Talibanana Republic

“Mr. Trump came up with an even more remarkable idea — he would not only bring the Taliban to Washington, but to Camp David, the crown jewel of the American presidency. The leaders of a rugged militant organization deemed terrorists by the United States would be hosted in the mountain getaway used for presidents, prime ministers and kings just three days before the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001.” The NYT with the pretty remarkable story of How Trump’s Plan to Secretly Meet With the Taliban Came Together, and Fell Apart. (It’s a shame Trump couldn’t meet with the Taliban. If history is any indicator, he would have loved them.)

+ “The removal of the Russian was driven, in part, by concerns that President Donald Trump and his administration repeatedly mishandled classified intelligence and could contribute to exposing the covert source as a spy.” CNN: US extracted top spy from inside Russia in 2017.

+ “The president and his children—who declined to be interviewed for this story—have labored to project an image of unity. But over the past several months, I spoke with dozens of people close to the Trumps, including friends, former employees, White House officials, and campaign aides. The succession battle they described is marked by old grievances, petty rivalries—and deceptively high stakes.” The Atlantic’s McCay Coppins with something to tide you over until next week’s episode of HBO’s Succession. The Heir: Ivanka was always Trump’s favorite. But Don Jr. is emerging as his natural successor.

+ Speaking of the family business, Air Force leaders have ordered probe of Trump resort stays. (Trump will be the first person to use the presidency to enrich himself and still end up going bankrupt…)