Happy Wednesday, getting right to it today.

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The Essential Eight

1. Trump Backs Off Trade And ZTE Deals

Trump Denies Reaching Deal With China on ZTE - The New York Times:

“There is no deal. We will see what happens,” Mr. Trump said in response to reporters’ questions about ZTE during a meeting with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea. Mr. Trump, when asked if he was happy with how recent trade meetings with China went, responded: “No, not really. I think that they’re a start.”

“China has made a fortune,” Mr. Trump said, just hours after his closest advisers had last gone on television to promote the success of the recent trade talks. “I’m not satisfied, but we have a long way to go,” he said.

And his Tweet Wednesday cast even more doubt on the deal: