Political Cornflakes: How to primary Trump in 2020 and win. Romney says he favors ‘merit-based’ system for immigration. Stewart, Bishop say no military money for a border wall.
Happy Thursday. Some Republicans are asking whether it would be possible to challenge President Donald Trump in the Republican primaries. It wouldn’t be easy. And it hasn’t been done successfully in modern times. But GOP strategist Mike Murphy says it should be done and lays out the ways to take on Trump. [Politico]
Topping the news: Mitt Romney said in a Wednesday meeting of GOP delegates that he suggests a “merit-based” system to solve America’s illegal immigration problem. [Trib]
-> Utah Reps. Chris Stewart and Rob Bishop said Wednesday that Congress won’t allow President Donald Trump to pay for a border wall between the United States and Mexico with military funding. [DNews]
Tweets of the day: From @petridishes: “does Donald Trump genuinely think he is supposed to eliminate someone each week”
-> From @petridishes: “Good News The VA Is In Better Shape Than Ever And May Live To Be 300”
-> From @jdawsey1: “One of my favorite experiences on the Trump beat: I was assigned a story about an uncharacteristically slow few days. ‘Why are things so quiet?’ an editor asked. I wrote the story and filed it. While it was being edited, Trump fired Comey. It never ran.”
In other news: Some UTA board members suggested Wednesday that wording in a new state law could be used to put off changing the agency’s name to the Transit District of Utah and give lawmakers time to reconsider their decision to do so. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]
-> The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food will begin navigating how it will grow medical marijuana for terminally ill patients who have a “right to try” medical cannabis. The Department will hold a public hearing on April 19 to discuss cannabis growing. [Fox13]
-> Some Orem residents are pushing back on a plan to build student housing adjacent to UVU campus. A petition has been created that could allow residents a referendum vote to overturn Orem City Council’s rezoning decision. [Trib]
-> With the Utah solar industry booming, solar advocates are pleased with a new state law that will regulate how sales personnel interact with customers. [Trib]
Nationally: One of Trump’s lawyers reportedly raised the idea last year to pardon two of the president’s advisors, Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn. [NYTimes]
-> Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin Wednesday and plans to replace him with White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson. [NYTimes]
-> Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., tried to explain that he misspoke last Sunday when he said teenagers advocating for action on gun violence should try taking CPR classes instead. [WaPost]
-> Female U.S. senators are pushing to follow in the footsteps of the U.S. House to approve changes to a law that would improve how sexual harassment is handled at the Capitol. [WaPost]
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-- Thomas Burr and Madalyn Gunnell