10 things you need to know today: October 18, 2018

White House counsel Don McGahn quits, Turkish officials describe audio recording of Khashoggi's killing, and more

The Saudi Arabia flag at the consulate in Istanbul
(Image credit: Getty Images)

1. White House counsel Don McGahn leaves

White House counsel Don McGahn stepped down effective Wednesday. McGahn oversaw President Trump's judicial appointments, capping his influential tenure with the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. McGahn pushed through a string of conservative nominees, often suggested by the Federalist Society or the Heritage Foundation. Many were young, meaning they will shape court decisions for decades. McGahn's "significance to the judiciary, the White House, and the nation cannot be overstated," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in August. Shortly after The New York Times reported that McGahn had cooperated "extensively" with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling, Trump tweeted that McGahn would be leaving this fall.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.