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In today's issue:

• Trump presses DOJ to pay him millions

• 3 shutdown off-ramps floated

• Senate Dem holds floor for 18 hours

• President meets with NATO head

• Louvre reopens after $100M in jewels stolen

🎤 IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Trump wants the DOJ to pay him $230M:

President Trump is demanding roughly $230 million from his Justice Department to be compensated for the past investigations against him, according to multiple reports.

Could he get it?: The New York Times, which first reported the figure, cited people familiar with the matter who said it’s possible it gets approved by senior officials who previously defended Trump or others close to him.

This would be a huge deal: “The situation has no parallel in American history, as Mr. Trump, a presidential candidate, was pursued by federal law enforcement and eventually won the election, taking over the very government that must now review his claims. It is also the starkest example yet of potential ethical conflicts created by installing the president’s former lawyers atop the Justice Department.” (NYT)

Trump was asked about the report Tuesday: “I don’t know the numbers, I don’t even talk to them about it. All I know is that they would owe me a lot of money, but I’m not looking for money. I would give it to charity or something,” the president said.

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) says it’s a bad idea: “It’s terrible optics, particularly right now,” Tillis, who is retiring, said, per CNN’s Manu Raju. “We're talking about a quarter of a billion dollars transferring, maybe to the President when we're in a shutdown posture.”

A former Trump adviser also questioned the move: Former Trump campaign adviser David Urban argues Trump should not seek compensation. “If the president wants to get an apology from the Department of Justice, or from somebody for doing him wrong — one thing. For John Q. Public to come out of their checkbook to pay him money, it’s not like Donald Trump’s brand has been hurt by that, right?” Urban told CNN.

Add a 'help wanted' sign to the White House’s front door:

The White House is searching for its next head of the Office of Special Counsel after Paul Ingrassia withdrew his nomination on Tuesday evening.

Ingrassia had been under mounting pressure to withdraw over racist text messages he reportedly sent, including referring to himself as having a “Nazi streak.” Several Republicans said they would not vote to confirm him before he withdrew.

But keep in mind: Ingrassia is still a White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, which is not a Senate-confirmed job. Some Democrats are calling for him to resign from the administration entirely.

“Withdrawing his nomination is not good enough. Ingrassia should be removed from the White House and government service altogether,”

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