At a rally in Huntington, West Virginia, on Thursday night, President Trump thanked the audience in front of him for his election victory last year, saying: "We didn't win because of Russia, we won because of you. Are there any Russians here tonight? Any Russians?"
He also called the "Russian story" a "total fabrication. It is just an excuse for the greatest loss in the history of American politics. That's all it is." Trump did not comment on any of the reports about Special Counsel Robert Mueller impaneling a grand jury in Washington, D.C., as part of the Russia probe, but did say he hopes Mueller's investigation will be "an honest one" because that's what "the millions of people who gave us our big win in November deserve and what all Americans who want a better future want and deserve."
Speaking in coal country, Trump said he kept his campaign promise to the people of West Virginia by ending the "war on beautiful, clean coal. We have stopped the EPA intrusion. American coal exports are already up." Trump's trip to West Virginia makes sense — his poll numbers, low nationally and across most of the country, are highest in West Virginia, according to a July Gallup poll in which 60 percent of residents approved of his presidency. Catherine Garcia
We have our first stunning 2019 Emmys upset.
Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge just won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in a massive upset over Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Louis-Dreyfus was widely considered to be the race's front-runner, as she had never before lost the award for playing Selina Meyer on HBO's Veep, which concluded its final season earlier this year.
Had Louis-Dreyfus won for Veep's final season, she would have set the new record for most acting Emmys by a performer in history. She is still tied with Cloris Leachman for most wins. In her acceptance speech, Waller-Bridge, who previously won for writing, expressed as much surprise as prognosticators.
This could indicate that Fleabag itself, which also won a directing Emmy Sunday, could score an upset win over Veep in the night's top comedy category later in the evening. Veep won that prize for its past three seasons. Brendan Morrow
Could Bill Hader have a Julia Louis-Dreyfus-style Emmys winning streak ahead of him?
Hader picked up the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy Sunday for the second year in a row for his acclaimed performance on HBO's Barry. He was widely considered the clear front-runner in the category and beat out The Kominsky Method's Michael Douglas and The Good Place's Ted Danson.
In his acceptance speech, Hader thanked co-creator Alec Berg, saying, "I don't know where I'd be without you."
Other actors who have won in this category twice in a row in recent years include Transparent's Jeffrey Tambor, The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons, and 30 Rock's Alec Baldwin. Prior to Hader's repeat win, Alex Borstein, who won the supporting actress in a comedy award for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, also won her second consecutive Emmy Sunday. Brendan Morrow
Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series on Sunday night, and immediately cracked a few jokes onstage.
"I find writing really, really hard and really painful, and I'd like to say, honestly from the bottom of my heart, this the reason why I do it is this," she said, as she stared at her award. "So it's all made it really worth it, guys." After thanking her Fleabag colleagues, Waller-Bridge shared that it's "just really wonderful to know and reassuring that a dirty, pervy, messed-up woman can make it to the Emmys." Catherine Garcia
Alex Borstein is having a marvelous night at the Emmys, as she just scored her second straight supporting actress win.
Borstein took home the Emmy Sunday for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, previously winning the same award in 2018.
In her speech, Borstein thanked the cast and crew of Mrs. Maisel, including creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, as well as her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.
Borstein joins the ranks of Betty White, Kate McKinnon, and Julie Bowen, who have all won this award at least two times. Brendan Morrow
Tony Shalhoub just won a primetime Emmy for the first time in more than a decade.
Shalhoub took home the Emmy Sunday for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, beating out nominees like Barry's Henry Winkler, who won last year.
"It takes a village," Shalhoub said while thanking the crew behind Mrs. Maisel.
This is Shalhoub's first time scoring Emmy gold since he won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Monk in 2006. He also won the same award for Monk in 2003 and 2005, making this Shalhoub's fourth Emmy win. He was nominated for Mrs. Maisel in 2018.
It's not Shalhoub's first time receiving awards recognition for Mrs. Maisel, though; he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series earlier this year. Brendan Morrow