When Vice President Mike Pence brought on veteran Republican political operative Nick Ayers as his new chief of staff last month, about the time President Trump replaced Reince Priebus with new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, few people noticed. But The New York Times did, and Pence's Ayers hire was one of the data points the newspaper used to build a case that Pence is the leading "shadow candidate" lining up to replace Trump in 2020, along with Pence forming his own PAC, schmoozing with big-money political donors, and speaking at key conservative events. Pence dismissed the suggestion as "laughable and absurd."
The "sharp-elbowed" Ayers, 34, is a departure from the chief of staff he replaced, "Josh Pitcock, the long-serving Pence aide distinguished by his quiet and inoffensive manner," Politico's Eliana Johnson reported Tuesday night. And he is finally making Pence a power player in the warring Trump White House. But Pence still plans on being a team player, Johnson adds:
Ayers' hire, according to interviews with eight current and former administration officials, was less about a secret campaign to challenge Trump in 2020 and more about helping the vice president — who, at just 58, has a political future ahead of him in the post-Trump era — preserve his future political options, whatever they may be. A veteran political operative, Ayers had for months been quietly warning the vice president that Trump's troubles could cause collateral damage and that he needed to take a more aggressive posture on a range of issues to ensure he enters the post-Trump era on solid ground. [Politico]
Ayers was the liaison between Trump's and Pence's camps during the campaign, and is well-liked by Trump and his inner circle, Politico reports, adding that he didn't join the White House earlier because of "a long-running feud with Priebus."
"Few believe there's a conceivable chance that Pence — whose loyalty to Trump has at times bordered on obsequiousness — would launch a primary campaign against him in 2020," Johnson says. "But there's little doubt the 58-year-old vice president harbors ambitions for a political future after Trump," and "Ayers is around to ensure that if Trump is out of the picture for one reason or another his man will be ready." You can read more about Pence's real power play at Politico. Peter Weber
"We have made a lot of progress as far as denuclearization is concerned and we are talking about a lot of different things. Things are going very well with North Korea," President Trump told reporters Saturday of his Friday conversation with North Korean negotiator Kim Yong Chol.
"That was an incredible meeting," Trump said. "We've agreed to [another summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un], probably the end of February. We've picked a country, but we'll be announcing it in the future. Kim Jong Un is looking very forward to it and so am I."
Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore are thought to be under consideration for the summit's location. Read a "plausible roadmap to peace with North Korea" from The Week's Harry J. Kazianis here. Bonnie Kristian
At least 66 people were killed and dozens more injured Friday when a fuel pipeline in Mexico exploded after being ruptured by fuel thieves. Some 85 people not included in the current death toll are listed as missing as of Saturday morning.
A crowd of people had gathered to collect the spilling fuel in plastic containers when the fireball occurred. Local authorities said the death toll could continue to rise given the severity of the injuries and the number of people whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Illegal pipeline taps like this one, which occurred near the town of Tlahuelilpan about 60 miles north of Mexico City, are a chronic problem in Mexico; an average of 42 taps were drilled daily in the first 10 months of 2018. "Far from stopping the fight ... against fuel theft, it's going to become stronger," said Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday. "We'll continue until we've eradicated these practices." Bonnie Kristian
Jason Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery for his fatal shooting of a black teenager named Laquan McDonald in 2014, was sentenced Friday to six years and nine months in prison.
With good behavior, Van Dyke could be out of custody in three years or less, his lawyer said. The special prosecutor who handled the case had requested a sentence of 18 to 20 years, and the sentence Van Dyke received is for the murder charge alone, not the battery. Each of the battery convictions had a mandatory minimum sentence of six years, and the judge could have ordered them to be served sequentially.
On Thursday, three other officers accused of falsifying reports to justify the shooting were acquitted. Bonnie Kristian
Saturday's third annual Women's March is expected to draw smaller crowds than in previous years thanks to accusations of anti-Semitism among national organizers.
Former Democratic National Committee chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) formally withdrew her participation Friday, saying she "cannot associate with the national march's leaders and principles, which refuse to completely repudiate anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry."
Other prominent speakers and sponsors from past years — including Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), the Democratic National Committee, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and NARAL — have cut ties as well. Most did not issue specific statements explaining their decision.
For those who do participate, events are organized in Washington, D.C., as well as hundreds of other cities nationwide and around the world. Policy focuses this year include the minimum wage, health care, and opposition to President Trump.
Read The Week's Shikha Dalmia here on the controversy and divisions within the march's ranks. Bonnie Kristian
