There has been a lot of back and forth over whether controversial Trump aide Sebastian Gorka was fired or resigned. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images What the White House wants you to think about Gorka

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO THINK ABOUT GORKA -- There has been a lot of back and forth over whether controversial Trump aide Sebastian Gorka was fired or resigned. The White House took the unusual step of reaching out to top Republicans late last night to reinforce its position. One veteran GOP operative noted: “First time I have ever seen surrogate operations send something like this.”

Kelly Sadler, special assistant to Trump, sent a blast email Friday night to its surrogates with the subject “Background on Sebastian Gorka.” For background purposes only, Sadler wrote: “From a White House Official: ‘Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House.’” Gorka’s “resignation letter,” via The Federalist http://bit.ly/2wdianG


MUST-READ WHITE HOUSE STORIES …

-- ERIC WOLFF, JOSH DAWSEY, BEN WHITE and DANIEL LIPPMAN: “An Ohio electric utility and one of the country’s top coal companies had some well-placed help when pressing President Donald Trump for emergency federal assistance for the coal industry — his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.

“The companies wanted Trump to prevent utilities from closing economically ailing coal-fired power plants, using authorities normally designed to protect the U.S. electricity supply during emergencies. And as they made their case, they got support from the former Trump aide, who has remained in the president’s orbit despite being fired from his campaign more than a year ago.

“Lewandowski denied in a message Friday that he is working for the companies, utility FirstEnergy and mining corporation Murray Energy. But his involvement in the issue alarmed some senior administration officials and others close to Trump, who saw his role as that of a lobbyist and believed he was being paid for the work. Lewandowski spoke in support of the utility’s agenda at the White House and met with other senior administration officials on the issue this spring and summer, according to senior White House officials and records reviewed by POLITICO. Lewandowski was also integral in setting up meetings between Chuck Jones, the CEO of utility FirstEnergy, with Trump and other White House officials, according to the documents and officials. Lewandowski traveled aboard Air Force One during that period, sources said.” http://politi.co/2vxuU6L

-- JOSH DAWSEY: “Fallout grows as Trump continues attacks on fellow GOP members”: “‘If the goal is to accomplish absolutely nothing and fundamentally destroy the Republican Party from a national perspective, I wouldn’t change a thing,’ said Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff and adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.” http://politi.co/2vykXFT

-- JOSH DAWSEY and BEN WHITE: “Ditching Trump’s White House can be a messy affair: Economic adviser Gary Cohn wrote resignation letters after Charlottesville, joining the ranks of aides who have threatened to quit or resigned — while remaining in the building”: “[Gary Cohn] talked to his family about quitting, and his wife urged him to do so. He went to Bedminster for a last-minute meeting with the president last Friday, according to people familiar with the session. But he didn’t quit, instead choosing to criticize Trump in an interview with the Financial Times while sticking around to see what Trump will do – leaving Cohn in limbo and his White House colleagues and others mystified. …

“No one is exactly sure what Spicer is doing these days at the White House; he quit five weeks ago but is still there while negotiating his next gig and meeting with TV networks, while staying on the payroll. … One senior administration official said Trump seems to relish the personnel dramas. He’ll ask aides what they think of each other. He will tell advisers that he is considering firing someone. He doesn’t mind trial balloons. He likes to see how much public embarrassment someone can take. …

“After weighing the decision with his family, he went to Bedminster to talk with Trump. He told Trump he would publicly criticize him and then did it in the Financial Times interview that published Friday, according to a person familiar with the conversation.” http://politi.co/2wxuodr

