threatened to quit chief of staff post last month: report By Avery Anapol Chief of staff John Kelly reportedly “blew up” at President Trump and threatened to quit his position late last month. Read the full story here     Cambridge Analytica says more than 87 million could have had information breached By Luis Sanchez Cambridge Analytica co-founder Christopher Wylie said on Saturday that the number of people affected by his company’s data breach could be higher than Facebook’s estimates of 87 million. Read the full story here     House GOP super PAC contacts more than 300K voters in midterm push By Ben Kamisar The Congressional Leadership Fund, the GOP super PAC aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), contacted more than 300,000 voters on Saturday during an all-out push meant to help the party hold onto the House majority in November's elections.  Read the full story here     To counter Russia and back Baltic states, America must fortify NATO By Douglas Schoen OPINION | In order to effectively counter Moscow’s aggression in Baltic states, the United States must bolster NATO rhetorically, politically and militarily.  Read the full story here     Trump's tough sanctions mark turning point toward Moscow By Peter Harrell OPINION | The latest sanctions against Russian oligarchs and officials are the Trump administration’s most forceful action to date against Russia and mark the ascendancy of officials who have argued for a more aggressive American response to Moscow’s attacks on the United States and our allies.  Read the full story here     NBC News: In New Hampshire, the 2020 presidential race is already well underway By Kailani Koenig Potential candidates are making visits and wooing activists behind the scenes. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Farmers’ anger at tariffs puts GOP candidates in bind By Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Ana Swanson President Trump is moving to fulfill one of his central campaign promises, but a get-tough stance with China could reverberate badly in the nation’s heartland. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Democrats even in GOP country shift toward gun restrictions By Thomas Beaumont Just 18 months after declaring his opposition to banning assault weapons, Nebraska Democrat Brad Ashford has changed his mind. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Round-the-clock security for EPA leader Pruitt has cost taxpayers nearly $3 million By Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis   Agency correspondence and travel schedules obtained by The Washington Post show that Scott Pruitt’s security detail, which is triple the size of those for prior EPA administrators, has stretched the agency’s resources. Read the full story here     ABC News: Trump's border boss defends National Guard deployment, but won't say when White House told him of decision By Mike Levine   The man overseeing the Border Patrol and the Trump administration's effort to build a "wall" along the U.S.-Mexican border won't say whether he knew anything about a National Guard deployment before President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced plans for "guarding our border with the military." Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet     You might like         Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.