5 news stories driving the week ahead

After a busy weekend, here’s a rundown of some of the political news stories driving the upcoming week.

Trump returns to Trump Tower in New York City 

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President Trump will return to his New York City home of Trump Tower on Monday for the first time since taking office. While the president frequently visits his family-owned properties, Trump will return for the first time as president to the city in which he rose to fame and stardom as a brash, successful business magnate.

Although Trump announced his candidacy in Manhattan, the county overwhelmingly supported his Democratic rival during the presidential election.

His three day return to Manhattan comes after an extended stay at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey.

Violence in Charlottesville 

Violent clashes erupted in the college town of Charlottesville, Va. on Saturday as white supremacists groups marched down the brick streets to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The protests took a deadly turn after 20 year-old James Alex Fields Jr., allegedly plowed his car into counter-protesters, killing one woman and injuring scores more. Two Virginia State Police troopers, who were helping to monitor the safety of the crowds, died after their helicopter crashed near the rally site.

Trump came under fire for what some saw as a vague response to the violence. Critics say his denouncement of violence from “many sides” did not go far enough to speak out against the self-described pro-right groups’ demonstrations.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have stood united in condemning the tragic events that unfolded. The mayor of Charlottesville says the “work is just beginning” on recovering. 

China Trade Probe

Trump is set to sign an executive memorandum on Monday that would allow U.S. trade representatives to decide whether they will probe China’s intellectual property and trade practices.

The memo could be a stepping stone to the president eventually imposing tariffs on China.

The news comes as tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated due to what the U.S. sees as China’s past minimal action to deter North Korea on nuclearization.

However, White House officials say the memo is not being used to inflict pressure on China to deal with North Korea, but rather is a result of longstanding U.S. concerns about China’s trade practices.

All fifteen members of the UN Security Council, including China, voted to strengthen sanctions on North Korea last weekend as a response to the country’s aggressive behavior.

Scaramucci returns to the news cycle 

Anthony Scaramucci made a return to Washington’s Sunday show circuit nearly two weeks after he was fired as White House communications director just ten days on the job.

Scaramucci criticized his former boss’ response to Saturday’s violent clashes in Charlottesville, saying he would have advised Trump to be more direct in confronting white supremacists.

“I wouldn’t have recommended that statement,” Scaramucci said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I think he needed to be much harsher as it related to the white supremacists and the nature of that.” 

As for losing his job, Scaramucci said it was “sort of meant to happen.”

The former communications director was fired after he made vulgar comments during an interview with The New Yorker.

North Korea remains a threat 

Washington’s Sunday talk shows were prepared to focus on North Korea prior to the violence in Charlottesville, but the racially charged situation ended up dominating the circuit.

However, officials still commented on the deteriorating situation with the longtime U.S. adversary.

Trump’s Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert called for a denuclearized North Korea on CNN’s State of the Union, although former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said a denuclearized North Korea is a “nonstarter.”

“I think our process, our thought process here ought to be on accepting it and trying to cap it or control it. But I think a denuclearized North Korea I would love to see it, but I don’t think it’s in the cards,” he said.

Trump spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday about tensions with North Korea.

“President Trump and President Macron pledged to work together with allies and partners to enforce United Nations sanctions and achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the transcript of the call said.