*By Carlo Versano* President Trump raised the possibility on Monday that missing and presumed-dead journalist Jamal Khashoggi may have been murdered by "rogue killers" from Saudi Arabia, a theory he floated to reporters after a phone call with Saudi King Salman. Trump also said he was dispatching Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Saudi Arabia "immediately" in the hopes of quelling a mounting geopolitical crisis stretching from Istanbul to Riyadh to Washington, D.C. Trump said Salman issued a "very strong denial" that he was involved in the disappearance of Khashoggi. In an interview with "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday night, Trump said there would be "severe punishment" if it turns out the Saudi royal family carried out a hit under diplomatic cover on Khashoggi, a dissident Saudi citizen and columnist for the Washington Post who lived and worked in the U.S. Trump's interview ー in which he opined on several issues in confident and defiant terms, at one point telling CBS's ($CBS) Lesley Stahl, "I'm president and you're not" ー is part of a coordinated media strategy that has allowed the president to hold multiple Q&As per day. "They're finally unleashing Trump to be this master of all media," Politico's Daniel Lippman said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. "He's putting himself out there," even as Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has slowed the rate of press briefings to a trickle. Meanwhile, three weeks out from the midterms, the 2020 race is heating up. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) over the weekend released results of a DNA test that showed she was part Native American ー a response to Trump's repeated questioning of her ancestry. It was clearly part of a plan to pit her against the president and "lay the groundwork" for a run, said Lippman. Trump responded "who cares," to a shouted question about Warren on Monday. He denied that he ever [offered](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwNlyiUy2Qk) to donate $1 million to charity if the Senator took a DNA test that showed she was "an Indian." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/im-the-president-and-youre-not).

Share:
More In Politics
Return To School Clouded By Mask Mandate Bans In GOP-Led States
Even amid the spread of the Delta variant, Republican governors in states like Florida and Texas have taken actions like banning mask mandates for school districts that will soon bring students back for the year. This argument happens amid a stark increase in pediatric COVID cases. Bianca Quilantan, education reporter at POLITICO, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
Next Week on the Street: August 16 to August 20
In stories sure to move markets next week, Robinhood and several retail giants report earnings, Jerome Powell takes the podium, New York City's mask mandate goes into effect, and Tesla hosts its 'AI Day.'
Trump-DeSantis Tensions Coming To Surface
Former President Trump remains the standard-bearer of the Republican Party in his first six months removed from office. But despite his position atop the party, others are moving to shore up their own bona fides. Chief among them is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who has signed a bevy of bills popular among conservatives this year. He's viewed as a potential successor to trump, and that's creating tension with the still-present Trump. Matt Dixon, POLITICO Florida bureau chief, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
Load More