WEATHER ALERT
Trump's decision to back out of debate tests Fox News' ability to pivot again
Read full article: Trump's decision to back out of debate tests Fox News' ability to pivot againFormer President Donald Trump's decision to back out of Fox News Channel's first GOP primary debate this week likely costs the network a chance at a very large audience for the end of summer.
Trump, DeSantis interviews show Fox influence on GOP field still strong despite troubled year
Read full article: Trump, DeSantis interviews show Fox influence on GOP field still strong despite troubled yearThe two leading GOP presidential contenders had very different interview experiences with Fox News this past week.
Sharp attacks on Trump from Rupert Murdoch's news outlets
Read full article: Sharp attacks on Trump from Rupert Murdoch's news outletsFormer President Donald Trump has taken some hits in the aftermath of the midterm elections, perhaps none as hard as those from outlets controlled by news magnate Rupert Murdoch.
Trump urged to delay 2024 launch after GOP's uneven election
Read full article: Trump urged to delay 2024 launch after GOP's uneven electionIt was supposed to be a red wave that former President Donald Trump could triumphantly ride to the GOP nomination as he prepares to launch another White House run.
White House insiders to talk about Trump's actions on Jan. 6
Read full article: White House insiders to talk about Trump's actions on Jan. 6A former national security official in the Trump White House, Matthew Pottinger, and a former press aide, Sarah Matthews, will be the key witnesses at a prime-time hearing of the Jan. 6 committee.
Jan. 6 takeaways: 'Screaming' and a Trump tweet never sent
Read full article: Jan. 6 takeaways: 'Screaming' and a Trump tweet never sentAt its seventh hearing, the House Jan. 6 panel on Tuesday showed further evidence that President Donald Trump was told, repeatedly, that his claims of election fraud were false — but that he continued to push them anyway.
Jan. 6 panel's 1,000 witnesses: From Trump aides to rioters
Read full article: Jan. 6 panel's 1,000 witnesses: From Trump aides to riotersThe House Jan. 6 panel has interviewed more than 1,000 people who were directly or indirectly involved in the U.S. Capitol insurrection as it's probed the violent attack and former President Donald Trump’s unprecedented efforts to overturn his election defeat.
‘Fiery’ Psaki ending tenure as a top White House messenger
Read full article: ‘Fiery’ Psaki ending tenure as a top White House messengerJen Psaki is leaving as White House press secretary on Friday after having answered reporters’ questions nearly every weekday of the almost 500 days that President Joe Biden has been in office.
Subpoena GOP leader McCarthy? Big decision for Jan. 6 panel
Read full article: Subpoena GOP leader McCarthy? Big decision for Jan. 6 panelHouse Republican leader Kevin McCarthy’s refusal to provide information to a committee investigating the Capitol riot is deepening a standoff between the committee and GOP lawmakers.
Federal judge refuses Trump request to block Jan. 6 records
Read full article: Federal judge refuses Trump request to block Jan. 6 recordsA federal judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to block the release of documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Rep. Liz Cheney says Trump is at war 'with the rule of law'
Read full article: Rep. Liz Cheney says Trump is at war 'with the rule of law'Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming says former President Donald Trump is at war “with the rule of law and the Constitution” and that GOP lawmakers who sit by silently are aiding his efforts.
Trump wants call logs, aide’s notes hidden from Jan. 6 panel
Read full article: Trump wants call logs, aide’s notes hidden from Jan. 6 panelFormer President Donald Trump is trying to block documents including call logs, drafts of remarks and speeches and handwritten notes from his chief of staff relating to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Kayleigh McEnany signs on as Fox News contributor
Read full article: Kayleigh McEnany signs on as Fox News contributorFILE - In this Dec. 2, 2020 file photo, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington. McEnany has signed on as a Fox News contributor. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)NEW YORK – As widely anticipated, Fox News said Tuesday that it had signed former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany as a contributor to offer commentary on various network programs. Before working for Trump, McEnany was a commentator at CNN. AdWhile at the White House, McEnany frequently appeared on Fox News programs for interviews.
Even without listening, US lives in Limbaugh’s media world
Read full article: Even without listening, US lives in Limbaugh’s media worldLimbaugh, the talk radio host who became the voice of American conservatism, has died. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)NEW YORK – You didn't have to like or even listen to Rush Limbaugh to be affected by what he did. Bumper stickers proclaimed, “Rush is Right.”“There is no talk radio as we know it without Rush Limbaugh. As Limbaugh's political strength became evident, many Republican politicians felt they couldn't cross him, or run the risk of alienating his millions of listeners, Hemmer said. “Many of these listeners didn't care if Rush Limbaugh crossed the line (of propriety),” she said.
White House adding sign language interpreter for briefings
Read full article: White House adding sign language interpreter for briefingsWASHINGTON – The Biden administration is adding a sign language interpreter to its daily press briefings. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the move during Monday’s briefing, and an interpreter could be seen on the White House’s YouTube stream of the event. The next month, a federal judge ordered the White House to include American Sign Language interpretation at all televised briefings on the virus. The ruling said the interpreter could be in the frame physically near the speaker or off-site. It said the White House was required to make the interpreter feeds accessible online and on television using a picture-in-picture format.
Smooth Psaki shows new tone in first Biden press briefing
Read full article: Smooth Psaki shows new tone in first Biden press briefingNEW YORK – If there's one thing clear after White House press secretary Jen Psaki's first session with reporters on Wednesday, it's that she's determined to minimize drama in the briefing room. The 42-year-old Psaki (pronounced SOCK-eee) was a State Department spokesperson and White House communications director in former President Barack Obama's administration. Psaki showed a bone-dry wit when one reporter asked if Biden planned to keep the new color scheme that Trump ordered for Air Force One. CNN's chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, pointed to the lack of attacks on reporters coming from the podium. “This is the way it should have been for four years with President Trump.
President Trump won’t attend Joe Biden’s inauguration
Read full article: President Trump won’t attend Joe Biden’s inaugurationWASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Friday he will skip President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, refusing to fulfill the outgoing president's traditional role in the peaceful transition of power and undercutting his own message just one day earlier on the need for “national healing and unity." Historian Douglas Brinkley said that while attending the inauguration “would be a wonderful olive branch to the country,” he wasn't surprised by the decision. “Donald Trump doesn’t want to be in Washington as the second-fiddle loser standing on stage with Joe Biden,” he said. “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump said in a tweet. White House counsel Pat Cipollone has repeatedly warned Trump that he could be deemed responsible for inciting Wednesday’s violence.
Trump finally faces reality — amid talk of early ouster
Read full article: Trump finally faces reality — amid talk of early ousterWASHINGTON – With 13 days left in his term, President Donald Trump finally bent to reality Thursday amid growing talk of trying to force him out early, acknowledging he’ll peacefully leave after Congress affirmed his defeat. Trump led off a video from the White House by condemning the violence carried out in his name a day earlier at the Capitol. Deprived of that social media lifeblood, Trump remained silent and ensconced in the executive mansion until Thursday evening. Staff-level discussions on the matter took place across multiple departments and even in parts of the White House, according to two people briefed on the talks. Few aides had any sense of the president’s plans, with some wondering if Trump would largely remain out of sight until he left the White House.
Trump honors golfing greats with award in private ceremony
Read full article: Trump honors golfing greats with award in private ceremonyThe award is one of the nation’s highest civilian honors. President Donald Trump has generally held public ceremonies when presenting the honor, but Thursday’s event was closed to the media. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement on the awards, which for Sorenstam and Player had been previously announced last March. She was an all-around athlete nicknamed “Babe,” after Babe Ruth. Zaharias was still a top-ranked professional golfer when she died from cancer in 1956.
Trump’s loyal fans pose challenges for Republicans, Biden
Read full article: Trump’s loyal fans pose challenges for Republicans, Biden(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)WASHINGTON – Their candidate may have lost the election, but President Donald Trump’s supporters have no intention of fading away. Trump will leave the White House on Jan. 20 with an iron grip on a Republican Party that has been transformed on his watch. But among "those that are circling the 2024 race, beyond President Trump, it seems that many of them are headed in the same, more populist-oriented direction,” he said. Trump will “loom very large over the Republican Party," predicted Alyssa Farah, until recently White House communications director. No matter what happens in 2020, 2024 is there for his taking," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a recent appearance on Fox News Channel.
White House wins ruling on disclosing health care prices
Read full article: White House wins ruling on disclosing health care pricesThe White House praised the decision to reject the American Hospital Association's challenge to the plan. The rule mandating that hospitals disclose their privately negotiated charges with commercial health insurers is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2021. “This transformative hospital price transparency rule has been fought at every step by the swamp and defenders of the status quote," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. “We also believe it will accelerate anticompetitive behavior among commercial health insurers and hinder innovations in value-based care delivery. The industry argues that forcing the disclosure of prices negotiated between hospitals and insurers amounts to coercion.
New round of Trump clemency benefits Manafort, other allies
Read full article: New round of Trump clemency benefits Manafort, other alliesFILE - In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo, Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York. President Trump's former campaign manager is to be arraigned on state mortgage fraud charges. Manafort, who led Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in 2016 before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine, was among the first people charged as part of Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate — whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election — he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.
Biden gets COVID-19 vaccine, says ‘nothing to worry about’
Read full article: Biden gets COVID-19 vaccine, says ‘nothing to worry about’The president-elect took a dose of Pfizer vaccine at a hospital not far from his Delaware home, hours after his wife, Jill Biden, did the same. The injections came the same day that a second vaccine, produced by Moderna, will start arriving in states. “I'm ready,” said Biden, who was administered the dose at a hospital in Newark, Delaware. President Donald Trump is discussing with his doctors the timing for taking the vaccine, the White House has said. Trump was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October and given an experimental monoclonal antibody treatment that he credited for his swift recovery.
As end approaches, Trump gets doses of flattery, finality
Read full article: As end approaches, Trump gets doses of flattery, finalityBarr offered his resignation last Monday after weeks of tension with Trump brought about an early exit from his post. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)NEW YORK – President Donald Trump’s administration is ending how it began, with over-the-top declarations of praise for the chief executive. Attorney General William Barr offered his resignation last Monday after weeks of tension with Trump brought about an early exit from his post. In the six weeks since his defeat by Biden, Trump has been increasingly disengaged from his job. But with Trump largely in hiding, it fell to Pence to make a public show of meeting with those distributing the vaccine.
Pence, top congressional leaders get vaccines; Trump absent
Read full article: Pence, top congressional leaders get vaccines; Trump absentVice President Mike Pence receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in Washington. Conspicuously absent: President Donald Trump, who has remained largely out of sight five days into the largest vaccination campaign in the nation’s history. Trump did appear at a White House “summit” ahead of the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the Pfizer vaccine last week. “Don’t let Joe Biden take credit for the vaccines,” Trump has told reporters. “It simply isn’t good enough to have Vice President Pence as a proxy."
Turning the page? Republicans acknowledge Biden’s victory
Read full article: Turning the page? Republicans acknowledge Biden’s victoryThe moves came a day after electors nationwide formally cast votes affirming Biden's victory in last month's presidential election. As Republicans began discussing a Biden presidency more openly on Tuesday, Trump still pledged to press forward with almost nonexistent legal options. There has never been anything like this in our Country!” Trump tweeted just as members of his party were publicly recognizing Biden's victory. The Electoral College has spoken.”The bureaucratic transition from Trump's government to Biden’s actually began weeks ago, despite the president’s legal challenges. Unless Democrats win both those races, Senate Republicans will have the power to block many of Biden's Cabinet nominations, not to mention thwart his policy initiatives.
Turning the page? Republicans acknowledge Biden's victory
Read full article: Turning the page? Republicans acknowledge Biden's victoryThe moves come a day after electors nationwide formally cast votes affirming Biden's victory in last month's presidential election. As Republicans began discussing a Biden presidency more openly on Tuesday, Trump still pledged to press forward with almost nonexistent legal options. There has never been anything like this in our Country!” Trump tweeted just as members of his party were publicly recognizing Biden's victory. The normally humdrum political ceremony didn’t change the facts of the election, but was nonetheless used as political cover by leading Republicans. Unless Democrats win both those races, Senate Republicans will have the power to block many of Biden's Cabinet nominations, not to mention thwart his policy initiatives.
The Latest: Biden announces Buttigieg as transportation pick
Read full article: The Latest: Biden announces Buttigieg as transportation pickPresident-elect Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in rally for Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):7:55 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has formally announced former rival Pete Buttigieg as his pick to be secretary of transportation. ___1:30 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden says he’s spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the Electoral College affirmed his victory Monday. ___8:40 a.m.Two foreign leaders who had not congratulated President-elect Joe Biden have now done so. ___7:30 a.m.Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible.
Trump tries to revive stalled election-eve drug discounts
Read full article: Trump tries to revive stalled election-eve drug discountsFILE - In this Oct. 10, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks from the Blue Room Balcony of the White House to a crowd of supporters in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is trying to revive the president's stalled election-eve plan to send millions of Medicare recipients a $200 prescription discount card. White House spokesman Judd Deere confirmed the administration is continuing to move forward. “It’s simply good policy, and demonstrates President Trump is continuing to deliver on his promises to our nation’s seniors to lower drug prices." Pallone dismissed the latest White House push.
House approves defense policy bill with a veto-proof margin
Read full article: House approves defense policy bill with a veto-proof marginThe measure guides Pentagon policy and cements decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, military personnel policy and other military goals. It follows Trump's bid to sabotage the package with an earlier veto threat over Confederate base names. If he does veto the defense bill, Congress could cut short its Christmas recess to hold override votes, senior House members said. And I think he will get substantial pressure, advice (from Republicans) that, you know, you don’t want to put the defense bill at risk.'' The defense bill is typically a widely bipartisan measure, one of the few areas of common ground.
House approves defense bill with veto-proof margin
Read full article: House approves defense bill with veto-proof marginIt follows Trump's bid to sabotage the package with an earlier veto threat over Confederate base names. If he does veto the defense bill, Congress could cut short its Christmas recess to hold override votes, senior House members said. And I think he will get substantial pressure, advice (from Republicans) that, you know, you don’t want to put the defense bill at risk.'' The defense bill is typically a widely bipartisan measure, one of the few areas of common ground. Some Democrats, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, agree the Section 230 provision could be revisited, even as they disagree with Trump’s tactic of attaching it to the defense bill.
Fauci's plea 'Wear a mask' tops list of 2020 notable quotes
Read full article: Fauci's plea 'Wear a mask' tops list of 2020 notable quotesMade during a May 21, 2020 interview on CNN, Fauci's pleas for people to "wear a mask" to slow the spread of the coronavirus, tops a Yale Law School librarian's list of the most notable quotes of 2020. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP, File)NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A plea from Dr. Anthony Fauci for people to “wear a mask” to slow the spread of the coronavirus tops a Yale Law School librarian’s list of the most notable quotes of 2020. “Wear a mask.” — Dr. Anthony Fauci, CNN interview, May 21. — Trump, in remarks at a White House Coronavirus Task Force news briefing, April 23. You have my word on that.” — White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, at her first press briefing, May 1.
Pence comes to Georgia as calm before potential Trump storm
Read full article: Pence comes to Georgia as calm before potential Trump stormVice President Mike Pence speaks during a briefing on COVID-19 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, in Atlanta. There have even been suggestions from some Trump allies that conservative voters should sit out the Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in protest, a notion Pence took head on. Pence, as he did two weeks ago when campaigning with the Georgia senators, tried to strike a balance. But this time, Pence's message comes as Georgia completes yet another recount of presidential ballots and in the wake of Trump escalating his attacks on Georgia Republicans. As Pence arrived in the state, Georgia officials were in the final stages of a third count requested by Trump’s campaign.
Trump expected to flex pardon powers on way out door
Read full article: Trump expected to flex pardon powers on way out doorWASHINGTON – Advocates and lawyers anticipate a flurry of clemency action from President Donald Trump in the coming weeks that could test the limits of presidential pardon power. No, Mr. President, that would be a gross abuse of the presidential pardon authority,” Schumer said. Trump then featured Johnson's story in a Super Bowl ad and pardoned her during this year's Republican National Convention. He has participated in several meetings at the White House during Trump's term as officials brainstormed potential changes to the formal clemency process. “For those people that should be free," he said, Trump's friends-and-family approach to pardons is "a deep and real tragedy."
Psaki, next White House press secretary, a veteran messenger
Read full article: Psaki, next White House press secretary, a veteran messengerFILE - In this Feb. 16, 2011, file photo Jen Psaki is seen in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. Much of that work will fall to Jen Psaki, Biden's pick for White House press secretary. “This job becomes one of the most recognizable people representing both the administration and the government writ large,” said Robert Gibbs, a former Obama press secretary. Both the president and his media team were frequently at odds with White House reporters while routinely spreading falsehoods. A native of Stamford, Connecticut, and a graduate of William & Mary, Psaki is part of an all-female senior communications team for the Biden White House.
Trump's grievances feed menacing undertow after the election
Read full article: Trump's grievances feed menacing undertow after the electionLocal and state election officials are being hounded into hiding. Neutral public servants, Democrats and a growing number of Republicans who won’t do what Trump wants are being caught in a menacing postelection undertow stirred by Trump’s grievances about the election he lost. Tough beans, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said of the state officials who are fearing for their safety. Have you no shame?”Said Sterling, the Republican Georgia election official: “Someone’s going to get hurt. Members of Trump’s administration have affirmed the legitimacy of the election, though at least one, Krebs, got fired for it.
Congress swats back Trump's veto threat of defense bill
Read full article: Congress swats back Trump's veto threat of defense billWhite House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a briefing at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, in Washington. But interjecting the complicated tech issue threatens to upend the massive defense bill, which Congress takes pride in having passed unfailingly for half a century. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at briefing Wednesday that the president is serious about vetoing the defense bill unless Congress repeals Section 230. Some Democrats, including Schumer, agree the Section 230 provision could be revisited, even as they disagree with Trump’s tactic of attaching it to the defense bill. But he also said he doesn’t believe Trump will veto the must-pass defense bill.
Politicians eat own words after dining out, taking trips
Read full article: Politicians eat own words after dining out, taking tripsGavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Los Angeles County supervisor all dined outdoors, conflicting with their own messaging to stay home. Gavin Newsom, who won plaudits for issuing the first statewide stay-at-home order in the U.S. back in March. San Francisco’s mayor, London Breed, was at the same $350-a-plate restaurant a day later, dining with a San Francisco socialite and six others. Breed has also won accolades for imposing some of the strictest rules in California, keeping coronavirus rates relatively low. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany called out what she called “Democrat hypocrisy" Wednesday as she displayed images of the same politicians.
Trump teases 2024 run at White House Christmas party
Read full article: Trump teases 2024 run at White House Christmas partyWASHINGTON – President Donald Trump teased running again for president in 2024 as he hosted a holiday reception at the White House. “It’s been an amazing four years,” Trump told the crowd, which included many Republican National Committee members. It showed dozens of people crammed into the broad Cross Hall of the White House state floor, standing closely together. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday defended the Trumps' decision to host the parties. Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s spokeswoman and chief of staff, had said last month that the White House would be moving forward with events, “while providing the safest environment possible."
Trump team making false argument about his 2016 transition
Read full article: Trump team making false argument about his 2016 transitionPresident Barack Obama shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016. President Trump and his allies are harking back to his own transition four years ago to make a false argument that his own presidency was denied a fair chance for a clean launch. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany laid out the case from the White House podium last week. That's a far cry from the description issued by McEnany as pressure mounts for Trump to concede and for his administration to begin cooperating with Biden's transition team. But Trump's team largely ignored advice from Obama staffers, leaving briefing books unopened and ignoring special iPads loaded with materials.
Trump tries to leverage power of office to subvert Biden win
Read full article: Trump tries to leverage power of office to subvert Biden winPresident Donald Trump listens during an event in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, on prescription drug prices. Experts on Michigan election law said the Board of State Canvassers' authority was limited in scope. The Michigan Legislature would be called on to select electors if Trump succeeded in persuading the board not to certify the results. In two Democratic-leaning counties in Wisconsin that are recounting votes, Trump’s campaign sought to discard tens of thousands of absentee ballots that it alleged should not have been counted. "It’s an open attempt to intimidate election officials, it’s absolutely appalling.
Harvard petition demands scrutiny of ex-Trump officials
Read full article: Harvard petition demands scrutiny of ex-Trump officialsFILE In this May 30, 2019 file photo, graduates of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government hold aloft inflatable globes as they celebrate graduating during Harvard University's commencement exercises in Cambridge, Mass. A petition circulating at Harvard University demands that school officials create new accountability standards for former Trump administration officials who seek to work or speak on campus, an idea that has drawn outrage from prominent conservatives. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
Harvard petition demands scrutiny of ex-Trump officials
Read full article: Harvard petition demands scrutiny of ex-Trump officialsA petition circulating at Harvard University demands that school officials create new accountability standards for former Trump administration officials who seek to work or speak on campus, an idea that has drawn outrage from prominent conservatives. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)BOSTON – A petition circulating at Harvard University demands new accountability standards for former Trump administration officials who seek to work or speak on campus, an idea that has drawn outrage from prominent conservatives. The new petition argues that Trump officials deserves more scrutiny than those tied to past presidents. Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary and a Harvard Law School graduate, urged Harvard to reject the petition. “This is not an administration whose officers can be treated normally.”The Harvard petition goes further in demanding additional scrutiny of speakers and fellows, not just faculty.
The Latest: WH disputes concerns about getting vaccine out
Read full article: The Latest: WH disputes concerns about getting vaccine outWhite House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany holds a coronavirus playbook speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. McEnany suggested that the team for President-elect Joe Biden can use the coronavirus playbook. McEnany ticked through the administration’s timeline for getting an approved vaccine to the public, and held up a copy of the plan. Democrat Joe Biden was declared the winner of the election on Nov. 7, but President Donald Trump has refused to concede. Upton says he has not been in contact with the lawmakers from his state who are meeting later with Trump at the White House.
Top Pentagon official tests positive for coronavirus
Read full article: Top Pentagon official tests positive for coronavirusWASHINGTON – A Pentagon official installed in a top policy job last week has tested positive for COVID-19, the Pentagon said Thursday, just days after he met with the Lithuanian defense minister, who had contracted the virus. Jonathan Hoffman, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, said Anthony Tata, who is serving as the undersecretary of defense, was tested Thursday after learning that Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis had tested positive. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows tested positive after attending an election night party at the White House. Others who were at the party also tested positive, including White House political director Brian Jack, former White House aide Healy Baumgardner and Trump campaign advisers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski. The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps later also tested positive, and all the chiefs were forced to quarantine at home for at least 10 days.
Trump, still not conceding defeat, trumpets vaccine progress
Read full article: Trump, still not conceding defeat, trumpets vaccine progressWhite House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, meanwhile, said Trump is “not even at that point yet” when it comes to conceding to Biden. Trump spoke with conservative media on Friday, including Fox News' Geraldo Rivera, suggesting he would acknowledge the loss only after exhausting his legal options. “While we are not there yet, we are close to the objective” to having a vaccine ready for deployment by the end of the year, he said. “The governor will let us know when he’s ready," Trump said. Others at the party also have tested positive, including White House political director Brian Jack, former White House aide Healy Baumgardner and Trump campaign advisers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski.
The Latest: Democrats to have fewer members of House in 2021
Read full article: The Latest: Democrats to have fewer members of House in 2021(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):9 p.m.Republicans will have at least 203 seats in the next House, giving them enough wins to assure that Democrats will have fewer members next year. Democrats went into Election Day with a 232-197 House advantage, plus an independent and five open seats. ___2:10 p.m.President Donald Trump is like a “heavyweight champion in the final round of fighting,” television commentator Geraldo Rivera says after chatting with Trump on the phone. The White House says President Donald Trump will make remarks Friday on Operation Warp Speed, the multi-agency effort to get a vaccine to the public quickly and safely. Trump has avoided public gatherings since Election Day and has declined to concede the election to President-elect Joe Biden.
McEnany wears 2 hats as WH press secretary, campaign adviser
Read full article: McEnany wears 2 hats as WH press secretary, campaign adviserWhite House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a news conference at the Republican National Committee, Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745.
McEnany wears 2 hats as WH press secretary, campaign adviser
Read full article: McEnany wears 2 hats as WH press secretary, campaign adviserWASHINGTON – A White House press secretary who refers questions to the White House? Kayleigh McEnany is wearing two hats, one as a Trump 2020 campaign adviser and the other as the White House press secretary, charged with articulating the administration’s policies and positions to the press and the public. “Well, I haven’t spoken to the president about that, so that would be a question more for the White House,” she said. Joe Lockhart, who served as White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton, tweeted that McEnany’s “behavior is both outrageous and damaging.” He called for House lawmakers to conduct an inquiry. Bookbinder said McEnany bolstered her position by not taking a question about White House policy in the Fox interview.
The Latest: Trump set to spend election night at White House
Read full article: The Latest: Trump set to spend election night at White HousePresident Donald Trump arrives with Vice President Mike Pence for a campaign rally Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745.
The Latest: Trump predicts he'll 'so easily' win Michigan
Read full article: The Latest: Trump predicts he'll 'so easily' win MichiganBeaver County is home to the kind of blue-collar voters who have abandoned the Democratic Party in recent years and helped deliver Republican Donald Trump a win in 2016. President Donald Trump won all five states in 2016. The region was once a major hub of anthracite coal mining, and the county backed Republican Donald Trump in 2016 after previously supporting Democrat Barack Obama. Special counsel Robert Mueller found multiple links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, but ultimately did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to interfere in the election. ___9:05 a.m.Joe Biden is defending Dr. Anthony Fauci after President Donald Trump suggested he’d dismiss the nation’s top infectious disease expert after Election Day.
Trump tests limits as Cabinet members fan out to key states
Read full article: Trump tests limits as Cabinet members fan out to key states(AP Photo/John Flesher)WASHINGTON – Education Secretary Betsy DeVos planned a “Moms for Trump” rally in her home state of Michigan. It's long been one of the benefits of incumbency that a president can enlist his Cabinet to promote administration accomplishments. “The Trump administration has completely obliterated that line," said Austin Evers, executive director of American Oversight, which describes itself as a nonpartisan watchdog organization. "The White House is now the seat of government, where the president lives, and one of his chief campaign props. “The Trump administration takes the Hatch Act seriously and all events are conducted in compliance with the law,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said.
Former DHS official says he wrote 'Anonymous' Trump critique
Read full article: Former DHS official says he wrote 'Anonymous' Trump critiqueThis March 27, 2018, provided by the Department of Homeland Security, then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and then-Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor, right, meet with Honduran President Juan Hernandez, not pictured, and security ministers from the Northern Triangle countries in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Taylor, a former Trump administration official who penned a scathing anti-Trump op-ed and book under the pen name Anonymous made his identify public Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020. (Tim Godbee/Department of Homeland Security via AP)
Philadelphia victim's family sought ambulance, not police
Read full article: Philadelphia victim's family sought ambulance, not policeProtesters confront police during a march, Tuesday Oct. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. Hundreds of demonstrators marched in West Philadelphia over the death of Walter Wallace, a Black man who was killed by police in Philadelphia on Monday. Police shot and killed the 27-year-old on a Philadelphia street after yelling at him to drop his knife. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia pledges better response after Black man's death
Read full article: Philadelphia pledges better response after Black man's deathHundreds of demonstrators marched in West Philadelphia over the death of Walter Wallace, a Black man who was killed by police in Philadelphia on Monday. Police shot and killed the 27-year-old on a Philadelphia street after yelling at him to drop his knife. Wallace's mother said she warned police Monday afternoon that her son was in the throes of a mental health crisis. His family's lawyer said the family had called for an ambulance to get him help with a mental health crisis. His sentence, according to court records, included mental health supervision and six years of probation.
Kushner says Black people must 'want to be successful'
Read full article: Kushner says Black people must 'want to be successful'WASHINGTON – Presidential adviser Jared Kushner said Monday that President Donald Trump wants to help Black people in America, but they have to “want to be successful" for his policies to work. “President Trump’s policies are the policies that can help people break out of the problems that they’re complaining about, but he can’t want them to be successful more than they want to be successful," Kushner said on “Fox & Friends.”Kushner, who is also Trump's son-in-law, also criticized prominent people who raised their voices after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody, but then didn’t follow through and work to find ways to improve the lives of Black people in America. “Quite frankly, that was doing more to polarize the country than it was to bring people forward. She said they were trying to distract from Trump's “undeniable record of accomplishment” for Black people. Trump, who has been trying to appeal to the Black community, has been promoting his attempts to set up economic opportunity zones, provide steady funding for historically Black colleges and universities, and institute criminal justice reforms.
Trump grants clemency to five backed by ally Alice Johnson
Read full article: Trump grants clemency to five backed by ally Alice JohnsonWASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Wednesday granted clemency to five people convicted of committing drug and financial crimes, all of them cases that were pushed by prison reform advocate and Trump ally Alice Johnson. Johnson, in an interview, said that she spoke to White House officials about all five of the individuals cases and others whose clemency she's backing during a White House visit last month. The White House declined to comment on Johnson’s lobbying on behalf of those who were granted clemency. Tanner, who initially faced a life sentence, took part in educational courses and completed hundreds of hours of educational programming. “He made a mistake, a bad mistake like I did, but it should not be a life sentence,” Johnson tweeted earlier this month about McDonald’s case.
Why won't White House say when Trump last tested negative?
Read full article: Why won't White House say when Trump last tested negative?White House director of communications Alyssa Farah waves after speaking with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Washington. “Yeah, I’m not going to give you a detailed readout with timestamps every time the president’s tested," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters last weekend. And the White House refusal to answer makes it hard not to wonder what they're hiding, given other details they've shared. Senior White House staff and those who are in direct contact with the president are tested for the virus daily. What about Sept. 27, when he visited his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, held a late afternoon news conference in the White House briefing room, and held an evening reception for Gold Star families on the White House state floor?
Trump's return means more anxiety for White House reporters
Read full article: Trump's return means more anxiety for White House reportersA member of the cleaning staff sprays The James Brady Briefing Room of the White House, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, in Washington. CNN's Kaitlan Collins said it was “irresponsible, at best.”“It’s frustrating,” said Jonathan Karl, ABC News White House correspondent. “The only people who have habitually not followed that rule have been that White House staff,” Karl said. For example, the White House arranged to increase the buffer zone between the audience at Trump rallies and journalists. But at the White House, Ryan said she is concerned for fellow reporters.
President Donald Trump leaves hospital after being treated for — and downplaying — COVID-19
Read full article: President Donald Trump leaves hospital after being treated for — and downplaying — COVID-19President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up as he departs Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after after being treated there for the coronavirus disease on Monday. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday left for the White House after being discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was sent on Friday after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and experiencing a fever and being given supplemental oxygen treatments. Earlier Monday, he played down the threat of the virus, which has killed 209,000 people in the United States, tweeting: “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is in the key battleground state of Florida for several events, including a nationally televised town hall.
White House press secretary says she has tested positive for COVID-19
Read full article: White House press secretary says she has tested positive for COVID-19WASHINGTON – White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says she has tested positive for COVID-19. This comes days after President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. McEnany says in a statement that she tested positive Monday morning and is experiencing no symptoms at this time. She spoke briefly with reporters Sunday evening but says that no members of the White House press corps spent enough time around her to be considered close contacts. She says that she is beginning the quarantine process and “will continue working on behalf of the American People remotely.”
The Latest: Trump video tells supporters, 'Don't be afraid'
Read full article: The Latest: Trump video tells supporters, 'Don't be afraid'Marine One landed at the White House just before 7 p.m. Monday just as the sun was setting. Others who came down with the coronavirus include President Donald Trump and Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. ___2:40 p.m.President Donald Trump says he's leaving the hospital Monday evening after a three-day stay to treat symptoms of COVID-19. Trump has been treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Friday afternoon. This comes days after President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus.
Trump, still infectious, back at White House — without mask
Read full article: Trump, still infectious, back at White House — without mask(Joyce N. Boghosian/The White House via AP)BETHESDA, Md. He entered the White House, where aides were visible milling about the Blue Room, without wearing a face covering. !” And in case anyone missed his don't-worry message earlier, he rushed out a new video from the White House. He returns to the White House, where there is a team of doctors on call with 24-hour monitoring. He will receive the fifth and final dose Tuesday at the White House.
House Democrats pass partisan COVID bill; relief talks drag
Read full article: House Democrats pass partisan COVID bill; relief talks drag“We raised our offer to $1.6 trillion," White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Thursday. Mnuchin and Pelosi spoke by phone Thursday, but the speaker was publicly dismissive of the latest White House plan. Details on the White House offer were confirmed by congressional aides, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door discussions. No," Pelosi told reporters, citing the “opportunity cost" for provisions sought by Democrats but potentially lost in any rush to agreement. The White House also seems far more eager for a deal than Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The Latest: Trump interrupts Biden, Biden calls him a clown
Read full article: The Latest: Trump interrupts Biden, Biden calls him a clown___10:20 p.m.President Donald Trump has sidestepped a question from moderator Chris Wallace about whether he was willing to condemn white supremacists and militia groups. The first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden has gotten off to an contentious start, breaking down after just a few moments with Trump interrupting Biden on several occasions and Biden calling the president a clown and a liar. Biden made the comment during Tuesday night’s debate after President Donald Trump accused him of supporting abolishing private insurance. ___2:15 p.m.Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, have released more of their personal tax returns ahead of the first presidential debate. ___12:30 p.m.President Donald Trump spent Tuesday morning in informal preparations for the first debate with Joe Biden.
The Latest: Honolulu to allow some activities to resume
Read full article: The Latest: Honolulu to allow some activities to resume(AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)HONOLULU -- Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says the city plans to allow some activities that were shut down last month to control the spread of the coronavirus to resume under new guidelines. Gary Herbert will increase pandemic restrictions in two Utah cities as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the state. The county accounted for 42% of the state’s cases despite having only 20% of state’s population. Eric Holcomb’s statewide mask mandate and other coronavirus restrictions poses a possible disruption to his reelection campaign. But the real toll is thought to be much higher, in part because many COVID-19 deaths were probably ascribed to other causes, especially early on, before widespread testing.
Trump threat to Democratic-led cities provokes outcry
Read full article: Trump threat to Democratic-led cities provokes outcryTrump has made a number of other threats that were either struck down by judges or that the president paused on his own. Previously, Trump threatened to cut funding for sanctuary cities to force them to comply with more stringent immigration policies. In his memo, Trump singled out Seattle, New York City, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., for possible loss of federal dollars. It is just the latest baseless, petty and divisive move by President Trump to distract from his abject failure to protect Americans from COVID-19, Inslee said. ______Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Karen Matthews in New York City contributed to this report.
Trump orders Chinese owner of TikTok to sell US assets
Read full article: Trump orders Chinese owner of TikTok to sell US assetsPresident Donald Trump walks over to speak with the press after arriving on Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. Trump heading to New York to visit with his younger brother, Robert Trump, who has been hospitalized in New York. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Friday gave the Chinese company ByteDance 90 days to divest itself of any assets used to support the popular TikTok app in the United States. Trump on Friday also ordered ByteDance to divest itself of "any data obtained or derived" from TikTok users in the U.S.Microsoft is in talks to buy parts of TikTok. TikTok said it spent nearly a year trying to engage in good faith with the U.S. government to address these concerns.
Trump's suggestion to eliminate payroll tax doesn't add up
Read full article: Trump's suggestion to eliminate payroll tax doesn't add upWell be paying into Social Security through the general fund.But aides to the president on Thursday sought to walk back Trumps comments. In comments Wednesday to reporters, Trump said at least four times that he would end the payroll tax. The 12.4% payroll tax split between employers and workers funds Social Security. It is highly unlikely that economic growth would be enough to offset the loss of the payroll tax. Payroll tax cuts are among the least effective ways to promote growth during a recession, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody Analytics.
Some worry that White House briefings are a broken tradition
Read full article: Some worry that White House briefings are a broken traditionNEW YORK A few times each week, reporters sit in the White House briefing room to fire questions at the Trump administration's press secretary as she stands at a podium to respond. McEnany, President Donald Trump's fourth press secretary, restored the briefing after it was dormant for more than a year. With a boss who routinely attacks the press, McEnany has no problems doing the same. This needs to be an aberration.Politics in the White House? Symbolically, a White House press secretary's office is midway between the Oval Office and press room, illustrating how the person is responsible to both occupants.
White House decries gun charges for St. Louis couple
Read full article: White House decries gun charges for St. Louis coupleO'President Donald Trump believes St. Louis top prosecutor committed an egregious abuse of power in charging a couple who displayed guns during a protest against racial injustice last month outside their mansion, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday. McEnany appeared on the Fox News program Fox & Friends and was asked about St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardners decision to file felony unlawful use of a weapon charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey. Gardner, St. Louis' first Black circuit attorney, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she will not seek jail time but will recommend a diversion program such as community service. The demonstration on June 28 was among many in St. Louis and across the country in the nearly two months since George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. Parson said Monday evening on The Hannity Show, we were not some bloodthirsty, rampaging mob, state Rep. Rasheen Aldridge said.
Medical group cited by Trump denounces school funding threat
Read full article: Medical group cited by Trump denounces school funding threatA medical association that the White House has cited in its press to reopen schools is pushing back against President Donald Trump's repeated threats to cut federal funding if schools don't open this fall. The statement comes at a time when schools across the nation are weighing decisions for the fall as Trump pushes them to reopen. Trump, however, repeated his threat on Friday, saying on Twitter that virtual learning has been terrible compared with in-person classes. May cut off funding if not open!Trump has not said what funding he would withhold or under what authority. McEnany said Trump wants to substantially bump up money for education in the next relief package, but only for schools that reopen.
About that border wall, Mr. Presidents ... who's paying?
Read full article: About that border wall, Mr. Presidents ... who's paying?President Donald Trump and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gesture before signing a joint declaration at the White House, Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has made building some 450 miles of wall on the U.S.-Mexico border a defining issue of his presidency, and long vowed that Mexico would pay for it. Trump has repeatedly falsely asserted that Mexico is paying for ongoing construction of the wall. Lopez Obradors predecessor, Enrique Pea Nieto, plainly stated in a May 2018 Twitter posting: Mexico will NEVER pay for a wall. At moments during his presidency, Trump has sought to offer a creative argument for how Mexico is paying for the wall.
GOP lawmakers urge action after Russia-Afghanistan briefing
Read full article: GOP lawmakers urge action after Russia-Afghanistan briefingWASHINGTON Eight Republican lawmakers attended a White House briefing about explosive allegations that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan intelligence the White House insisted the president himself had not been fully read in on. Still, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted Trump had not been briefed on the findings because they hadn't been verified. One official said the administration discussed several potential responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any step. Bolton declined to comment, and the White House did not respond to questions on the matter. The intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter insisted on anonymity to discuss the highly sensitive matter.
Administration skips hearing on violence against protesters
Read full article: Administration skips hearing on violence against protestersThe White House, however, trumpeted the administration's continuing support of law officers in the now subsiding protests. If there was a shred of evidence, the administration would have presented fact witnesses to support this gaslighting, Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat, said. The clearing of Lafayette Square is the subject of an Interior Department inspector-generals review and at least one lawsuit brought by those wounded. At a separate briefing Monday, a House Oversight subcommittee addressed the treatment of protesters and journalists at demonstrations across the country, including Lafayette Square. The administration has denied that authorities forced protesters from the square that day so Trump could stage a law-and-order photo op nearby, clinching an upheld Bible.
McEnany's mission: Stand by, defend, punch back for Trump
Read full article: McEnany's mission: Stand by, defend, punch back for TrumpHe summoned her, after all to be his fourth White House press secretary and to his side on last week at the steps of St. Johns Church after the military forcefully cleared away peaceful protesters. But Trump did not speak of spirituality or the health and racial crises wracking the country he leads. The separation between White House press secretary and campaign spokesperson is traditionally rooted in the idea that taxpayers should not pay the salary of a political advocate. She and communications director Alyssa Farah were brought in by new chief of staff Mark Meadows, who wanted to bolster the press shop after it flagged under press secretary Stephanie Grisham. That means not just pushing the White House perspective, but also at times criticizing news coverage and individual reporters.
White House: Trump church visit akin to Churchill WWII role
Read full article: White House: Trump church visit akin to Churchill WWII roleLike Churchill, we saw him inspecting the bombing damage and it sent a powerful message of leadership to the British people," she said. For this president, it was powerful and important to send a message that the rioters, the looters, the anarchists, they will not prevail, McEnany said. Erik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, said he was disgusted by McEnanys comparison. Religious leaders, including Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, have fiercely criticized Trump over the tactics used against demonstrators. And its only the other side that didnt like it.Trump has praised the leadership of Churchill before.