1/ Trump defended his 2017 comment that there were “very fine people on both sides� of the white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, in which an avowed neo-Nazi rammed his car into a group of protesters, killing a woman and injuring dozens of others. At the time, Trump condemned what happened “on many sides,� arguing there were “very fine people on both sides� of the incident. Now, nearly two years later, Trump stands by his statement, claiming that he answered questions about the incident in Charlottesville “perfectly.� Trump’s comments came a day after Joe Biden launched his presidential campaign with a video comparing the violence and racism displayed in Charlottesville to Trump’s response. The “Unite the Right� rally was organized by self-proclaimed white nationalist Richard Spencer. (Washington Post / Politico / CBS News / Bloomberg / CNN)

[ANALYSIS] Trump tried to re-write his own history on Charlottesville and “both sides.� But some Trump supporters — and now Trump himself — have argued that he was taken out of context. They say he wasn’t referring to neo-Nazis, white supremacists and white nationalists when he referred to “very fine people� on both sides, but rather some other people who shared their cause of saving a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. (Washington Post)

Trumps advisers: Biden poses the biggest threat to Trump’s re-election. (Politico)

A Fox News reporter called out two of his colleagues for sounding “like a White Supremacist chat room� when they attempted to defend Trump’s “both sides� comment about white supremacists in Charlottesville. (Daily Beast)

2/ Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein defended his handling of the Russia investigation, attacked the media for how it was covered and blamed the Obama administration for not revealing “the full story� about Russia’s efforts. Speaking at the Public Servants Dinner of the Armenian Bar Association, Rosenstein recalled how he had promised to “do it right� during his Senate confirmation hearing and “take it to the appropriate conclusion,� while attacking what he called “mercenary critics,� politicians and the news media. Rosenstein, however, also warned that hacking and social media ma­nipu­la­tion are “only the tip of the iceberg� when it comes to Russian efforts to influence American elections. (NBC News / Washington Post / Politico /