“The approval of the communiqué — renamed for the meeting as a declaration — was critical for the alliance. It ensured that, despite Mr. Trump’s rhetorical fireworks, NATO diplomats could push through initiatives, including critical Pentagon priorities to improve allied defenses against Russia.” An absolutely amazing report: U.S. Officials Scrambled Behind the Scenes to Shield NATO Deal From Trump. (This is the undertold story of the Trump era: The people in the administration who keep working because they see it as their duty to protect the republic from the danger in the oval office.)

+ The story above is a much bigger deal than the one everyone is talking about today. But from the offer of hush money to the existence of recordings, the Omarosa outtakes sure have a familiar ring to them. If nothing else, the advice she offers sounds pretty spot on. “All we need to remember is that Trump loves the hate. He thrives on criticism and insults. He delights in chaos and confusion. Taking to Twitter to call him names only fuels him and riles his base. To disarm him, starve his ego; don’t feed into it.”