Here's what's making headlines in the political world on Tuesday, July 31, 2018:
Trump bashes Koch brothers
-- President Trump railed Tuesday against billionaire conservative brothers Charles and David Koch, accusing them of being against key components of his populist agenda and suggesting they're irrelevant in today's Republican Party.
Trump's public attack, following a weekend in which he was criticized at a Koch network summer meeting, comes amid speculation that the Koch brothers are reconsidering their typically full-throated support for Republican candidates during the midterm elections.
"The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I don't need their money or bad ideas," Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. "They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more."
In a separate tweet, Trump argued that he "made them richer" and that the Koch network "is highly overrated."
"I have beaten them at every turn," Trump wrote of the Kochs. They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, I'm for America First & the American Worker - a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!"
The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas. They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more. I made.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018
....them richer. Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn. They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, I’m for America First & the American Worker - a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018
Trump has long had a contentious relationship with the Koch brothers, who often support a libertarian perspective. They did not financially back Trump in 2016, though they did spend to support down-ballot races and remain very much a force in Senate and House contests.
Trump "looking into" 3-D printed guns
-- In a tweet sent Tuesday morning, President Trump said he was "looking into" the issue of 3D printed plastic guns, saying he had spoken to the NRA and adding that the issue "doesn't seem to make much sense."
“I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!”
I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018
The plans to print guns will become available online on Wednesday after the federal government reached an agreement with Defense Distributed and its founder, Cody Wilson. Wilson sued the Obama administration in 2013 to distribute his plans for anyone to print his plastic pistol, citing free speech issues.
The federal government, led by Trump, settled with Wilson in June, but details of the settlement were not released until mid-July.
The NRA has largely been against regulations against made-at-home guns.
Trump: "Collusion is not a crime"
President Trump on Tuesday embraced a line of defense offered by his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, that "collusion is not a crime," even though he continued to deny any alleged ties between his campaign and Moscow during the 2016 election.
"Collusion is not a crime, but that doesn't matter because there was No Collusion (except by Crooked Hillary and the Democrats)!" Trump tweeted.
Collusion is not a crime, but that doesn’t matter because there was No Collusion (except by Crooked Hillary and the Democrats)!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018
Speaking to CNN's "New Day" on Monday, Giuliani said he wasn't sure if collusion was a crime.
"Four months, they're not going to be colluding with Russia, which I don't even know if that's a crime, colluding about Russians," Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, told CNN's "New Day." "You start analyzing the crime -- the hacking is the crime. ... The President didn't hack."
“Bigfoot erotica” takes center stage in race
-- In one of the more bizarre episodes of the midterm elections this year, the race for Virginia's 5th Congressional District has come down to a fight over "Bigfoot erotica" and whether one candidate is into it.
Democratic candidate Leslie Cockburn tweeted on Sunday that, in addition to campaigning with a white supremacist, Republican candidate Denver Riggleman was "a devotee of Bigfoot erotica" -- both charges that Riggleman denied in an interview with CNN.
"My opponent Denver Riggleman, running mate of Corey Stewart, was caught on camera campaigning with a white supremacist. Now he has been exposed as a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. This is not what we need on Capitol Hill," Cockburn tweeted along with a photo of a nude Bigfoot, apparently from Riggleman's Instagram.
Riggleman, however, told CNN that the accusation about a sexual interest in Bigfoot was absurd and acknowledged writing two books on Bigfoot, including an unpublished text called "The Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him," both of which he said were "parody" and stemmed from running jokes he had with friends from the military.
Riggleman also said did not believe in Bigfoot, but added that he did not want to "alienate" the Bigfoot vote and said the entire thing was a joke that his opponent had seized upon unfairly.
"I think we probably jumped the shark on stupid," Riggleman said.
CNN contributed to this report
