This Week in OnPolitics: Democrats activate deep cover agent Trump

Brett McGinness | USA TODAY

Has President Trump been a secret Democrat this whole time? Was he waiting until Labor Day to activate Phase 1 of a GOP sabotage effort? Probably not, no. But if he is, it doesn't look like Hillary Clinton was in on the plan. We'll break it down in This Week in OnPolitics.

DACA decision? Reply hazy, try again later

For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2017

It's theoretically possible that the first 15 months of Republican rule in Washington will result in some degree of amnesty for undocumented immigrants, but no repeal of the Affordable Care Act ... just like Republican voters were expecting in November.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end to President Obama's policy protecting children brought illegally to the United States from deportation -- that is, no new applicants will be accepted for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. But Trump announced a six-month grace period for existing applicants to allow for Congress to develop a policy.

"I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents," Trump said Tuesday in a written statement. Still, he added, "we must also recognize that we are nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws." (In other words, it should be Congress' responsibility to establish immigration policy through law, and not the president's responsibility through executive orders.)

Trump promised to "revisit" the issue if Republicans in Congress (many of whom didn't want to see the program ended) can't develop a legislative solution. Of course, the only way he could revisit it without congressional action is ... issuing an executive order.

House GOP re-election just got tougher

Also this week, Democrats on Capitol Hill proposed a three-month extension to the debt ceiling. House Speaker Paul Ryan called the proposal "ridiculous" — Congressional Republicans were looking for an 18-month extension. But later that day, Trump called the Democratic proposal a "very good" deal.

Why were Democrats pushing for a short-term deal? They want to push House Republicans to make difficult decisions about spending and program cuts before the 2018 elections. As it stands now, those discussions will take place before next year's primaries, potentially exposing rifts between GOP incumbents and potential primary challengers. (This, in addition to casting a vote one way or another on the DREAM Act.)

But why did Trump side with Democrats? Perhaps to shock congressional Republicans into action on his agenda.

Or it's the deep-cover agent thing. Either one.

If so, nobody told Hillary

Clinton wonders 'What Happened' in new book In a candid, angry new book, Hillary Clinton relives her stunning defeat to Donald Trump. She admits personal mistakes, but also lays blame on Former FBI Director James Comey. (Sept. 8)

Hillary Clinton's long-awaited book, "What Happened," was released this week, and she didn't pull any punches. In contrast to 2014's "Hard Choices," which read like a 656-page campaign message, the latest book says part of the blame for her November 2016 loss in the general election is due to primary challenger Bernie Sanders (among others).

"His attacks caused lasting damage, making it harder to unify progressives in the general election and paving the way for Trump's 'Crooked Hillary' campaign," wrote Clinton.

One passage likened Sanders' proposals for free college tuition and minimum-wage increases to free ponies, and said Clinton's skepticism about paying for those programs was interpreted as pony hatred.

"He didn't get into the race to make sure a Democrat won the White House, he got in to disrupt the Democratic Party," she wrote.

"I am proud to be a Democrat and I wish Bernie were too."

Don Jr. takes it on himself to vet Clinton

Trump, Jr. to testify in Russia probe Donald Trump, Jr. is set to testify in a closed hearing Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Donald Trump Jr. took extraordinary steps to determine if Clinton was a good candidate, at least according to testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.

"To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," the president's eldest son told investigators for the Senate Judiciary Committee in a statement released by the Trump Organization.

"Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration," Trump Jr. said in the statement. "I also note that at this time there was not the focus on Russian activities that there is today."

So, to summarize: I was just checking up on Hillary's background, and I wanted to see if the Russians knew anything that we didn't know, that's all.

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