The memo Trump hoped would stop the probe is a misleading dud

Not worse than Watergate. No Images? Click here         The GOP Memo Trump Hoped Would Stop Mueller’s Russia Probe Is A Misleading Dud​ In a move intended to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election, President Donald Trump on Friday approved the declassification of a Republican-authored memo that alleges the Justice Department and FBI inappropriately spied on a member of the Trump campaign. “The memorandum raises serious concerns about the integrity of decisions made at the highest levels of the Department of Justice and the FBI to use the Government’s most intrusive surveillance tools against American citizens,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement on Friday. Republicans have hyped the memo’s release for weeks, calling it “worse than Watergate,” while Democrats and the FBI have warned that the document omits key context and that making it public could damage national security and further undermine the public’s faith in the nation’s premier law enforcement organizations. But the four-page document, which was drafted by Republican staffers in the office of House Intelligence Committee chairman and Trump transition team member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), reveals little new information. Its authors focus on complaints of liberal bias among mostly Republican law enforcement officials, while omitting information that does not fit their narrative. The resulting document is boring and tendentious, and it’s hard to understand why Republicans were so excited to get it out and why the FBI and Democrats were so determined to keep it secret. It’s such a dud that it was probably more valuable to Republicans when it was still a secret document. SEE WHAT WAS IN THE MEMO     WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? The Republican message at the GOP retreat: "This is fine."  But amid the happy talk of a long-term strategy, Republicans are ignoring the challenges right in front of their faces. READ MORE Black unemployment has spiked, complicating Trump’s State of the Union boast. “African-American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded,” the president said to applause. READ MORE Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) delivered a harsh rebuke against fellow Republicans who agreed to release a memo by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes against the wishes of the U.S. intelligence community. READ MORE    .     ICYMI Just worth remembering: The key law enforcement figures in what President Donald Trump and his allies have characterized as a “deep state” conspiracy against him are not lefties or even Democrats: They are Republicans. And Trump picked a number of them himself.   An anti-abortion Democrat has lost key support to a progressive challenger. Marie Newman’s campaign against Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) is getting a big boost from EMILY’s List.   Most State of the Union speeches get good marks, but fail to change many minds about the presidents who deliver them. President Trump, for once, is right in line with historical precedent.     . Want more?  The RNC Should Just Call Itself The Trump National Committee Now Paul Ryan On Removing Devin Nunes: ‘The Tax Cuts Are Working’ Republicans Warned Secret Memo Would Be ‘Worse Than Watergate.’ It’s Not.     How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2018 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe    . - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe