Alex Jones, radio host and founder of InfoWars.com, is known for promoting conspiracy theories. He has called 9/11 an inside job, suggested the Sandy Hook and Pulse Nightclub shootings were “false flag” attacks, and said Hillary Clinton is a “demon” and an “interdimensional invader.”
Jones and InfoWars have an audience of more than 6.5 million a month, including the United States’ next president. Donald Trump and his son Donald Trump, Jr., have both shared articles from InfoWars, and Trump Sr. was a guest on Jones’s show in 2015, where he complimented Jones’s “amazing” reputation. Trump reportedly called Jones to thank him for his support after the election.
Both Jones and Trump subscribe to many of the same fringe theories, for example that President Obama wears a secret “Muslim ring,” that Clinton took performance-enhancing drugs during the debates, and that Trump won the popular vote. While it’s impossible to say how much direct influence Jones has on Trump, the president-elect often raises certain conspiracy theories after they are disseminated by Jones and his fans.
The video above shows 11 uncanny overlaps between statements made by Jones and by Trump. As Jones himself said in August, “It is surreal to talk about issues, here on air, and then word for word hear Trump say it two days later.”
White House Refuses House Investigation Request On Rob Porter Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, now wants GOP chair Trey Gowdy to issue a subpoena to obtain the information. WASHINGTON ? White House officials are refusing to turn over information to congressional leaders on their handling of domestic abuse allegations against former top aide Rob Porter, further raising questions about the Trump administration’s already muddled explanations. House Oversight Committee chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) launched an investigation into the White House’s handling of the matter on Feb. 14, giving chief of staff John Kelly a deadline of Feb. 28 to submit information, particularly on why Porter worked under an interim security clearance to handle sensitive information. But in a letter on Thursday night, first reported by Talking Points Memo, White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short did not provide answers to the committee’s questions about Porter, and suggested to Gowdy that officials would not cooperate until a later time. Porter resigned last month after reporting by The Daily Mail and The Intercept revealed allegations that he had physically abused his two ex-wives. The White House continually changed its story of what officials, particularly Kelly, knew about the allegations against Porter, and for how long. FBI Director Christopher Wray later contradicted key parts of the administration’s account, saying that the bureau had warned the White House about the allegations as early as last March, and completed its investigation this January, several weeks before Porter resigned. In his letter, Short told Gowdy the White House has formed “a working group” of officials who plan “to streamline, harmonize, and modernize applicable standards across the Administration” regarding the process of background checks and security clearances. “We would be pleased to update you and others on the progress of the working group at the appropriate time,” Short said. On Friday, the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), called Short’s letter “a completely inadequate response,” asking Gowdy to issue a subpoena to obtain the information from the White House, or “step aside” from the committee. “There is an obvious pattern here. Unfortunately, by repeatedly backing down, the Committee has now enabled and emboldened the White House to openly defy congressional oversight,” Cummings wrote in a letter to Gowdy. “It is now clear that the White House will not respond to this Committee unless it is compelled to do so.” Gowdy’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the White House and Cummings letters below. [embedded] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rob-porter-house-investigation_us_5aa29b57e4b01b9b0a3aac07
Feds Lend Help To Jersey Town On Projects That Would Benefit Kushner Resort Another awkward situation for Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser. Federal officials are advising a New Jersey city to help it create a ferry service and rebuild a pier that are next to a beachfront resort co-owned by senior White House adviser and Donald Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, The Associated Press reported. It’s the latest in a number of troubling conflict-of-interest issues highlighting Kushner’s dual role as a White House official and a private businessman. The ferry project, which would help bring New Yorkers practically to the doorstep of the resort, could boost the value of the 269 condos, which are currently selling for up to $1.9 million each, a former local official told AP, which discovered the connection between the ferry proposal and the Kushner property. The Federal Transit Administration had already given the Jersey Shore city of Long Branch $3.34 million in 2008 to redevelop a fishing pier. But now local leaders are talking with the federal officials about gaining more funds to create the ferry service, and the FTA appears to support the plan, according to the AP. [...] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ferry-pier-project-kushner-resort_us_5aa34a88e4b01b9b0a3b7e47
Russian spy: 240 witnesses identified over poisoning More than 240 witnesses have been identified as police investigate the Russian ex-spy poisoning "at speed", the home secretary has said. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43359154
Trump Talks With Clinton Impeachment Lawyer About Aiding in Mueller Response President Trump is in discussions with a veteran Washington lawyer who represented Bill Clinton during the impeachment process about joining the White House to help deal with the special counsel inquiry, according to four people familiar with the matter. The lawyer, Emmet T. Flood, met with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office this past week to discuss the possibility, according to the people. No final decision has been made, according to two of the people. Should Mr. Flood come on board, the two people said, his main duties would be a day-to-day role helping the president navigate his dealings with the Justice Department. Two people close to the president said that the overture to Mr. Flood did not indicate any new concerns about the inquiry. Still, it appears, at the least, to be an acknowledgment that the investigation is unlikely to end anytime soon. Mr. Flood would not replace Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer who since the summer has taken the lead role in dealing with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. But Mr. Cobb has told friends for weeks that he views his position as temporary and does not expect to remain in the job for much longer. Mr. Cobb’s primary task — producing documents for Mr. Mueller and arranging for White House aides to meet with prosecutors — is largely complete. Mr. Trump’s personal lawyers have been handling negotiations with Mr. Mueller over the terms of a presidential interview. Mr. Flood had been on the wish list of some of the president’s advisers to join his legal team last year, and he is the only person the White House has been in contact with about such a leading role. White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr. Flood declined to comment. This is not the first time that the president’s advisers have considered a job for Mr. Flood, who worked in the White House counsel’s office under George W. Bush and represented Vice President Dick Cheney. As recently as the summer, Mr. Flood, who currently works at the law firm Williams & Connolly, turned down an opportunity to represent Mr. Trump. It is not clear what has changed since then. [...] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/us/politics/trump-mueller-flood.html
The Post's View . Opinion By Editorial Board April 6 at 7:38 PM THE BLIZZARD of ethical questions surrounding Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has become a Category 5 storm. Already facing big questions about his wasteful spending and relationships with lobbyists, Mr. Pruitt intensified his problems by dishonestly blaming his staff for one major ethical failure. Then the New York Times revealed that staffers who tried to rein in Mr. Pruitt’s unnecessary spending were punished. More than ever, it is clear that Mr. Pruitt is unfit to serve.
Mr. Pruitt, who has eschewed contact with mainstream media in favor of sympathetic conservative outlets, took to Fox News on Wednesday to defend himself. But under questioning from Fox News’s Ed Henry, Mr. Pruitt was unable to explain how two of his favorite staffers got massive, unauthorized pay raises that the White House had previously rejected. The administrator claimed he did not know who on his staff was responsible for the end run around the White House and that he only heard about the raises the previous day. Yet The Post’s Juliet Eilperin, Brady Dennis and Josh Dawsey reported subsequently that Mr. Pruitt had, in fact, ordered the raises. It is still unclear how involved he was in circumventing the White House’s rejection of those raises, but his total denial of responsibility on Fox News does not square with the reported record. Meanwhile, the New York Times revealed Thursday that five EPA staffers who questioned Mr. Pruitt’s lavish spending were reassigned or demoted. These staffers raised concerns about first-class travel, costly security upgrades, and expensive office furniture and renovations. One of them fought buying Mr. Pruitt a $100,000-per-month charter aircraft membership, spending $70,000 to replace two office desks and wasting $43,000 on a soundproof booth in the administrator’s office. Another objected to using flashing lights and sirens to shuttle Mr. Pruitt through Washington traffic — including to dinner at the French restaurant Le Diplomate. Several of the staffers raised concerns about Mr. Pruitt flying first class, a habit the administrator indulged in more often after one of them was sidelined. An EPA spokesman claimed that Mr. Pruitt was unaware of some of these extravagant outlays and rejected the notion that concerned staffers had been punished, but the administrator has already shown what his denials are worth.
Capping off the week, EPA ethics officers walked back their clearance of Mr. Pruitt’s sketchy condo rental deal, revealing that they had not been given all the relevant information necessary to make a reasonable call. The administrator rented a room in a Capitol Hill condo for $50 a night — but only paid for the nights he spent in residence, and his daughter was allowed to use a second bedroom. He got this sweetheart deal from the wife of a prominent energy and environmental lobbyist whose clients obtained favorable treatment from the EPA while Mr. Pruitt was staying at the condo.
In any normal administration, Mr. Pruitt would be gone. Instead, even as revelations about Mr. Pruitt piled up this week, Mr. Trump was reportedly still entertaining the idea of installing Mr. Pruitt as attorney general, a position for which his primary qualification may be willingness to squelch the Russia investigation. An ideologue who has arrogantly abused his position, Mr. Pruitt does not deserve a promotion. He deserves to be fired.
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