Tipsheet: Trump's Mexican tariffs expose administration rifts

View in your browser     Trump's Mexican tariffs expose administration rifts BY JORDAN FABIAN AND NIALL STANAGE President Trump’s abrupt decision to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico is exposing rifts within his administration on trade and immigration, two core issues he has repeatedly pledged to tackle but where he has struggled to gain ground. The surprise Thursday night announcement marked a setback for U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer, who argued the plan could threaten Trump’s North American trade agreement’s chances of congressional approval, according to three people familiar with the situation. Read the full story here     Twelve dead, gunman killed in Virginia Beach shooting BY TAL AXELROD Twelve people were killed and several others were injured in a shooting Friday afternoon at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. The suspected gunman was also killed. Read the full story here     Trump antagonizes both parties on trade BY NIV ELIS President Trump is facing fire from all sides following his decision to impose new tariffs on exports from Mexico unless that country curbs illegal immigration into the United States. Read the full story here     Trump's surprise trade strategy threatens new NAFTA BY SYLVAN LANE President Trump has imperiled his revised North American trade deal with two surprise decisions meant to increase pressure on Congress and the Mexican government. Read the full story here       Trump's approval rating hits highest point in two years BY JONATHAN EASLEY   President Trump’s job approval rating is the highest it’s been in two years, boosted by voter optimism about the economy, according to the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey. Read the full story here     Trump launching 2020 campaign on June 18 with Florida rally BY BRETT SAMUELS President Trump said Friday that he will formally announce his reelection campaign during a rally in Orlando, Fla., later this month. Read the full story here     Poll: Biden leads 2020 Dem field by 19 points BY MAX GREENWOOD Former Vice President Joe Biden has a commanding lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to a new national poll released exclusively to The Hill that finds him ahead of his closest competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), by nearly 20 points. Read the full story here     Prosecutors release Flynn voicemail transcript that Mueller reviewed in obstruction probe BY MORGAN CHALFANT Federal prosecutors have released the full transcript of a voicemail from one of President Trump’s attorneys to an attorney for Michael Flynn that special counsel Robert Mueller examined as part of his obstruction inquiry. Read the full story here     Poll: Majority oppose Trump impeachment, but most Democrats support it BY JONATHAN EASLEY A majority of polled voters oppose impeaching and removing President Trump but a strong majority of Democrats are in favor of doing so, according to the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey. Read the full story here     US business groups slam Trump's new tariff threat against Mexico BY ALEX GANGITANO AND NIV ELIS Business groups in the U.S. are warning President Trump against imposing new tariffs on Mexican imports next month, saying the move would harm American companies and consumers. Read the full story here     Dershowitz: Supreme Court could overrule an unconstitutional impeachment BY ALAN DERSHOWITZ Opinion | President Trump has said that if the House were to impeach him despite his not having committed “high crimes and misdemeanors,” he might seek review of such an unconstitutional action in the Supreme Court. On April 24, he tweeted that if “the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court … Not only are there no 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors,' there are no Crimes by me at all.” Read the full story here     Why television will be essential to the 2020 election BY STEVE LANZANO Opinion | There’s no better way to reach the most voters than with TV; it’s why the debates are so influential for candidates. Read the full story here     CNN: Navy acknowledges request regarding USS John S. McCain made for Trump visit BY BARBARA STARR AND CAROLINE KELLY The US Navy acknowledged Friday that a request had been made regarding the USS John S. McCain in relation to President Donald Trump's visit to Japan, but said the ship ended up remaining in its normal configuration. Read the full story here     USA Today: Spying, treason and politics: President Trump ups the stakes in Russia probe battle despite scant evidence BY KRISTINE PHILLIPS AND BART JANSEN President Donald Trump is significantly raising the stakes in his public battle with the law enforcement and intelligence agencies that spent two years investigating him and his campaign. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Wide range of emotions on impeachment underscores challenge BY LISA MASCARO, MARC LEVY, ADRIAN SAINZ AND AMY TAXIN After House Democrats swept to power from all different parts of the country, the seams of their big tent majority are being stretched over the difficult issues surrounding whether to start impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: The Justice Department is preparing a potential antitrust investigation of Google BY TONY ROMM The Justice Department has taken early steps toward opening a federal antitrust investigation into Google, according to three people familiar with the matter, marking a new chapter in the tech giant’s troubles with regulators around the world who contend the company is too large and threatens rivals and consumers. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Trump administration strips India of special trade status BY ANA SWANSON AND VINDU GOEL The Trump administration announced on Friday that it was stripping India of a special status that exempts billions of dollars of its products from American tariffs, part of a deepening clash over India’s protections for its market. 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.