Newsletter: Essential Politics: It’s wait-and-see time for Trump’s travel ban

What’s next for President Trump’s travel and refugee ban? We’ll have to wait and see what the White House decides.

Trump told reporters Friday that he’s considering a new, more tailored executive order, and a White House official said Sunday the administration is still weighing how to respond to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold a stay on the ban to the Supreme Court.

The court said on Friday it wants the executive branch to decide within 14 days.

I’m Sarah Wire. Welcome to the Monday edition of Essential Politics.

Trump has rushed to fulfill campaign promises in his first three weeks, occasionally sacrificing clarity and depth for speed, and David Lauter kicks off the fourth week with a look at how Trump has lost significant ground in public approval since taking office.

Noah Bierman and Brian Bennett have a look at the adjustments Trump could potentially make to his style and team.

Get the latest about the Trump administration on Essential Washington, follow @latimespolitics and keep an eye on our Essential Politics news feed

NO WORD ON CONFIDENCE IN FLYNN

During interviews on several of the Sunday morning news shows, Trump’s senior policy advisor Stephen Miller wouldn’t say if the president still has confidence in his national security advisor, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, following news that Flynn may have tipped off the Russian ambassador to the U.S. about sanctions put in place by the Obama administration before Trump’s inauguration.

Flynn reportedly mischaracterized the conversations to Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials and the FBI has been examining Flynn’s contact with the ambassador, according to multiple news reports. Democrats are demanding answers about the potentially illegal conversations, saying Flynn should be suspended or fired.

Miller also continued to assert a widely debunked claim that massive vote fraud helped deprive the president of a popular-vote victory in November’s election.

IMMIGRATION RAIDS

State and federal Democrats said they were dismayed by the lack of clear information from immigration officials after a series of recent raids that authorities called routine, but have rattled advocates for immigrants.

California Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) is demanding more information and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called news of the raids alarming.

23 CANDIDATES FOR THE 34th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Yup, you read that right. A total of 23 candidates filed papers to run in the race to replace Xavier Becerra in the 34th Congressional District. The filing deadline was Thursday, and a final certified list of candidates is expected to be released Wednesday. Need a refresher on who’s who? Christine Mai-Duc has you covered here.

In other 34th District news, Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez was endorsed last week by Planned Parenthood’s advocacy arm. He also held a campaign kickoff event over the weekend, where L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti stumped for him.

REBUILDING CALIFORNIA’S ROADS

Director of the advocacy group Transportation California Will Kempton said he is “frustrated and disappointed” that California has failed for decades to agree on a plan to pay for a $136-billion backlog of repairs to state highways and local roads. Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders said they will take another crack at a deal during the next two months.

Patrick McGreevy spoke with Kempton ahead of his retirement from his 40-year career working on the Golden State’s transportation needs.

PODCAST: DECONSTRUCTING THE DEFUNDING THREAT

On the latest California Politics Podcast episode, John Myers leads a discussion on the policy and political impacts of the president’s suggestion of “defunding” California programs that receive money from the federal government.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

— In his weekend column, Myers explores another round of poll data that show just how little many Californians know about where their state government spends taxpayer dollars.

— California’s lawmakers are focused on opposing Trump and protecting the state’s policies against the new president’s administration, but there’s a problem at home that needs their attention, George Skelton writes in his Monday column. The issue? Contaminated drinking water in the San Joaquin Valley, Skelton says.

— Hezbollah’s leader says Trump gives him optimism. (He doesn’t mean it as a compliment.)

— Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time as president in Washington on Tuesday, and Tracy Wilkinson has the story on the president’s shifting policy positions on Israel.

— Thousands of demonstrators waving Mexican flags and signs denouncing President Trump marched through central Mexico City on Sunday.

LOGISTICS

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