The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump says US will start cutting aid over migrant caravan | Video of caravan goes viral | Dems' Senate hopes slide | DNC chief downplays 'blue wave' talk | Lawmakers point finger at crown prince over Khashoggi death | Reports claim Saudis used Khashoggi 'body double' | Trump heads to Texas to campaign for Cruz | Obama campaigning in Vegas | Breaking down Trump's rallies

View in Browser   NEWS THIS MORNING No aid for you:   This morning, President Trump threatened to begin cutting or reducing aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador as migrants from those countries head for the United States as part of a so-called caravan. Trump tweeted: "Sadly, it looks like Mexico's Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National [Emergency]. Must change laws!"  http://bit.ly/2S9ryDy   How many migrants are heading towards the U.S.: The number of migrants has expanded to about 5,000 now. http://bit.ly/2AmucyG   Wow, this video: Here's the caravan of migrants. Watch -- it has 2.27 million views so far: http://bit.ly/2NVj3IV   It's Monday -- Thanksgiving is one month from today! I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com,@CateMartel and on Facebook.   LATEST WITH KHASHOGGI New development -- OK, give me a scenario where this part isn't sketchy: Via CNN, a Saudi operative who is on the team that is suspected of killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi was seen leaving the consulate wearing Khashoggi's clothing, a fake beard and glasses. Watch the surveillance footage: https://cnn.it/2SbVkaP   Lawmakers pointing fingers at the crown prince: Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are expressing confidence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is responsible for journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death. http://bit.ly/2NWAXek   FOR EXAMPLE: Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "If he's gone forth and murdered this journalist, he's now crossed the line. And there has to be a punishment and a price paid for that … I'm not rushing to judgment. Do I think he did it? Yes, I think he did it."   Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.): "I feel certain that the crown prince was involved and that he directed this."    Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.): "The crown prince has his fingerprints all over this."    Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): "It looks like it based on the people who were involved in the actual act." Tillis also said: "If the facts lead to what we all suspect they will, I think it'll be very problematic for our relationship going forward."    Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): Said the crown prince has "got to go."    MEANWHILE -- WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SAYING: In an interview with The Washington Post, President Trump said: "Nobody has told me he's responsible. Nobody has told me he's not responsible. We haven't reached that point. I haven't heard either way. ... There is a possibility he found out about it afterward. It could be something in the building went badly awry. It could be that's when he found about it. He could have known they were bringing him back to Saudi Arabia." https://wapo.st/2PSQGgk   Fascinating read -- airing the Saudis' dirty laundry: The Washington Post's Tom Hamburger, Beth Reinhard and Justin Wm. Moyer write "Inside the Saudis' Washington influence machine: How the kingdom gained power through fierce lobbying and charm offensives."    Including: "Earlier this year, Saudi officials even offered Super Bowl tickets and chartered flights to the event to media stars such as Jake Tapper of CNN and Bret Baier of Fox News, according to Tapper and a Fox News spokeswoman. (Both said they turned the offers down.)"  The full story: https://wapo.st/2ySaAAF       15 DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION Did we say blue wave? We meant soft, subtle blue-ish undertones: Via The Hill's Alexander Bolton, "The battle for control of the Senate is looking worse and worse for Democrats, who just a month ago saw a path to the majority but now increasingly look like they could lose more seats and have a smaller minority next year."    This a.m. from Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez – wave? Blue wave?: "We always knew that this election was going to be close -- I don't use the term 'blue wave,' I always talk about the need for the blocking and tackling," DNC Chairman Tom Perez said on CNN's "New Day." http://bit.ly/2CAoLhp   Republicans have waaay more cash: Via The New York Times's Ken Vogel and Rachel Shorey, Republicans had $337 million as of Sept. 30, compared to Democrats' $285 million. https://nyti.ms/2EAW6LF   WHAT TO EXPECT IF DEMS WIN THE HOUSE -- MORE RUSSIA HEADLINES: Via The Associated Press's Mary Clare Jalonick, "House Democrats are expected to reopen the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election if they win the majority in November. But they would have to be selective in what they investigate." http://bit.ly/2yUoa6z   HAPPENING TONIGHT President Trump at his happiest, maybe even throw in a 'Make America Great Again' hat: President Trump is holding a campaign rally tonight in Houston to urge his supporters to vote for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Livestream of tonight's rally: https://cs.pn/2CxR287   Fascinating read -- some context for tonight's rally: The Washington Post's Jenna Johnson has analyzed President Trump's rallies and how they have been changing. The gist: Trump has preferred smaller venues this year in places where he is popular.   What Johnson found from his 2018 rallies: "Of the 27 midterm rallies Trump has held this year, more than three-quarters were held in counties that he won in 2016 by an average of 59.5 percent. The few times that he has ventured to counties that Democrat Hillary Clinton won, those places are nearly always surrounded on all sides by counties that he won. And more than a third of the rallies were in or near the Appalachian Mountains, where his popularity remains high." https://wapo.st/2yXWPR8   Why tonight's rally is different: "A rare departure will occur Monday night, when Trump will attempt to fill his largest venue in nearly two years: The Toyota Center in the heart of Houston can hold 19,000 and is located in a county that Clinton won in 2016." https://wapo.st/2yXWPR8   Video of Trump supporters lining up last night for tonight's rally: That's a long time to wait. http://bit.ly/2D0s9mL   NOTABLE TWEETS We can all pretend this is absurdly inaccurate, but we would be lying…:   The comments under this tweet are just as funny. Think: bloody marys with absurd toppings. http://bit.ly/2D1rSQ8   ON TAP The House and Senate are out until after the midterms.    11:30 a.m. EDT: President Trump received an intelligence briefing.   12:15 p.m. EDT: President Trump has lunch with Vice President Pence.    2:30 p.m. EDT: President Trump leaves for Houston.   5:30 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence participates in a Great America Committee event in Washington, D.C.   6:50 p.m. EDT: President Trump hosts a roundtable with supporters in Houston.   12:25 a.m. EDT Wednesday: President Trump gets back to the White House.   WHAT TO WATCH 4 p.m. EDT: Former President Obama campaigns in Las Vegas. Livestream: https://cs.pn/2S9tVGo   7:30 p.m. EDT: President Trump holds a campaign rally in Houston. Livestream: https://cs.pn/2CxR287   NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF... Today is National Nut Day.   And to feel festive for the season, here are animals at the Detroit Zoo enjoying pumpkins: http://bit.ly/2q3aWjI   To view past editions of The Hill's 12:30 Report, CLICK HERE. To receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE. Sign Up for 12:30 Report FORWARD 12:30 Report Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2017 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.