Tuesday, May 9th 2017[. with an appearance by Cassandra Fairbanks]: US To Nuke Russia? - A Russian Lieutenant General recently claimed the US is surrounding Russia and China with missile defense systems in order to launch a “sudden nuclear strike” and prevent any retaliation. Co-founder of Vice Media, Gavin McInnes and political commentator Mark Dice join today's broadcast to discuss SJWs, fake news and media censorship.
ICE announces major anti-gang operation, mostly US citizens arrested May 11, 2017 WASHINGTON — Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced its largest anti-gang operation ever on Thursday, a six-week operation that netted more than 1,300 arrests nationwide. Though the effort was led by ICE, the focus was not exclusively on immigrants. Of the arrests, 933 were US citizens and 445 were foreign nationals, with 384 in the country illegally. ICE said three of the arrested individuals were previous recipients of protected status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, instituted by the Obama administration for undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. Criminal violations or being deemed a public safety threat can void a person’s DACA status. [...] A similar operation in March 2016 netted more than 1,100 arrests. Of those, 239 were foreign nationals. http://wtvr.com/2017/05/11/ice-announces-major-anti-gang-operation-mostly-us-citizens-arrested/
This Guy Yelled "You're A Fucking Muslim" And "Donald Trump Will Stop You" At A Family A family reunion turned ugly when an allegedly intoxicated man repeatedly berated the group with insults and taunts.
Elizabeth Warren on Republicans and Trump’s 'nonsense'
All In with Chris Hayes [Posted] 5/12/17 [clearly more/the balance of the interview included in part in the segment just above]
The Massachusetts Senator joins Chris Hayes for a wide-ranging interview about the president, her vision for the Democratic party, and more. Duration: 12:10
Finney: DAG letter on Comey lifted text from Hillary campaign doc
All In with Chris Hayes 5/9/17
Karen Finney, former Senior Advisor for the Hillary Clinton campaign, says Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein's letter on why FBI Director Comey was fired lifted quotes from a Clinton campaign document. Duration: 2:22
Trump fires Comey as investigations into Russia ties heat up
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/9/17
Rachel Maddow traces the timeline of events in the investigations into Donald Trump and his associates leading up to the firing of FBI Director James Comey, the specious explanation by the Trump White House, and Jeff Sessions' violation of his recusal of matters pertaining to Trump-Russia or Clinton. Duration: 22:40
Matt Zapotosky, how covers the Justice Department for the Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about the questions raised by the timing of Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey and A.G. Jeff Sessions' apparent violation of his own recusal from the Trump-Russia case. Duration: 3:05
'The echo of Watergate is very strong here': Senator Whitehouse
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/9/17
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about James Comey's shortcomings as FBI director and the dubious argument behind Donald Trump's abrupt firing of Comey. Duration: 7:59
Rep Cummings calls on Republicans to hold Trump accountable
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/9/17
Congressman Elijah Cummings, top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the need for Republican leaders in Congress to stand up for Trump and begin to press for accountability. Duration: 7:52
History offers glaring precedent for Trump's firing of Comey
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/9/17
Michael Beschloss, NBC News presidential historian, talks with Rachel Maddow about the historical precedent for Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey, in particular Richard Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre" that preceded his leaving office. Duration: 5:18
Tom Brokaw, NBC News Senior correspondent, talks with Rachel Maddow about how James Comey's compromised political position provided cover for Donald Trump to fire him while focused on the investigations into his ties to Russia. Duration: 3:21
Comey firing an attack on independence of Justice Department
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/9/17
Matthew Miller, former Justice Department spokesman, talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump's effort to thwart the investigation into his ties to Russia by firing James Comey and the threat to the independence of the Justice Department. Duration: 4:14
Andrea Mitchell, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent, talks with Rachel Maddow about the effects of Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on FBI morale and the investigations into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia's interference ... Duration: 5:56
Sen. Warner: If I could take back vote on Deputy AG, I would
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 5/9/17
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) joins Lawrence O'Donnell to react to the sudden firing of FBI Director Comey, and calls Deputy AG Rosenstein's explanation "patently laughable." He says he voted for Rosenstein just two weeks ago, but if he could take it back, he would. Duration: 6:45
After firing FBI Director Comey, Trump slams Sen. Schumer
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 5/9/17
Pres. Trump avoided Twitter for most of the day after firing Comey – but then attacked Sen. Chuck Schumer by calling him names after Schumer promised to push for an independent investigation. Neera Tanden and David Frum join Lawrence O'Donnell. Duration: 4:16
WH on Russia probe after Comey firing: It's time to move on
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 5/9/17
When asked whether FBI Director Comey's firing will impact the Russia investigation, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders answered "When are they gonna let that go?" Ken Dilanian and Ari Melber join Lawrence O'Donnell to weigh in. Duration: 4:54
Trump fires Comey who was overseeing Trump-Russia investigation
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/9/17
Shocking the political world and beyond, Donald Trump fired his FBI Director James Comey. What will this mean for his presidency and the investigations into Russia? Our panel shares the latest. Duration: 16:19
Comey fired: What's next for DOJ & Capitol Hill investigations?
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/9/17
MSNBC's Brian Williams talks to NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams, who looks ahead at what's next for the Russia probes on Capitol Hill and for the Justice Department as a whole. Duration: 1:51
Jeremy Bash on Comey firing: Trump is attacking the rule of law
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/9/17
Joining MSNBC's Brian Williams to discuss the firing of FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash issues a warning about what the firing of Comey really means. Duration: 1:09
Fmr. DOJ Spokesman: White House trampling on FBI's independence
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/9/17
Matthew Miller, a fmr. Justice Department spokesman, joins MSNBC's Brian Williams to speak about how Trump's firing of Comey puts the FBI's independence as an investigative entity at risk. Duration: 2:59
Rep. Jackie Speier: Comey firing is a constitutional crisis
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/9/17
Saying Pres. Trump has gone 'one step way too far,' House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) joins MSNBC's Brian Williams to discuss Trump firing FBI Director Comey. Duration: 3:26
President Trump fires FBI Director James Comey, and former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testifies about the timeline leading up to Michael Flynn's firing.
Full Show - Hypocritical Left Criticizes Trump for Firing Comey - 05/10/2017
Published on May 10, 2017 by The Alex Jones Channel
Wednesday, May 10th 2017[, with appearances by Roger Stone, Mike Cernovich (who also hosts the fourth hour) and (during the fourth hour) Jack Posobiec]: The political world is shaken to its core following the Trump administration's swift termination of Federal Bureau of Investigations head James Comey, who the president said had compromised the agency's integrity. We'll break down the reactions from both sides of the political spectrum and examine what happens next. On today's show, ClimateDepot.com researcher Marc Morano discusses Al Gore's global carbon tax scheme, Obama's climate speeches and more.
Commentator who amplified Macron hacks given White House press access French President elect Emmanuel Macron attends a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the abolition of slavery and to pay tribute to the victims of the slave trade at the Jardins du Luxembourg in Paris, France, May 10, 2017. May 11, 2017 A U.S. far-right online activist credited with initially sharing on Twitter hacked emails from the French presidential campaign of centrist Emmanuel Macron is the latest conservative media figure to receive White House access from the Trump administration. Jack Posobiec, a Washington-based writer at the Rebel Media, a Canadian online political and social news commentary platform, attended the daily press briefing on Tuesday and later broadcast video from the White House grounds with positive commentary on President Donald Trump's abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey. Posobiec told Reuters he first obtained temporary White House credentials in early April, but he has submitted a request for a permanent pass. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cyber security experts, minority party Democrats and some U.S. intelligence officials have grown more concerned since the leak of Macron's emails about potential connections between Russian organizations, including its spy agencies, and far-right media figures in the United States who they suspect played a role in Russian efforts to influence elections. Two U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters this week that they are increasingly confident that hackers with connections to the Russian government played a role in the French election. [...] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-france-cyber-activist-idUSKBN187008
INFOWARS Nightly News: Lee Ann & Owen Wednesday 5/10/17: Plus Special Reports
Published on May 10, 2017 by Ron Gibson
German soldier held over anti-migrant 'assassination plot' Last week German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen (C) toured the barracks in France where the two arrested men were stationed together 9 May 2017 German authorities have made another arrest linked to an alleged plot to murder a senior public figure. The man, a soldier, is accused of conspiring with another army officer who had falsely registered as a Syrian refugee, and a student. The suspected right-wing extremists wanted to frame refugees for the attack, say prosecutors. Their alleged targets included former German president Joachim Gauck and Justice Minister Heiko Maas. The affair has sparked a national debate about right-wing extremism in Germany's armed forces. On Sunday, inspections were ordered at every army barracks after Nazi-era memorabilia were found at two of them. But last week German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen provoked anger after using the alleged plot to accuse the army of an attitude problem. On Tuesday, German police detained 27-year-old "Maximilian T" in Kehl, across the Rhine river from the French city of Strasbourg. "The accused is strongly suspected of planning a severe act of violence against the state out of a right-wing extremist conviction," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. 'Failed policy' The man was stationed at a barracks in France, alongside another man who was arrested in April, 28-year-old "Franco A". He was arrested in April [ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39733952 ], after police discovered he had registered as a Syrian refugee at a shelter in central Germany in December 2015 and later officially requested political asylum in Bavaria. A student, 24, named as "Mathias F" has also been arrested. The three "planned an attack against a high-ranking politician or public figure who was supportive of what the accused saw as the failed immigration and refugee affairs policies", prosecutors said. They had drawn up a hit list and acquired a pistol for Franco A to carry out the attack, they said. Maximilian covered up his accomplice's absences from barracks in pursuit of the plot, prosecutors suspect. [...] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39859058
Germany hate crime: Nearly 10 attacks a day on migrants in 2016 Arson attacks directed at asylum seekers are common in Germany 26 February 2017 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39096833
The day after firing the FBI director investigating his campaign's ties to Russia, President Trump invited Russians officials into the Oval Office. Duration: 1:41
President Clinton fired FBI Director William Sessions in July 1993, following an ethics investigation of the director that was launched under Clinton's predecessor, George H.W. Bush. Duration: 2:39
WV reporter arrested for asking HHS Secretary Price a question
All In with Chris Hayes 5/10/17
West Virginia Capitol Police handcuffed, arrested, and jailed veteran journalist Dan Heyman on a misdemeanor charge of ‘willful disruption of state government processes.’ Duration: 1:18
Experts[, including Masha Gessen,] speak out on whether we are headed for a constitutional crisis following President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey. Duration: 5:10
New FBI director McCabe compromised by serious conflict
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/10/17
Rachel Maddow reviews how new Acting Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, improperly discussed the investigation into the Trump Camp's ties to Russia with Reince Priebus and became part of the Trump disinformation campaign. Duration: 20:06
Trump firing of Comey sets FBI on edge, strengthens resolve
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/10/17
Devlin Barrett, national security reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about what his reporting says was behind the Comey firing and the effect of that action by Donald Trump on the morale and resolve of the FBI. Duration: 7:43
FBI won't be intimidated by Trump firing of Comey: expert
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/10/17
Tim Weiner, author of "Enemies: A History of the FBI," talks with Rachel Maddow about the mood at the FBI in the wake of the firing of James Comey, and remarks on the determination and professionalism of the agents conducting the Trump-Russia investigation. Duration: 8:19
Trump camp makes big fuss over story they say is nothing
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/10/17
Rachel Maddow recounts the instances in which the Donald Trump administration tried to block or derail the Trump-Russia investigation and wonders why they bothered if Trump's claim that there's nothing to the story is true. Duration: 4:25
Lawmakers asked Comey to speed up Trump-Russia investigation: WSJ
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/10/17
Rachel Maddow shares breaking news from the Wall Street Journal that the Trump-Russia investigation was heating up with Comey concerned about potential evidence of collusion and lawmakers asking for the investigation to be accelerated. Duration: 2:18
Lawrence: Subpoenas are nuclear weapons of political life
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 5/10/17
Michael Flynn may have just had the worst day of his life, as the Senate Intel Committee issued a subpoena for his records relevant to the Russia probe. Plus, a new report Comey called Trump "crazy." John Heilemann, Joy Reid & Max Boot join Lawrence O'Donnell. Duration: 15:50
Lawrence O'Donnell talks to Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) about what's next for the House Intelligence Committee investigation and his thoughts on Deputy AG Rosenstein. Himes also shares what he would like to ask James Comey now that he's not the FBI Director anymore. Duration: 6:02
Reports say Comey called Trump 'crazy,' and Trump thought there might be 'something wrong with' Comey. MSNBC's Brian Williams sifts through the mountain of reports on Trump's firing of Comey. Duration: 15:15
Steve Schmidt: Comey firing an enormous abuse of power by Trump
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/10/17
Joining MSNBC's Brian Williams, former McCain campaign staffer & GOP Strategist Steve Schmidt reacts to the chaos that's caused inside the Beltway after Pres. Trump fired James Comey. Duration: 2:10
WaPost: Deputy AG threatened to quit over WH Comey narrative
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/10/17
MSNBC's Brian Williams reports the breaking news that Deputy Atty. General Rod Rosenstein reportedly threatened to quit after the White House credited him with the decision to fire Comey. Duration: 3:36
Fmr. GOP Rep.: This is an embarrassing time to be a Republican
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/10/17
Republican and former Congressman David Jolly says GOP lawmakers on the Hill need to hold Donald Trump accountable just as they did when Barack Obama was president. Duration: 0:58
Trump Faces the Fallout from Firing James Comey: A Closer Look
Published on May 10, 2017 by Late Night with Seth Meyers
Seth takes a closer look at President Trump's sudden firing of FBI Director James Comey, the man investigating POTUS's ties to Russia during the campaign.
The Economist talks to the President of the United States about economic policy
United States May 11th 2017
DONALD TRUMP, the President of the United States, along with Steve Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, and Gary Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, sat down for a conversation with editors from The Economist on May 4th, 2017. What follows is a lightly edited transcript.
* * *
The Economist: Could we start with the economy? Donald Trump: Sure.
What is Trumponomics and how does it differ from standard Republican economics? Well it’s an interesting question. I don’t think it’s ever been asked quite that way. But it really has to do with self-respect as a nation. It has to do with trade deals that have to be fair, and somewhat reciprocal, if not fully reciprocal. And I think that’s a word that you’re going to see a lot of, because we need reciprocality in terms of our trade deals. We have nations where…they’ll get as much as 100% of a tax or a tariff for a certain product and for the same product we get nothing, OK? It’s very unfair. And the very interesting thing about that is that, if I said I’m going to put a tax on of 10%, the free-traders, somewhat foolishly, they’ll say “Oh, he’s not a free-trader”, which I am, I’m absolutely a free-trader. I’m for open trade, free trade, but I also want smart trade and fair trade. But they’ll say, “He’s not a free-trader,” at 10%. But if I say we’re putting a reciprocal tax on, it may be 62% or it may be 47%, I mean massive numbers, and nobody can complain about it. It’s really sort of an amazing thing.
So that’s the story. It very much has to do with trade. We have so many bad trade deals. To a point where I’m not sure that we have any good trade deals. I don’t know who the people are that would put us into a NAFTA, which was so one-sided. Both from the Canada standpoint and from the Mexico standpoint. So one-sided. Wilbur [Ross, the secretary of commerce] will tell you that, you know, like, at the court in Canada, we always lose. Well, the judges are three Canadians and two Americans. We always lose. But we’re not going to lose any more. And so it’s very, very unfair.
Now at the same time I have a very good relationship with Justin [Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister] and a very good relationship with the president of Mexico. And I was going to terminate NAFTA last week, I was all set, meaning the six-month termination. I was going to send them a letter, then after six months, it’s gone. But the word got out, they called and they said, we would really love to…they called separately but it was an amazing thing. They called separately ten minutes apart. I just put down the phone with the president of Mexico when the prime minister of Canada called. And they both asked almost identical questions. “We would like to know if it would be possible to negotiate as opposed to a termination.” And I said, “Yes, it is. Absolutely.” So, so we did that and we’ll start.
We have a problem because we have a ridiculous provision in NAFTA that we have, you know, to go on the fast track. Fast track is the slowest track I’ve ever seen. To go on the fast track you have to give notice. Well we gave notice 70 days ago. It’s called a cooling-off period, OK? But that’s not the way life works because when they call and they want to make a deal, I don’t want to have to wait a hundred days. So I put the papers in almost 70 days ago, to get the approval for fast track in Congress. And they still haven’t given me approval. And the reason they haven’t is because our trade negotiator, who, as you know, the provision goes with your negotiator. It doesn’t go from the time you put it in, it goes with your negotiator. So he just got approved. He’ll be in sometime, I guess next week?
Steve Mnuchin: Yep, yep.
President Trump: And the clock starts ticking. But here you have two people calling saying, “Can we negotiate?” I say yes and I have to wait for a hundred days. I don’t know what a hundred days is going to be like. What’s it going to be like? So NAFTA’s a horrible one-sided deal that’s cost us millions and millions of jobs and cost us tens of billions of dollars.
It sounds like you’re imagining a pretty big renegotiation of NAFTA. What would a fair NAFTA look like? Big isn’t a good enough word. Massive.
Huge? It’s got to be. It’s got to be.
What would it look like? What would a fair NAFTA look like? No, it’s gotta be. Otherwise we're terminating NAFTA.
What would a fair NAFTA look like? I was all set to terminate, you know? And this wasn’t like…this wasn’t a game I was playing. I’m not playing…you know, I wasn’t playing chess or poker or anything else. This was, I was, I’d never even thought about…it’s always the best when you really feel this way. But I was…I had no thought of anything else, and these two guys will tell you, I had no thought of anything else but termination. But because of my relationship with both of them, I said, I would like to give that a try too, that’s fine. I mean, out of respect for them. It would’ve been very disrespectful to Mexico and Canada had I said, “I will not.”
But Mr President, what has to change for you not to withdraw? We have to be able to make fair deals. Right now the United States has a 70—almost a $70bn trade deficit with Mexico. And it has about a $15bn dollar trade deficit with Canada. The timber coming in from Canada, they’ve been negotiating for 35 years. And it’s been…it’s been terrible for the United States. You know, it’s just, it’s just been terrible. They’ve never been able to make it.
Does that $70bn deficit have to come to zero to be fair? Not necessarily. And certainly it can come over a, you know, fairly extended period of time, because I’m not looking to shock the system. But it has to become at least fair. And no, it doesn’t have to immediately go to zero. But at some point would like to get it at zero, where sometimes we can be up and sometimes they can be up.
You’ve talked about reciprocal taxes. Do you imagine that with lots of countries on lots of products or is that a negotiating tool? No, I think it can be conceivably with lots of countries. The thing that’s bad about the hundred days is, I said the other day, I said, “When do we start this negotiation?” They said, “Sir, it hasn’t kicked in yet” because it goes with [Robert] Lighthizer, who’s our, you know, our representative, who I think is going to do a very good job. I said, “You must be kidding.” So it’s a real deficit. Now that’s a NAFTA thing. Because everything in NAFTA is bad. That’s bad, everything’s bad. But in the case of South Korea we have a deal that was made by Hillary Clinton, it’s a horrible deal. And that is the five-year anniversary and it’s up for renegotiation and we’ve informed them that we’ll negotiate. And again, we want a fair deal. We don’t want a one-sided deal our way but we want fair deals. And if we can have fair deals our country is going to do very well.
Some people think this is a negotiating tactic—that you say very dramatic things but actually you would settle for some very small changes. Is that right? No, it’s not, really not a negotiation. It’s really not. No, will I settle for less than I go in with? Yes, I mean who wouldn’t? Nobody, you know, I always use the word flexibility, I have flexibility. [Goes off the record.] [Our] relationship with China is long. Of course by China standards, it’s very short [laughter], you know when I’m with [Xi Jinping], because he’s great, when I’m with him, he’s a great guy. He was telling me, you know they go back 8,000 years, we have 1776 is like modern history. They consider 1776 like yesterday and they, you know, go back a long time. They talk about the different wars, it was very interesting. We got along great. So I told them, I said, “We have a problem and we’re going to solve that problem.” But he wants to help us solve that problem.
Now then you never know what’s going to happen. But they said to me that on the currency manipulation, “Donald Trump has failed to call China a currency manipulator”. Now I have to understand something. I’m dealing with a man, I think I like him a lot. I think he likes me a lot. We were supposed to meet for ten minutes and they go to 40-person meetings, OK, in Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach. And the ten minutes turned out to be three hours, alone, the two of us. The next day it was supposed to be ten minutes and then we go to our 40-person meeting. That, too, he was, no…because you guys were waiting for a long time. That ten minute meeting turned out to be three hours. Dinner turned out to be three hours. I mean, he’s a great guy.
Now, with that in mind, he’s representing China and he wants what’s best for China. But so far, you know, he’s been, he’s been very good. But, so they talk about why haven’t you called him a currency manipulator? Now think of this. I say, “Jinping. Please help us, let’s make a deal. Help us with North Korea, and by the way we’re announcing tomorrow that you’re a currency manipulator, OK?” They never say that, you know the fake media, they never put them together, they always say, he didn’t call him a currency [manipulator], number one. Number two, they’re actually not a currency [manipulator]. You know, since I’ve been talking about currency manipulation with respect to them and other countries, they stopped.
Mr Mnuchin: Right, as soon as the president got elected they went the other way.
One last question on trade. Do you think you’ve permanently changed the Republican Party’s position on trade? No. Because there’ll always be someone that comes along with another idea but it’s not a better idea. We have the better idea. But yeah, I think that a lot of the, like for instance today, health care. Very big thing. Very big. And it wasn’t two bites of the apple. It was one bite. Somebody set a time limit and that was mistake, I said never set a time limit but somebody set a time limit. So when they didn’t meet that time limit they said, “We didn’t get it there”, well, they shouldn’t have set a time limit.
On another element of Trumponomics, immigration… Right.
Do you want to curb legal immigration? Oh sure, you know, I want to stop illegal immigration.
And what about legal immigration? Do you want to cut the number of immigrants? Oh legal, no, no, no. I want people to come into the country legally. No, legally? No. I want people to come in legally. But I want people to come in on merit. I want to go to a merit-based system. Actually two countries that have very strong systems are Australia and Canada. And I like those systems very much, they’re very strong, they’re very good, I like them very much. We’re going to a much more merit-based system. But I absolutely want talented people coming in, I want people that are going to love our country coming in, I want people that are going to contribute to our country coming in. We want a provision at the right time, we want people that are coming in and will commit to not getting…not receiving any form of subsidy to live in our country for at least a five-year period.
But the numbers of those people could be as high as the numbers that are coming in legally now? You’re not looking to reduce the numbers? Oh yeah, no, no, no, no, we want people coming in legally. No, very strongly. Now they’re going to be much more strongly vetted as you see. You know, we’ve broken the all-time record [of detentions at the border] by many times, 73, we’re up to 73, it’s going to go up to almost 80% at the border, we’ve…you know, really stopped it. We also want farm workers to be able to come in. You know, we’re going to have work visas for the farm workers. If you look, you know we have a lot of people coming through the border, they’re great people and they work on the farms and then they go back home. We like those people a lot and we want them to continue to come in.
Another part of your overall plan, the tax reform plan. Is it OK if that tax plan increases the deficit? Ronald Reagan’s tax reform didn’t. Well, it actually did. But, but it’s called priming the pump. You know, if you don’t do that, you’re never going to bring your taxes down. Now, if we get the health-care [bill through Congress], this is why, you know a lot of people said, “Why isn’t he going with taxes first, that’s his wheelhouse?” Well, hey look, I convinced many people over the last two weeks, believe me, many Congressmen, to go with it. And they’re great people, but one of the great things about getting health care is that we will be saving, I mean anywhere from $400bn to $900bn.
Mr Mnuchin: Correct.
President Trump: That all goes into tax reduction. Tremendous savings.
But beyond that it’s OK if the tax plan increases the deficit? It is OK, because it won’t increase it for long. You may have two years where you’ll…you understand the expression “prime the pump”?
Yes. We have to prime the pump.
It’s very Keynesian. We’re the highest-taxed nation in the world. Have you heard that expression before, for this particular type of an event?
Priming the pump? Yeah, have you heard it?
Yes. Have you heard that expression used before? Because I haven’t heard it. I mean, I just…I came up with it a couple of days ago and I thought it was good. It’s what you have to do.
It’s… Yeah, what you have to do is you have to put something in before you can get something out.
Mr Mnuchin: And as we talked about, economic growth under the Trump administration could increase revenues as much as $2trn over the ten-year period of time. So priming the pump in the short term leads to growth.
So you would have a bigger deficit, a stimulus, to prime the pump that would lead to faster growth? So I happen to think that 3% is low. But you can’t do it if your companies are leaving the country because taxes are too high. Now, I’m going to do something there too. If our companies leave the country, number one they’re leaving for numerous reasons but one of the big reasons is the taxes are so high. When they leave—go back to trade for a second, when they leave the country, go to a certain country wherever it may be, and they fire all their workers in the United States and on the assumption they build cars or air conditioners or whatever they’re building, and they open a plant someplace else and then they send the air conditioner or the car into our country with no tax, that’s not going to happen anymore. They’re going to have a very large tax to pay, in the vicinity of 35%.
Now when you do that, number one they're not leaving the country anyway. So we’re not leaving. I don’t know if you saw what’s happening. Ford has announced massive expansions in the United States. General Motors cancelled a big plant in Mexico and a big plant in Europe. They’re all cancelling plans because I told them, I said…I get along with them great. But I said, “Look, we don’t mind if you leave the country. You can build all you want out of country, I hope you enjoy your plant. But when you build your car, you’re going to have a 35% tax when you bring it back in. And if your numbers work, we wish you well. But that’s what you’re going to have. You’re going to have a 35% tax.”
So I mean, I have, it has, I haven’t been given massive credit for it yet, but I have been given some because I just see polls out in Michigan and different places, that really are affected by this, have been unbelievable, you know, much bigger than election day. But that’s not a tax increase, that’s no tax. In other words, all you have to do is don’t leave and you won’t have a…but we’re bringing our taxes down so low that you won’t even need the barrier because the taxes are so low, that people are going to stay.
The other thing, just in case we…I believe it could be anywhere from $4trn to $5trn outside, you know don’t forget we’ve been talking about $2.5trn for four years now. I’ve been using $2.5trn, the same number we’ve all been using for years. Well, you know, it grows. I think it…I wouldn’t be surprised if it was $5trn but, you know, we’re close. We’re letting that money come back in. And that has two barriers which you have to watch. It’s got a barrier of the tax, which we will take care of. We’re going to make it 10%. Now it’s 35%...
Sorry, 10%? The repatriation taxes? The repatriation. Inversion. The corporate inversions, which is a disaster, with the companies leaving. But they want to bring back their money. Number one, the tax is too high but the other thing that’s too high is the bureaucracy.
Mr Mnuchin: Correct.
President Trump: I have a friend who said even if you wanted to bring it back in you can’t because you have to go through so many papers, so many documents, so many…
Mr Mnuchin: We’re going to make it simple
President Trump: You have to do…Steve, they told me you’ve got to sign books and books of stuff, you pay millions of dollars in legal fees and they almost don’t allow you to bring it back in.
Can I ask you a question about the politics of tax? It should be like one page.
The politics of this? Do you need to get Democratic support to get this tax plan passed? Um. Little bit.
And to get Democratic support, they prefer… Depending. It depends on which plan, you know, which concept we’ve got to…but it could be. But I think the Democrats are going to like it. We may align it with infrastructure, which they like. They like it as much as the Republicans like it. We need infrastructure in our country. This country has wasted $6trn in the Middle East. Wasted. Like taking it and throwing it right out that window. Right in to the Rose Garden. See that beautiful Rose Garden? Look at those very nicely dressed people. It’s religious liberty out there. [NB. Immediately after this interview, President Trump was due to sign an executive order promoting religious liberty.]
Mr President, can I just try you on a deal-making question? If you do need Democratic support for your tax plan, your ideal tax plan, and the price of that the Democrats say is for you to release your tax returns, would you do that? I don’t know. That’s a very interesting question. I doubt it. I doubt it. Because they’re not going to…nobody cares about my tax return except for the reporters. Oh, at some point I’ll release them. Maybe I’ll release them after I’m finished because I’m very proud of them actually. I did a good job.
Hope Hicks [White House director of strategic communication]: Once the audit is over.
President Trump: I might release them after I’m out of office.
Mr Mnuchin: Just so you know, I’ve already started meeting with Democratic senators and, you know, the support has been pretty interesting. I mean, I think a lot of the Democratic senators actually believe we’re on to the right tax plan to bring back business to America, and that’s what they’re all about, they want to grow jobs in their states, just like the president does.
Ms Hicks: And our plan has things like child-care tax credits which have never been presented before…
President Trump: By the way, so as you know I’m under routine audit, so they’re not going to be done. But you know, at a certain point, that’s something I will consider. But I would never consider it as part of a deal.
Right, got that. I would never do it. That would be…I think that would be unfair to the deal. It would be disrespectful of the importance of this deal. Because the only people that find that important are the reporters.
Well, the Democrats say it’s important. Well, don't forget I got elected without it. Somebody said, “Oh but you have to do it,” I said, “Look where I am”. I was, you know, I was out front, I was asked that question, every debate, I said, you know, I’m under routine audit.
Mr Mnuchin: And the president’s financial disclosure has been longer than any…
President Trump: Plus my financial disclosure is 104 pages.
Ms Hicks: I think when people say that that makes it about the president and the politics versus the people, which is what we’re focused on.
President Trump: Right.
Can I ask you about the focus of the tax cut because you’ve spoken about a massive tax cut for ordinary workers… Right, this would be the biggest tax cut in the history of the country.
But the biggest winners from this tax cut, right now, look as though they will be the very wealthiest Americans. Well, I don’t believe that. Because they’re losing all of their deductions, I can tell you.
But something like eliminating the estate tax. I get more deductions, I mean I can tell you this, I get more deductions, they have deductions for birds flying across America, they have deductions for everything. There are more deductions…now you’re going to get an interest deduction, and a charitable deduction. But we’re not going to have all this nonsense that they have right now that complicates things and makes it…you know when we put out that one page, I said, we should really put out a, you know, a big thing, and then I looked at the one page, honestly it’s pretty well covered. Hard to believe.
Will you keep interest deduction in the corporate tax? Will corporate interest payments… Do you want to answer?
Mr Mnuchin: We’re contemplating it. We’re contemplating it.
Contemplating getting rid of it? Mr Mnuchin: No, we’re contemplating keeping it. That’s our preference. But we’ll look at everything.
So what would your preference be Mr President? You know about that very well. No, I would say probably…I think we’re contemplating is the word. And it hasn’t been determined yet, but we’re contemplating.
Contemplating… We’re contemplating various…I have to say, we’re contemplating various things, but one of the things that’s very important is simplicity. We want to keep it as simple as possible. Because even if you do, it’s complicated. I mean even if you keep it simple with taxes it gets complicated.
And are you contemplating things outside of corporate income tax? For example a VAT, which many countries have? Well, you know, a lot of people consider the border tax a form of VAT.
Are you still… Part of the problem with NAFTA is that Mexico’s a VAT. So Mexico is paying almost…we pay 17%. So we are now down 17%, going into Mexico when we trade. So that’s like, you have a football team and every time they play a game, they’re down, you know, 25 points. How can you possibly do good?
But would you consider… You could actually make the case, that the 17 is doubled. You can make that case. You know, it’s 17 and it’s really 17 and it’s a double.
Mr Mnuchin: Right
Would you consider a VAT for the United States? Well the concept of VAT I really like. But let me give you the bad news. I don’t think it can be sold in this country because we’re used to an income tax, we’re used to a…people are used to this tax, whether they like it or don't like, they’re used to this tax. I fully understand because I have a lot of property in the UK. And it’s, sort of, not a bad tax. And every time I pay it, they end up sending it back to me. In fact, my accountant is always saying…
That’s a good tax. No, it’s really not so bad. Like, I own Turnberry in Scotland. And every time I pay they say, “Yes sir, you pay it now but you get it back next year.” I said, “What kind of tax is this, I like this tax.” But the VAT is…I like it, I like it a lot, in a lot of ways. I don’t mean because of, you know, getting it back, you don’t get all of it back, but you get a lot of it back. But I like a VAT. I don’t think it can be sold in this country, I think it’s too much of a shock to this system. I can tell you if we had a VAT it would make dealing with Mexico very much easier. Because it could neutralise. And I really mean that. Part of the problem with NAFTA, the day they signed it, it was a defective deal. Because Mexico has almost a 17% VAT tax and it’s very much of a hidden tax, people don’t see it. So, but these guys, instead of renegotiating the following week…many years ago, how old is that? 35?
Mr Mnuchin: 35 years ago.
President Trump: But instead of negotiating, we suffered with this for, you know, for decades.
But as you said Mr President, a border-adjustment tax has some similarities to that. Are you still considering a border-adjustment tax? We are dealing with Congress…because it’s not really what I’m considering. I mean look, on health care, I think we have a great bill and there’s still a little bit further to go because we’re also dealing with the Senate, but the Senate I believe really wants to get something done because Obamacare is dead, just so we understand. Obamacare is absolutely dead. The insurance companies are leaving. Yesterday Aetna just announced they’re pulling out. You have states that aren’t going to have any insurance companies. You know when people say, “Oh, Obamacare is so wonderful,” there is no Obamacare, it’s dead. Plus we’re subsidising it and we don’t have to subsidise it. You know if I ever stop wanting to pay the subsidies, which I will.
You’d pull the plug on that? If this bill doesn’t go through you’d stop those subsidies? No, this bill only gives them one month. They don’t realize that, that’s another thing. Good point. This bill gives them one month, it gave, you know the subsidy…
The continuation of the subsidy? The subsidy to the insurance companies, yes. Anytime I want because actually…
But my question is if the bill doesn’t pass… In actuality Congress has to approve it. Congress…
If the bill doesn’t pass would you cut the subsidies? If the bill doesn’t pass, I’d be in a different position. Because, if the bill didn’t pass the Republicans would have let me down. And then I’d have to decide what I want to do because I want people to have health care. Our health care is much better than Obamacare. It’s going to be much less expensive. We’re going to have competition, we’re getting rid of the state lines, etc etc. The premiums are going to be low, the deductibles are going to be low. If it didn’t pass…it’s a great question, I don’t want to think about that but the answer is…I would do something to make sure the people have health care, as bad as Obamacare is.
One of the things that was so different about your campaign message compared to other Republicans was, you said things like “I want everyone to be covered”. We’re not going to let people die on the streets.
But some people will look at this bill and say, hang on, a lot of people are going to lose their coverage. OK. So we have a pool for people that are having difficulty. We have got a pool. It’s a high-risk pool. And this pool we just funded yesterday, we’re putting in $8bn, into the pool. So depending on what states do…because I would like to see states taking over health care, I think they could do a better job than the federal government. Now in some cases that’ll be great, like in Florida that works fantastically with Rick Scott, and a couple of others. And in some states it isn’t, where they’re not equipped to do it. But ultimately, you know I use the expression, “If you have a bad knee, I would rather have the federal government focus on North Korea than fixing your knee.”
The state governments are in much better position to, you know, help people. In terms of, you know, just the size, the mere size of it. But we’re putting in $8bn and you’re going to have absolute coverage. You’re going to have absolute guaranteed coverage. You’re going to have it if you’re a person going in…don’t forget, this was not supposed to be the way insurance works. Insurance is, you’re 20 years old, you just graduated from college, and you start paying $15 a month for the rest of your life and by the time you’re 70, and you really need it, you’re still paying the same amount and that’s really insurance.
But I believe it’s very important to have this. Because one thing Obamacare did, is it gave that and it was a concept that people hadn’t heard of. And now I don't want to end it. I don’t want to end it for somebody that…first of all I don’t want to end it for the people that already have it. And I don’t want to end it for somebody that hasn’t been buying insurance for all of his life where he has a guarantee that for all of his life he’s been buying the insurance and he can buy it inexpensively when he turns 65 or 70 years old. So we put in a tremendous amount and we’re…you know, for the pre-existing conditions. We are going to have a great pool for pre-existing conditions.
Now, that will even get better as it’s going along, it’s going to get better. But in a way you could say, that’s not really insurance, but it's there. And I want to make it as…I want to make it actually better than what they have in Obama[care]. Now, Obama[care] has something that’s very, very bad. Where you have to pay a penalty. And people don't realise, how many people are forced to pay a penalty and they don’t get any benefit out of it. We don’t have that. We’re going to have much lower premiums and we’re going to have much lower deductibles.
But when you used to say the hard right of the Republicans can’t be trusted to look after people… They came through.
They came through? So do you still have to keep them in line. I’ll be honest with you…Did anybody ever hear of a guy named Mike Pence? Vice-president of the United States?
Mike Pence, the vice-president, enters the room: Morning all.
President Trump: Central casting.
Mr Pence: Please sit, sit, sit.
Ms Hicks: We got about two more minutes. So just one more question.
President Trump: So I know exactly the speeches you’re talking about. I said, “I’m not going to allow people to die on the streets”, and I said it over and over and I meant it more than anything and I probably mean it more now than even when I made the speech. We’re talking about the high-risk pools, Mike, and we just added $8bn to the high-risk pools.
Mr Pence: Yes, sir.
President Trump: People are going to have…they’re going to have great insurance. Now, we have one more step to go. You know we have to go through the Senate and we’re refining it even further. But I will tell you, Mike, I just spoke to a few of the senators and they have some great ideas also and they want to get it there.
So, the problem with Obamacare? He rushed it through, he wanted…although, when I say rushed it through, at the end. They were giving up everything, they were taking out everything. It wasn’t a pure form of what they wanted anyway. They did the Nebraska trade where basically it was, you know, the whole thing was given away.
Look, Obamacare was a disaster. Under Obamacare, you get your doctor; that was a lie. You get your plan; that was a lie. With us, you get your doctor. You get your plan. With us you’ll get hundreds and hundreds of plans. You know, one of the insurance companies, one of the big ones came to see me yesterday. They’re so anxious to start going crazy and you know it’s going to be like life insurance. People that buy life insurance they’re inundated with carriers. All different plans. That’s what this is going to be like. And I said to them, “What do you think the good plans are going to look like?” He said, “Mr President, we’re going to have so many plans. We’re going to have the low version, the high version”, he used the word Cadillac. I won’t tell you what car he used for the low version because I don’t want you to write it because they happen to be friends of mine, you know, the head people. [Goes off the record.]
Mr President, in business you keep score of your profits. How do you keep score in Trumponomics and in politics? Well I think the score is going to be the end of the game. To me the score is going to have to be at the end of the game. I was saying, Mike, that we’re going to prime the pump with the taxes because we’re going to take in perhaps a little bit less, but we’re going to have a lot more business, we’re going to have companies coming back into the country.
I know a lot of companies that want to come back in but they’re not going to come back in because of taxes. And we have a lot of companies that will come back into the country. They were forced out of the country because the taxes were too high. Many, many. You look at what’s going on in certain countries. In fact I own a lot of property in certain countries where they were forced out.
You look at Ireland. I own great property in Ireland that I bought during their downturn. And I give the Irish a lot, a lot of credit. They never raised their taxes. You know you would have thought when they were going through that really…they would’ve double and tripled their taxes. They never raised it a penny. And they got through it and they are thriving now. Ireland’s done an amazing job. A lot of companies have moved to Ireland and they like it.
But we’re going to be getting a lot of companies moving back and we’re going to get very few companies leaving the United States because we went from the highest tax rate of…not only major, you know they always say major countries, just about the highest tax rate period. And then when you add all the other things. And then when you add the regulations to the tax…I’ve had people tell me, because I’ve cut massive regulations and we’ve just started, believe me. But we’ve cut regulations massively.
I’ve had people tell me that the cutting of those regulations is more important to them than bringing it down from 35% to 15%. And if you would have told me that, if I had a guess one before I knew the answer, I would’ve said, nobody would’ve taken the regulations. 90% of the people would rather have the regulations cut. So when you talk about the tax cut, the regulation cut, Dodd-Frank, you’ll be doing a story on that fairly soon because we’re doing a very massive overhaul on Dodd-Frank. We’re doing things that are going to keep people real happy.
And then ultimately, when I leave office, on the assumption [Mike Pence] doesn’t follow me, but he will. But when I leave office what happens is slowly they’ll nip away at it, nip away, nip away and then in 40, 50 years somebody else will come along and bring it back. But we’re bringing back entrepreneurship. We’re bringing back enthusiasm. And if you look at the people that read your magazine, that are in this country, the enthusiasm levels, and you know this because you see it, are the highest they've even been. The enthusiasm levels for manufacturers went up 27 points in two months. If it goes up a quarter of point it’s like a massive…it went up 27% in two months, up to 93%, they’ve never been even close. The enthusiasm for business is the highest it’s ever been.
Ms Hicks: And we’ll have you guys back to talk about it. Sorry.
Thank you so much, Mr President. I hope you had enough time.
A TIME Exclusive: Donald Trump After Hours From where the 45th President works, eats and sleeps, everything is going just great. Now if only everyone else would see it that way. May 11, 2017 http://time.com/donald-trump-after-hours/
Stephen Fry Explains Why Some People Believe Everything Donald Trump Says
“The incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence.”
By Ed Mazza 05/12/2017 05:05 am ET
Some supporters of President Donald Trump [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/donald-trump ] believe just about everything he says, even when he’s wrong. And Trump himself seems to have absolute confidence in his own beliefs - again, even when he is demonstrably wrong.
For example, researchers found students who were least proficient often overestimated their own abilities.
“The skills they lacked were the same skills required to recognize their incompetence,” Fry said. “The incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence buoyed by something that feels to them like knowledge.”
Full Show - The Purge Begins: Trump Starts Removal of Globalist Pawns - 05/11/2017
Published on May 11, 2017 by Ron Gibson
Thursday, May 11th 2017[, with appearances by Roger Stone and Jerome Corsi, and Anthony Cumia hosting the fourth hour]: Savage Warns Trump: We discuss the sound advice radio host Michael Savage gave President Trump on how to deal with the fake narratives the establishment left is using against him. Journalist Michael Snyder also reveals how the trendy zombies are behaving like sheep to this fake narrative. And speaking of sheeple, New Orleans activist Michael DiBari confronted a woman on the street who wanted to kill Alex Jones, and he explains what happened.
'There Is a Real Risk Here Things Will Spin Out of Control' The White House picked a fight by firing James Comey—but now risks losing its grip on the controversy it provoked. May 10, 2017 As news of FBI Director James Comey’s firing unfolded Tuesday night, it took on all the hallmarks of a distinctively Trumpian drama. In Los Angeles, news choppers chased Comey’s SUV down a freeway. In Washington, aides and surrogates scrambled to spin the story in a series of contentious television interviews. And across the country, partisans prepared to charge into one of the most explosive political battles of the Trump era. [...] The reasons behind Trump’s decision to fire Comey remain sketchy, as does the timeline that led to it. But in the immediate aftermath of the announcement, there was widespread speculation that the president’s action was intended to derail an FBI investigation into alleged collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia. The New York Times reported Wednesday that just days before his dismissal, Comey requested more money to fund the investigation. [...] Roger Stone, another longtime Trump confidant and a Nixonian dirty trickster, joined in the gleeful troll-fest. Reached by text message on Tuesday night, Stone said “What Comey did to Hillary was disgraceful. I'm glad Trump fired him over it.” One source close to the White House said Stone had been pushing Trump to fire Comey. Trump disputed the idea that Stone had convinced him to fire Comey, tweeting, "Have not spoken to Roger in a long time - had nothing to do with my decision." A senior White House official said Stone had not influenced Trump's decision on Comey. Stone later claimed on Twitter that he had not been the source for stories pointing to him as one of the key figures pushing Trump on the Comey decision. But Stone, who is himself a subject of scrutiny [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/us/politics/trump-russia-associates-investigation.html ] in the FBI’s investigation, has made his views on Comey publicly and abundantly clear. Not all of Trump’s allies were as elated by the president’s brazenly combative approach to Comey situation. Given the suddenness of the firing, the lack of a follow-up plan, and the timing of the move, some in the president’s orbit were left speculating about his motives and worrying about his future. "I think he’s worried about [Mike] Flynn," said one source close to the White House, referring to Trump’s former National Security Adviser who has offered [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/us/politics/michael-flynn-congress-immunity-russia.html ] to testify before Congress.* "[Trump] has questioned whether or not he should have fired Flynn. They don’t know what Flynn's going to say." Another source close to the White House worried, "There is a real risk here things will spin out of control." https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/trump-comey-drama/526215/ [with comments]
Get Me Roger Stone Profiles the Man Who Created President Trump The new Netflix documentary is timely, to say the least. May 11, 2017 On Wednesday morning, as President Trump digested the reports on morning television about his firing of the FBI director James Comey, he fired off a handful of tweets critiquing the news about his own administration. Trump belittled [ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862267781336752128 ] Comey, whom he asserted had lost the confidence of “almost everyone in Washington.” He lambasted [ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862282202188566529 ] Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, whom he accused of devising “one of the greatest military frauds in U.S. history.” Then, the president took umbrage at CNN for asking [ http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/10/opinions/stone-trump-comey-firing-opinion-dantonio/ ] whether the firing of Comey was a payback mission orchestrated by Roger Stone, “a 64-year-old close friend of Donald Trump and central figure in the FBI investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia.” “The Roger Stone report on @CNN is false - Fake News,” the President tweeted [ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862290442129461249 ]. “Have not spoken to Roger in a long time - had nothing to do with my decision.” So the new documentary Get Me Roger Stone, set to be released on Netflix on Friday, is certainly timely, as Stone once again enters the spotlight. On the face of it, the documentary by Dylan Bank, Daniel DiMauro, and Morgan Pehme profiles Stone and his 40-year career as a strategist. With his dandyish chalkstripe suits, his aggressively manicured hairstyles, and his Nixon tattoo, Stone, as The New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin memorably puts it in the film, is the “sinister Forrest Gump of American politics” who just happens to show up in the background every time there’s a constitutional crisis or a major scandal. Stone, at the age of 19, was the youngest person to testify to the Watergate grand jury, as an employee of the Committee to Re-elect the President. He was, he says, behind the Brooks Brothers riot [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Brothers_riot ] during the 2000 election. And, in perhaps the most influential act of his career, he persuaded Donald Trump to get into politics. “[Stone] always likes to take on somebody that at least has a good chance of winning,” the president says in an on-camera interview, showcasing his characteristic flair for self-aggrandizing compliments. But the film, which follows Stone through his fluctuating role on the Trump campaign, is also an incisive portrait of how Stone’s brand of dirty tricks—in which the only motivating factor in politics is to win—came to dominate the current state of disarray. Stone, as he’s wont to do, cheerfully takes credit for all manner of shifts in the last four decades of U.S. elections, from the birth of PACs and superPACs to the rising influence of lobbyists to the dominance of anger and fear in the media. You may find yourself wondering, as the Fox host Tucker Carlson does at one point, whether all of these developments can actually be traced back to Stone, or whether he’s just the most dastardly self-promoter in history. But Get Me Roger Stone is a thorough and entertaining primer into how American politics got so ugly, not to mention a crucial window into the mentality of the unorthodox 45th president. Now in his 60s, sporting bow-ties, suspenders, and an overbearing air of insouciance, Stone resembles no one so much as a senior Pee-wee Herman. He stokes the caricature of the mustache-twirling plutocrat, being interviewed in an opulent dining room next to a three-olive martini, where he expounds on “Stone’s Rules,” one-sentence aphorisms like, “It’s better to be infamous than never to be famous at all,” and “One man’s dirty trick is another man’s civil political action.” Extremely charismatic and unabashedly outspoken, he’s a documentarian’s dream. And this before the film even gets to unpacking Stone’s involvement in the rise of Trump, or his embrace of the alt-right. The Stone mystique is carefully curated. Stone recalls early on how, at a mock election at his elementary school, he took a liking to John F. Kennedy because he had “better hair” than Nixon, and he persuaded his classmates to vote for JFK by assuring them Nixon planned to introduce school on Saturdays. “For the first time ever, I understood the value of misinformation,” Stone says, with a glint in his eye. That the story is too good to be true only further emphasizes his point. The film details his passion for Barry Goldwater at the age of 12, and his first dirty trick, where he showed up to the campaign HQ of a Nixon rival with a jar of loose change donated by the “Young Socialist Alliance,” then asked for a receipt, which he promptly gave to the press. Stone, who shows the directors his extraordinary collection of Nixon memorabilia, seems to have identified a kindred spirit in the 37th president. “His greatest single quality is resilience,” Stone explains. “And that’s the purpose of my tattoo. It’s a reminder that in life when you get knocked down … you have to get up and keep pushing.” This indomitable spirit pushed Stone toward his lobbying years with the firm Black, Manafort, and Stone (yes, that Manafort [ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/manafort-dossier-part-ii/521184/ ], and he’s also interviewed in the film), which became known as “the torturer’s lobby” for its list of highly unsavory clients. Stone, Toobin explains, “sees morality as a synonym for weakness.” Then, in 1988, the lawyer Roy Cohn introduced Stone to Trump, and Stone was immediately taken with the brash businessman’s potential. Again, the two seemed like twin souls, with their penchant for attention and their dyed blonde combovers. “I was like a jockey looking for a horse,” Stone recalls. “And [Trump’s] a prime piece of political horse flesh in my view.” [...] https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/05/get-me-roger-stone-donald-trump-netflix/526296/ [with comments]
Top Dems call for report on Sessions's role in Comey firing 05/12/17 The top Democrats on two powerful House committees are calling for a report on possible disciplinary actions against Attorney General Jeff Sessions [ http://thehill.com/people/jeff-sessions ] for his role in FBI Director James Comey's firing. The Democrats say Sessions may have violated his pledge to recuse himself from any investigations involving Russia's effort to influence U.S. elections. In a letter [ https://democrats-oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/documents/2017-05-12.EEC%20Conyers%20to%20Rosenstein-DOJ%20re%20AG%20Sessions%20Recusal.pdf ] to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, House Oversight Committee ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) pressed the Justice Department to explain Sessions' role in President Trump's decision to fire Comey. "Federal law sets forth as a penalty for recusal violations removal from office, and the Attorney General's violation in this case appears to be particularly grave," the letter reads. "Since you are the Acting Attorney General in this particular matter, we call on you to explain the measures that now may be required to mete out appropriate discipline in this case." [...] http://thehill.com/homenews/house/333111-top-house-dems-call-for-report-on-sessions-role-in-comey-firing [with comments]
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Inside Trump’s Coming War with the F.B.I. F.B.I. Director James Comey arrives to testify before the House Intelligence Committee hearing into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 17, 2017. “Agents are pissed off at the way he was fired, the total disrespect with which it was handled. It was a slap in the face to the F.B.I., to everybody in the F.B.I.” May 11, 2017 http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/05/trumps-coming-war-with-the-fbi [with embedded video]
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We Need the Help of Intel Agencies Around the World | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ
Published on May 11, 2017 by GQ
It’s time to lay bare what is known about Donald Trump.
Watch Lester Holt's Extended Interview With President Trump
NBC Nightly News Thu, May 11, 2017
In an NBC News exclusive interview, President Trump revealed to Lester Holt that he was preparing to fire FBI Director James Comey regardless of recommendations from the attorney general and deputy attorney general.
A Final Question to Pres. Trump on His Experience as President, So Far
NBC Nightly News Thu, May 11, 2017
In a moment of self-reflection, Pres. Trump said that he sometimes feels the weight of the office, and that any president recognizes how “amazing” it is to be president.
Trump said he was thinking of Russia controversy when he decided to fire Comey May 11, 2017 President Trump on Thursday said he was thinking of “this Russia thing with Trump” when he decided to fire FBI Director James B. Comey, who had been leading the counterintelligence investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Recounting his decision to dismiss Comey, Trump told NBC News, “In fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, ‘You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story, it’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.’” Trump’s account flatly contradicts the White House’s initial account of how the president arrived at his decision, undercutting public denials by his aides that the move was influenced in any way by his growing fury with the ongoing Russia probe. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-says-fbi-director-comey-told-him-three-times-he-wasnt-under-investigation-once-in-a-phone-call-initiated-by-the-president/2017/05/11/2b384c9a-3669-11e7-b4ee-434b6d506b37_story.html [with embedded videos, and (over 8,000) comments]
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Trump Shifts Rationale for Firing Comey, Calling Him a ‘Showboat’ MAY 11, 2017 WASHINGTON — President Trump offered a new version of his decision to fire James B. Comey [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html ], saying on Thursday that he would have dismissed the F.B.I. [ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/f/federal_bureau_of_investigation/index.html ] director regardless of whether the attorney general and his deputy recommended it. It was just the latest in a series of statements, some of them contradictory, to whiplash Washington over 48 hours that began with Mr. Comey’s firing on Tuesday evening. And it was unusually harsh: Mr. Trump castigated Mr. Comey as “a showboat” and “a grandstander,” suggesting that his issues with the F.B.I. director went beyond any previously stated concerns. Mr. Trump said on Thursday that he had not relied solely on the advice from the Justice Department’s top two leaders in making his decision. And, for the first time, he explicitly referenced the F.B.I.’s investigation into his administration’s ties to Russia in defending Mr. Comey’s firing. “And in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, ‘You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story,’” Mr. Trump told Lester Holt of NBC News. “It’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.” Earlier, the White House had said that Mr. Trump acted only after Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/politics/rod-rosenstein-deputy-attorney-general-james-comey.html ], came to him and recommended that Mr. Comey be dismissed because of his handling of last year’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email. In his Tuesday letter terminating Mr. Comey, Mr. Trump said he had “accepted their recommendation.” And Vice President Mike Pence, talking to reporters, echoed his boss. But by the next day, that story had begun to unravel. Mr. Rosenstein and Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, spoke by telephone on Wednesday to review details that precipitated the firing, seeking to agree on a version of events that could be released to the public. That conversation led to a new timeline that the White House shared with reporters hours later. It said that Mr. Trump had in recent weeks been “strongly inclined to remove” Mr. Comey, but that he had made his final decision only after receiving written recommendations on Tuesday from Mr. Rosenstein and Mr. Sessions. And then on Thursday, the president himself brushed away that narrative, reversing his own aides’ version of events. In fact, the president asserted, he had decided to fire Mr. Comey well before he received the advice from the Justice Department officials. He said he was frustrated by Mr. Comey’s public testimony [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/us/politics/james-comey-fbi-senate-hearing.html ] regarding the F.B.I. investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 campaign and its possible contacts with Mr. Trump’s advisers. “I was going to fire Comey — my decision,” Mr. Trump told NBC. “I was going to fire regardless of recommendation.” The president’s comments appeared aimed at reassuring Mr. Rosenstein, who was reportedly upset at the White House’s original narrative that seemed to suggest he had instigated Mr. Comey’s firing. The White House has cited Mr. Rosenstein’s reputation as a straight shooter in justifying Mr. Trump’s move. But the president’s story line left the White House struggling to explain his motivation for firing his F.B.I. director a day after calling the Russia investigation nothing more than a “taxpayer funded charade [ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/861713823505494016 ]” that should end. Critics said the credibility of the White House had been badly damaged and renewed calls for a special prosecutor to take over the Russia investigation, independent of the administration. The White House’s explanation was challenged on Thursday in other ways as well. The president’s spokeswoman said on Wednesday that Mr. Comey was fired in part because he had lost the support of rank-and-file F.B.I. employees. But on Thursday, Andrew G. McCabe [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/11/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-fbi-acting-director.html ], the new acting director of the agency, told the Senate [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/11/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-fbi-chief-russia-trump.html ] that Mr. Comey enjoyed “broad support within the F.B.I. and still does to this day.” And while the White House said on Wednesday that the Russia inquiry was only a small part of the bureau’s activities, Mr. McCabe called it “a highly significant investigation.” Throughout the rapidly shifting 48 hours, Mr. Rosenstein appeared to be caught in the middle. Confirmed just last month, he made a trip to Capitol Hill on Thursday for a previously unannounced meeting with the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee. In a brief hallway conversation with a reporter, Mr. Rosenstein denied reports that he had threatened to quit. [...] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/11/us/politics/trump-comey-showboat-fbi.html [with embedded video, and comments]
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In a Private Dinner, Trump Demanded Loyalty. Comey Demurred. President Trump and James B. Comey during a reception at the White House for law enforcement officials days after the inauguration. MAY 11, 2017 WASHINGTON — Only seven days after Donald J. Trump [ http://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/donald-trump ] was sworn in as president, James B. Comey has told associates, the F.B.I. [ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/f/federal_bureau_of_investigation/index.html ] director was summoned to the White House for a one-on-one dinner with the new commander in chief. The conversation that night in January, Mr. Comey now believes, was a harbinger of his downfall this week as head of the F.B.I., according to two people who have heard his account of the dinner. As they ate, the president and Mr. Comey made small talk about the election and the crowd sizes at Mr. Trump’s rallies. The president then turned the conversation to whether Mr. Comey would pledge his loyalty to him. Mr. Comey declined to make that pledge. Instead, Mr. Comey has recounted to others, he told Mr. Trump that he would always be honest with him, but that he was not “reliable” in the conventional political sense. The White House says this account is not correct. And Mr. Trump, in an interview on Thursday with NBC, described a far different dinner conversation with Mr. Comey in which the director asked to have the meeting and the question of loyalty never came up. It was not clear whether he was talking about the same meal, but they are believed to have had only one dinner together. [...] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/11/us/politics/trump-comey-firing.html [with comments]
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My Dinner With Comey: Current and Former FBI Officials Dispute Trump Account of Meeting With FBI Director
President Donald Trump shakes hands with James Comey during an Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on January 22, 2017 in Washington. Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg via Getty Images
by Ken Dilanian and Pete Williams May 11 2017, 11:35 pm ET
The January dinner meeting between the two men, the sources said, was requested by the White House. And the former senior FBI official said Comey would never have told the president he was not under investigation — also contradicting what Trump said.
"He tried to stay away from it [the Russian-ties investigation]," said the former official, who worked closely with Comey and keeps in touch with him. "He would say, 'look sir, I really can't get into it, and you don't want me to.'"
A current FBI official confirmed that Comey did not request the one-on-one dinner, which happened at the White House a few days after Trump was sworn in.
In an exclusive interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt earlier Thursday, Trump said he believed Comey requested the dinner. Trump said Comey asked that Trump keep him on as FBI director, and told the presidenrt on three occasions that he was not under investigation as part of the FBI's inquiry into Russian election interference.
"The president is not correct," the former official said. "The White House called him out of the blue. Comey didn't want to do it. He didn't even want the rank and file at the FBI to know about it."
But in the end, "He's still the commander in chief. He's your boss. How do you say no?"
The New York Times first reported Thursday night that Trump demanded during the dinner that Comey declare his loyalty to the president, and that Comey declined. Comey told Trump he would offer "honesty," The Times reported [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/11/us/politics/trump-comey-firing.html ].
The current and former official could not confirm that account. But the former official said, "That is exactly how I would expect the director to answer."
White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed Thursday that she had heard from "countless members of the FBI who are grateful for the president's decision."
Current and former FBI agents scoffed at what they termed a ridiculous assertion.
"I doubt five people at the FBI even have the [phone] number of the deputy White House press secretary," the former senior official said.
Trump’s own words add fuel to questions about the legality of firing Comey May 12, 2017 With his own words over the past two days, President Trump has vastly escalated the stakes and potential consequences of his decision to fire James B. Comey as FBI director, provoking questions about whether his motivations and tactics may have run afoul of the law. The president also suggested via Twitter that he may have “tapes” of private conversations with Comey, evoking echoes of Watergate and demands by Democrats that he produce what could be critical evidence. All of that undermines Trump’s credibility as he seeks to name a new FBI director whose independence will be under intense scrutiny and whose most critical job will be to lead the probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The point of greatest sensitivity raised by Trump’s decision to fire Comey is its potential connection to the former FBI director’s role in investigating what he described as “the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts.” In a television interview and on Twitter, the president has given ammunition to arguments by some legal experts that his actions constitute a possible case of obstruction of justice — a central charge in the impeachment proceedings against two presidents in the last 43 years. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-own-words-add-fuel-to-questions-about-the-legality-of-firing-comey/2017/05/12/ccb4367e-3731-11e7-b412-62beef8121f7_story.html [with embedded videos, and (over 4,000) comments]
Infowars Nightly News - White House Staff Shakeup Imminent - 05/11/2017
Streamed live on May 11, 2017 by The Alex Jones Channel
Jefferson Davis disappears as New Orleans removes tribute to ‘lost cause of the Confederacy’ Confederate supporters demonstrate across the street from the Jefferson Davis statue in New Orleans in anticipation of its removal. May 11, 2017 Jefferson Davis served as the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, although his legacy as rebel leader does not exactly shine in the historical record. The Civil War Trust notes [ https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis ] that “Davis’ popularity and effectiveness were not enhanced by the growing number of Confederate defeats,” and that Davis was captured in the waning days of the war by Union soldiers after he fled the Confederate capital in Richmond. “His cause went down in disastrous defeat and left the South impoverished for generations,” Smithsonian Magazine noted [ http://www.smithsonianmag.com/store/books/embattled-rebel-jefferson-davis-commander-chief/ ], adding: “Many Americans in Davis’s own time and in later generations considered him an incompetent leader, if not a traitor.” Still, Davis is celebrated in pockets of the South, with highways, high schools and other things named in his honor. For more than 100 years, there was also a prominent statue of Davis in New Orleans. A handful of protesters lined up beneath it before dawn Thursday, chanting “President Davis [ https://twitter.com/jadelson/status/862571923527655425 ]” as city workers removed it. After days of tension and protests, crews strapped the 116-year-old statue beneath its arms and wrapped its waist in plastic, according to NBC affiliate WDSU [ http://www.wdsu.com/article/crews-begin-removal-of-jefferson-davis-monument-in-mid-city/9635008 ], and just after 5 a.m. hoisted it from its longtime perch — along Jefferson Davis Parkway, no less. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/05/11/jefferson-davis-disappears-as-new-orleans-removes-another-tribute-to-the-lost-cause-of-the-confederacy/ [with embedded videos, and comments]
Former Trump campaign foreign policy advisor Carter Page tells Chris Hayes that over the years, from time to time, he has been consulted by the CIA and FBI for his Russia expertise. Duration: 1:09
Republican Congressman Tom MacArthur felt the wrath of his constituents in New Jersey over a marathon five-hour town hall, while Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was booed by students at Bethune-Cookman University during her commencement address. Duration: 2:46
The New York Times reports that the president asked the now-fired FBI Director to pledge his loyalty to him at a dinner they shared - and Comey declined to make the pledge. Duration: 7:22
Exclusive: DOJ won't say if Sessions is recused on Manafort
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/11/17
Rachel Maddow reports that contrary to popular belief, former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has not registered as a foreign agent, and the DOJ won't say if A.G. Jeff Sessions is recused on Manafort matters. Duration: 22:14
Sen Wyden: Trump investigation should follow the money
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/11/17
Senator Ron Wyden, member of the Senate Finance and Intelligence Committees, talks with Rachel Maddow about why he thinks the Trump-Russia investigation should focus on Donald Trump's business ties. Duration: 7:51
Sen Wyden: I don't feel Mike Pompeo was straight with us on Flynn
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/11/17
Senator Ron Wyden talks with Rachel Maddow about his feeling that CIA Director Mike Pompeo was not being forthcoming about Mike Flynn, and challenges the investigation has had getting information from the CIA. Duration: 4:57
Rep Swalwell: Sessions obviously not recused on Trump probe
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/11/17
Rep. Eric Swalwell, member of the House Intelligence Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the challenge of getting an honest investigation into Donald Trump's ties to Russia and interference in the 2016 election. Duration: 5:56
After Donald Trump talked about a dinner with former FBI Director Comey, Comey's side of the story is reported in The New York Times. Comey associates say Trump wanted a loyalty pledge. Lawrence O'Donnell discusses with David Frum and Ron Klain. Duration: 14:11
Laurence Tribe: A series of high crimes and misdemeanors
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 5/11/17
President Donald Trump says he asked former FBI Director James Comey if he was under investigation. Constitutional expert Laurence Tribe takes issue with that and other Trump actions he says are likely impeachable offenses. Duration: 7:25
Trump connects Comey firing to Russia questions in NBC interview
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/11/17
Talking to NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, Pres. Trump said when he decided to fire Comey he was thinking about 'this Russia thing.' MSNBC's Brian Williams gets reaction from his panel. Duration: 12:31
Trump reportedly asked for Comey's loyalty & Comey said no
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/11/17
MSNBC's Brian Williams discusses the news from The New York Times that months ago Pres. Trump demanded FBI Director Comey's loyalty over dinner, but Comey wouldn't make that pledge. Duration: 1:25
White House & FBI at odds over support Comey had before firing
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/11/17
The acting FBI Director contradicted the White House during sworn testimony on Capitol Hill over how much support Director Comey had at the FBI before he was fired. MSNBC's Brian Williams has more. Duration: 4:18
White House pressed on whether its staff can be trusted
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/11/17
On the same day that Pres. Trump's explanation for firing James Comey contradicts his staff, a reporter asks if the word of the White House staff can be trusted. MSNBC's Brian Williams has more. Duration: 6:36
Sean Spicer's Lost Letters To Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Published on May 12, 2017 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Press Secretary Sean Spicer will be away from his podium this week while answering the call of duty. But that hasn't stopped him from writing home every day.
Trump talks about North Korea, Afghanistan, health care: ‘I love governing’
TODAY May 12th, 2017
NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt returns to TODAY with more of his exclusive interview with President Trump, covering such topics as North Korea, Afghanistan and health care. “I love governing,” Trump tells Holt, “and I think we’re doing a very good job.”
Sessions issues sweeping new criminal charging policy May 12, 2017 Attorney General Jeff Sessions overturned the sweeping criminal charging policy of former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. and directed his federal prosecutors Thursday to charge defendants with the most serious, provable crimes carrying the most severe penalties. The Holder memo, issued in August 2013, instructed his prosecutors to avoid charging certain defendants with drug offenses that would trigger long mandatory minimum sentences. Defendants who met a set of criteria such as not belonging to a large-scale drug trafficking organization, gang or cartel, qualified for lesser charges — and in turn less prison time — under Holder’s policy. But Sessions’s new charging policy [ http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/national/jeff-sessionss-criminal-charging-policy/2432/ ], outlined in a two-page memo and sent to more than 5,000 assistant U.S. attorneys across the country and all assistant attorneys general in Washington, orders prosecutors to “charge and purse the most serious, readily provable offense” and rescinds Holder’s policy immediately. The Sessions memo marks the first significant criminal justice effort by the Trump administration to bring back the toughest practices of the drug war, which had fallen out of favor in recent years with a bipartisan movement to undo the damaging effects of mass incarceration. “This policy fully utilizes the tools Congress has given us,” the attorney general’s memo says. “By definition, the most serious offenses are those that carry the most substantial guidelines sentence, including mandatory minimum sentences.” The new policy is expected to lead to more federal prosecutions and an increase in the federal prison population. In February, Sessions seemed to prepare for that inevitability, reversing a directive from previous deputy attorney general Sally Yates for the Justice Department to stop using private prisons to house federal inmates. Yates said at the time that doing so was possible because of declining inmate numbers. Sessions, though, said it had “impaired the [Bureau of Prisons’] ability to meet the future needs of the federal correctional system” — hinting that he saw a very different future for putting people behind bars. [...] Related: How Jeff Sessions wants to bring back the war on drugs https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-jeff-sessions-wants-to-bring-back-the-war-on-drugs/2017/04/08/414ce6be-132b-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-issues-sweeping-new-criminal-charging-policy/2017/05/11/4752bd42-3697-11e7-b373-418f6849a004_story.html [with embedded video, and comments]
Full Show - Alex Jones Declares War On Globalist Communism, Destroys Olbermann - 05/12/2017
Published on May 12, 2017 by The Alex Jones Channel
Friday, May 12th 2017: Trump Warns Comey About Leaking To Press - President Trump tweeted at former FBI Director Comey, warning there might be a recording of their conversation about whether or not Trump was under investigation. Dr. Steve Pieczenik will join today's broadcast to give an insider's take on Trump's firing of Comey. Co-founder of the first Christian video game site on the internet, Tony Martin, will share how his company is revolutionizing the world of gaming.
Trump's bogus voter claim just got deadly serious Waldman: President Trump has turned to Kris Kobach to figure out what should be done about the American election system Expect him to recommend more restrictions, more hurdles, more suppression of votes, Waldman says Updated May 12, 2017 http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/11/opinions/kris-kobach-waldman/ [with embedded video, and comments]
Trump’s Interests vs. America’s, Caribbean Villa Edition The president’s company is selling an estate likely worth upward of $20 million, presenting yet another avenue for currying favor with him. May 12, 2017 https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/05/donald-trump-conflicts-of-interests/508382/ [with comments] [massive compilation of detailed reports on Trump's various and sundry conflicts of interest]
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Financial-Crimes Monitor to Share Records in Trump-Russia Probe Senate committee requested the data from Treasury’s FinCEN May 12, 2017 WASHINGTON—A Treasury Department unit that specializes in combating money-laundering will share financial records with an expanding Senate probe into possible ties between Russia and President Donald Trump and his associates, according to people familiar with the matter. [...] https://www.wsj.com/articles/financial-crimes-monitor-to-share-records-in-trump-russia-probe-1494625140
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Former Trump Adviser Paul Manafort’s Bank Records Sought in Probe Federal investigators looking into Russian election interference requested information; New York investigators also examining his real-estate transactions May 12, 2017 The Justice Department last month requested banking records of Paul Manafort as part of a widening of probes related to President Donald Trump’s former campaign associates and whether they colluded with Russia in interfering with the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the matter. [...] https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-trump-adviser-paul-manaforts-bank-records-sought-in-probe-1494637248
In Reversal, E.P.A. Eases Path for a Mine Near Alaska’s Bristol Bay Dillingham, Alaska, a fishing community of 2,300, is the largest town in the Bristol Bay region. MAY 12, 2017 In another reversal of Obama administration policy, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it had settled a lawsuit over a mine on Alaska’s Bristol Bay, one of the world’s most productive salmon fisheries. Pebble Limited Partnership, the site’s developer, sued the agency, claiming that the Obama administration had colluded with the project’s opponents to block copper, gold and silver extraction at the site. An E.P.A. review found no evidence of such collusion. Friday’s settlement allows the company to file a new application for a permit, which it has said it will do. That effectively undercuts the E.P.A.’s previous determinations [ https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/bristol_bay_assessment_final_2014_es.pdf ], based on years of scientific study, that the proposed mine on state land would be a risk to the long-term health of the fishery and wider ecosystem. In a call with shareholders on Friday, executives for Pebble Limited Partnership and Northern Dynasty Minerals, the partnership’s parent company, thanked Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the E.P.A., for the favorable treatment under the new administration and “his commitment to the rule of law.” Environmental and Native Alaskan groups immediately expressed dismay over the decision. Daniel Cheyette, the vice president and general counsel for the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, a profit-making corporation of Native Alaskan shareholders, said, “It is a hugely important fishery, and having a large open-pit mine right at the headwaters poses a significant risk, and it is one that the people in the region are unwilling to accept.” “In Alaska, we typically are in favor of development projects — Bristol Bay Native Corporation included — but this mine is different, and, consistently, a majority of Alaskans are opposed to it,” Mr. Cheyette added. He cited the high levels of opposition to the mine [ http://www.renewableresourcesfoundation.org/sites/www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/files/resolutions-polls/Hellenthal%20Poll%20-%2014Oct09.pdf ] — more than 80 percent of local residents and 62 percent statewide oppose the project — as well as a ballot initiative [ https://ballotpedia.org/Alaska_Bristol_Bay_Mining_Ban,_Ballot_Measure_4_(2014) (note: to open, add that last ")" to the end of the url and then open)] that passed in 2014, requiring any mining development that affects the salmon fishing industry in Bristol Bay to seek approval from the State Legislature. [...] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/climate/in-reversal-epa-eases-path-for-a-mine-near-alaskas-bristol-bay.html [and see also in particular (linked in) http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=67618419 and preceding (and any future following), http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=67624236 and preceding (and any future following), http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=90885246 and preceding and following]
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InfoWars Nightly News LIVE: Virtual Outbreaks, Real & Virtual, Blamed On Whistleblowers
Streamed live on May 12, 2017 by The Alex Jones Channel
Mormon church takes steps away from Boy Scouts of America; does total exodus loom? Faith leaders say they plan to develop a new program to serve young Latter-day Saints around the world. May 11 2017 Updated May 11 2017 http://www.sltrib.com/news/5278985-155/mormon-church-takes-steps-away-from [with comments]
U.S. Crackdown on For-Profit Schools Is Said to Go Idle Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has brought in officials from the for-profit college sector. MAY 12, 2017 The Education Department [ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/education_department/index.html ]’s sweeping crackdown on fraudulent practices at for-profit colleges [ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/forprofit_schools/index.html ] has stalled under the Trump administration’s appointees, several current and former department employees say. Current and former employees, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said tight restrictions have been put on staff members scrutinizing for-profit institutions, constraining their contact with other state and federal agencies without high-level approval — a contention a department spokesman denied. Some state officials who had collaborated with the Education Department in bringing legal cases against for-profit schools say their joint work has ground to a halt. They also say they are troubled by an apparent slowdown in granting debt relief to students who were cheated. “The department has become a black box since the Obama administration left the building,” said Maura Healey, the Massachusetts attorney general, whose office is one of dozens that have been involved in prominent cases against the for-profit sector. The Education Department said Friday evening that Secretary Betsy DeVos “is committed to protecting students who have been defrauded by schools,” that it had not stopped approving loan relief and that a review of the program was being led by senior career staff members. During the Obama administration’s second term, the department put both financial and regulatory muscle into the policing of a sector that was frequently criticized for deceiving vulnerable and poor students about the cost and benefits of signing up to get a degree. Ms. DeVos has brought aboard officials who have worked in the for-profit college sector and have expressed skepticism about the Obama administration’s aggressive regulation and enforcement. Supporters say that for-profit colleges provide a ladder for the most disadvantaged students and that any misdeeds represent a tiny fraction of the industry. Advocates, state prosecutors and some members of Congress have expressed concern that Ms. DeVos will weaken regulations that were put into effect to curb abuses by for-profit colleges. While some career training schools have delivered as promised, critics argue that tens of thousands of students were lured by misleading advertising and illegal recruiting practices to enroll in expensive programs that failed to deliver what they promised — while reeling in millions of dollars in federal aid. Two large chains failed — Corinthian Colleges [ https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/05/education/corinthian-colleges-to-largely-shut-down.html ] in 2015, and ITT Technical Institute [ https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/08/business/downfall-of-itt-technical-institutes-was-a-long-time-in-the-making.html ] in 2016 — leaving thousands of students in debt and with no degree. The federal government, as the largest provider of student loans, was left to rescue those who were cheated. Investigators said collaboration among various federal and state offices was critical to efforts to root out fraud at the schools and provide relief to indebted students. Current and former employees say all such contact must now be approved at the department’s highest levels, even routine conversations and meetings — a vetting that was not required before the Trump team came aboard. [...] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/business/education-department-for-profit-schools.html [with comments]
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John Dean on possible secret Trump recordings
All In with Chris Hayes 5/12/17
President Nixon’s former White House counsel says he doubts Trump set up a taping system in the oval office – but he might be using his smartphone. Duration: 4:01
Financial crimes unit to help Trump-Russia invetigation
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/12/17
Rachel Maddow reports that with the Trump-Russia investigation expanding into Donald Trump's businesses, the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has agreed to share important information with investigators. Duration: 22:50
Klobuchar: Investigators 'will get to the bottom' of Trump-Russia
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/12/17
Senator Amy Klobuchar, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the pressure Democrats are exerting on the Department of Justice for a special prosecutor in the Trump-Russia investigation. Duration: 7:33
Trump behavior toward Comey likely making his lawyers unhappy
The Rachel Maddow Show 5/12/17
Bob Bauer, White House Counsel to President Obama, talks with Rachel Maddow about the legal issues at play in Donald Trump's firing of James Comey and his stated reasons for doing so with regard to the Trump-Russia investigation. Duration: 3:44
Rachel Maddow reports on late breaking news that the U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York is announcing a major settlement of a case involving civil money laundering & forfeiture claims connected to Russian tax fraud. Duration: 1:02
President Trump's conflicting statements, possible tweeted threat to Comey, and demands of loyalty are testing the rule of law. Plus, the short list for the new FBI Director includes partisan Republican politicians. Joyce Vance and Joan Walsh join Ari Melber. Duration: 14:10
Trump fires Comey – could it be obstruction of justice?
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 5/12/17
MSNBC's Ari Melber gives a special report on why some say Donald Trump's firing of James Comey could lead to charges of the obstruction of justice. Former US Attorney Joyce Vance and Retired ATF Special Agent Jim Cavanaugh weigh in. Duration: 9:08
Trump won't deny that he's recording White House conversations
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/12/17
Trump and White House spokesman Sean Spicer won't say whether Trump is recording White House conversations after Trump suggested there may be 'tapes' of his talks with Comey. MSNBC's Brian Williams has more. Duration: 11:33
Fmr. DNI Clapper clarifies White House claim about Russia probe
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/12/17
MSNBC's Brian Williams shares the news that James Clapper doesn't exactly agree with the White House version of his comments and the latest news about Paul Manafort and the Russia investigation. Duration: 5:50
Trump's threat to Comey of 'tapes' draws Nixon comparisons
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 5/12/17
Both LBJ & Nixon used recording devices in the White House. So what are we to make of Trump's threat to Comey he might have 'tapes'? Presidential historian Michael Beschloss reacts. Duration: 4:56
Rep. Adam Schiff: Authoritarianism vs. Democracy | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
Published on May 12, 2017 by Real Time with Bill Maher
Bill and Congressman Adam Schiff – the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee – discuss the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign.
WH Spokesmen, American Oligarchy, Public Service | Overtime with Bill Maher (HBO)
Published on May 12, 2017 by Real Time with Bill Maher
Bill and his Real Time guests – Rep. Adam Schiff, Jon Favreau, Michael "Killer Mike" Render, Matt Welch, and Annabelle Gurwitch – answer viewer questions after the show.
Comey's Firing Is Inspiring 'Godfather' Comparisons
Published on May 13, 2017 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
A senior intelligence official equated the White House's means of firing FBI Director James Comey to Francis Coppola's classic 'horse head in the bed' scene.
A Lesson In Prepositions Brought To You By Sean Spicer's Bushes
Published on May 13, 2017 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen gives a refresher on prepositions after The Washington Post publicly corrected a report that Press Secretary Sean Spicer hid 'in' the bushes from reporters.
Here's What Michelle Obama Thinks About Trump's School Lunch Rules Michelle Obama speaks at the Partnership for a Healthier America conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday. May 13, 2017 When it comes to feeding kids a healthy diet, "it's not politics, it's parenting," Michelle Obama said Friday. And then she got a little fired up. Without ever naming President Trump, the former first lady took aim at changes the administration announced last week that weaken some of the school nutrition standards she championed. "Think about why someone is OK with your kids eating crap," she told the crowd at the Partnership for a Healthier America [ https://www.ahealthieramerica.org/2017-summit-8 ] conference. "We gotta make sure we don't let anybody take us back," she said as the crowd cheered. "Every elected official on this planet should understand: Don't play with our children. Don't do it," Obama implored. Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Purdue, announced changes to the school lunch program during a visit to a school cafeteria in Leesburg, VA. He said he had listened to the complaints of students and school food administrators. "We all know that kids are pretty outspoken about what they want to eat and what they don't," Purdue said. [...] http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/13/528170555/heres-what-michelle-obama-thinks-about-trumps-school-lunch-rules
Joy Reid and her panel discuss the many contradictory statements coming from Trump’s White House regarding the controversial firing of former FBI director James Comey. Duration: 13:12
Rep. Lieu: Firing of Comey is obstruction of justice
AM Joy 5/13/17
Congressman Ted Lieu of California explains to Joy Reid why he believes the Trump administration has a ‘lack of respect for the rule of law.’ Duration: 5:39
Why would a Christian university have someone like Donald Trump give its commencement address? Joy Reid and her panel offer their analysis. Duration: 31:34
Joy Reid and her panel discuss the ongoing fallout over Donald Trump suddenly firing former FBI director James Comey—including Republican leaders ignoring what many see as impeachment grounds. Duration: 15:22
Former Nixon White House counsel John Dean tells Joy Reid whether he believes we are at the ‘cancer on the presidency stage’ regarding Trump firing Comey, which is how Dean described Nixon’s situation in his famous Watergate testimony. Duration: 8:27
Joy Reid and her panel discuss Attorney General Jeff Sessions reverting the evolution on drug crime charges back to harsh sentencing, despite the chorus of voices and mountains of evidence declaring: it doesn’t work. Duration: 10:16
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, including President Donald Trump firing FBI director James Comey. Pete Davidson stops by to discuss getting sober.
Sean Spicer (Melissa McCarthy) confronts President Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) about the rumors that he's being replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Aidy Bryant).