CAMPAIGN FINANCE/CONGRESS/DEMS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump accused Democrats on Thursday [2-7-19] morning of ‘presidential harassment’ over congressional investigations into his finances, and he mocked Virginia politicians whose jobs are in peril after revelations they appeared in blackface. Then, the president went to the annual National Prayer Breakfast, where he implored attendees to open up to faith in order to ‘fill our hearts with love.’ Mr. Trump described America as ‘a nation that believes in redemption.’ The split-screen version of Mr. Trump has become a familiar formula, after two years of slash-and-burn tweets in the morning — and sometimes throughout the day — followed by presidential events meant to convey a somber tone. Thursday offered an unusually stark comparison between Mr. Trump’s unvarnished thoughts and his formal schedule, as he seeks to revive his connection to evangelical and conservative voters whose support was crucial to his victory in 2016.”
–Maggie Haberman, “Trump Accuses Democrats of ‘Harassment’ Over Congressional Inquiries,” The New York Ties online, February 7, 2019