AP’s Lemire: The 13 Days in July Encapsulates What Happened in the First 6 Months of Trump

EXCERPT:

GEIST: "Let’s begin with Jonathan’s great piece for the Associated Press, 'The Trump White House's crucible. Jonathan's colleague at the AP Zeke Miller look back at a pivotal 13 days in July for the Trump administration. They write in part, 'Events in the second half of July unfolded at breakneck speed. They encapsulated both the promise and peril of President Donald Trump’s first year in office -- and yielded aftershocks that reverberate within the White House even as the calendar turns to 2018. The two-week span laid bare the splintering of Trump’s relationships with two influential cabinet members, foreshadowed the reach of the Russia probe into the interior of his orbit; saw the dramatic last minute defeat of one of the president's signature campaign promise and featured a senior staff shakeup that reset the rhythms of this presidency. ... Trump emerged from the crucible of the 13 days in July with a more organized and less drama-filled White House, as well as lessons learn that would yielded legislative victories. But the president himself remains unchanged.' So Jonathan, let’s just maybe take these chronologically or however you want to tackle them. He starts on July 19th saying he regrets hiring Attorney General Jeff Sessions who is still here as we end the year."
LEMIRE: "He is. Now, this is the White House that obviously throws out headlines at a dizzying pace all year long. But this two-year stretch at the end of the July which not coincidentally coincides with Anthony Scaramucci’s tenure in the White House was a particularly important inflection point, our reporting found. It sort of encapsulated what happened in the first six months and really set the tone for what happened going forward."