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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Tuesday, October 2, 2018 7:49 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Tuesday, October 2, 2018


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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=001-e62&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Tuesday, October 2, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Poll: Biden Holds 21-Point Lead Among Iowa Democrats. <#S1>

• Biden Endorses Spanberger’s Bid To Unseat VA7 Rep. Brat. <#S2>

• Biden Congratulates Nobel Prize Winning Researcher. <#S3>

• Booker, Biden Headed To Hollywood To Raise Money For Democrats. <#S4>

• Lifetime Relaunches “Stop Violence Against Women” Campaign. <#S5>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• Media Analyses: US-Canada-Mexico Agreement A Major Win For Trump. <#S6>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Despite Canceled Beijing Trip, Mattis Says US-China Relations Will Not
Worsen. <#S7>

• North Korea Accuses US Of Demanding Too Much Ahead Of Pompeo’s Visit.
<#S8>

• Trump Awards Medal Of Honor To Afghan War Veteran. <#S9>

• Saudi Arabia Admits “Mistakes” In Coalition Operations In Yemen. <#S10>

• US Scales Back Military Presence In Persian Gulf Despite Anti-Iran
Rhetoric. <#S11>

• Lebanese FM Leads Diplomats On Tour Of Alleged Hezbollah Missile Sites.
<#S12>

• Pew Survey Finds Declining Global Opinions Of Trump, US. <#S13>

• Trump Offers Condolences To Indonesia As Death Toll Rises From Tsunami.
<#S14>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• Trump Backs “Comprehensive” Kavanaugh Probe, Warns Against “Witch Hunt.”
<#S15>

• Minnesota Democrats’ Report: Ellison Accuser’s Claim Can’t Be
Substantiated. <#S16>

• Trump Touts Blackburn, Blasts Potential 2020 Rivals At Tennessee Rally.
<#S17>

• Obama Announces Second Round Of 2018 Campaign Endorsements. <#S18>

• Trump Says Bump Stocks Will Soon Be Banned. <#S19>

• DHS IG Report Criticizes Family Separation Policy. <#S20>

• Poll: 52% Oppose Trump Firing Rosenstein. <#S21>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• Groups Worry Medicare Part B CAP Would Hinder Patient Access To Drugs.
<#S22>

• Roswell Park Cancer Moonshot Immuno-Oncology Network Gets NIH Grant.
<#S23>

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month Highlights Progress Made In Treatments,
Testing. <#S24>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S25>

• Washington Post. <#S26>
Biden in the News
Poll: Biden Holds 21-Point Lead Among Iowa Democrats.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=002-3f6&t=c>
(10/1, Korecki) reports former Vice President Joe Biden “holds a 21-point
lead among potential 2020 Democratic contenders in a survey
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=003-9ec&t=c>
of likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers.” While that places Biden “well
ahead of the field of prospective candidates, his advantage might not hold
for long, according to the new poll.” The same group, “of which 37 percent
said they’d caucus for Biden if the caucus were held today, also described
their ideal presidential candidate as someone younger and free of
Washington tarnish.”

*Medium Analysis: Biden “Most Consequential” Former VP,
Well-Positioned For 2020. *Under the headline “The Irresistible, Ineffable,
Occasionally Exhausting Power Of Joe Biden,” Garance Franke-Ruta writes at
Medium
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=004-a7e&t=c>
(10/1), “Nearly two years after the last election, with the clock ticking
toward decision day, Biden has kept busy, cultivating exactly the kind of
good will necessary to position himself for either one final bid for office
– or for being one of the most consequential former vice presidents to
leave the White House without becoming president.” Franke-Ruta says that
thanks to Biden’s work over the past two years, “he’s able to elevate
races, draw additional media to candidate events, galvanize volunteers, and
act as a national seal of approval for candidates new to the national
stage.” She concludes that “the endorsements and campaign appearances and
fundraising efforts, meanwhile, put him in touch with a whole new
generation of Democrats. ... And if in some not too distant future Biden
needs to reach out to them, well, that’s politics.”
Biden Endorses Spanberger’s Bid To Unseat VA7 Rep. Brat.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=005-294&t=c>
(10/1, Vozzella) reports, “Former vice president Joe Biden on Monday
endorsed Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat trying to unseat Rep. Dave Brat
in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.” Biden said, “In all my years in
politics, I can say that Abigail is the only former CIA Operative and Girl
Scout Leader that I have had the good fortune to endorse. ... And I’m proud
to do so because I know Abigail has what it takes to win in November.” The
Post says that “Biden, who is considering a 2020 presidential bid, has
endorsed 14 other candidates for federal, state and local offices around
the country this year, according to Ballotpedia. But this is the first
Virginia race he has waded into since last year, when he campaigned for
now-Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and endorsed five Democrats in House of
Delegates races.”
Biden Congratulates Nobel Prize Winning Researcher.

The Houston Patch
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=006-812&t=c>
(10/1) reports, “Former Vice President Joe Biden placed a call to Jim
Allison, Ph.D. Monday to congratulate him on winning the 2018 Nobel Prize
in Physiology or Medicine.” Biden said, “I just wanted to congratulate you
and thank you for everything you’ve done. I am so happy for you and you
deserve the recognition. You’re going to save an awful lot of lives.”
The Houston
Chronicle
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=007-00e&t=c>
(10/1) reports that Biden’s “son Beau was diagnosed and received treatment
for brain cancer at the” MD Anderson Cancer Center, where Allison serves as
the chairman of immunology. The Chronicle says “Biden’s time in Houston
laid the seeds for the Obama administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative to
accelerate progress against the deadly disease.” The Houston Chronicle
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=008-7d6&t=c>
(10/1) has a second report on accolades received by Allison.
Booker, Biden Headed To Hollywood To Raise Money For Democrats.

Deadline Hollywood
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=009-037&t=c>
(10/1) reports that Sen. Cory Booker (D) is headed to Hollywood “this month
to raise money for Democratic candidates in the midterms,” while NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=00a-729&t=c>
(10/1) reports, “Former Vice President Joe Biden will headline a fundraiser
in Beverly Hills this Wednesday” and that “tickets for the Biden event,
hosted at the offices of Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, are $5,000 a
head.” Newsmax
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=00b-382&t=c>
(10/1) also reports Booker’s and Biden’s fundraising trips.
Lifetime Relaunches “Stop Violence Against Women” Campaign.

Variety
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=00c-267&t=c>
(10/1) reports that “Lifetime is relaunching its Emmy Award-winning public
affairs campaign, ‘Stop Violence Against Women.’” Lifetime “is partnering
with advocacy groups, survivors and thought leaders to spread awareness,
empower women, provide healing tools and support for women and survivors in
need of assistance.” Variety says the Biden Foundation is among these
groups.
Leading the News
Media Analyses: US-Canada-Mexico Agreement A Major Win For Trump.

President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=00d-877&t=c>
yesterday, “Late last night, our deadline, we reached a wonderful new Trade
Deal with Canada, to be added into the deal already reached with Mexico.
The new name will be The United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA.
It is a great deal for all three countries, solves the many...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=00e-230&t=c>
deficiencies and mistakes in NAFTA, greatly opens markets to our Farmers
and Manufacturers, reduces Trade Barriers to the U.S. and will bring all
three Great Nations together in competition with the rest of the world. The
USMCA is a historic transaction!...[continuing tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=00f-a58&t=c>]...Congratulations
to Mexico and Canada!”

Media reports are largely casting the new agreement as a major win
for Trump. All three networks reported the story, with ABC World News
Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=010-670&t=c>
(10/1, story 6, 0:45, Muir) saying Trump “is celebrating his biggest trade
achievement yet,” and the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=011-6f9&t=c>
(10/1, story 3, 2:10, Jiang) that Canada “agreed to lift restrictions on
its dairy markets so US farmers can export products more easily.” However,
“the biggest impact is on the automobile industry,” as “in order to avoid
tariffs, the deal requires 75% of a car’s component parts to be
manufactured in North America, up from NAFTA’s 62.5 percent. It also
requires that at least 30 percent of the work on a car be completed by
employees earning $16 an hour or more.” CBS added that “this new agreement
is a campaign promise fulfilled by...Trump, who is expected to turn it into
a big talking point as he hits the trail again for the mid-term elections.”
In a similar report, NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=012-499&t=c>
(10/1, story 3, 1:50, Welker) showed Trump saying, “I promised to
renegotiate NAFTA, and today we have kept that promise.”

Under the headline, “Trump Hails Revised Nafta Deal As A Trade
Promise Kept,” the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=013-242&t=c>
(10/1, Rappeport) calls the deal “Trump’s biggest trade achievement to
date,” and reports Trump said in a news conference yesterday that the deal
showed that his “get-tough approach to trade, including his use of tariffs,
was bringing results.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=014-65c&t=c>
(10/1, Porter) reports separately, “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada
came away with a few items considered sacred for his nation’s economic
security: a dispute resolution system for companies that feel unjustly
targeted with taxes and a distant expiration date to the agreement.”
However, “the agreement does not eliminate the steep tariffs on steel and
aluminum that Mr. Trump imposed in the spring,” and “instead, Mr. Trudeau
said his country would continue to negotiate for their removal.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=015-5a0&t=c>
(10/1, Fabian) says Trump “took a victory lap” yesterday at the White
House, and the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=016-a8b&t=c>
(10/1, Lee) that he said “tariffs the US has placed on steel and aluminum
imports from Canada and Mexico will remain in place ‘until such time as we
can do something different,’ such as quotas, ‘so that our industry is
protected.’”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=017-dee&t=c>
(10/1, Tankersley) says the deal includes a “consequential set of
revisions,” including “new rules for automobile production, meant to
incentivize production of cars and trucks in countries that pay higher
wages.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=018-77a&t=c>
(10/1, Salama, Mauldin) reports that in a departure from past trade deals,
labor unions expressed praise for Trump’s approach, and that a group that
represents Detroit auto makers came out in favor of the deal. Said Matt
Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, “We commend the
United States, Canada, and Mexico negotiators for striking a deal.” Under
the agreement, says the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=019-4ef&t=c>
(10/1, Mauldin) in a separate story, at least two-fifths of automobiles
eligible for duty-free trade will have to originate from workers earning at
least $16 an hour.

The Detroit Free Press
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=01a-b03&t=c>
(10/1, Lawrence, Howard, Lareau) reports the “requirements for more
regional content produced by workers making higher wages should mean a
boost for American workers,” particularly as the deal “calls for higher
wages for autoworkers.” However, some also feared the new rules would cause
car prices to go up. The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=01b-784&t=c>
(10/1, Long) also says that “many economists think these new rules will
help some North American workers,” but “they...warn that car prices might
rise and some small cars may no longer be made in North America because
they would be too expensive under the new requirements.” To the Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=01c-0e6&t=c>
(10/1, Dawson, Roberts), however, the deal is a major win for automakers at
any rate, because it removes uncertainty and allows them to move forward
with factory investments.

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=01d-ad0&t=c>
(10/1, Higgins) reports that, ultimately, “Canada gave ground to the US” by
agreeing to roll “back protections for its domestic dairy industry,
providing a victory to American farmers on one of the key points of
negotiation.” Yesterday, the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=01e-be1&t=c>
(10/1, Miller) points out, the deal “got a thumbs-up from American
farmers.” Americans for Farmers & Families spokesman Casey Guernsey, for
example, “said the three-way deal showed Mr. Trump remembered his promise
‘to stand up for rural America.’” Sen. Charles E. Grassley, meanwhile,
“said the agreement looked ‘very favorable’ to American and Iowa
agriculture,” and tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=01f-ab8&t=c>,
“Pres Trump’s tough negotiation position may [be] paying off.” According to USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=020-1b3&t=c>
(10/1, Barrett), “dairy farmers in states such as New York and Wisconsin
will be able to sell more of their milk, butter and cheese to Canada under
a new trade pact.” Canada “will eliminate its so-called Class 7 milk
pricing system, which makes it cheaper for the country’s dairy processors
to buy certain ingredients domestically,” and “market access for the US
will exceed Canada’s concessions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=021-c60&t=c>
(10/1, Ross) reports that by making those concessions, “Canada avoided
doomsday scenarios that had been hanging over the country for months,
particularly Trump’s threat of punitive tariffs on auto imports that would
have caused major economic fallout.” The Post adds, however, that “the
Canadian sectors most affected by the deal, particularly dairy producers,
criticized the government Monday,” but “even that disapproval was
relatively muted.” The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=022-7a0&t=c>
(10/1, Barrett) reports, “The National Milk Producers Federation, one of
the US dairy industry’s largest trade groups, called the trade agreement,
which eliminates penalties, ‘incremental progress.’” Said its president,
Jim Mulhern, “We appreciate that the Trump administration continually
raised the profile of our issues at the negotiating table.”

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=023-365&t=c>
(10/1, Lee) reports that during his press conference, Trump said, “Once
approved by Congress, this new deal will be the most modern, up-to-date and
balanced trade agreement in the history of our country, with the most
advanced protections for workers ever developed.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=024-5b8&t=c>
(10/1, Holland) notes Trump also said yesterday the deal “would support
hundreds of thousands of US jobs, marking it as a victory in his push to
reshape the lines of global commerce.” Said Trump, “It means far more
American jobs, and these are high-quality jobs.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=025-dda&t=c>
(10/1, Miller) notes that Trump, who “often complains that reciprocity was
the key element missing from deals such as NAFTA,” said of the new
agreement, “We have negotiated this new agreement based on fairness and
reciprocity,” adding “that ‘reciprocity’ was the most important world in
trade deals.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=026-ce2&t=c>
(10/1, Thomas, Gillies) reports that Trump “branded the trade deal the
USMCA,’ a moniker he said would replace” NAFTA, and, “with a satisfied
smile...said the new name had a ‘good ring to it,’ repeating U-S-M-C-A
several times.” However, the AP says Trump also “noted that the deal would
need to be ratified by Congress,” and “when told that he seemed confident
of congressional approval...he said he was ‘not at all confident’” because
Democrats are likely to say, “Trump likes it so we’re not going to approve
it.” To Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=027-aeb&t=c>
(10/1, Cassella), that is “not outside the realm of possibility,” as “newly
powerful Democrats who despise the president, and who would be loath to
hand anything even closely resembling a policy victory to the White House,
could simply choose to reject anything that comes their way.”

CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=028-900&t=c>
(10/1, Bennett) reports, however, that “a top author of the deal says there
is no major flaw to prevent Democrats from supporting it.” USTR Lighthizer,
“who was instrumental in the deal, predicted the agreement would pass both
chambers ‘with a substantial majority.’” Said Lighthizer, “There are no
poison pills for Democrats.”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=029-5e3&t=c>
(10/1, Bogorowski) casts the agreement as “providing Trump a crucial win as
he has long promised to renegotiate the pact,” and Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=02a-00b&t=c>
(10/1, Pettypiece, Mayeda) reports that it may “score political points for
Trump ahead of the mid-term elections” because “revamping Nafta was a key
promise of his 2016 election campaign.” Bloomberg adds “corporate America’s
response to the deal has largely been one of relief that Trump didn’t scrap
the entire trade alliance,” while “industry groups spanning retailers,
textiles and consumer products commended the deal.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=02b-8d6&t=c>
(10/1) quotes David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist for JPMorgan Funds, as
saying, “It really is tweaks to NAFTA, but at least some of them in a
positive direction from the economic perspective. It really is very small
changes to the underlying framework of North American trade, but that’s a
positive. ... To the extent we avoided a trade war in this hemisphere at
least that is a positive.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=02c-388&t=c>
(10/1, Werner) reports, meanwhile, Republicans in Congress, “who generally
like NAFTA, applauded the announcement of the new deal, with some saying it
validated Trump’s approach to trade policy.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=02d-7bb&t=c>
(10/1, Long) also reports the Administration earned “wary praise Monday
from business groups, farmers, investors and even some Democratic
lawmakers.” However, Trump’s “ebullience about ‘high-quality American jobs’
ushering in ‘a new dawn for the American auto industry’ stood in contrast
to the relatively muted assessments of professional economists.”

*Trump Mocks “Babies” Who Criticized His Use Of Tariffs. *CNN’s
Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=02e-33f&t=c>
(10/1) reported at his press conference Monday, “Trump seemed to delight in
taking on his GOP critics who have blasted his policy at imposing tariffs
on US allies.” CNN showed Trump saying, “Just for those babies out there
that keep talking about tariffs – that includes Congress --” who said,
“‘Oh, please, don’t charge tariffs.’ Without tariffs, you wouldn’t be – we
wouldn’t be standing here” with the new trade agreement.

*Schumer: Trump “Deserves Praise.” *The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=02f-ed0&t=c>
(10/1, Weaver) reports Senate Minority Leader Schumer “gave...Trump rare
praise Monday for the renegotiated trade deal between the US, Mexico, and
Canada.” Schumer “said that Trump ‘deserves praise’ for taking ‘large
steps’ to improve the outgoing North American Free Trade Agreement,”
adding, “As someone who voted against NAFTA and opposed it for many years,
I knew it needed fixing.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=030-437&t=c>
(10/1, Dinan) also reports “Schumer sounded a cautiously positive note
Monday about the new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal,” and ABC World News
Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=031-7b2&t=c>
(10/1, story 6, 0:45, Muir) referred to “the President earning rare praise
tonight from...Schumer, who gave” him “credit for taking steps to improve
the deal.”

*Democrat From District Carried By Trump Calls Revised NAFTA
“Promising.” *On MSNBC’s Morning Joe[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=032-ed1&t=c>
(10/1), Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) was asked whether the revised deal is “a
better NAFTA,” Bustos said, “There are two signs that are promising: I come
from farm country, and the fact that there is an agreement worked out on
milk, and how we can trade better with Canada on milk; and the other
component, non-ag-related, is the $16 an-hour minimum wage for the auto
workers out of Mexico.” Bustos pointed out that she won re-election by more
than 20 points in a district carried by Trump.

*Kudlow: “Sometimes Hard Ball Works.” *National Economic Council
Director Kudlow was asked on Fox Business’ Varney & Co.[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=033-c76&t=c>
(10/1) if the President “beat up” Canada to get this deal. Kudlow said, “I
wouldn’t say beat up but sometimes hard ball works. He has been steadfast
in his view. NAFTA had to be fixed.” Kudlow added, “When you look at the
market openings, for dairy farmers, wheat, manufacturing, automobiles and
so forth, what you got here is a preservation and strengthening of the
supply chains, which is what businesses were really worried about. That was
the heart of NAFTA. Tariff-free supply chains and I think not only has that
been preserved, it has actually been expanded. The US farm community and
manufacturing community benefited. I think all three countries benefited
from that. I would also say it sends an important message to China where
we’re trying to negotiate on trade.”

*Mnuchin: New Trade Deal “Revolutionary.” *Treasury Secretary
Mnuchin was asked on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=034-587&t=c>
(10/1) what “guarantees” he can give that the deal “gets you as much as you
can get on dairy,” and “that it does have enforceable environmental and
labor provisions.” Mnuchin said that when “people go through the details,
they are going to be incredibly pleased with” the plan. Mnuchin was also
asked about concerns that “the auto provisions and the rules of origin” –
which require that 75 percent of all cars be manufactured in North America,
and that 40 to 45 percent of vehicles be made by people who are making $16
an hour or more – will raise the price of cars in the US and potentially
drive manufacturing of some cars overseas. He replied, “I don’t think that
should be a concern at all. Quite the contrary, this will bring jobs back
to America. ... This is a revolutionary agreement.”

Mnuchin was later asked how the deal came to be made after
President Trump last week signaled that talks with Canada were going
poorly. Mnuchin said[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=035-1f0&t=c>,
“Lots of deals are done at the last minute. ... Ambassador Bob Lighthizer
and Jared Kushner did a great job negotiating around the clock. We made a
lot of progress over the last weekend.” Mnuchin also defended the
Administration’s use of tariffs. He said tariffs “Are a great negotiating
tactic. ... There is no question whether it was Mexico, Canada, the EU, or
China – [tariffs are] very effective in negotiating better deals.” When
asked if the US can “apply the same rules” to the EU and Japan “as has
worked” with Mexico and Canada, Mnuchin said[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=036-1aa&t=c>
that on “many of the same issues, absolutely.”

*Navarro Touts Deal, Chides Media For Failing To Cover Trump’s
Successes. *Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=037-6cf&t=c>
(10/1), Peter Navarro, Director of the White House National Trade Council,
said the new USMCA is the “biggest deal in history, no hyperbole...a great
day for America and a great day for North America.” Navarro added, “It’s
really an extraordinary deal because it’s a case where this President...has
been able to make a deal where everybody is better off. ... It’s a promise
made, promise kept. Everybody criticized this President for trying to undo
NAFTA, which was the worst trade deal we have ever had, but today, it looks
like it’s done.” According to Navarro, the President is “quietly...putting
together a record on the economy and trade [that] is better than any
President in modern history. I said ‘quietly’ because the media has largely
ignored it.”

Navarro said on CNBC’s Squawk Box[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=038-3d7&t=c>
(10/1), “Trump is the visionary on this. He was very involved in that. I
think that Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and Jared Kushner did have a great
teamwork on this. Both of them should be congratulated for bringing this to
the finish line. ... I think it’s a very bullish day for America. It’s a
bullish day for North America.” Navarro added, “President Trump basically
has declared that we will no longer be the piggyback of the world. We are
free traders All we seek is fair and reciprocal trade that’s the approach
we take. And when countries come to the table and bargain fairly, we sign
deals.”

*NYTimes: Despite Having Made “Concessions,” Mexico Hails
Agreement. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=039-606&t=c>
(10/1, Malkin) reports “Mexico’s incoming president, the leftist Andrés
Manuel López Obrador, once railed against free-market policies and harbored
deep misgivings about the North American Free Trade Agreement.” Yet “hours
after Canada joined an agreement between Mexico and the United States to
revamp the 24-year-old trade deal, the president-elect and his aides on
Monday hailed the last-minute negotiations that salvaged the trilateral
accord.” The Times adds “both Mr. López Obrador, Mexico’s president-elect,
and the center-right Enrique Peña Nieto, its president, welcomed news of
the agreement, glossing over the fact that it included Mexican concessions
– particularly in the auto industry, a key concern for...Trump.”

*WPost Editorial: Agreement “Could Have Been Worse.” *The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=03a-272&t=c>
(10/1) editorializes that Trump’s “aggressive and unpredictable approach to
trade policy demands a new definition of success. Call it the ‘could have
been worse’ standard.”
Foreign Policy
Despite Canceled Beijing Trip, Mattis Says US-China Relations Will Not
Worsen.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=03b-58f&t=c>
(10/1, Baldor, Burns) reports Defense Secretary Mattis “said Monday that he
doesn’t see the US relationship with China worsening after a series of
setbacks.” Mattis told reporters in Paris, “There’s tension points in the
relationship, but based on discussions coming out of New York last week and
other things that we have coming up, we do not see it getting worse.” He
added, “We’ll sort this out.” Also on Monday, Pentagon officials told the
AP that “Mattis had dropped plans to visit China amid rising tensions
between Beijing and Washington.” The trip was never publicly announced, but
Mattis was expected “to visit Beijing in October for two-plus-two security
talks with his Chinese counterpart as well as US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo and Pompeo’s Chinese counterpart.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=03c-790&t=c>
(10/1, Wolfgang) says that “there are conflicting reports as to exactly how
the meeting fell apart,” but it “comes as the relationship between
Washington and Beijing continues to deteriorate.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=03d-08d&t=c>
(10/1, Lubold, Page) reports a US defense official said late Sunday that
the Pentagon soured on the prospect of Mattis attending the conference
after learning that his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Wei Fenghe, would not be
able to attend the planned meeting. The Pentagon confirmed the cancellation
shortly after the USS Decatur sailed near at least two Chinese military
outposts in the disputed South China Sea.

Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=03e-f27&t=c>
(10/1) reported that the US Navy warship sailed near the “two contested
islands” during a freedom of navigation operation. A Chinese destroyer
“came within 45 yards of the US ship, which the US Pacific Fleet called
unsafe.”
North Korea Accuses US Of Demanding Too Much Ahead Of Pompeo’s Visit.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=03f-d04&t=c>
(10/1, Choe) reports that North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News
Agency (KNCA) published commentary on Tuesday in accusing the
Administration of demanding too much and conceding too little in
denuclearization negotiations. In response to demands by US officials and
analysts for “a full inventory of its nuclear program for verification and
to start dismantling its nuclear and missile facilities,” KCNA “called such
demands ‘rubbish’” and said a US declaration to end the Korean War “can
never be a bargaining chip for” denuclearization. “If the US doesn’t want
the end of war,” KCNA added, then North Korea “will also not particularly
hope for it.” According to the Times, the commentary indicates that
Pyongyang “will drive a hard bargain when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
makes his fourth visit to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, this month”
to “narrow differences over the terms of denuclearizing and arrange a new
summit meeting between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump.”

*South Korea Says North Removing Land Mines From Two DMZ Sites. *The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=040-455&t=c>
(10/1) reports South Korea’s Defense Ministry “says it believes North Korea
has begun removing land mines from two sites at the rivals’ heavily
fortified border.” Earlier Monday, South Korea “sent troops to remove its
mines from the sites at the Demilitarized Zone under recent agreements with
North Korea aimed at reducing their decades-long military animosity.” The
Defense Ministry “says it detected North Korean soldiers engaging in what
it believes are demining-related work at the two sites.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=041-c6f&t=c>
(10/1, Sang-Hun) reports the army engineers’ “efforts on Monday began a
two-month operation to clear mines and build a road to Arrowhead Hill, also
known as Hill 281, in the DMZ, the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a
statement.” Arrowhead Hill was “selected as the site for them to jointly
conduct a pilot search for remains within the no-man’s zone, where some of
the fiercest battles of the Korean War were fought.”
Trump Awards Medal Of Honor To Afghan War Veteran.

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=042-1ce&t=c>
(10/1, Jackson, Brook) reports, “Conferring the Medal of Honor on a former
Army medic, President Donald Trump praised recipient Ronald Shurer II on
Monday as an inspiration who saved lives in Afghanistan, served as a
special agent in the Secret Service, and is now battling cancer.” During a
White House ceremony, Trump said, “He’s been fighting it every single day.
He’s a warrior.” In a brief statement after the ceremony, Shurer said he
was “incredibly honored and humbled” by the Medal of Honor, and he paid
tribute to his comrades in battle, saying, “It’s really a team effort.” The CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=043-606&t=c>
(10/1, story 5, 3:00, Glor) showed Trump saying, “We stand in awe of your
father’s courage. We really do. Today he joins the world’s most elite
gathering of heroes.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=044-0d7&t=c>
(10/1, story 10, 1:30, Muir) reported, “On April 6, 2008, Shurer and his
fellow soldiers were ambushed by some 200 enemy fighters” in Afghanistan,
“taking on heavy machine gun, sniper, and rocket-propelled grenade fire.
Braving the onslaught, Shurer, the only medic, immediately and courageously
began treating more than a dozen wounded, sprinting through enemy fire
while returning fire. Climbing a mountain to treat the wounded. For more
than six hours, he bravely faced down the enemy, using his own body as a
shield.”

The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=045-ec9&t=c>
(10/1, Schultz) reports Shurer “was greeted with such a loud ovation at the
White House” that Trump quipped, “I wish I was that popular.” NBC Nightly
News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=046-4a0&t=c>
(10/1, story 6, 1:50, Holt) reported that “even now, Staff Sergeant Shurer
continues to serve his country by protecting the President as a member of
the US Secret Service.”
Saudi Arabia Admits “Mistakes” In Coalition Operations In Yemen.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=047-895&t=c>
(10/1, Nebehay) reports Saudi Defense Ministry representative Osaiker
Alotaibi on Monday told the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the
Child that Riyadh “was working hard to correct mistaken targeting by its
military coalition in Yemen that has killed civilians including children.”
The panel of independent rights experts “examined the Saudi record on
compliance with a treaty protocol on children in armed conflict, and
repeatedly raised the issue of children killed by coalition attacks in
Yemen.” The panel’s vice-chair, Clarence Nelson, said the issue of children
casualties in Yemen “has been going on a number of years,” and nothing
indicates “that any perpetrators or people responsible for these kinds of
actions have been prosecuted or sanctioned or dealt with in any way.”
US Scales Back Military Presence In Persian Gulf Despite Anti-Iran Rhetoric.

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=048-a15&t=c>
(10/1, Youssef, Lubold) reports that even as the Administration ramps up
its rhetoric on Iran, the US military presence in the Persian Gulf region
has dwindled. The Journal notes that the USS Theodore Roosevelt departed
the region in March, and has yet to be replaced by another aircraft
carrier. The US has also moved four Patriot missile systems out of the
region.

*Iran Launches Missile Strikes On Targets In Eastern Syria.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=049-9ac&t=c>
(10/1, Cunningham) reports Iran “launched missile strikes on what it said
were Sunni Islamic extremist hideouts in eastern Syria, a move it portrayed
as retaliation for a deadly terrorist attack on an Iranian military parade
last month.” The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “said it fired six
medium-range missiles into Syria from bases in western Iran at 2 a.m. local
time, striking east of the Euphrates River and killing and wounding several
militants. It said its combat drones then targeted the sites.” In a
statement on its website, the Guard “described those killed as ‘takfiri
terrorists,’ a term it often uses to refer to the Islamic State.” The
Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=04a-940&t=c>
(10/1, Muñoz) reports US officials “claim[ed] the Iranian missiles landed
dangerously close to U.S.-backed forces in Syria and their American
military advisers, who are in the midst of a final push to drive ISIS from
its last enclaves in Syria.” The “missile barrage” came “a week after the
group claimed credit” for the parade attack.

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=04b-079&t=c>
(10/1, Lawati) reports the IRG said they were “targeting ringleaders of
last month’s attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of
Ahvaz.” the IRNA reported that “six missiles were fired from a distance of
570 kilometers while seven drones bombarded the positions of the terrorists
in Syria,” and that some of “the leaders of the September 22 attack were
killed or wounded and their ammunition stockpiles destroyed, the agency
said, without giving details.”

*OPEC Oil Production Up Marginally In September. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=04c-595&t=c>
(10/1, Lawler) reports OPEC “delivered only a limited increase in oil
production in September, a Reuters survey has found, as a cut in Iranian
shipments due to U.S. sanctions offset higher output in Libya, Saudi Arabia
and Angola.” The 15 members of OPEC “pumped 32.85 million barrels per day
in September, the survey on Monday found, up 90,000 bpd from August’s
revised level and the highest this year.” However, the “12 OPEC members
bound by a supply-limiting agreement actually cut output by 70,000 bpd
because of declines in Iran and Venezuela, boosting compliance with supply
targets to 128 percent from a revised 122 percent in August, the survey
found.”

Meanwhile, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=04d-1b4&t=c>
reports Iran has “no plans to cut oil production, the head of the state-run
National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), Ali Kardor, said on Monday, according
to the Tasnim news agency.” Though the US “aims to reduce Tehran’s oil
revenue to zero in an effort to force Iran’s leadership to change its
behavior in the region,” Tasnim quoted Kardor as saying Iran is
“experiencing no issues with receiving income from its oil sales.”

*Iran May Offer Crude Oil For Export Through Stock Exchange. *
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=04e-a65&t=c>
(10/1, Dehghanpisheh) reports Iran “may start offering oil via its stock
exchange as soon as next week, the head of state-run National Iranian Oil
Company, Ali Kardor, said Monday, according to the Islamic Republic News
Agency (IRNA).” Kardor said “one million barrels of oil will be offered on
the stock exchange which will only be for export.”

*Iran Sentences Three To Death Amid Anti-Corruption Push. *Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=04f-fbe&t=c>
(10/1, Motevalli) reports a “notorious Iranian gold dealer known as the
‘Sultan of Coins’ was among three men sentenced to death this week in the
strongest warning yet to officials and merchants not to exploit the
country’s financial troubles as the next round of U.S. sanctions loom.”
Bloomberg notes that given “growing public anger over the deteriorating
economy,” the Iranian government “embarked on a drive to root out
corruption and punish speculators it blames for exacerbating the currency
crisis.”

*Standard Chartered Faces Possible $1.5 Billion Penalty For Iran
Sanctions Violations. *Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=050-1af&t=c>
(10/1, Choudhury, Finch, Farrell) reports Standard Chartered Plc is
“bracing for a potential penalty of around $1.5 billion from U.S.
authorities for allowing customers to violate Iran sanctions, people
familiar with the matter said.” The sources said the figure is “a
preliminary assessment based on some of the communications between the bank
and the regulators.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=051-c31&t=c>
(10/1, Singh) reports Standard Chartered Plc is “cooperating with the
investigation about compliance with historical sanctions, a Standard
Chartered spokeswoman said.”
Lebanese FM Leads Diplomats On Tour Of Alleged Hezbollah Missile Sites.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=052-34c&t=c>
(10/1, Sly, Haidamous) reports Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil
“escorted dozens of foreign ambassadors and diplomats to visit a soccer
field, a warehouse and a golf course adjoining Beirut’s airport Monday to
counter allegations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that
Hezbollah has stored precision guided missiles at the sites.” Bassil said
the tour was aimed at demonstrating that Netanyahu is an “international
liar.” Participating diplomats said on condition of anonymity “that the
tour seemed inconclusive given that one of the sites was excluded,” and
that “the map displayed by Netanyahu was too indistinct to ascertain the
exact locations of the purported missile sites” in the first place.
According to the Post, Netanyahu’s “allegations and the Lebanese response”
underscores “the real risk of another Israel-Lebanon war as the conflict in
Syria winds down” and leaves “Lebanon’s Shiite militia Hezbollah, which is
allied with Iran and has fought for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a
more powerful position than ever.”
Pew Survey Finds Declining Global Opinions Of Trump, US.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=053-932&t=c>
(10/1, Barkin) reports that the Pew Research Center’s “leading survey” of
25 countries “showed that respondents from across the globe have less
confidence in [President] Trump’s ability to lead than they do in Russia’s
Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.” Allied nations “took a dim view of
the Trump administration’s position on civil liberties, with majorities in
Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and Mexico saying
the government did not respect the personal freedoms of its people.”
Despite Trump’s low ratings among respondents, 63 percent “said the world
was better off with the United States as the leading power, compared to 19
percent who preferred China in that role.” Meanwhile, “America’s image,
which took a big hit in 2017, Trump’s first year in office, continued to
deteriorate in many countries in 2018, particularly in Europe,” according
to the survey. Israel, the Philippines, and South Korea had “the most
positive views” of the US, “all at 80 percent or above.”
Trump Offers Condolences To Indonesia As Death Toll Rises From Tsunami.

The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=054-bfe&t=c>
(10/1, story 4, 1:45, Glor) reported that President Trump on Monday
“expressed his condolences to Indonesia after a devastating 7.5 earthquake
and tsunami. The death toll will likely reach into the thousands” because
“rescuers have yet to reach some of the hardest-hit areas.” James Longman
reported on ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=055-f69&t=c>
(10/1, story 4, 2:05, Muir) that more than 800 people are confirmed dead,
but “authorities say those numbers are set to rise. ... And no dignity in
death. Victims now being buried in mass graves.” Fox News’ Special
Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=056-531&t=c>
(10/1) said that “rescue teams are working around the clock,” and NBC
Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=057-fc2&t=c>
(10/1, story 4, 1:30, Holt) described a “frantic effort to find anyone
still alive under the rubble.” NBC (Frayer) added, “Fresh water and fuel
are now running low. Food stores have been looted. And damaged airports had
to cancel flights after hundreds of people swarmed the runway begging to
find a way out. Aid agencies say nearly 200,000 people are in urgent need,
but a priority, heavy equipment to lift debris, and rescuers are running
out of time.”
Domestic Policy
Trump Backs “Comprehensive” Kavanaugh Probe, Warns Against “Witch Hunt.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=058-ab6&t=c>
(10/1, Superville, Balsamo) reports President Trump said yesterday during
his press conference about the new USMCA trade agreement that he “wants the
FBI to do a ‘comprehensive’ investigation into allegations of sexual
misconduct by Brett Kavanaugh.” Trump “said it’s fine with him if the FBI
wants to pursue accusations made by three women who have publicly come
forward.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=059-0d1&t=c>
(10/1, Holland) points out, however, that Trump also “said he does not want
the probe to become a ‘witch hunt.’” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=05a-f8c&t=c>
(10/1, Boyer) quotes Trump as asking “rhetorically,” “We don’t want to go
on a witch hunt, do we?”

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=05b-fb0&t=c>
(10/1, Andrews, Peterson, Nicholas) likewise reports that Trump said he
wants a “comprehensive” but quick investigation, and the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=05c-b67&t=c>
(10/1, Brown) that he “said he is keeping an ‘open mind’” to its results,
saying, “Certainly if they find something, I’m going to take that into
consideration. Absolutely. I have a very open mind. The person that takes
that position is going to be there for a long time. I have a very open
mind.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=05d-753&t=c>
(10/1, Everett, Schor) says that “effectively the president is putting the
onus of the investigation on three undecided GOP senators who requested the
FBI investigation and will determine Kavanaugh’s fate in the Senate: Jeff
Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.”
Said Trump, “My White House will do whatever the senators want. I’m open to
whatever they want. ... I’m guided by the senators.”

To the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=05e-35a&t=c>
(10/1, Wagner), however, “Trump sowed further confusion...about the scope
of the FBI’s” probe by saying “he is open to a ‘very comprehensive
investigation’” while suggesting “at different points that the probe would
be guided by the wishes of Republican senators and that the FBI could
decide whom to interview so long as it was ‘within reason.’” His comments
came “as concerns mount among Democrats that the White House is trying to
impose strict limits on the FBI in the week it has been given to conduct
interviews.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=05f-873&t=c>
(10/1, Bierman) reports that “Trump, in his news conference, continued to
cast Kavanaugh and his family as the victims, without mentioning the
accusers’ claims of personal trauma, and warned that Kavanaugh’s experience
would discourage others from seeking either elective office or federal jobs
that require Senate confirmation.” Said Trump, “It’s unfair to him at this
point. .. What his wife is going through, what his beautiful children are
going through, it’s not describable.... It’s not fair.”

Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=060-6ba&t=c>
(10/1, Spiering) reports Trump “said he understood Kavanaugh’s drive to be
the best student at his high school and Yale.” Said Trump, “I think he’s a
fine man. ... I think he’s a great scholar…he focused on being number one
at Yale, on being number one in high school, at being number one at law. I
can so understand that.” Trump also “said he believes Kavanaugh was honest
about his college and high school drinking and pointed out a double
standard from senators and members of the media.” Added Trump, “I really
believe that he was very strong on the fact that he drank a lot and – so I
don’t know where there’d be big discrepancy.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=061-305&t=c>
(10/1, Pettypiece) quotes Trump as also saying, “I was surprised at how
vocal he was about the fact that he likes beer and he’s had a little bit of
difficulty, I mean, he talked about things that happened when he drank.”
Bloomberg adds that “Kavanaugh’s repeated references to liking beer – and
initial attempts to avoid answering a question on whether he had ever
blacked out from alcohol use – have been the subject of parody, including a
skit
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=062-480&t=c>
on NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live.’”

*Trump Refers To Democratic Senator Seen In “Compromising”
Situation. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=063-718&t=c>
(10/1, Miller) reports Trump “said Monday that some US senators are ‘not
angels’ and went too far in questioning...Kavanaugh’s alcohol use in high
school.” Trump “said he witnessed one Democrat senator in a ‘compromising’
situation,” saying, “I happen to know some United States senators, one who
is on the other side who is pretty aggressive. I’ve seen that person in
very bad situations.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=064-5ec&t=c>
(10/1, Bierman) notes that “asked for specifics, Trump said he would ‘save
it for a book, like everybody else.’”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=065-d37&t=c>
(10/1, Johnson) reports “Trump expounded on the ‘angels’ allegation later
on in the press conference when asked about the timetables for the FBI
investigation.” Said Trump, “Look at Blumenthal. He lied about Vietnam – he
didn’t just say ‘Hey, I went to Vietnam.’ For 15 years he said he was a war
hero. He fought in Da-Nang province. We call him Da-Nang Richard. … He
never went to Vietnam. And he’s up there saying, ‘We need honesty, and we
need integrity.’ This guy lied.” The DC adds “Blumenthal lied multiple
times about serving in Vietnam, saying he ‘misspoke’ about his stolen
valor.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=066-df9&t=c>
(10/1, Jackson) reports Trump also “attacked Sen. Cory Booker.” Besides
“saying that Booker ‘ran Newark, New Jersey into the ground,’” Trump
“appeared to refer to a column Booker wrote in college in which he
described being a 15-year-old trying to touch a girl’s breast while they
kissed at a New Year’s Eve party.” Said Trump, “Take a look at Cory Booker.
... He ran Newark, New Jersey into the ground. He was a horrible mayor. And
he made statements that when he was in high school or college, what he was
doing – he actually made the statements. And now he’s talking about Judge
Kavanaugh.”

*Discussing Kavanaugh Charges, Trump Says Media “Part Of The
Democrat Party.” *The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=067-56c&t=c>
(10/1, Johnson) reports Trump “told a CNN reporter that he considers the
media ‘part of the Democrat Party’ Monday at the White House.” During the
USMCA press conference, Trump “veered off script and took questions on his
embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh,” turning “his aim to the
press” and saying that Sen. Dianne Feinstein “leaked the allegations”
against his nominee “to them.” Said Trump, “More importantly, in a sense,
for her to have waited for that period of time enough for you Democrats.
... And I guess I’m including you, too, the media. I consider you a part of
the Democrat Party. But, for you, for the Democrats, to be talking about,
‘We want more time for the FBI.’ If you wanted more time for the FBI, why
didn’t Dianne Feinstein bring this up?” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=068-312&t=c>
(10/1, Chalfant) says that “throughout the news conference, Trump continued
to squabble with reporters and accuse the press of misleading coverage,
charges that have become a hallmark of Trump’s presidency.” He “accused the
press of treating him ‘unbelievably unfairly.’”

*Trump To ABC’s Vega: “I Know You’re Not Thinking, You Never Do.” *
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=069-63c&t=c>
(10/1, Schwartz) reports Trump “directly insulted one reporter, refused to
answer questions about...Kavanaugh until he was done taking queries on
trade, and called the media ‘loco.’” Politico recounts that “after calling
on ABC News’ Cecilia Vega for a question, Trump said, ‘She’s shocked that I
picked her. Like in a state of shock.’” Vega “responded, ‘I’m not, thank
you, Mr. President,’” and Trump retorted, “That’s ok. I know you’re not
thinking, you never do.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=06a-261&t=c>
(10/1, lead story, 4:05, Vega) ran footage of the exchange, and showed Vega
asking, “Excuse me? You said it was incorrect you are limiting the scope of
the FBI investigation?” Trump replied, “What does that have to do with
trade? I don’t mind answering the question. I would like to do --” Vega:
“It has to do with the Kavanaugh nomination?” Trump: “How about getting to
trade and then we’ll get to that?” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=06b-bd9&t=c>
(10/1, Wayne) notes that Vega later tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=06c-8af&t=c>,
“A news conference means you get to ask whatever question you want to ask
#FirstAmendment.”

*FBI Probe Reportedly Could Be Completed As Early As Today. *CNN
political correspondent Dana Bash tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=06d-130&t=c>
yesterday, “GOP senator tells me that @senatemajldr told WH Friday the 3
key GOP Senators wanted the FBI to interview 4 people: PJ Smyth, Leland
Keyser, Mark Judge & Deborah Ramirez. Senator tells me with that limit –
FBI could be done by today or Tuesday.” Wolf Blitzer similarly
reported on CNN’s
Wolf[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=06e-139&t=c>
(10/1) that “it seems reasonable the FBI could be done with this
investigation within a few days, maybe as quickly as either today or
tomorrow.” Along those lines, Ed Lawrence reported on Fox Business Cavuto:
Coast to Coast[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=06f-222&t=c>
(10/1), “A senior Republican Senate official is telling Fox News that the
FBI investigation could be wrapped up as early as Tuesday into Judge Brett
Kavanaugh.”

Jim Acosta said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=070-b9f&t=c>
(10/1), “In a strange way, the battle over Brett Kavanaugh may actually
help the President in the upcoming midterm elections. That’s because
nothing fires up the GOP base like the fight over who controls the Supreme
Court. I talked to one source close to the White House earlier this
afternoon who said this may be waking up a sleeping giant, but, of course,
that may hinge on just how this investigation of...Kavanaugh comes to an
end.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=071-2b3&t=c>
(10/1), “I don’t think we will find anything new from this supplemental FBI
investigation to take Jeff [Flake] from yes, to no. I think Sen. Murkowski
and Sen. Collins want to make sure that the FBI did their homework, they
checked the committee’s work. ... I think that is what this is all about.
We’re not expanding at all this crazy stuff.” Graham said that if Kavanaugh
falls one vote short, he would “renominate him and I would take this case
to the American people and I would ask voters in Indiana and Missouri and
North Dakota and other places where Trump won saying who he would nominate
if he got to be President and see if voters want to appeal the verdict of
their senator.”

Brit Hume said on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=072-3df&t=c>
(10/1), “It’s a little hard at times to tell exactly what the investigation
is supposed to be, how long it is supposed to last, what it supposed to
cover. In fact, when Sen. Flake was asked what he understood to be the
credible allegations that were to be investigated, he said he would leave
that up to the FBI. The President says the same thing but we do know that
Trump, for all he says about letting the FBI do whatever he wants, he’s
also saying that he’s leaving it up to the Senate and that means is that
the Senate majority, that means the Republicans, who I think are pretty
clearly setting the terms of this investigation.”

Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist said on Fox News’ Special
Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018100201biden&r=email-00e5&l=073-b5d&t=c>
(10/1), “Last week during the hearing, we heard a bunch of people say they
wanted to the FBI to look into the allegations, essentially the first
allegations. It was very important that the FBI look into them and even
though the FBI doesn’t even have better investigatory tools than the Senate
Judiciary Committee, which had already looked into them. So, people said
that is fine, to allay concerns, we’ll have a week delay while they look
into this and it will be limited. It won’t be a fishing expedition but they
will look into it. Then as soon as that was agreed to, it seemed like the
goalposts kept moving into how much we can delay and how much more we can
put in here. It is reasonable to look into these allegations. It’s
reasonable to summarize them. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days
and get the report, go ahead and vote.”

*White House Authorizes Expanded FBI Probe. *The New York Times
<http