Donald Trump is sorry he can’t be there, but he sends his questions

Backseat questioning
The president isn’t one to let a little thing like the separation of powers enshrined in the U.S. Constitution get in his way. Former acting attorney general Sally Yates testified today before a Senate hearing on the Russian role in November’s election, a chat that included some talk of former national security advisor Michael Flynn, who Trump was reportedly advised not to appoint. In advance, the president tweeted out this helpful icebreaker for the members of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee:

Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2017

It was nice while it lasted
As Yates answers questions about Flynn, the former NSA’s replacement is quickly loosing that new general smell. Certified adult H.R. McMaster was supposed to help the world avoid calamity by moderating the president’s more trigger-happy influences. But the former Army man is reportedly already on the wrong side of his boss.

Signings for the S.C. Associate Justices farm team
The administration is filling out some of the vacancies on the federal bench, tapping 10 nominees today. Among the to-be-elevated are two names last seen on the president’s Supreme Court possibles list.

Not so aimé-aimé
Trump’s props to Emmanuel Macron on his “big win” lacked the kind of good vibes the Donald had sent Marine Le Pen’s way, per one analysis. That’s in contrast with his buddy-buddy communications with the global association of strongmen. He’s probably just sore that it’s possible to win a presidential election and the popular vote.

What statement?
The administration really needs to get its savvy 20-something niece to show it how this whole web thing works. Shortly after Sean Spicer was asked about a Muslim ban press release on Trump’s campaign website, the page was disappeared. But the Internet never forgets.