The Morning Briefing: The Letter Heard 'Round the World and Much, Much More

Good Friday morning.

Here is what’s on the president’s agenda today:

The president meets with the secretary of the Treasury

THE LETTER

Yesterday, President Trump sent a letter to House Mother Nancy Pelosi canceling her Democrat junket. Trump announced the cancelation while Nancy and her motley crew were on the way to their plane to leave. Well-played. Well-played

BREAKING: Full cart of luggage has been returned to the halls of congress after @realDonaldTrump cancels @SpeakerPelosi's foreign triphttps://t.co/8yd3DrLsza pic.twitter.com/uSPudMBs0e

— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) January 17, 2019

“Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan has been postponed. We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over,” Trump wrote. He also suggested she fly commercial to the war zone.

Fantastic! Pelosi and the Democrats figured they could just blame Trump for the shutdown, but it’s Pelosi and the Democrats who won’t come to the table. Pelosi took off during Christmas for a luxury Hawaiian vacation, her party went on a group trip to Puerto Rico, and now she and her harpies were hitting the road for a week on an international trip. Does it sound like she wants to find an agreeable compromise to open the government up? Meanwhile, Trump is hanging around D.C., ready to negotiate.

“In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate,” Trump wrote.

“I also feel that, during this period, it would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security Movement to end the Shutdown.”

Not long ago, days actually, the media was congratulating Pelosi for telling the president he should not deliver the State of the Union in the usual manner but should submit it in writing because of the shutdown. But now, Trump is petty for denying the Democrats the military transport for a PR trip. Pelosi would be away for another pay period if she had jetted out. How can anyone believe she cares about the government workers she’s exploiting for sympathy?

White House delegation cancels Davos trip

Buzzfeed: Trump told Cohen to lie to Congress

Michael Cohen is certainly credible, right? And the media has a terrific track record using anonymous sources, so this is, no doubt, a slam-dunk.

President Donald Trump directed his longtime attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, according to two federal law enforcement officials involved in an investigation of the matter.

Trump also supported a plan, set up by Cohen, to visit Russia during the presidential campaign, in order to personally meet President Vladimir Putin and jump-start the tower negotiations. “Make it happen,” the sources said Trump told Cohen.

And even as Trump told the public he had no business deals with Russia, the sources said Trump and his children Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. received regular, detailed updates about the real estate development from Cohen, whom they put in charge of the project.

Now the two sources have told BuzzFeed News that Cohen also told the special counsel that after the election, the president personally instructed him to lie — by claiming that negotiations ended months earlier than they actually did — in order to obscure Trump’s involvement.

These “leaks” are exciting because they are “evidence” that Trump tried to obstruct justice. They certainly feed the #resistance RUSSIAN- COLLUSION conspiracy theories. We will see if this “leak” pans out.

Today is the March for Life, the best-kept secret in Washington, D.C. media

And while we are on the subject, Planned Parenthood just took one on the chin from the courts.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted an injunction forbidding Texas from stripping Planned Parenthood of Medicaid funds Thursday, while stridently criticizing the abortion provider for its rhetoric and medical practices.

Read a summary of the case at the Daily Caller.

Your Daily WTF:

Perdue recalls frozen chicken nuggets after people find wood in them

Historical picture of the day:

Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill at Paddington Station in London, on Jan. 18, 1942, on his arrival home from his American visit, where he was met by his wife Clementine. The premier beamed happily to the cheering crowd and officials who greeted him, after his long journey. (AP Photo)

Other morsels:

Jew-hating march Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Why I refuse to walk with the Washington Women’s March

Jew-hater Ilhan Omar defends 2012 tweet: ‘I don’t know how my comments would be offensive to Jewish Americans’

Leaked memo shows Trump administration weighed separating families at border, despite saying it was never policy

Former USAID Official: Agency to End All Palestinian Projects

Senate Republicans eye rules change to speed Trump nominees

Pornhub reports jump in viewership amid partial government shutdown

WTF “Non-verbal, immobile” woman, 23, raped, impregnated in Fla. health care facility, lawsuit alleges

Nearly 1,000 caravan migrants start process of entering Mexico from Guatemala

Nearly 400 migrants detained after crossing under fence into US

Of course. Rosie O’Donnell predicts Trump will ‘be arrested’ before 2020 election

Lawmaker starts packing pistol to send message to potentially violent protesters