Bill Shine unexpectedly resigned as White House communications director on Friday, and now, the reason is coming into greater focus.
Numerous sources report that the relationship between Shine and President Trump deteriorated because the president was frustrated that he was failing to improve his press coverage. The Daily Beast writes that Trump has been complaining about this for months, with one source saying, "Trump loves a yes-man, but he loves good press more.”
Similarly, The New York Times reports that Trump "frequently criticized" Shine to his advisers because "his own press coverage had not improved." Trump also reportedly saw Shine as "ineffective" and "developing few ideas." The Washington Post backs this report up and writes that Shine's exit had to do with Trump being unhappy with his press coverage, and The Wall Street Journal says that Shine not being able to effectively deal with unfavorable news cycles led to Trump's "simmering frustration."
CNN, meanwhile, reports that some people in the White House didn't even understand what it is that Shine did because "they did not believe that during his tenure in the White House that the communications strategy had changed all that much," per Mediaite. New York Magazine's Olivia Nuzzi writes that some feel Shine will be more influential from outside the White House, while another source told her there may have been something of a power struggle. "Bill's a boss, and in that building, there's only one boss," the source reportedly told Nuzzi.
Shine has accepted a job as an adviser on Trump's re-election campaign, although the Times cites sources close to the White House as saying this is simply "a way to save face." Brendan Morrow
Some Republicans have dismissed former Defense Secretary James Mattis' searing rebuke of President Trump — but not Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Mattis on Wednesday came out with a stunning rebuke of his former boss in The Atlantic, declaring that Trump "tries to divide us." Trump hit back on Twitter, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Fox News accused Mattis of "buying into a narrative that I think is, quite frankly, unfair" to Trump. Other Republicans didn't seem to put a lot of weight in the comments, with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) telling CNN Mattis is "free to express" his opinion and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) telling NBC the comments weren't "especially helpful" but that he can "express himself" if he wants.
But then there was Murkowski, who told reporters she's "really thankful" for Mattis' "true, and honest and necessary" comments.
"When I saw General Mattis' comments yesterday, I felt like perhaps we are getting to a point where we can be more honest with the concerns that we might hold internally and have the courage of our own convictions to speak up," she said, CNN reports. Asked if she can still support Trump, Murkowski told reporters, "I am struggling with it," adding, "I have struggled with it for a long time, I think you know that."
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah.) similarly told Politico that Mattis is an "American patriot of extraordinary service and sacrifice and great judgment," and he called the statement "powerful and stunning." Brendan Morrow
Drew Brees has issued an apology for comments he now says "missed the mark."
The New Orleans Saints quarterback faced criticism this week after saying, while discussing NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice, "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America." His remarks immediately sparked backlash especially amid the ongoing George Floyd protests, with LeBron James questioning how Brees still doesn't "understand why [Colin Kaepernick] was kneeling on one knee," adding it has "nothing to do with the disrespect" of the flag.
Brees has now apologized on Instagram to "anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday."
"In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country," he said. "They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy."
Brees wrote that he stands "with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality" and insisted he has "ALWAYS been an ally, never an enemy." He concluded by saying he recognizes he "should do less talking and more listening ... and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen."
New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis on CNN praised Brees' apology, calling it a "model for all of America." Brendan Morrow
Around 1.88 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time last week, according to numbers released Thursday by the Department of Labor.
The number, in line with economists' expectations, brings the total number of people who've filed new jobless claims to 42.6 million over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also continues a downward trend that could signify the worst of the coronavirus economic crash is over. At the unemployment boom's peak in late March, 6.9 million people filed claims.
Still, 21.5 million people filed continuing claims — unemployment claims filed for at least two weeks in a row — in a sign that many people aren't getting their jobs back even as parts of the economy reopen. Kathryn Krawczyk