Tag: White House

Sarah Huckabee Sanders to Leave White House at the End of the Month

Zachery Schmidt

  White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is stepping down at the end of June, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Thursday. “After 3 1/2 years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home to the Great State of Arkansas . . . She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas – she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done,” Trump wrote. ….She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas – she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2019 Sanders thanked the President on Twitter after he announced her resignation. “I am blessed and forever grateful to Donald Trump for the opportunity to serve and proud of everything he’s accomplished. I love the President and my job. The most important job I’ll ever have is being a mom to my kids and it’s time for us to…

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The White House Just Escalated Its Subpoena Standoff with House Democrats

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by Kevin Daley   The White House has directed former administration aides, Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson, not to cooperate with subpoenas from the House Judiciary Committee as part of its far-reaching probe of President Donald Trump. The panel issued subpoenas to Hicks and Donaldson on May 21 for documents and testimony. Those orders asked Hicks to appear for testimony on June 19, while Donaldson is to appear on June 24. Both women were directed to submit records to the committee by Tuesday. “As part of President Trump’s continued obstruction of Congress, the White House has instructed both Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson not to turn over records in response to subpoenas issued by our committee last month,” Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said in a Tuesday statement. “I note that Ms. Hicks has agreed to turn over some documents to the Committee relating to her time working for the Trump campaign, and I thank her for that show of good faith.” “The president has no lawful basis for preventing these witnesses from complying with our request. We will continue to seek reasonable accommodation on these and all our discovery requests and intend to press these issues when we obtain…

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Gov Larry Hogan Bails on Possible POTUS Run, Leaving Trump’s GOP Critics with Few Options

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by Chris White   Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Saturday morning he will not challenge President Donald Trump for the GOP 2020 nomination. “I’m not going to be a candidate for president in 2020,” Hogan said in an interview with The Washington Post. Trump’s Republican critics have worked to entice Hogan into jumping into the crowded 2020 race. Hogan acknowledged the president’s growing popularity inside the Republican Party, but said he wants to focus on being Maryland’s governor. “I have a commitment to the 6 million people of Maryland and a lot of work to do, things we haven’t completed,” he said. Hogan’s decision is a potential mortal wound to the so-called “Never Trump” wing of the Republican Party, a contingent of commentators and former politicians such as Bill Kristol and former Ohio governor John Kasich. Kristol attended a baseball game in April with Hogan and political strategist Russ Schriefer to talk about the 2020 presidential race. Kristol told Hogan his ability to win twice in deep blue Maryland could resonate with Republican voters, WaPo reported. Hogan’s decision leaves Kristol and his ilk with one surefire option: former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who announced his presidential bid in April.…

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White House Plan Would Shift Millions from TSA to Fund Border Operations

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by Jason Hopkins   The White House is considering reallocating over $230 million from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and using those funds to help pay for operations on the U.S.-Mexico border. The proposal is meant to serve as a backup measure in the event that Congress does not approve the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) request for $1.1 billion in additional funding. The Trump administration has long argued that the U.S. is experiencing a widespread immigration crisis, and DHS officials are in desperate need of extra funding to deal with the influx of migrants arriving at the border. The White House has identified several possible revenue sources within the TSA under the contingency plan. Two major programs that could be utilized are $64 million set aside for a workers’ compensation fund and $50 million earmarked for advanced airport screening, according to documents NBC News reviewed. The plan could also take advantage of loose change collected from airport trays — an amount that totals $3 million. “We will need additional funding sooner,” Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, said during a congressional hearing Wednesday. “Given the scale, we will exhaust our resources well before this fiscal year, which…

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Obama White House Tracked FOIA Request for Hillary Emails that Was Improperly Denied

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by Chuck Ross   The Obama White House kept tabs on a Freedom of Information Act request for information on former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton’s email accounts that the State Department improperly denied, according to newly released emails. The emails, which were provided to Judicial Watch, show for the first time that the Obama White House was aware of the Clinton-related FOIA request, which the liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) submitted to the State Department in December 2012. The State Department denied the request in May 2013, claiming that no responsive records existed. That despite officials at the State Department, the White House, and even President Obama himself knowing that Clinton used a personal email account for government business. The State Department’s inspector general determined in a report released on Jan. 7, 2016 that the State Department’s denial of the CREW request was “inaccurate and incomplete.” It is not clear from the emails why the White House was interested in the request. But Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton has a theory. “These documents suggest the Obama White House knew about the Clinton email lies being told to the public at least as early…

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Joe Biden Expected to Launch Presidential Campaign Next Week

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Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to join the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential race next week. The decision answers one of the most significant outstanding questions of the early presidential primary season, which has already seen announcements from 18 high-profile Democrats. Biden, 76, would be the oldest and most experienced politician in the race. His plans were confirmed by three people with knowledge, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The announcement is expected as early as Wednesday and would cap months of deliberation over his political future. The specific launch date and location is unclear. Biden is likely to quickly make visits to early-voting states. One person said Biden’s advisers are also considering an early event in Charlottesville, Virginia, the site of a deadly clash between white supremacists and counterprotesters in 2017. The location would be intended to draw a contrast between Biden and President Donald Trump, who initially said there were some “very fine people on both sides” of the violent confrontation. Biden has been particularly outspoken against the rise of white supremacy in the Trump era. One of the most recognizable names in U.S. politics, Biden served as Barack Obama’s two-term…

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Most US Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Still Relying on Large Campaign Donations

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As U.S. Democrats emphasize building their 2020 presidential campaigns on grass-roots support, fewer than half amassed at least 50 percent of their early financial support from small-dollar donations, a Reuters analysis found. Candidates seeking the White House filed their first-quarter fundraising totals Monday, revealing that many are still relying on checks exceeding $200. Of the 15 Democrats who launched campaigns before April 1, only six of 15 amassed half their hauls from small-dollar donations. And many candidates are still leaning on donors in their home states for larger checks. Nine Democratic candidates received the bulk of their contributions of $200 or more from their home states, the Reuters analysis found. Early fundraising prowess can signal the strength of a candidate’s campaign. Raising small checks from more donors can act as a test of popular support. Building a broad donor base that stretches beyond a candidate’s home state is evidence of gaining traction. Many Democrats have touted their support among so-called “small dollar” donors, those who give less than $200. But only six — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, and Andrew Yang, a…

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Commentary: Obama’s ‘Circular Firing Squad’ Comparison Taints 2020 Democrats

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President Barack Obama

by Jeffery Rendall   How bad (or good) will it get? Speaking of the 2020 Democrat presidential campaign which is already shaping up to be a barnburner of a good time for political observers who enjoy a first-rate game of backbiting, shouting, gesticulating, creeping and finger-pointing. These days Democrats are undergoing an identity crisis of epic proportions, torn between their old “let’s just rain goodies down on the people and see what happens” approach and a newer, much more militant brand of politicking emphasizing ripping up the tracks after the pontificating and demagoguery train leaves the station. One particular old guard Democrat noticed the dark storm clouds on the horizon and hit the road to tell folks how worried he is about it. Daniel Chaitin reported at The Washington Examiner, “Former President Barack Obama said … he is concerned about the left wing of the Democratic Party creating a ‘circular firing squad’ hurting more moderate members. “’The way we structure democracy requires you to take into account people who don’t agree with you,’ Obama said at an Obama Foundation event in Berlin, Germany. ‘And that by definition means you’re not going to get 100 percent of what you want.’ “’One of…

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Democratic Congressman Swalwell Joins White House Race

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U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell said on Monday he would seek the Democratic nomination for president, joining a crowded field seeking to take on Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Swalwell, a third-term congressman from a California district south of San Francisco, made the announcement during a taping of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which airs later on Monday. The program tweeted a clip of Swalwell saying he was running for president. Swalwell said tackling student debt and gun violence were among the reasons he jumped into the Democratic primary race. “None of that is going to change until we get a leader who is willing to go big on the issues we take on, be bold in the solutions we offer, and do good in the way that we govern. I’m ready to solve these problems. I’m running for president,” Swalwell said. Swalwell, 38, is now among the youngest candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic nomination, along with Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Representative Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii, both of whom are 37. Thirty-five is the minimum age to serve as U.S. president. Swalwell cited his work on the House Intelligence Committee and…

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Lt. Gov. McNally Discusses New North American Trade Agreement With His Peers at White House Meeting

Jason M. Reynolds

Lt. Gov. and Sen. Randy McNally (R-TN-05) on Wednesday participated in a panel discussion at the White House with lieutenant governors from across the country. The discussion featured National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and centered on the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), according to a statement from McNally’s office. McNally tweeted, “President @realDonaldTrump has committed to putting America first in all things, especially trade. I was grateful for the opportunity to learn about the new agreement and how it will affect our economy.” President @realDonaldTrump has committed to putting America first in all things, especially trade. I was grateful for the opportunity to learn about the new agreement and how it will affect our economy. pic.twitter.com/zUlHnCqhlc — Randy McNally (@ltgovmcnally) March 27, 2019 He also tweeted, “I was honored to join my fellow lieutenant governors from across the nation at the @WhiteHouse to discuss the state of our economy and how #USMCA will impact our states. Free trade is beneficial for our economy, but only if it is fair trade.” McNally said in his statement, “I was honored to join my fellow lieutenant governors from across the nation to discuss the…

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Klobuchar Lays Out Vision for the White House: ‘It’s Time, America’

Anthony Gockowski

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota–Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) officially declared her candidacy for President of the United States Sunday during a snowy rally on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Several of her Minnesotan colleagues spoke before her, including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN). Klobuchar’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), touted Klobuchar’s record of supporting Planned Parenthood, and criticized Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh for his alleged failure to adequately address Klobuchar’s line of questioning during his confirmation process. Prince, naturally, was invoked several times throughout the event and one of his former collaborators, DJ Dudley D, emceed the occasion. https://twitter.com/AGockowski/status/1094671348801175552 “Hey, if Prince could do that halftime show in all that rain, I can do this in this snow,” Klobuchar joked. Despite the blizzard-like conditions, Klobuchar managed to attract a massive crowd that was estimated at around 9,000 people. She began her address by thanking her “amazing and incredible team and staff for putting this together.” Leading up to her announcement, Buzzfeed News and Huffington Post released separate reports detailing Klobuchar’s abusive behavior toward her staff, which included claims that she “yelled, threw papers, and sometimes even hurled objects.” Klobuchar’s speech “We are gathered…

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Rep. Mark Meadows Says Trump Will Not Budge on Requested Amount for Wall Funding

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by Henry Rodgers   Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows said President Donald Trump will not budge on the $5 billion requested for a border wall Wednesday, as the government enters its sixth day of a partial shutdown. Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said he does not believe Trump will agree to the Democrats’ counteroffer of $1.3 billion that could be used for the border wall, saying he does not think the amount is “reasonable.” The government will remain shut down until a compromise can be worked out among the two parties. “I can tell you, if they believe this President is going to yield on this particular issue, they’re misreading him, misreading the American people,” Meadows told CNN on “Inside Politics.” “I see no evidence that would suggest he would come even close to 1.3” billion dollars in border wall funding. This comes as Meadows pushed strongly against a short-term funding bill that would have funded the government until Feb. 8, saying the wall is necessary and that “the time to act is now.” “The time to stand up for the American people and fight for wall funding is now. If the president vetoes a [continuing resolution (CR)] without wall funding,…

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Schiff Will Subpoena Mueller Report if White House Tries to Block its Release

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by Chuck Ross   California Rep. Adam Schiff said Sunday that he is prepared to subpoena a report from the special counsel’s Russia investigation should the White House try to block its release. “At the end of the day, this is just — this case is just too important to keep from the American people what it’s really about,” Schiff said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” CNN host Jake Tapper had asked Schiff, a Democrat, whether he would use his subpoena power when he takes over next month as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to obtain the report, should the Trump administration attempt to block its release. https://youtu.be/_BY7odWtwrw?t=1591 “I’m prepared to make sure we do everything possible so that the public has the advantage of as much of the information as it can,” Schiff said. “That sounds like a yes,” said Tapper. “Well, that pretty much is a yes, from my point of view,” Schiff replied, adding that “we ought to make sure this report is public.” Special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly planning to send his report to the Justice Department as early as mid-February, NBC News reported Friday. The Justice Department, which is…

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Katrina Pierson Commentary: Reports of White House Discord are a Fairy Tale Concocted by the Media

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by Katrina Pierson   President Trump’s continuing success at keeping his promises to the American people shows that media reports of discord and turmoil at the White House are just the wishful thinking of liberal activist-reporters. The media’s obsession with rumors of White House dissonance is unparalleled — time and again, the press eagerly publishes salacious stories about President Trump that can’t be verified or confirmed independently. The ongoing negative coverage surrounding the Chief of Staff vacancy offers an excellent example of this type of sleazy reporting. In his article for Vanity Fair, notorious Trump hater Gabe Sherman dramatically exaggerated the circumstances of John Kelly’s departure with details attributed to mysterious unnamed sources. Like flies attracted to manure, the reporter-activists in the mainstream media swarm over every smelly rumor they can find in Washington, unrestrained by even the pretense of objectivity or commitment to accuracy. If you write a poorly-sourced book that is critical of President Trump, you may just become a frequent guest on cable TV news programs. If you claim to be a White House official who disagrees with the administration, your anonymous letter may just end up in The New York Times. Part of the problem with…

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Trump Names Mulvaney Acting Chief of Staff

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President Donald Trump is announcing that budget director Mick Mulvaney will be his next chief of staff. Trump tweeted Friday that Mulvaney “has done an outstanding job” in his administration and would take over next year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Trump deemed Mulvaney his “acting chief of staff” but it was not immediately clear what that meant for the length of his tenure. He will replace John Kelly. Trump praised Kelly’s service and called him a “great patriot” in the tweet. Trump announced last week that Kelly, who served in the post for more than a year, would soon be departing. The president’s first choice was Nick Ayers, the vice president’s chief of staff, who bowed out after being unable to come to an agreement on how long he would serve in the post. – – –                          …

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Commentary: Leftist Grinches See Red Over the White House Christmas Display

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by Erik Root   Last year I wrote that good taste had returned to the White House in the aesthetic arrangement of Christmas decorations. This year, with the theme “American Treasures” Melania Trump continues to exhibit good taste as, in addition to honoring well established Christian tradition, she also pays homage to “the unique heritage of America” in giving thanks to the American Experiment. There is one section of the festive presentation that has sent those opposing everything Trump into apoplectic convulsions. The offense this year? The more than 40 crimson topiary trees that line the east colonnade. The red theme, according to the White House, stands for courage, valor, and bravery represented in the presidential seal. In one sense, and as the White House noted, the trees are also symbolic of our Founding Fathers who understood the great sacrifice before them. As Thomas Paine wrote in The Crisis: These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have…

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President George H.W. Bush Has Died

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George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, a man born of patrician pedigree, but with a sense of honor, duty and service to his country that played out over the last 60 years of the 20th century, died Friday at age 94. In a life on the world stage and at the highest levels of the American political scene, Bush lost and won elections before becoming the American leader in 1989, and then, with a declining U.S. economy and unemployment rising, was turned out of office after four years in the White House, losing his re-election bid in 1992. He marked the start of his presidency with a sweeping inaugural declaration that “a new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn; for in man’s heart, if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. The totalitarian era is passing, its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree.” His pronouncement soon proved prophetic, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union occurring early in his presidency. Bush met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, their…

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White House Approves Use of Force by Troops at Border

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The Trump administration is allowing troops stationed at the U.S.-Mexico border to engage in some law enforcement activities and, if necessary, use lethal force. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that he had received a Cabinet order signed by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, not President Donald Trump, making engagement guidelines less restrictive. “The president did see a need to back up the Border Patrol officers, and we received late last night an additional instruction authorizing us to implement additional measures. We’re sizing up what those are. We already talked with folks over at DHS Department of Homeland Security,” Mattis said. He added that he wouldn’t take any action unless he heard from DHS. “The secretary of homeland security has to ask me to do stuff. I now have the authority to do more.  Now we’ll see what she asks me for,” Mattis said. Minimal risk The New York Times reported Wednesday that an internal DHS document said U.S. border guards faced a “minimal” risk of violence in encounters with migrants. The Cabinet order that Mattis received, first reported by the Military Times, allows military personnel to perform activities that the secretary of defense “determines…

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Trey Gowdy Sends Letter to White House for Details on Ivanka Trump’s Email Use

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by Henry Rodgers   House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy sent a letter to the White House Wednesday asking for details regarding Ivanka Trump’s use of a private email account. The letter comes after a report broke Monday night that the first daughter used it to conduct government business and schedule meetings in the beginning months of the administration. The letter is addressed to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. “In light of the importance and necessity of preserving the public record and doing so in a manner that is reflective of relevant statutory and regulatory requirements, the Committee must assess whether the White House took adequate steps to archive Ms. Trump’s emails and prevent a recurrence,” wrote Gowdy, a Republican from South Carolina. “We launched a bipartisan investigation last year into White House officials’ use of private email accounts for official business, but the White House never gave us the information we requested,” Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the likely incoming Democratic chairman of the committee, said in a Tuesday statement. “We need those documents to ensure that Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and other officials are complying with federal records laws and there is a complete record of the activities of…

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CNN Calls for Emergency Hearing in Response to White House Threats on Acosta

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by Hanna Bogorowski   After receiving a letter from the White House saying CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass could be revoked again by the end of November, CNN has asked the U.S. District Court for an emergency hearing. CNN won a temporary restraining order Friday after suing President Donald Trump and several members of his administration after they suspended Acosta’s access to the White House after an incident in which the reporter refused to hand over the microphone to an intern during a press conference. A judge temporarily restored Acosta’s access Friday and told CNN and the administration to reach a settlement, but CNN’s Brian Stelter revealed Sunday night that “White House officials sent Acosta a letter stating that his pass is set to be suspended again once the restraining order expires.” The letter, signed by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Bill Shine, announced the “preliminary decision” to suspend Acosta’s press pass again once the court’s restraining order expired, CNN reported. CNN asked a U.S. district court Monday for an emergency hearing. The White House’s letter reportedly says it will make a decision on the fate of Acosta’s press pass by 3 p.m. ET on Monday, the report states. .@CNN's Jim @Acosta returns…

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Melania Trump’s Moment: First Lady Flexes Muscles

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  It turns out there is more than one Trump who can employ a few well-chosen words as a poison dart. With a bombshell public statement this week, it was first lady Melania Trump who revealed her ability to carry out a political hit. Her extraordinary call for the removal of a top administration official forced the president to banish a top aide, exacerbated tensions within the White House and provided fresh insight into the first marriage. Above all, the moment showed that the enigmatic first lady is increasingly prepared to flex her muscles. While it was President Donald Trump who repeatedly promised to shake up his Cabinet and staff, it was his wife who forced one of the first moves after the midterm elections. And while first ladies have long held unique positions of influence in the White House, Mrs. Trump’s very public power play was an unusual move befitting an unconventional White House. “There have been similar activities on a less publicized scale, but it came out after the fact. We’ve never seen a first lady have her office make a public statement like that,” said Katherine Jellison, chair of the history department at Ohio University and an…

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Commentary: The White House Is No Place for Resistance

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by Robert Romano   White House Chief of Staff John Kelly needs to serve up whoever wrote the Sept. 5 anonymous New York Times oped, “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,” or he needs to go and President Donald Trump needs to find a new chief of staff who will get control of those men and women who have the privilege of serving in the White House. The oped contends, dramatically, that “many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda” and “I would know. I am one of them.” The oped offers very few specifics over which policy disagreements led to the drafting of the oped. But what it alleges is that there is a conspiracy in the White House to undermine the constitutionally elected, sitting President of the United States and the agenda he ran on. This goes to the heart of the President’s sole authority in executing the laws of the United States under Article II of the Constitution. The White House is a place where robust deliberations should be had, but, at the end of the day, the President decides the direction the administration…

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McCain From the Grave: Trump Receives Media Criticism for Flag Flying Protocol and Building the Wall

Julie Carr

On Monday’s Gill Report – broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville – Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill was dismayed by the media’s ability to say anything as a reason to criticize president Trump in the time of John McCain’s death. Apparently, following flag flying protocol just wasn’t enough. Gill went on to talk about Senator McCain’s passing and his true feelings he expressed during a 2010 campaign message where he was more than enthusiastic about “building the wall”. However, only when it served his re-election. Gill continued: John McCain’s passing has been met with a lot of disputes within the Republican party not the least at which has been a furor over the flag over the white house flying at half-mast for two days. Well lowering the flag for two days when a member of the Congress or top leader in government dies is the protocol set forth in the US code. You lower the flag for two days and then it goes back up to full staff. Which is exactly what the White House did. It wasn’t an attack on John McCain, it wasn’t a way to diminish his value they followed the rules, the protocol…

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Phil Bredesen-Supporting Elizabeth Warren Shows No Compassion for Iowa Girl Murdered by Illegal Alien

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is supporting former Gov. Phil Bredesen’s campaign for the U.S. Senate, used her airtime Wednesday morning to stump for immigration reform rather than addressing the tragic death of Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts, who had been missing for 34 days, was found dead in an Iowa cornfield after her murderer, an illegal alien, led police officers to the scene of the crime. On Wednesday morning, Warren appeared on CNN to discuss the issue, calling the Tibbets tragedy “hard, not only for the family, but for the people in her community and people throughout Iowa.” The Democrat then immediately turned her attention to family separations at the border, lamenting over the personal encounters she had with mothers who had been separated from their children. “But one of the things we have to remember is we need an immigration system that is effective, that focuses on where real problems are. Last month, I went down to the border and I saw where children have been taken away from their mothers,” she said, saying she had personally visited with some of the parents. “There was no plan for how they would be reunified with their children. I think we need immigration…

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President Trump Expects to Revoke DOJ Official Bruce Ohr’s Security Clearance

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Bruce Ohr

President Trump said Friday he plans to revoke the security clearance of Bruce Ohr, a Justice Department official whose wife was employed at the company that was involved in producing the dossier on Trump’s links to Russia. Trump called Ohr a “disgrace” outside the White House and said, “I suspect I will be taking it away very quickly.” Ohr is under intense Republican scrutiny for his contacts with Glenn Simpson, who co-founded the opposition research firm Fusion GPS. The president also suggested he may revoke Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s security clearance, and said, “Mr. Mueller has a lot of conflicts also, directly himself.” Trump said, nevertheless, that Mueller should be allowed to finish a report on Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trumps remarks came after he revoked the security clearance earlier this week of former CIA Director John Brennan. Twelve former senior intelligence officials have issued a statement on what they call “the ill-considered and unprecedented remarks and actions by the White House regarding the removal of John Brennan’s security clearances.” “The president’s action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not…

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White House Chief of Staff John Kelly Commits to Stay Through 2020

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Donald Trump, John Kelly

by Steve Herman   Providing some stability amid a high rate of turnover of key personnel, the White House chief of staff has agreed to stick around for at least a couple of more years. Retired Marine Corps General John Kelly, at the request of President Donald Trump, has committed to staying in his post until the 2020 election, according to a White House official. There had been numerous mainstream media reports that Kelly, frustrated with West Wing disorder and isolated from critical decision-making, would soon depart. Kelly marked one year as chief of staff on Monday, and Trump tweeted congratulations after making note of the anniversary in remarks during a swearing-in ceremony for the new Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Robert Wilkie. “He’s only there because he thinks he can serve the country and he would only stay if he actually thought he was accomplishing something,” said James Jay Carafano, vice president of national security and foreign policy at the Heritage Foundation. Kelly, who previously was in Trump’s cabinet as homeland security secretary, was installed as chief of staff to replace Reince Priebus at a time when the West Wing was beset by internal divisions. “There’s no question it’s infinitely…

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Ivanka Trump to Shutter Fashion Line, Focus on Government

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Tennessee Star

Reuters   President Donald Trump’s oldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, is closing her fashion line to focus her energies on advising her father’s White House, she said through a representative on Tuesday. Trump, whose fortune comes from real estate development, came into office carrying a broad family business portfolio that trades heavily on the family name. The president has made regular visits to Trump-branded properties during his time in office, prompting some critics to complain that he is using the profile of his office to promote his private businesses. “After seventeen months, without a time frame for her return, Ivanka made the difficult decision that to be fair to the brand’s partners and its employees, the business should be wound down,” a representative for Ivanka Trump’s fashion line said in a statement on Tuesday. The company said licensing contracts would not be renewed and those in place will be allowed to run their course. Trump’s combative style on the campaign trail and as president have drawn the family’s brands into political fights, with some supporters hosting events at the luxury Trump International Hotel blocks from the White House while opponents have called for boycotts of the family’s businesses. In early 2017…

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Secret Service Agent Suffers a Fatal Stroke Overseas

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in remembrance and gratitude

A Secret Service agent who accompanied President Donald Trump during his overseas trip has died, the White House announced. Noel Remagen, 42, was found unresponsive Saturday while on duty, protecting National Security Advisor John Bolton during the President’s visit of Scotland. Remagen was rushed to the hospital, where he died Sunday surrounded by family and colleagues, a statement from the White House said. “Our hearts are filled with sadness over the loss of a beloved and devoted Special Agent,” the statement read. “We grieve with them and with his Secret Service colleagues, who have lost a friend and a brother.” Remagen’s body was flown back to the United States on Wednesday, and will be accompanied by Secret Service personnel until the burial. Remagen had worked in the Secret Service, a law enforcement agency tasked with protecting the nation’s leaders, for 19 years. Earlier, Remagen served with the U.S. Marine Corps for five years. “Prayers for the Remagen family. We are all forever grateful for the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the United States Secret Service, some of the greatest and bravest people in the country,” White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Wednesday. Prayers for the…

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Trump White House Has Smaller Staff, Spends Less on Salaries Than Obama White House

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Tennessee Star

by Jeremiah Poff   Over $20 million in taxpayer funds could be saved at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term in office due to his leaner White House operation. A new report on the White House Office Personnel revealed that Trump has a significantly smaller staff than his predecessor did at this time, according to an analysis by Open the Books, a government watchdog organization that focuses on spending. “Although the White House personnel budget is an infinitesimal part of the $3.9 trillion federal budget, it is an important forecasting indicator showing Trump’s deep commitment to cut the size, scope and power of the federal government and reign in waste,” wrote Adam Andrzejewski, CEO of Open the Books, in an op-ed for Forbes. As of June 30, 2018, the White House currently employs 374 people, three fewer than were employed in 2017. It’s also significantly lower than the 469 that were employed in 2010 by then President Barack Obama. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] In addition to maintaining a smaller staff size, Trump’s White House has also cut payroll by…

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President Trump Withdraws Philadelphia Eagles Invite, Plans Patriotic Celebration with Fans Anyway

Jason M. Reynolds
President Trump

President Donald Trump said, in a statement, that the Philadelphia Eagles team is “unable” to attend a White House ceremony this afternoon because they don’t agree with his belief that NFL players should “proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.” The president’s announcement was made Monday evening, just under 24 hours before the 3 p.m. scheduled meeting, Fox News reported. Players Brandon Graham, Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Long and Torrey Smith previously said they would not attend. “The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better,” the president said in a statement. “These fans are still invited to the White House to be part of a different type of ceremony—one that will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem.  I will be there at 3:00 p.m. with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus to celebrate America.” Monday night, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted Gold Star families at the White House…

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Knives Out For Kelly: Leaky White House Staffers Target Chief Of Staff

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by Peter Hasson   White House chief of staff John Kelly is on the receiving end of more damaging leaks from unnamed West Wing staffers. NBC News quoted eight current and former White House staffers in a story that described Kelly complaining about President Donald Trump. Kelly frequently portrays himself as saving the country from destruction and has repeatedly called Trump an “idiot,” the anonymous officials claimed. The officials blamed Kelly for low morale in the White House and questioned his judgement. “He says stuff you can’t believe,” one senior White House official told NBC News. “He’ll say it and you think, ‘That is not what you should be saying.’” Kelly dismissed the NBC News report as “total BS” in a statement issued Monday evening. “I spend more time with the President than anyone else and we have an incredibly candid and strong relationship. He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS,” Kelly said. “I am committed to the President, his agenda, and our country. This is another pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from the administrations many successes.” The leaks are the latest indication that Kelly may…

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White House Releases Democrats’ Memo on Russia Probes

Tennessee Star Staff

The White House on Saturday released a redacted version of a Democratic congressional memo that rebuts a Republican account of alleged FBI surveillance abuses. The release of the Democratic memo came three weeks after the release of the Republican version of events, which was compiled by staffers of House intelligence committee Chairman Devin Nunes of California.…

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President Trump Withdraws NBA’s Warriors Invitation to White House

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President Donald Trump said Saturday he was withdrawing a White House invitation extended to the Golden State Warriors after several players on the NBA championship-winning side voiced misgivings about attending a reception. Writing on Twitter, Trump singled out Warriors star Stephen Curry, who on Friday had signalled that he would vote against attending the White House…

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Eleven Year Old Frank Giaccio Mows Rose Garden Lawn and Meets President Trump

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  After writing President Trump and making a pitch for the job, eleven year old Frank Giaccio was granted the opportunity to mow the White House’s iconic Rose Garden lawn Friday morning. Much to young Frank’s surprise, President Trump came out to cheer the boy on and thank him for his hard work. The White House assembled a short highlight reel of Frank’s morning at the White House and posted it Friday via a tweet from President Trump himself: Frank “FX” Giaccio-On behalf of @FLOTUS Melania & myself, THANK YOU for doing a GREAT job this morning! @NatlParkService gives you an A+! pic.twitter.com/135DxuapUI — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2017 We first heard about Frank last month, right after Stephen Miller and Jim Acosta clashed over President Trump’s immigration proposals. You’ll recall sparks flew when Acosta intimated there was a discriminatory element to requiring individuals seeking to enter the United States speak English, and that it would result in immigrants coming from Great Britain or Australia, Miller famously quipped, “I have to honestly say I am shocked at your statement that you think that only people from Great Britain and Australia would know English.  It’s actually — it reveals your cosmopolitan…

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White House Petition Asking Trump to Label Antifa a ‘Terrorist Organization’ Nears 200K

Tennessee Star Staff

A petition urging President Trump to recognize Antifa – a left-wing, militant activist movement – as a terrorist organization has well surpassed the required 100,000 signatures for an official White House response. The “We the People” petition, created Thursday by someone of the name M.A., says Antifa’s violent actions in cities across the country should earn…

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Commentary: Can General John Kelly Put An End to the White House Staff Soap Opera?

Tennessee Star Staff

by Jeffrey A. Rendall   For the sheer amount of soap-opera quality media coverage the White House staff has prompted since President Trump was sworn-in on Inauguration Day, the most recent personnel moves in the executive mansion have created surprisingly little controversy by comparison. In a nutshell you could characterize the changes as establishment-out, outsiders-in. By all appearances the switches have worked to squelch a lot of the media’s paranoid hyperventilating over the internal workings of this unique-in-history administration. Nancy Cook of Politico reported, “Under former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, there was no formal policymaking process in the West Wing: no set protocol for meeting with the president, giving him information, or presenting various options with which to make decisions. Sometimes, multiple staffers said, disagreements broke out in the Oval Office in front of the president. “That disorganization ultimately led to a string of policy failures, including the collapse of health care reform, even though Republicans control both the White House and Congress. “Now, as President Donald Trump looks to embark on an ambitious fall policy drive that includes tax reform, an infrastructure package and maybe health care – again – his new chief of staff John Kelly is…

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Buchanan: ‘Hard Thing’ for White House to Recover from Scaramucci Rant

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

While political observers are scratching their heads over what motivated newly minted White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci to call New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza and deliver a vulgar rant, one thing is clear: it doesn’t look good for the Trump administration. Appearing on “The Laura Ingraham Show” on Friday morning, Pat Buchanan, veteran commentator and…

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Reince Priebus Out as President Trump’s Chief of Staff

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  President Trump announced via Twitter Friday afternoon that Reince Priebus is no longer his Chief of Staff, effective immediately. I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 …and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 Speculation is that a pattern of leaks combined with the second failure to pass Obamacare repeal was enough for the President to lose confidence in Priebus. Developing…

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Newt to Mooch: Slow Your Roll, Learn the Job

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

  Newt Gingrich leveled a heavy rebuke of the erratic and unproductively bombastic outbursts by President Trump’s new White House Communications Director Anthony “Mooch” Scaramucci Thursday, in two separate appearances with conservative talker Laura Ingraham. The first was on The Laura Ingraham Show, where he admonished the freshly-minted Communications Director to ‘learn to do the job.’ Here is a transcript of the exchange: INGRAHAM: …What do you take away from this most recent 24 hour period with Scaramucci? GINGRICH: I think that Scaramucci had better be a lot more careful than he has been. He obviously likes the lime light he obviously likes being in the media. I would say right now he is being more pugnacious than effective. He ought to slow down a little bit and learn what he is doing. I think that he things he said about Reince, if he said them, where is his proof? I mean it’s totally unhelpful having someone going around starting family fights in public and if he is going to be that divisive I’m not sure if he is going to be that useful to the president. INGRAHAM: Apparently he called into CNN and it could be the sole purpose of questioning Preibus. He…

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White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Steps Down

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Tennessee Star

Several news outlets are reporting that President Trump has reluctantly accepted Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s resignation. Via the Associated Press: White House press secretary Sean Spicer is resigning his position, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. One of those people said Spicer is quitting because of objections over the appointment of a new White House communications director, New York financier Anthony Scaramucci. The NYTimes adds: Mr. Trump offered Mr. Scaramucci the job at 10 a.m. The president requested that Mr. Spicer stay on, but Mr. Spicer told Mr. Trump that he believed the appointment was a major mistake, according to a person with direct knowledge of the exchange. After the news broke, Spicer tweeted: It's been an honor & a privilege to serve @POTUS @realDonaldTrump & this amazing country. I will continue my service through August — Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) July 21, 2017   Developing…        

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Senator Bob Corker Repeats FAKE NEWS Narrative from Democrats and MSM, Calls for White House to ‘Bring Itself Under Control’

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

  Tennessee’s Senator Bob Corker is once again singing from the Democrats’ hymnal. The chorus Corker joined on Monday is delivering the perennial favorite line for 2017, “the White House is in chaos,” with a dash of the debunked FAKE NEWS from the Washington Post, “White House/Russia classified intel disclosure.” “Obviously they’re in a downward spiral right now and they’ve got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that’s happening,” Corker told Bloomberg News on Monday. Bloomberg’s Sahil Kapur tweeted Corker’s additional statement that “The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order.”   BOB CORKER: "The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order. It's got to happen." — Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 15, 2017 But, as radio talk show host Laura Ingraham noted, the Washington Post “source” for the allegation “didn’t talk to ANY U.S. official” in attendance at the meeting in question: WH source with direct knowledge just told me @washingtonpost didn't talk to ANY U.S. official at mtg w/ Lavrov. "It's Fake News" — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 15, 2017 and followed it up with Meaning of…

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Unpredictable: President Trump Surprises Group Touring the White House

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

This short video was shared this morning via Twitter by White House aide Cliff Sims. It shows President Trump emerging behind a screen to the surprise and delight of White House tourists, many of whom are children. https://twitter.com/CSims45/status/839124695769313280 The White House Visitors’ Center and the Tours themselves were re-opened on February 14th – Valentine’s Day – by First Lady Melania Trump after being closed during the period between the Obama and Trump Administration transition. UPDATE: FOX 10 Phoenix has the “other side” of the video   (h/t Twitchy)  

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