Nicandro Iannacci  //  6/18/19  //  Daily Update

House Democrats plan to counter President Trump’s assertions of executive privilege by soliciting testimony from people who never worked in the White House. The Pentagon ordered 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East “for defensive purposes." Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) stated that bills to protect U.S. elections from foreign interference are not receiving floor votes in the Senate because of objections from the White House.

TRUMP: INVESTIGATIONS & LITIGATION

House Democrats plan to counter President Trump’s assertions of executive privilege by soliciting testimony from people who never worked in the White House (Politico).

• The president’s spurious claims of executive privilege risk undermining its legitimate use by future presidents, writes Neal Katyal in The New York Times.

IMMIGRATION

Many landlords and local officials oppose the Trump administration’s proposal to evict undocumented immigrants from public housing (NYT).

At the request of House attorneys so that an appeal may be filed, a federal judge in D.C. dismissed the chamber’s lawsuit challenging President Trump’s use of military funds to build a border wall (The Hill).

CIVIL RIGHTS

The State Department’s creation of a “Commission on Unalienable Rights” raises concerns about the Trump administration’s commitment to human rights, writes Carol Giacomo in The New York Times.

JUSTICE & SAFETY

The Pentagon ordered 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East “for defensive purposes” (AP, Politico).

• The Pentagon also released new photos to bolster its case that Iran is responsible for last week’s attack on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf (AP, Politico).
• Iran threatened to surpass the limits on enriched uranium contained in the international nuclear agreement 10 days from now unless Europeans do more to help the country get around U.S. sanctions (WaPo, WSJ).
• The president may not want war, but he’ll get one unless he engages in serious diplomacy, writes Vali Nasr in The New York Times.

Many companies plan to testify in opposition to President Trump’s planned tariffs on Chinese imports during USTR hearings this week (The Hill, Politico).

• The Trump administration is concerned that an arms sale with Taiwan may undermine trade talks with China (WSJ).
• In response to the president’s trade actions, India imposed tariffs on 28 U.S. products (WaPo).

Kelly Craft, President Trump’s nominee to be U.N. Ambassador, is drawing scrutiny for frequent travel away from Canada during her time as ambassador there (Politico).

The DOJ indictment of Julian Assange seems designed either to fail badly or to set a very dangerous precedent, writes Nicholas Weaver at Lawfare.

New revelations about U.S. cyber capabilities raises questions of international law, statutory authority, and presidential notification, writes Bobby Chesney at Lawfare.

CHECKS & BALANCES

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has amassed a strong record of successful oversight of the Trump administration (Politico).

REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) said she supports an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, becoming one of the first Democrats in a competitive district to endorse the idea (NYT).

The Nixon years contain lessons for today’s debate about President Trump and the politics of impeachment, writes Sidney Blumenthal at Just Security.

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said bills to protect U.S. elections from foreign interference are not receiving floor votes in the Senate because of objections from the White House (The Hill).

• Proposals to require campaigns to report offers of foreign assistance to the FBI are distractions from more effective ways to hold President Trump accountable for his behavior, writes Kate Martin at Just Security.

RULE OF LAW

Congress should take action to prevent President Trump from using executive power and authority to interfere in the 2020 election, writes Jessica Marsden at The Hill.