POLITICO Playbook PM: The story behind Trump’s Tom Friedman tweet Presented by Amazon

President Donald Trump took on NYT columnist Thomas Friedman in a series of tweets Friday. | John Lamparski/Getty Images for Advertising Week New York

THE BUDGET LATEST -- CAITLIN EMMA and HEATHER CAYGLE: “Democrats said Friday there are ‘nonstarters’ in a new White House offer that includes $1.1 trillion in options to offset spending increases in a two-year agreement that would raise the budget caps and hike the debt limit. ‘This is the White House’s starting point for negotiations on this aspect,’ a Democratic source close to the talks told POLITICO. ‘They understand these levels are nonstarters for us. Talks will continue.’ Democrats say they are reviewing the White House bid, however. …

“A senior Trump administration official confirmed that the White House on Thursday night proposed $574 billion in ways to counteract spending increases, in addition to $516 billion in savings that would be achieved by freezing fiscal 2021 spending levels for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. … [T]he Trump administration’s demand to offset the spending increases represents a significant hurdle to finalizing a deal, with the administration seeking at least $150 billion.” POLITICO

REMINDER … Speaker NANCY PELOSI said she would need to have a spending and debt limit deal by the end of this week to put it on the floor next week. It’s now the end of the week.

BREAKING, from pooler MICHAEL BENDER of the WSJ …

-- PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ON THE IRANIAN DRONE: “We shot it down.”

-- ON ILHAN OMAR: “POTUS says he’s ‘unhappy with the fact’ that a congresswoman ‘can hate our country.’ Says he’s unhappy with Rep. Omar's comments that she will be a ‘nightmare’ for the president.”

-- ON THE DEBT CEILING: “POTUS says a debt ceiling debt is close, but doesn’t provide details. ‘They can’t use the debt ceiling to negotiate,’ he says about Democratic congressional leaders.”

TRUMP VS. FRIEDMAN … @realDonaldTrump at 8:34 a.m.: “Thomas ‘the Chin’ Friedman, a weak and pathetic sort of guy, writes columns for The New York Times in between rounds of his favorite game, golf. Two weeks ago, while speaking to a friend on his cell phone, I unfortunately ended up speaking to Friedman. We spoke for a while and.......

“he could not have been nicer or more respectful to your favorite President, me. Then I saw the column he wrote, ‘Trump Will Be Re-elected, Won’t He?’ He called me a Racist, which I am not, and said Rhode Island went from economically bad to great in 5 years because the…” “...Governor of the State did a good job. That may be true but she could not have done it without the tremendous economic success of our Country & the turnaround that my Administration has caused. Really Nasty to me in his average I.Q. Columns, kissed my a.. on the call. Phony!”

-- TO BE FAIR, Friedman is known to be a good golfer. He has a 7 handicap, and the Maryland golf database has him holding memberships at Caves Valley and Bethesda CC. (If anyone wants to play Caves Valley and is looking for a partner, Jake is totally game!)

FRIEDMAN RESPONDS … “Mr. President, You are right, unlike you, I am always respectful -- especially when I talk to the President of the United States at the request of a U.S. Senator in your party. I try to be respectful even with people I disagree with. …

“… I do this because I hope it will increase the chances that they listen to me. You should try it. But I also always adhere to the facts: I was asked to speak to you by your Senator friend, who said you were upset at the criticism you were getting from the Wall Street Journal and some other conservatives for not bombing Iran in retaliation for Iran’s downing of a U.S. drone. …

“… And here is exactly how I began our conversation, precisely because I did not trust what you would do with it: ‘Mr. President, you know that I disagree with you on many things but you were right not to bomb Iran.’

“You then basically talked for four minutes. I interjected a few things on China policy, said thank you, and we went our respective ways. Since you are clearly a reader of my column, you know that from the day you announced your candidacy, I have not hesitated to criticize you when I have seen you dividing our country, alienating America’s closest allies and giving succor to racists and bigots everywhere.

“And you also know that on issues where I thought you were serving the American interest – like confronting China’s most abusive trade practices or not going to war with Iran – I have not hesitated to support your [policies], very publicly. I will continue to do both.

“For me it is always about what is best for America – the country that I love and that you are now tearing apart. Respectfully yours, Tom Friedman”

-- WHO WAS THE SENATOR FRIEDMAN WAS WITH? None other than Trump buddy Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.).

BIG IN IOWA -- “Family Leader president endorses Steve King challenger in 4th District Republican primary,” by the Des Moines Register’s Robin Opsahl: “Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO for the evangelical group, announced his support for Iowa Sen. Randy Feenstra in the 4th District Republican primary. Vander Plaats’ endorsement is personal and not on behalf of the organization.

“‘Randy is a man of integrity who is guided by his faith and someone Iowans can trust to faithfully represent them in Congress,’ Vander Plaats said in a news release. ‘As a state senator he has defended Christian values, protected the unborn and stood tall against the progressive agenda in Des Moines that would undermine religious liberty, sanctity of human life, and our constitutional freedoms.’” DMR … The release

Happy Friday afternoon.

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NATS UPDATE: “Max Scherzer signed a huge contract in 2015. It now looks like a bargain,” by WaPo’s Barry Svrluga: “[A]s Scherzer prepares to make his first start in two weeks, $30 million a year borders on a bargain. Now 4½ years in, the question is no longer whether the deal was worth it for the Nats. The question instead: Is Max Scherzer the best free agent signing of all time?” WaPo

WHAT ELSE IS ON THE PRESIDENT’S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 8:16 a.m.: “It is amazing how the Fake News Media became ‘crazed’ over the chant ‘send her back’ by a packed Arena (a record) crowd in the Great State of North Carolina, but is totally calm & accepting of the most vile and disgusting statements made by the three Radical Left Congresswomen…”

… “....Mainstream Media, which has lost all credibility, has either officially or unofficially become a part of the Radical Left Democrat Party. It is a sick partnership, so pathetic to watch! They even covered a tiny staged crowd as they greeted Foul Mouthed Omar in Minnesota, a…”

… “....State which I will win in #2020 because they can’t stand her and her hatred of our Country, and they appreciate all that I have done for them (opening up mining and MUCH more) which has led to the best employment & economic year in Minnesota’s long and beautiful history!”

WHAT JARED’S READING -- “Justice Department Set to Free 3,000 Prisoners as Criminal-Justice Overhaul Takes Hold,” by WSJ’s Sadie Gurman: “Department officials on Friday will unveil a centerpiece of the law, a risk and needs assessment through which federal inmates will be evaluated to see what programs and treatments could help reduce their risk of reoffending. Those who successfully complete programs can earn credits that will expedite their release. … The people being released Friday are benefiting from ‘good time’ credit changes associated with the law.” WSJ

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FOR YOUR RADAR -- “Businessman who testified in Mueller probe indicted on child pornography charges,” by Josh Gerstein: “A wealthy Lebanese-American businessman and Middle East expert who was a witness in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation has been indicted on charges of importing child pornography and traveling with a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

“George Nader, 60, made a brief appearance Friday morning in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, to be arraigned on the new indictment, which was returned July 3 and unsealed Friday. Nader was involved in various meetings and discussions related to the Trump presidential transition which drew the attention of Mueller investigators, including a meeting that Erik Prince, the founder of private military contractor Blackwater, held with a Russian ally of President Vladimir Putin in the Seychelles in January 2017.” POLITICO

WHAT STEPHEN MILLER IS UP TO … THE DAILY BEAST’S ASAWIN SUEBSAENG and ERIN BANCO: “As a member of President Trump’s inner circle, Miller’s hard-right influence, specifically on immigration policies, hasn’t abated. But his public and televised presence has stayed, for the most part, conspicuously muted. And that’s explicitly by design on Miller’s part. As his profile has risen, Miller has become increasingly reclusive.

“According to a senior White House colleague, Miller is very careful what he says on the phone, whether it’s to a fellow administration official or otherwise, in case the call is being recorded or could be used against him. Two other knowledgeable sources say that over the past two years, he’s cut off regular contact with most of his allies outside of the Trump administration and in advocacy groups because he wants to keep his circle of potential leakers as small as he can.” Daily Beast

2020 WATCH -- “John Delaney bashes Biden,” by Nolan McCaskill: “Joe Biden has the fundraising muscle, the lead in the polls and the cachet with voters from his years as Barack Obama’s No. 2. But John Delaney says he’s got something to offer that the former vice president does not.

“‘He doesn’t have any new ideas, and he’s effectively just running an old playbook,’ Delaney, a former lawmaker from Maryland, said of Biden in a wide-ranging interview Thursday with POLITICO reporters and editors. ‘On all these issues, I have a bunch of new ideas that can allow us to reimagine our future, and I think people get that I can do that.’ Delaney, like Biden, is running as a relative moderate in the Democratic field who says he could work with Republicans to get things done if he defeats President Donald Trump in 2020.” POLITICO

-- BUT, BUT, BUT … “On July 9, John Delaney’s senior team sat him down and told him to drop out of the presidential race by mid-August, according to three sources close to the campaign. … Delaney’s campaign sent out the following statement on July 19: ‘Alexi McCammond’s report on our campaign this morning is incorrect.’” Axios’ Alexi McCammond

-- THE HEADLINE PRIMARY, via WSJ’s Jo Craven McGinty: “To see how much coverage each candidate is getting, a media-monitoring firm headquartered in the U.K. has been tracking 10,000 print media, 1,500 broadcast outlets and more than 2.6 million online sources world-wide since January. …

“Joe Biden, who has received more attention than any other Democrat, has been mentioned in more than 648,000 media accounts. … After Mr. Biden, the candidates who have received the most attention are Sen. Sanders, who has been mentioned in 557,000 media accounts in the U.S.; Sen. Warren, who has been in 421,000; and Sen. Harris, who has been in nearly 279,000. Rounding out the Top 10, in order, were Cory Booker, Beto O’Rourke, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand.” WSJ

-- KNOWING CORY BOOKER … CNN’S MICHAEL WARREN in Newark, N.J.: “Cory Booker’s college football struggles echo in his presidential campaign”: “In many ways, his campaign echoes his football career -- a multi-talented star with an impressive resume who left home for bigger things. … But when he got to Palo Alto, California, the expectations he carried with him from New Jersey failed to translate. He didn't play a down until his junior year. And even when he did see the field, he was hardly the star he'd been back home. …

“Booker is an eternal optimist who speaks in the phrases of a motivational speaker. Every challenge in his life is transformed into a lesson, an opportunity -- in his telling, a ‘gift.’ But there’s an undercurrent of impatience and even defiance in the way Booker talks about expectations for him professionally and politically. … For his part, the New Jersey senator seems to be waiting on a miraculous conclusion -- his own ‘Rudy’ moment.” CNN

-- “Tulsi Gabbard Raised Negative $20 for Her House Campaign,” by The Daily Beast’s Sam Stein: “Gabbard raised just $11 in the second quarter of 2019. That number does not factor in a $31 contribution refund, which means her campaign committee ended in the red during that three month period.

“The committee spent just $8,828.59 during the quarter—almost all of which was on financial compliance—leaving it with just over $30,000 cash on hand.

“The absence of any fundraising or spending on her House race has left political observers with the impression that Gabbard may not return to Congress at all if her White House bid falls short. By contrast, during this quarter in the 2018 election cycle, Gabbard brought in more than $225,000 in net contributions, per federal filings.”

-- OPPO DU JOUR: “Joe Biden in 1987: ‘We (Delawareans) Were on the South’s Side in the Civil War,’” by Rolling Stone’s Andy Kroll and Jamil Smith: “On Thursday, another decades-old quote of Biden’s surfaced courtesy of the Trump campaign’s opposition research team.” Rolling Stone

DEM CIVIL WAR UPDATE -- “PAC Linked to Democrat Jimmy Panetta’s For Country Caucus Is Targeting a Vulnerable House Democrat,” by The Intercept’s Ryan Grim and Aída Chávez

WILD STORY -- “Trump’s presidency may be making Latinos sick,” by WaPo’s William Wan and Lindsey Bever: “A study published Friday used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to show an increased risk among Latina women of having babies born prematurely following Trump’s election. The new study is particularly powerful, experts say, because unlike ailments such as depression or stress that can be hard to quantify, births comes with hard data.” WaPo

MOON LANDING CLICKER -- “POLITICO this week asked Cabinet members, members of Congress, and other bold-faced names where they were on July 20, 1969; what they remember most; and how they were shaped by an accomplishment that many considered next to impossible.” POLITICO

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TV TONIGHT -- Bob Costa will sit down with WaPo’s Bob Woodward, PBS NewsHour’s Amna Nawaz, CBS’ Nancy Cordes and USA Today’s Susan Page at 8 p.m. on PBS’ “Washington Week.”

MEDIAWATCH -- Cynthia DuBose is now senior editor for special projects at McClatchy. She most recently worked at biopharmaceutical company MiMedx and was a longtime editor and reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

-- Linda Douglass is leaving Bloomberg, where she has been head of communications in D.C. Douglass said in a note to colleagues that she is “planning to explore the world of leisure time to see if it's as great as it sounds.”

SPOTTED: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) seated in first class on a 9:30 a.m. United flight from DCA to Chicago. Pic

TRANSITIONS -- Ari Goldberg is now media relations director at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He most recently worked in comms at CARE and the Project on Government Oversight. … Sam Myers is now SVP at the OutCast Agency. He previously was VP of partnerships and development at Huge. … Jessica Andrews is now communications director at Foreign Policy for America. She previously was director for content and experiences at POLITICO.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Shannon Mattingly, head of scaled partner management and media partnerships at Facebook, and Jon Nathanson, a consultant at Creighton AI, welcomed Archer Axel Mattingly Nathanson on Monday morning. Pic

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