inquisitr--2020-06-28--Mike Pence Grilled For Refusing To Say ‘Black Lives Matter’

During a weekend interview on Face the Nation , Vice President Mike Pence was grilled by host John Dickerson about his refusal to say “ Black lives matter.
” As reported by Raw Story , the exchange began when Pence touched on his belief that Americans want additional support and training for police officers and an improvement in the lives of African American communities .
“ One thing protesters would like to hear is leaders say Black lives matter , ” Dickerson said .
“ You won ’ t say that .
Why ?
” In response , Pence said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and claimed to have visited his Montgomery church during his time in Congress .
“ I walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday , ” Pence said .
Pence then claimed to “ cherish ” that progress the U.S. has made for African Americans throughout the country ’ s history and said he has “ aspired ” to be a part of this progress throughout his career .
“ And as a pro-life American , I also believe that all lives matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence added .
As Pence began to take aim at the Black Lives Matter movement for allegedly pushing a radical left-wing agenda , Dickerson pushed back and asked the vice president to address the phrase itself .
Pence was unrelenting and continued to complain about the Black Lives Movement for supporting “ the kind of violence ” that has historically harmed African American communities in America .
“ So , you won ’ t say Black lives matter , ” Dickerson said “ John , I really believe that all lives matter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s where the heart of the American people lies.
” Pence was previously pressed on the phrase while speaking to 6ABC Action News in Philadelphia earlier this month .
When asked to say the words , the vice president noted the tragedy of George Floyd ’ s death and claimed that all Americans are created equal .
In a piece for Rolling Stone , Peter Wade noted that Pence ’ s response to 6ABC Action News differed from his answer to Dickerson .
Wade claimed that Pence “ fine-tuned ” his answer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question ” the first time he was pressed on the issue .
“ But King was a radical leftist , and Pence is wrong to suggest otherwise , ” Wade argued .
Wade also noted King ’ s 1963 “ I Have a Dream ” speech , which pointed to the police brutality that African Americans endure and call to action against racism , militarism , and extreme materialism .
According to Wade , there is “ no doubt ” the late civil rights activist would have said Black lives matter .

During a weekend interview on Face the Nation, Vice President Mike Pence was grilled by host John Dickerson about his refusal to say “Black lives matter.” As reported by Raw Story, the exchange began when Pence touched on his belief that Americans want additional support and training for police officers and an improvement in the lives of African American communities.
“One thing protesters would like to hear is leaders say Black lives matter,” Dickerson said. “You won’t say that. Why?”
In response, Pence said he has long been inspired by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and claimed to have visited his Montgomery church during his time in Congress.
“I walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday,” Pence said.
Pence then claimed to “cherish” that progress the U.S. has made for African Americans throughout the country’s history and said he has “aspired” to be a part of this progress throughout his career.
“And as a pro-life American, I also believe that all lives matter, born and the unborn,” Pence added.
As Pence began to take aim at the Black Lives Matter movement for allegedly pushing a radical left-wing agenda, Dickerson pushed back and asked the vice president to address the phrase itself. Pence was unrelenting and continued to complain about the Black Lives Movement for supporting “the kind of violence” that has historically harmed African American communities in America.
“So, you won’t say Black lives matter,” Dickerson said
“John, I really believe that all lives matter,” Pence responded. “That’s where the heart of the American people lies.”
Pence was previously pressed on the phrase while speaking to 6ABC Action News in Philadelphia earlier this month. When asked to say the words, the vice president noted the tragedy of George Floyd’s death and claimed that all Americans are created equal.
In a piece for Rolling Stone, Peter Wade noted that Pence’s response to 6ABC Action News differed from his answer to Dickerson. Wade claimed that Pence “fine-tuned” his answer and suggested that he “stumbled over the question” the first time he was pressed on the issue.
“But King was a radical leftist, and Pence is wrong to suggest otherwise,” Wade argued.
Wade also noted King’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, which pointed to the police brutality that African Americans endure and call to action against racism, militarism, and extreme materialism. According to Wade, there is “no doubt” the late civil rights activist would have said Black lives matter.


inquisitr--2020-06-28--Joe Biden Says Donald Trump Has ‘Picked A Side’ After Retweeting Video Of Person Shouting ‘White Pow

Joe Biden Says Donald Trump Has ‘Picked A Side’ After Retweeting Video Of Person Shouting ‘White Power’

Former Vice President Joe Biden responded to Donald Trump ’ s re-tweeting of a video showing one of his supporters shouting “ white power , ” saying that the president ’ s actions compared to his “ both sides ” statement in Charlottesville and showed that Trump had “ picked a side.
” “ Today the President shared a video of people shouting ‘ white power ’ and said they were ‘ great.
’ Just like he did after Charlottesville .
We ’ re in a battle for the soul of the nation — and the President has picked a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a battle we will win , ” he tweeted .
On Sunday morning , Trump retweeted a video that showed a demonstrator in a golf cart with a “ Trump 2020 ” sign encountering anti-Trump protesters .
The person shouts “ white power ” at least twice during the clip .
The video was immediately met with pushback from people who said that the president was publishing overtly racist content , as The Inquisitr previously reported .
While Trump didn ’ t expressly address the “ white power ” comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to beat Biden in the upcoming election .
The tweet was later deleted , but not before it was met with outrage from numerous public figures .
Sen. Bernie Sanders also criticized Trump ’ s retweet with a message on social media .
“ Just when you think Trump can not be more vile or racist , he outdoes himself .
This morning he shared a video in which a supporter of his yells , ‘ white power.
’ Let us stand together and make certain that this ‘ stable genius ’ is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November , ” he tweeted .
In 2017 , Trump said that there were “ very fine people ” on both sides of the argument in Charlottesville , Virginia .
While the comments have been attributed to Trump saying both the white supremacists present at the event and those demonstrating against it were good people , others argue that the president was talking specifically about the issue of whether to remove Confederate statues .
The controversy comes as demonstrators across the U.S. continue to march for equality .
After George Floyd , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in police custody in Minneapolis late last month , protests erupted across the county in support of Black Lives Matter and against police brutality .
Trump has taken some criticism for appearing to not support the movement .
At one point , he oversaw the removal of protesters from outside of the White House so that he could take photos while standing in front of a church in Lafayette Square .
He has also called on local leaders to squash demonstrations , which have sometimes turned violent .

Former Vice President Joe Biden responded to Donald Trump’s re-tweeting of a video showing one of his supporters shouting “white power,” saying that the president’s actions compared to his “both sides” statement in Charlottesville and showed that Trump had “picked a side.”
“Today the President shared a video of people shouting ‘white power’ and said they were ‘great.’ Just like he did after Charlottesville. We’re in a battle for the soul of the nation — and the President has picked a side. But make no mistake: it’s a battle we will win,” he tweeted.
On Sunday morning, Trump retweeted a video that showed a demonstrator in a golf cart with a “Trump 2020” sign encountering anti-Trump protesters. The person shouts “white power” at least twice during the clip.
The video was immediately met with pushback from people who said that the president was publishing overtly racist content, as The Inquisitr previously reported.
While Trump didn’t expressly address the “white power” comment, he thanked his supporters and vowed to beat Biden in the upcoming election.
The tweet was later deleted, but not before it was met with outrage from numerous public figures. Sen. Bernie Sanders also criticized Trump’s retweet with a message on social media.
“Just when you think Trump cannot be more vile or racist, he outdoes himself. This morning he shared a video in which a supporter of his yells, ‘white power.’ Let us stand together and make certain that this ‘stable genius’ is defeated, and defeated badly, in November,” he tweeted.
In 2017, Trump said that there were “very fine people” on both sides of the argument in Charlottesville, Virginia. While the comments have been attributed to Trump saying both the white supremacists present at the event and those demonstrating against it were good people, others argue that the president was talking specifically about the issue of whether to remove Confederate statues.
The controversy comes as demonstrators across the U.S. continue to march for equality. After George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis late last month, protests erupted across the county in support of Black Lives Matter and against police brutality.
Trump has taken some criticism for appearing to not support the movement. At one point, he oversaw the removal of protesters from outside of the White House so that he could take photos while standing in front of a church in Lafayette Square. He has also called on local leaders to squash demonstrations, which have sometimes turned violent.


inquisitr--2020-06-28--Donald Trump Ally Stephen Moore Says Joe Biden Will Bring A ‘Left-Wing Economic Agenda’ If Elected

In an interview on Sunday , economist Stephen Moore , an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump , said that the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden will bring a “ left-wing economic agenda ” if elected , The Hill reported .
Speaking with radio host John Catsimatidis , Moore noted that Trump is trailing Biden in critical battleground states but expressed optimism about the president ’ s electoral prospects .
“ We have to make the case to the American people that this isn ’ t just about Donald Trump .
It ’ s also about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump .
And that is a scary proposition , ” Moore continued .
“ But if Biden were to win the election , you ’ re voting not just for Joe Biden , but for a very left-wing economic agenda that would potentially do serious harm , ” Moore said , alleging that the prospect of Biden winning the presidency has spooked investors , affecting the performance of the stock market .
Moore then took a shot at the moderate wing of the Democratic Party , saying that Speaker of the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ co-president.
” “ Pelosi would be the co-president if Joe Biden were elected president , ” he said .
“ What happened to the moderate wing of the Democratic Party ?
It ’ s silent , ” the economist added .
As The Hill noted , Biden has not advocated for a “ left-wing economic agenda.
” Both the former vice president and Pelosi are considered moderate Democrats .
In fact , progressive activists and organizations have pressured Biden to move to the left on a number of key issues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ backers of former White House hopeful Bernie Sanders — as well as former members of Sanders ’ campaign — have launched an initiative to put pressure on the former vice president .
Activists and leaders of various progressive groups have warned that Biden risks losing the youth vote , calling on him to adopt a more progressive agenda .
The former vice president has been pressured to move left on issues pertaining to climate change , criminal justice , immigration and the economy .
So far , Biden has had no reason to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to virtually all recent polling , the former vice president is far ahead of Trump nationwide and winning in a number of key swing states .
Some of those close to Trump have warned that the former vice president ’ s advantage may soon become insurmountable .
The president ’ s allies have also urged his 2020 campaign to change strategy in order to appeal to women and independent voters .
Ed Rollins , the chairman of the Great America PAC , said that Trump needs to stop “ rambling on about Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and focus on the future if he wants to win in November .

In an interview on Sunday, economist Stephen Moore, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, said that the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden will bring a “left-wing economic agenda” if elected, The Hill reported.
Speaking with radio host John Catsimatidis, Moore noted that Trump is trailing Biden in critical battleground states but expressed optimism about the president’s electoral prospects.
“We have to make the case to the American people that this isn’t just about Donald Trump. It’s also about what you get if you vote against Donald Trump. And that is a scary proposition,” Moore continued.
“But if Biden were to win the election, you’re voting not just for Joe Biden, but for a very left-wing economic agenda that would potentially do serious harm,” Moore said, alleging that the prospect of Biden winning the presidency has spooked investors, affecting the performance of the stock market.
Moore then took a shot at the moderate wing of the Democratic Party, saying that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would effectively be Biden’s “co-president.”
“Pelosi would be the co-president if Joe Biden were elected president,” he said.
“What happened to the moderate wing of the Democratic Party? It’s silent,” the economist added.
As The Hill noted, Biden has not advocated for a “left-wing economic agenda.” Both the former vice president and Pelosi are considered moderate Democrats.
In fact, progressive activists and organizations have pressured Biden to move to the left on a number of key issues. As reported by USA Today, prominent backers of former White House hopeful Bernie Sanders — as well as former members of Sanders’ campaign — have launched an initiative to put pressure on the former vice president.
Activists and leaders of various progressive groups have warned that Biden risks losing the youth vote, calling on him to adopt a more progressive agenda. The former vice president has been pressured to move left on issues pertaining to climate change, criminal justice, immigration and the economy.
So far, Biden has had no reason to make changes to his platform. According to virtually all recent polling, the former vice president is far ahead of Trump nationwide and winning in a number of key swing states.
Some of those close to Trump have warned that the former vice president’s advantage may soon become insurmountable. The president’s allies have also urged his 2020 campaign to change strategy in order to appeal to women and independent voters.
Ed Rollins, the chairman of the Great America PAC, said that Trump needs to stop “rambling on about Biden and Pelosi or Clinton and Obama” and focus on the future if he wants to win in November.


inquisitr--2020-06-28--Donald Trump Shares Video Of Supporter Shouting ‘White Power’ At Protest, Thanks Them As ‘Great Peop

Donald Trump Shares Video Of Supporter Shouting ‘White Power’ At Protest, Thanks Them As ‘Great People’

U.S. President Donald Trump posted a video of some of his supporters clashing with protesters at The Villages in Florida , where one of the pro-Trump demonstrators could be heard shouting “ white power.
” The video showed a series of Trump supporters traveling by golf cart past protesters advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement and holding signs calling Trump a racist and bigot .
In the opening seconds of the video , a man driving a golf cart with “ Trump 2020 ” and “ America First ” posters on the front pumped his fist and yelled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two times while clashing with the anti-Trump protesters .
The video drew an immediate pushback , with many calling out Trump for posting a video with overtly racist messages .
“ Our President is openly working to help a deadly virus spread that has killed 120,000 , ” tweeted Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy .
Others joined Murphy in noting that Trump ’ s incendiary tweet came after reports that Russia had offered bounties to Afghan militants for killing U.S. soldiers stationed there , including reports that Trump had been informed about it but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reports , saying he had known nothing about it and questioning whether the reports may have been fake .
Some questioned whether Trump ’ s sharing of the video with overtly racist and white supremacist messages was meant as a diversion .
Others noted that it highlighted the difficulty the president faces , as an area of Florida that would have normally been very supportive of his reelection is now rocked with clear opposition to him .
The video came from The Villages , a sprawling retirement community in Sumter County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters holding signs in support of Black Lives Matter and in opposition to Trump while a series of Trump supporters rode past them , leading the two sides to shout at each other .
The clashes grew contentious , with one woman wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt at one point standing in front of a golf cart driven by a Trump supporter , not allowing him to continue past .
Trump has come under fire for sharing racist content in the past , including a fabricated graphic of “ Black crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As The Inquisitr reported , Trump refused to apologize for sharing the graphic , which was later connected to a neo-Nazi Twitter user .
Earlier this week , Trump retweeted a video of violence committed against white people , questioning why no one was protesting it .

U.S. President Donald Trump posted a video of some of his supporters clashing with protesters at The Villages in Florida, where one of the pro-Trump demonstrators could be heard shouting “white power.”
The video showed a series of Trump supporters traveling by golf cart past protesters advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement and holding signs calling Trump a racist and bigot. In the opening seconds of the video, a man driving a golf cart with “Trump 2020” and “America First” posters on the front pumped his fist and yelled the words “White power” at least two times while clashing with the anti-Trump protesters.
The video drew an immediate pushback, with many calling out Trump for posting a video with overtly racist messages.
“Our President is openly working to help a deadly virus spread that has killed 120,000,” tweeted Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy.
“Russia is putting bounties on the heads of American soldiers and he seems ok with it. He’s distributing white power videos. And that’s just the last 48 HOURS.”
Others joined Murphy in noting that Trump’s incendiary tweet came after reports that Russia had offered bounties to Afghan militants for killing U.S. soldiers stationed there, including reports that Trump had been informed about it but did nothing in retaliation. Trump denied the reports, saying he had known nothing about it and questioning whether the reports may have been fake.
Some questioned whether Trump’s sharing of the video with overtly racist and white supremacist messages was meant as a diversion. Others noted that it highlighted the difficulty the president faces, as an area of Florida that would have normally been very supportive of his reelection is now rocked with clear opposition to him.
The video came from The Villages, a sprawling retirement community in Sumter County, Florida. It showed a small group of protesters holding signs in support of Black Lives Matter and in opposition to Trump while a series of Trump supporters rode past them, leading the two sides to shout at each other. The clashes grew contentious, with one woman wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt at one point standing in front of a golf cart driven by a Trump supporter, not allowing him to continue past.
Trump has come under fire for sharing racist content in the past, including a fabricated graphic of “Black crime” stats during the 2016 presidential campaign. As The Inquisitr reported, Trump refused to apologize for sharing the graphic, which was later connected to a neo-Nazi Twitter user.
Earlier this week, Trump retweeted a video of violence committed against white people, questioning why no one was protesting it.


inquisitr--2020-06-29--Russian Bounties Offered To Afghan Militants Led To Deaths Of Several American Service Members, Repo

Russian Bounties Offered To Afghan Militants Led To Deaths Of Several American Service Members, Report Says

Russian bounties offered to Afghan militants for killing U.S. forces ultimately led to the deaths of several American service members , a new report claims .
A bombshell report from the New York Times on Friday claimed that Russia had been secretly offering bounties to Afghan militants to kill coalition forces , attacks that took place during peace talks aimed at ending the conflict there that has now stretched for close to 20 years .
The report claimed that President Donald Trump had been briefed and his administration had been deliberating for months on how to properly respond .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the deaths of Americans stationed in Afghanistan .
Citing intelligence that the U.S. military obtained through interrogation of captured militants , the Washington Post reported that a number of American troops were killed under a program in which Russia offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants .
As the report noted , there were a total of 31 American deaths from hostile gunfire or improvised bombs in Afghanistan over the last two years .
As the report noted , that included a number of service members killed by Afghan security forces , which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was not clear how many of those could have been part of the bounty program .
The intelligence that Russian bounties led to deaths of American service members led to debate within the Trump administration about how to respond , the report noted .
“ The administration ’ s special envoy for Afghanistan , Zalmay Khalilzad , preferred confronting the Russians directly about the matter , while some National Security Council officials in charge of Russia were more dismissive of taking immediate action , ” the report noted , citing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bounty program have led to widespread criticism of President Donald Trump , who was reportedly briefed on the matter and remained silent .
As The Inquisitr reported , Trump denied having been briefed about the alleged bounty program and took to Twitter to cast doubt on the report itself .
Many of Trump ’ s opponents have seized on the report , including presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , who called out Trump for failing to respond to the alleged aggression from Russia .
“ This is as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president will not confront the Russians on this score , denies being briefed .
Whether he is or not , his administration knows and our allies — some of our allies who work with us in Afghanistan had been briefed and accept this report , ” she said during an appearance on ABC News ’ This Week .

Russian bounties offered to Afghan militants for killing U.S. forces ultimately led to the deaths of several American service members, a new report claims.
A report from The New York Times on Friday claimed that Russia had been secretly offering bounties to Afghan militants to kill coalition forces, attacks that took place during peace talks aimed at ending the conflict there that has now stretched for close to 20 years. The report claimed that President Donald Trump had been briefed and his administration had been deliberating for months on how to properly respond.
There is now evidence that this program led to the deaths of Americans stationed in Afghanistan.
Citing intelligence that the U.S. military obtained through interrogation of captured militants, The Washington Post reported that a number of American troops were killed under a program in which Russia offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants. As the report noted, there were a total of 31 American deaths from hostile gunfire or improvised bombs in Afghanistan over the last two years.
As the report noted, that included a number of service members killed by Afghan security forces, which are known to be infiltrated by the Taliban. It was not clear how many of those could have been part of the bounty program.
The intelligence that Russian bounties were linked to deaths of American service members led to debate within the Trump administration about how to respond, the report noted.
“The administration’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, preferred confronting the Russians directly about the matter, while some National Security Council officials in charge of Russia were more dismissive of taking immediate action,” the report noted, citing an unnamed official.
The reports of a bounty program have led to widespread criticism of President Donald Trump, who was reportedly briefed on the matter and remained silent. As The Inquisitr reported, Trump denied having been briefed about the alleged bounty program and took to Twitter to cast doubt on the report itself.
Many of Trump’s opponents have seized on the report, including presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called out Trump for failing to respond to the alleged aggression from Russia.
“This is as bad as it gets, and yet the president will not confront the Russians on this score, denies being briefed. Whether he is or not, his administration knows and our allies — some of our allies who work with us in Afghanistan had been briefed and accept this report,” she said during an appearance on ABC News’ This Week.


inquisitr--2020-06-29--Republican Group Says Donald Trump Wants To ‘Sacrifice’ Members Of Greatest Generation For Economy

On Sunday , Conservative super PAC The Lincoln Project released a scathing advertisement accusing President Donald Trump of wanting to “ sacrifice ” members of the Greatest Generation .
The group argued that Trump ’ s push for a full reopening of the United States economy amid the coronavirus pandemic has endangered the lives of those who fought to defeat the Nazis in World War II .
“ It is both disheartening and disturbing that the generation we owe for bravely taking up arms and conquering fascism is now at risk of being extinguished by the authoritarian residing in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Lincoln Project Rick Wilson said in a statement .
As reported by CNN , the minute-long video clip opens with footage of images from the Second World War , pointing out that thousands of Americans left their country to fight fascism .
“ They did nothing less than save the world… and it didn ’ t come without great sacrifice , ” the narrator can be heard saying .
The ad then cuts to a clip of Trump calling for an economic reopening .
The video ends with footage of an elderly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ventilator as the narrator says , “ Haven ’ t we asked enough of the greatest generation ?
” Trump has long called for a rapid reopening of the country , apparently ignoring warnings from public experts .
The commander-in-chief has reportedly lost interest in leading the federal government ’ s response to the pandemic , allowing Vice President Mike Pence to take charge .
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci has allegedly been sidelined by the president and his allies , with the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , $ 100,000 will be spent on the ad , which is set to air in Arizona , South Carolina , Florida , and Texas .
Each of the states is known for having large military communities and all of them have recently experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases .
As the publication noted , some of the group ’ s most prominent members include Republican Party strategists Steve Schmidt , Tara Setmayer , Stuart Stevens , and John Weaver .
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway ’ s husband George Conway is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released a number of similar advertisements .
In an ad released on Saturday , the group accused Trump of betraying American troops stationed in Afghanistan .
The Saturday ad also implied that Trump is compromised by Russia .

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inquisitr--2020-06-29--Nancy Pelosi Suggests Russia Has Dirt On Donald Trump

In an interview broadcast on Sunday , Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi weighed in on the allegations that Russia offered Islamist militants bounties to kill American troops stationed in Afghanistan , Politico reported .
Pelosi suggested that Russia has dirt on President Donald Trump .
“ Just as I have said to the president : With him , all roads lead to Putin , ” the top Democrat told This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos .
“ I don ’ t know what the Russians have on the president , politically , personally , or financially , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether she believes the Russian government has dirt on the commander-in-chief , Pelosi responded with a question .
“ Why wouldn ’ t he say , let ’ s look into it and see what this [ is ] ?
How do you answer to the families of those who — family members who are serving there ?
” she asked .
The House speaker argued that Trump has had an accommodating stance toward Russia , pointing out that the president wants the country to re-join the Group of Seven .
She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election .
Earlier this week , the White House said that Trump was not briefed on the alleged situation in Afghanistan .
If the commander-in-chief was not briefed on the alleged intelligence , Pelosi asked , “ what does that say about the concern that those who briefed the president have about not going anywhere near the Russia issue with this president ?
” As Politico noted , Trump reiterated on Sunday that neither he nor Vice President Mike Pence were briefed on the allegations .
In a tweet , the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tougher on Russia ” than him , arguing that former President Barack Obama ’ s administration allowed Putin to attack Ukraine .
According to U.S. officials , Trump was briefed on the alleged scandal , but the White House ’ s National Security Council decided not to take action .
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have demanded transparency .
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham , a prominent Trump ally , said that he expects the administration to investigate the matter .
Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey , a Democrat , called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liz Cheney of Wyoming demanded answers from the White House as well , while former national security adviser John Bolton suggested that he was not surprised by the president ’ s response .
The Lincoln Project , a group of former GOP strategists and operatives , also criticized Trump for his handling of the alleged situation in Afghanistan .
In an advertisement released on Saturday , the group accused the president of betraying American troops .


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Mary Trump’s Tell-All Book Temporarily Blocked By Judge

A judge has temporarily blocked the publication of a planned tell-all book from President Donald Trump ’ s niece , Mary Trump , The Daily Beast reported .
However , the matter is far from settled and she may yet be allowed to continue with publishing the title .
Mary Trump is the daughter of the late Fred Trump Jr. , the president ’ s older brother .
She has written Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man , which promises to be a juicy tell-all filled with allegations about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , her uncle , Robert Trump , has launched a bid to prevent the publication of the book .
Specifically , Robert Trump and his sisters , Maryanne and Elizabeth Trump , claim that the book violates the confidentiality clause that their niece signed off on when the estate of family patriarch Fred Trump Sr. was settled after his death in 1999 .
Initially , the family filed suit in Queens , New York , to stop Too Much and Never Enough ‘ s from getting released .
However , that suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the judge told the Trumps to file suit in New York ’ s Supreme Court , which they did .
On Tuesday , Judge Hal Greenwald granted a temporary restraining order blocking the book ’ s publisher , Simon & Schuster , from disseminating the title .
Greenwald also ordered Mary Trump and her publisher to appear before him on July 10 to make their case .
Tuesday ’ s ruling is only temporary and does not block the publication of Too Much and Never Enough once and for all .
Rather , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court has had the chance to rule on the merits of the Trump family ’ s suit .
The court may yet decide to allow the book to be published , or it may side with the Trumps and order the publisher not to release it .
Mary Trump ’ s attorney , Ted Boutrous , said via BBC News that the judge ’ s order violates his client ’ s First Amendment rights to free speech .
“ This book , which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not be suppressed even for one day , ” he said .
Meanwhile , Robert ’ s Trump lawyer , Charles Harder , applauded the ruling and promised not only to fight the publication of the book but to sue his client ’ s niece for damages .
“ We look forward to vigorously litigating this case and will seek the maximum remedies available by law for the enormous damages caused by Mary Trump ’ s breach of contract and Simon & Schuster ’ s intentional interference with that contract , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clause the author supposedly signed and then violated .

A judge has temporarily blocked the publication of a planned tell-all book from President Donald Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, The Daily Beast reported. However, the matter is far from settled and she may yet be allowed to continue with publishing the title.
Mary Trump is the daughter of the late Fred Trump Jr., the president’s older brother. She has written Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, which promises to be a juicy tell-all filled with allegations about the goings-on within the Trump family. However, her uncle, Robert Trump, has launched a bid to prevent the publication of the book.
Specifically, Robert Trump and his sisters, Maryanne and Elizabeth Trump, claim that the book violates the confidentiality clause that their niece signed off on when the estate of family patriarch Fred Trump Sr. was settled after his death in 1999.
Initially, the family filed suit in Queens, New York, to stop Too Much and Never Enough‘s from getting released. However, that suit was thrown out almost immediately, and the judge told the Trumps to file suit in New York’s Supreme Court, which they did.
On Tuesday, Judge Hal Greenwald granted a temporary restraining order blocking the book’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, from disseminating the title.
Greenwald also ordered Mary Trump and her publisher to appear before him on July 10 to make their case.
Tuesday’s ruling is only temporary and does not block the publication of Too Much and Never Enough once and for all. Rather, it only stalls its release until a court has had the chance to rule on the merits of the Trump family’s suit. The court may yet decide to allow the book to be published, or it may side with the Trumps and order the publisher not to release it.
Mary Trump’s attorney, Ted Boutrous, said via BBC News that the judge’s order violates his client’s First Amendment rights to free speech.
“This book, which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting president in an election year, should not be suppressed even for one day,” he said.
Meanwhile, Robert’s Trump lawyer, Charles Harder, applauded the ruling and promised not only to fight the publication of the book but to sue his client’s niece for damages.
“We look forward to vigorously litigating this case and will seek the maximum remedies available by law for the enormous damages caused by Mary Trump’s breach of contract and Simon & Schuster’s intentional interference with that contract,” Harder said, referring to the confidentiality clause the author supposedly signed and then violated.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Joe Biden Slams Donald Trump’s Cognition: He Doesn’t Appear To Be ‘Aware Of What’s Going On’

Former Vice President Joe Biden held a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , the economy , and his opponent in the 2020 election , President Donald Trump .
During his remarks , the Democrat didn ’ t hold back , slamming Trump ’ s cognitive ability , as video of the event from Fox News shows .
“ This president talks about cognitive capability .
He doesn ’ t seem to be cognitively aware of what ’ s going on , ” said Biden .
Biden was referring to recent reports that Trump was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bounty on the heads of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan .
Allegedly , the Kremlin offered money to anyone associated with Taliban-associated fighters who were willing to kill American troops .
Trump was reportedly made aware of the situation months ago but chose not to act on the intelligence .
The president and the White House have said that neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence was appraised of the situation .
Meanwhile , intelligence officials and people familiar with the situation have said that the White House was made aware of the bounties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump should have brought the Joint Chiefs of Staff together to get more information about the situation before deciding whether or not to act .
“ But the fact is that at a minimum , at a minimum , the discrepancy – allegedly – within the intelligence community as reported , some thought it was more certain and others thought it was less certain , ” Biden said .
Biden went on to compare Trump ’ s behavior to that of former President Barack Obama , whom Biden served under .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
If Trump didn ’ t know about the situation , it constitutes a “ dereliction of duty ” in Biden ’ s opinion .
He added that the American people deserved answers and there should be an investigation into the entire situation .
If it is found to be true that Trump knew about the situation and failed to act , he would be unfit to stay in office , Biden said in response to a question about what the consequences should be .
Trump has attacked Biden in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is too senile to lead the country and calling him “ sleepy.
” It ’ s not the first time Biden has been critical of Trump ’ s handling of the news about the bounties .

Former Vice President Joe Biden held a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the economy, and his opponent in the 2020 election, President Donald Trump. During his remarks, the Democrat didn’t hold back, slamming Trump’s cognitive ability, as video of the event from Fox News shows.
“This president talks about cognitive capability. He doesn’t seem to be cognitively aware of what’s going on,” said Biden.
“He either reads and/or gets briefed on important issues and he forgets it, or he doesn’t think it’s necessary that he needs to know it.”
Biden was referring to recent reports that Trump was made aware that Russian officials had placed a bounty on the heads of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Allegedly, the Kremlin offered money to anyone associated with Taliban-associated fighters who were willing to kill American troops. Trump was reportedly made aware of the situation months ago but chose not to act on the intelligence.
The president and the White House have said that neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence was appraised of the situation. Meanwhile, intelligence officials and people familiar with the situation have said that the White House was made aware of the bounties.
Biden said that at a minimum, Trump should have brought the Joint Chiefs of Staff together to get more information about the situation before deciding whether or not to act.
“But the fact is that at a minimum, at a minimum, the discrepancy – allegedly – within the intelligence community as reported, some thought it was more certain and others thought it was less certain,” Biden said.
“The president should have, on day one, said, ‘I want you to come before me in the Situation Room and lay out the differences and discretion.'”
Biden went on to compare Trump’s behavior to that of former President Barack Obama, whom Biden served under. He said that Obama read intelligence briefings every day. If Trump didn’t know about the situation, it constitutes a “dereliction of duty” in Biden’s opinion.
He added that the American people deserved answers and there should be an investigation into the entire situation. If it is found to be true that Trump knew about the situation and failed to act, he would be unfit to stay in office, Biden said in response to a question about what the consequences should be.
Trump has attacked Biden in the past, saying that the former vice president is too senile to lead the country and calling him “sleepy.”
It’s not the first time Biden has been critical of Trump’s handling of the news about the bounties.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Donald Trump Cancels Alabama Rally After State Says It’s Worried About Coronavirus Outbreak

President Donald Trump ’ s campaign abruptly canceled plans for its upcoming rally in Alabama after state officials said they were worried about the gathering accelerating the spread of the novel coronavirus , CNN reported .
The campaign was scheduled to have a rally in the state to goose his support and drum up attention for GOP Senate candidate Tommy Tuberville .
Former Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions is also running for the seat and the president ’ s endorsement of Tuberville is widely seen as a snub to his former official .
Reportedly , plans for the mass gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with no scheduled rallies .
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh declined to confirm where the next rally would take place .
“ We don ’ t ever confirm where we ’ re looking until a rally date and location are announced .
There is always work underway to identify sites , ” he said .
Alabama is one of the areas that has seen a rapid increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 , prompting Alabama Governor Kay Ivey , a Republican , to issue an order that would halt the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The state has seen an increase of at least 10 percent in just the last week .
While it had begun the process of re-opening in early May , those plans are now on hold .
Instead , citizens are being encouraged to continue minimizing travel outside of their homes and to wear face masks whenever possible .
The state has also implemented a new ban on people getting together .
“ All non-work-related gatherings of any size , including drive-in gatherings , that can not maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was expected to be an easy winner in the race until the president stepped in to support his opponent , and CNN noted the news of the canceled rally is likely welcomed by Sessions and his campaign .
The news comes after the Trump campaign was met with a surprisingly low turnout at their first rally in months , which took place in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
The rally likely saw reduced attendance as people continue to stay at home over concerns about spreading and catching the coronavirus , but possibly also because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country in recent weeks .
So far , eight campaign staffers and two Secret Service agents tested positive for the coronavirus and many staff were forced to quarantine following the event .
Some people in Trump ’ s orbit and pundits on the right are reportedly saying that Trump could lose the upcoming election .
“ Not many people are saying it out loud on the right , but the fact is that President Trump could well lose this election .
In fact , unless fundamental facts change soon , it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Fox News host Tucker Carlson said .

President Donald Trump’s campaign abruptly canceled plans for its upcoming rally in Alabama after state officials said they were worried about the gathering accelerating the spread of the novel coronavirus, CNN reported.
The campaign was scheduled to have a rally in the state to goose his support and drum up attention for GOP Senate candidate Tommy Tuberville. Former Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions is also running for the seat and the president’s endorsement of Tuberville is widely seen as a snub to his former official.
Reportedly, plans for the mass gathering were scrapped, leaving the Trump campaign with no scheduled rallies. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh declined to confirm where the next rally would take place.
“We don’t ever confirm where we’re looking until a rally date and location are announced. There is always work underway to identify sites,” he said.
Alabama is one of the areas that has seen a rapid increase in the number of cases of COVID-19, prompting Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, to issue an order that would halt the state’s plans to re-open. The state has seen an increase of at least 10 percent in just the last week. While it had begun the process of re-opening in early May, those plans are now on hold.
Instead, citizens are being encouraged to continue minimizing travel outside of their homes and to wear face masks whenever possible. The state has also implemented a new ban on people getting together.
“All non-work-related gatherings of any size, including drive-in gatherings, that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons from different households are prohibited.”
Sessions was expected to be an easy winner in the race until the president stepped in to support his opponent, and CNN noted the news of the canceled rally is likely welcomed by Sessions and his campaign.
The news comes after the Trump campaign was met with a surprisingly low turnout at their first rally in months, which took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The rally likely saw reduced attendance as people continue to stay at home over concerns about spreading and catching the coronavirus, but possibly also because Trump has seen his popularity crater across the country in recent weeks.
So far, eight campaign staffers and two Secret Service agents tested positive for the coronavirus and many staff were forced to quarantine following the event.
Some people in Trump’s orbit and pundits on the right are reportedly saying that Trump could lose the upcoming election.
“Not many people are saying it out loud on the right, but the fact is that President Trump could well lose this election. In fact, unless fundamental facts change soon, it could be tough for him to be reelected,” Fox News host Tucker Carlson said.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Donald Trump’s ‘White Power’ Retweet Stayed Up For Hours Because WH Reportedly Couldn’t Reach Him At

Donald Trump’s ‘White Power’ Retweet Stayed Up For Hours Because WH Reportedly Couldn’t Reach Him At Golf Club

President Donald Trump retweeted a video showing one of his supporters shouting “ white power ” at anti-Trump protesters on Sunday morning .
The tweet stayed up for hours and purportedly caused a “ five-alarm fire ” in the White House .
According to an NBC News report , one official said the reason it remained up for more than three hours is that officials apparently could not get ahold of him on the golf course to delete it .
The video showed a parade of Trump supporters driving down a road in Florida in golf carts .
Many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his reelection bid .
Lining the parade of golf carts were several anti-Trump protesters holding up signs and shouting messages against the president .
As one cart proceeded down the route , the man driving shouted “ white power ” several times .
The video was retweeted by Trump , and he commented with thank you for the support from his fans .
The message was immediately met with an intense backlash from those who accused the president of spreading racist and hateful messages .
Despite the widespread concern from those both in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video stayed on the president ’ s official page , available to his 82 million followers , for over three hours before eventually being deleted .
While the president was at a golf club in Virginia and out of communication , several aides also reportedly tried to contact deputy chief of staff Dan Scovino to ask him to delete the retweet .
However , no one was able to reach him , either .
After several hours , officials were able to contact the president , and he agreed to remove the tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had retweeted the message because he did not hear the person say “ white power ” and wanted to show some support for his followers .
“ White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and senior adviser Jared Kushner were among those trying to contain the fallout .
McEnany said Monday that Trump had watched the video before retweeting it but didn ’ t hear his supporter say ‘ white power , ' ” the NBC report noted .
The entire situation has apparently caused those in Trump ’ s circle to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president gets a deluge of content from aides and allies , with one of them saying the ‘ white power ’ incident was a ‘ lesson to all of us in the White House to be more aware of what ’ s out there , ' ” NBC also reported .

President Donald Trump retweeted a video showing one of his supporters shouting “white power” at anti-Trump protesters on Sunday morning. The tweet stayed up for hours and purportedly caused a “five-alarm fire” in the White House. According to an NBC News report, one official said the reason it remained up for more than three hours is that officials apparently could not get ahold of him on the golf course to delete it.
The video showed a parade of Trump supporters driving down a road in Florida in golf carts. Many of them had signs supporting the president and his reelection bid. Lining the parade of golf carts were several anti-Trump protesters holding up signs and shouting messages against the president.
As one cart proceeded down the route, the man driving shouted “white power” several times. The video was retweeted by Trump, and he commented with thank you for the support from his fans.
The message was immediately met with an intense backlash from those who accused the president of spreading racist and hateful messages. Despite the widespread concern from those both in and out of the government, the video stayed on the president’s official page, available to his 82 million followers, for over three hours before eventually being deleted.
While the president was at a golf club in Virginia and out of communication, several aides also reportedly tried to contact deputy chief of staff Dan Scovino to ask him to delete the retweet. However, no one was able to reach him, either.
After several hours, officials were able to contact the president, and he agreed to remove the tweet. White House officials later said that Trump had retweeted the message because he did not hear the person say “white power” and wanted to show some support for his followers.
“White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and senior adviser Jared Kushner were among those trying to contain the fallout. McEnany said Monday that Trump had watched the video before retweeting it but didn’t hear his supporter say ‘white power,'” the NBC report noted.
The entire situation has apparently caused those in Trump’s circle to be much more cautious.
“Officials said the president gets a deluge of content from aides and allies, with one of them saying the ‘white power’ incident was a ‘lesson to all of us in the White House to be more aware of what’s out there,'” NBC also reported.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Laura Ingraham Tells Republicans To ‘Suit Up For Battle’, ‘It’s Time To Do Or Die’

Fox News host Laura Ingraham told her viewers on Monday night ’ s show to “ suit up for battle , ” and noted that , in this current political climate , “ it ’ s time to do or die , ” The Daily Beast reported .
Ingraham spent much of Monday night ’ s show , The Ingraham Angle , excoriating Republicans for their purported inaction during these past few months , as protests — some of which have turned violent — have been taking place nationwide .
“ The past month demonstrates beyond a shadow of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party of chaos , lawlessness , and disorder , ” she said .
She also accused Democrats of encouraging “ rioting and looting ” because “ they hate our history , our traditions , and our way of life.
” She further warned that Democrats not only want to defeat President Trump but that they want to change the country into something unrecognizable .
After warning that even more “ chaos ” is coming , she told her viewers that if they love the country , Western civilization , and the rule of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a stand .
“ You must be willing to suit up for this battle… It is time to do or die !
” She also provided her viewers with examples of ways in which they could figuratively take a stand , such as at school board meetings , at town hall meetings , at parent-teacher conferences , and of course , at the ballot box .
Additionally , Ingraham criticized Republicans , whom she accused of not doing enough to combat the current political climate .
She noted that the day will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done , law and order are restored , and “ American heroes ” will be celebrated again — seemingly referring to the myriad statues that have been either forcibly toppled down by protesters , or moved by the municipalities that housed them .
When that day comes , she said , she and those like her will remember the Republicans who “ deserted their colors when times got tough.
” Ingraham ’ s show has been a lightning rod for controversy for years .
At times , her controversial statements have cost her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemingly came to the defense of Paul Nehlen , whom she praised as a defender of national sovereignty .
Nehlen is also a prominent white supremacist and an advocate of terrorism , according to The Southern Poverty Law Center .
According to Think Progress , photo-printing service Fracture cut ties with Ingraham after the incident .

Fox News host Laura Ingraham told her viewers on Monday night’s show to “suit up for battle,” and noted that, in this current political climate, “it’s time to do or die,” The Daily Beast reported.
Ingraham spent much of Monday night’s show, The Ingraham Angle, excoriating Republicans for their purported inaction during these past few months, as protests — some of which have turned violent — have been taking place nationwide.
“The past month demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Democrats have become the party of chaos, lawlessness, and disorder,” she said.
She also accused Democrats of encouraging “rioting and looting” because “they hate our history, our traditions, and our way of life.” She further warned that Democrats not only want to defeat President Trump but that they want to change the country into something unrecognizable.
After warning that even more “chaos” is coming, she told her viewers that if they love the country, Western civilization, and the rule of law, now is the time to take a stand.
“You must be willing to suit up for this battle… It is time to do or die!”
She also provided her viewers with examples of ways in which they could figuratively take a stand, such as at school board meetings, at town hall meetings, at parent-teacher conferences, and of course, at the ballot box.
Additionally, Ingraham criticized Republicans, whom she accused of not doing enough to combat the current political climate.
She noted that the day will come when the rioting and looting are done, law and order are restored, and “American heroes” will be celebrated again — seemingly referring to the myriad statues that have been either forcibly toppled down by protesters, or moved by the municipalities that housed them. When that day comes, she said, she and those like her will remember the Republicans who “deserted their colors when times got tough.”
“We know who they are and they know who they are. And we will never forget them.”
Ingraham’s show has been a lightning rod for controversy for years. At times, her controversial statements have cost her sponsors. Earlier this month, Ingraham seemingly came to the defense of Paul Nehlen, whom she praised as a defender of national sovereignty. Nehlen is also a prominent white supremacist and an advocate of terrorism, according to The Southern Poverty Law Center. According to Think Progress, photo-printing service Fracture cut ties with Ingraham after the incident.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Mike Pence Is ‘Repudiating’ Donald Trump As Republicans Prepare To ‘Abandon’ The President, MSNBC An

Mike Pence Is ‘Repudiating’ Donald Trump As Republicans Prepare To ‘Abandon’ The President, MSNBC Analyst Says

During an appearance on Morning Joe on Tuesday , network analyst John Heilemann claimed that Vice President Mike Pence is distancing himself from President Donald Trump as Republicans prepare to “ abandon ” the president .
Although Heilemann contended that Republicans are not yet at this point , he claimed that “ the day will come ” when they will leave Trump due to the political cost of staying by his side .
As reported by Raw Story , Heilemann pointed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s decision to wear a mask , as well as Republican Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Trump White House to “ change its message.
” The American journalist then turned his attention to Pence .
“ Mike Pence is now effectively repudiating the president , he ’ s on the phone with governors yesterday congratulating the governors who are shutting back down their states right now , ” Heilemann said .
“ That ’ s not an explicit repudiation of Donald Trump , but Mike Pence in a mask and not saying ‘ full speed ahead on the economy , you governors who are being careful are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pence understanding his political interests and Donald Trump ’ s interests are starting to diverge because the president has put them all in a position they could all be doomed.
” Heilemann also used his Tuesday MSNBC appearance to note that the majority of Republican Senators did not defend Trump when making statements on the recent New York Times report that claimed he ignored intelligence suggesting Russian bounties were placed on U.S. soldiers .
As reported by The Washington Post , Trump has refused to encourage the American public to wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear one himself when in front of cameras .
Despite Trump ’ s opposition , Republican Senators are beginning to break with Trump on the issue of masks , Al Jazeera reported .
Kevin McCarthy , the top Republican in the House of Representatives who notably defended Trump during the impeachment inquiry , recently pushed Americans to follow the recommendations of U.S. health experts and wear masks .
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton , Republican Sens .
Marco Rubio , Rick Scott , and GOP Governors Gregg Abbott and Doug Ducey have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
The shift is notable as a May Reuters/Ipsos survey found that just one-third of Republicans said they were “ very concerned ” about coronavirus , while half of Democrats said the same .
Nevertheless , some Republicans in Congress have been hesitant to wear masks or encourage Americans to wear them .

During an appearance on Morning Joe on Tuesday, network analyst John Heilemann claimed that Vice President Mike Pence is distancing himself from President Donald Trump as Republicans prepare to “abandon” the president. Although Heilemann contended that Republicans are not yet at this point, he claimed that “the day will come” when they will leave Trump due to the political cost of staying by his side.
As reported by Raw Story, Heilemann pointed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to wear a mask, as well as Republican Sen. John Thune’s decision to call on the Trump White House to “change its message.” The American journalist then turned his attention to Pence.
“Mike Pence is now effectively repudiating the president, he’s on the phone with governors yesterday congratulating the governors who are shutting back down their states right now,” Heilemann said.
“That’s not an explicit repudiation of Donald Trump, but Mike Pence in a mask and not saying ‘full speed ahead on the economy, you governors who are being careful are doing the right thing,’ is Mike Pence understanding his political interests and Donald Trump’s interests are starting to diverge because the president has put them all in a position they could all be doomed.”
Heilemann also used his Tuesday MSNBC appearance to note that the majority of Republican Senators did not defend Trump when making statements on the recent New York Times report that claimed he ignored intelligence suggesting Russian bounties were placed on U.S. soldiers.
As reported by The Washington Post, Trump has refused to encourage the American public to wear masks. In addition, the president refuses to wear one himself when in front of cameras. Despite Trump’s opposition, Republican Senators are beginning to break with Trump on the issue of masks, Al Jazeera reported.
Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the House of Representatives who notably defended Trump during the impeachment inquiry, recently pushed Americans to follow the recommendations of U.S. health experts and wear masks. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, Republican Sens. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, and GOP Governors Gregg Abbott and Doug Ducey have also called for Americans to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The shift is notable as a May Reuters/Ipsos survey found that just one-third of Republicans said they were “very concerned” about coronavirus, while half of Democrats said the same. Nevertheless, some Republicans in Congress have been hesitant to wear masks or encourage Americans to wear them.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--White House Officials Feared Donald Trump Would Tweet About Russian Bounties, Report Says

A Tuesday report from The Daily Beast claims that White House officials were hesitant to tell Donald Trump about the alleged Russian bounties for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan out of fear he would use social media to spread classified information .
“ Trump has little patience for intelligence briefings , especially when the news isn ’ t good for him , ” a former Trump administration official said .
“ These briefings happen irregularly , and are often free-for-alls .
He also shows little respect for classified information and might tweet about it — which would in counter to efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public eye.
” It wouldn ’ t be the first time Trump has allegedly shared classified information on social media .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , the president said last year that he was within his rights to tweet a classified photo allegedly taken by a U.S. intelligence aircraft .
The picture showed the aftermath of an Iran rocket launch accident , and a U.S. defense official reportedly claimed that it came from a classified intelligence briefing .
As reported by Business Insider , Trump ’ s revelation of the allegedly classified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alex Stamos , the Director of the Stanford Internet Observatory , suggested that the tweet could have far-reaching implications for U.S. national security .
Outside of concern around Trump ’ s handling of classified information , the Daily Beast report cited a former Trump administration official who claimed that intelligence of the Russian bounties should have been brought directly to Trump .
According to the report , there was a conflict within the intelligence community over the accuracy of the information , with some questioning the methods and corroboration surrounding the assessment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it posed “ immediate risks ” to U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
Per The Daily Beast , intelligence officials sometimes choose to avoid disclosing intelligence to Trump on sensitive matters depending on the nature of the evidence , such in the case that the knowledge is deemed to be “ less important information.
” As reported by NPR , Trump claims that he was not briefed on the Russian bounties because the intelligence was “ not credible.
” Trump said that the New York Times report on the information could be “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the publication , which he called “ fake news.
” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman claimed that no corroborating evidence has supported the allegations .
Nevertheless , he said that the Defense Department will continue to evaluate relevant intelligence to keep U.S. troops safe .

A Tuesday report from The Daily Beast claims that White House officials were hesitant to tell Donald Trump about the alleged Russian bounties for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan out of fear he would use social media to spread classified information.
“Trump has little patience for intelligence briefings, especially when the news isn’t good for him,” a former Trump administration official said. “These briefings happen irregularly, and are often free-for-alls. He also shows little respect for classified information and might tweet about it — which would in counter to efforts to handle the issue out of the public eye.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Trump has allegedly shared classified information on social media. As The Inquisitr previously reported, the president said last year that he was within his rights to tweet a classified photo allegedly taken by a U.S. intelligence aircraft. The picture showed the aftermath of an Iran rocket launch accident, and a U.S. defense official reportedly claimed that it came from a classified intelligence briefing.
As reported by Business Insider, Trump’s revelation of the allegedly classified photo drew pushback from intel veterans. Alex Stamos, the Director of the Stanford Internet Observatory, suggested that the tweet could have far-reaching implications for U.S. national security.
“The propensity for saying the quiet part out loud is less amusing when it blows the cover on a multi-decade, multi-president campaign to disrupt Iranian missile and nuclear development with minimal loss of life.”
Outside of concern around Trump’s handling of classified information, the Daily Beast report cited a former Trump administration official who claimed that intelligence of the Russian bounties should have been brought directly to Trump. According to the report, there was a conflict within the intelligence community over the accuracy of the information, with some questioning the methods and corroboration surrounding the assessment. Others reportedly believed the information was vital as it posed “immediate risks” to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Per The Daily Beast, intelligence officials sometimes choose to avoid disclosing intelligence to Trump on sensitive matters depending on the nature of the evidence, such in the case that the knowledge is deemed to be “less important information.”
As reported by NPR, Trump claims that he was not briefed on the Russian bounties because the intelligence was “not credible.” Trump said that the New York Times report on the information could be “another fabricated Russia Hoax” created by the publication, which he called “fake news.”
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman claimed that no corroborating evidence has supported the allegations. Nevertheless, he said that the Defense Department will continue to evaluate relevant intelligence to keep U.S. troops safe.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Donald Trump Jr. Allegedly Spotted At A Crowded Party In The Hamptons With No Masks In Sight

According to an insider from the Hamptons in New York , Donald Trump Jr. recently attended a packed party that looked like “ COVID had never happened , ” with over 100 attendees going maskless , Page Six reported on Monday night .
The party reportedly took place on Saturday night at a Bridgehampton mansion located at 51 Sandpiper Lane .
Joe Farrell , a renowned builder in the area , allegedly hosted the sizable gathering .
Aside from throwing a party at the mansion , Farrell is supposedly selling a similar home nearby for a current asking price of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outlet that they saw both Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle in attendance .
However , a different source reportedly close to the 42-year-old stated that he and Guilfoyle did not stay at the party for very long and added that “ it was an outdoor event on the building ’ s roof.
” Page Six ‘ s original source offered a conflicting view , commenting that the “ party was both inside and outside.
” The article further alleged that Real Housewives of New York star Ramona Singer was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big names who were there are being “ uncharacteristically cagey about the party.
” They have all stayed quiet about the event on their respective social media pages .
A video was attached to the Page Six article that supposedly showed footage of the party .
Of the partygoers visible in the short clip , it did not appear that anyone was wearing a mask or protective face covering of any kind .
The clip showed a large group of people standing in clusters outside on a rooftop .
Based on the geotag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like it may have been taken from someone ’ s Instagram story .
Long Island , where the Hamptons are located , only entered Phase 3 of the state ’ s reopening plan a few days ago .
However , Farrell did not seem to skimp on the event , as the source alleged that there was a full staff on hand , including bartenders and catered food .
Despite New York working through the phases of reopening , the coronavirus has begun reinfecting hundreds across the country as the virus surges once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their quarantines .
Several social media users discussed the news on Twitter and indicated that if Trump Jr. were to get sick from his attendance at the event , it would be his fault .
One person shared the Page Six article and commented , “ Dimwit jr. ” In March , The Inquisitr reported that Trump Jr. had slammed Democrats for believing China on the coronavirus pandemic .
He stated that the Democratic Party should have their “ heads examined ” if they decided to listen to China .


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Donald Trump Bragged About ‘Very Good Call’ With Vladimir Putin Weeks After First Briefing On Russia

Donald Trump Bragged About ‘Very Good Call’ With Vladimir Putin Weeks After First Briefing On Russian Bounties

Donald Trump was personally briefed on intelligence that Russia was secretly offering bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing U.S. troops in March 2019 , a new report claims .
In the weeks after first learning about the bounties , Trump said nothing publicly about the assessment and even went on to brag about a “ very good call ” he had with Vladimir Putin and the “ tremendous potential ” for a relationship with Russia .
As The Associated Press reported on Monday , top White House officials were first aware of classified intelligence regarding the Russian bounties in early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than had originally been known .
The report noted that the assessment was included in at least one of the written daily intelligence briefings delivered to Trump at the time , and former national security adviser John Bolton reportedly told colleagues that he had briefed Trump on the assessment in March 2019 .
The report noted that the White House did not respond to questions regarding how much Trump was aware of Russia ’ s plan to offer bounties for killing U.S. soldiers , but reports from that time indicated that the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As CNBC reported just weeks after Trump reportedly first learned of the bounties , he bragged about what he said was a productive phone call with Putin and hinted at expanding a relationship with Russia .
In a tweet , Trump hit at what he called “ fake news ” that he believed was downplaying the potential for a relationship with Russia .
“ Very good call yesterday with President Putin of Russia .
Tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia , despite what you read and see in the Fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The phone call also took place not long after an attack on an American convoy in Afghanistan that left three U.S. Marines dead .
“ Three U.S. Marines were killed after a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they returned to Bagram Airfield , the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan , ” the report from The Associated Press noted .
As The Inquisitr reported , there is evidence that the Russian bounties led to the deaths of at least some U.S. service members .
There were a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or improvised bombs in Afghanistan during the last two years , though it was unclear how many of these may have been connected to the bounties offered to militant groups .
The White House maintains that Trump was not told about the Russian bounties .

Donald Trump was personally briefed on intelligence that Russia was secretly offering bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing U.S. troops in March 2019, a new report claims.
In the weeks after first learning about the bounties, Trump said nothing publicly about the assessment and even went on to brag about a “very good call” he had with Vladimir Putin and the “tremendous potential” for a relationship with Russia.
As The Associated Press reported on Monday, top White House officials were first aware of classified intelligence regarding the Russian bounties in early 2019, more than a year earlier than had originally been known. The report noted that the assessment was included in at least one of the written daily intelligence briefings delivered to Trump at the time, and former national security adviser John Bolton reportedly told colleagues that he had briefed Trump on the assessment in March 2019.
The report noted that the White House did not respond to questions regarding how much Trump was aware of Russia’s plan to offer bounties for killing U.S. soldiers, but reports from that time indicated that the president did not seem troubled by the allegation. As CNBC reported just weeks after Trump reportedly first learned of the bounties, he bragged about what he said was a productive phone call with Putin and hinted at expanding a relationship with Russia.
In a tweet, Trump hit at what he called “fake news” that he believed was downplaying the potential for a relationship with Russia.
“Very good call yesterday with President Putin of Russia. Tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia, despite what you read and see in the Fake News Media,” he wrote.
The phone call also took place not long after an attack on an American convoy in Afghanistan that left three U.S. Marines dead.
“Three U.S. Marines were killed after a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they returned to Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan,” the report from The Associated Press noted.
As The Inquisitr reported, there is evidence that the Russian bounties led to the deaths of at least some U.S. service members. There were a total of 31 American deaths from hostile gunfire or improvised bombs in Afghanistan during the last two years, though it was unclear how many of these may have been connected to the bounties offered to militant groups.
The White House maintains that Trump was not told about the Russian bounties.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Donald Trump & Vladimir Putin Had ‘Unusual Amount Of Communication’ Recently, Former Intelligence Of

Donald Trump & Vladimir Putin Had ‘Unusual Amount Of Communication’ Recently, Former Intelligence Officer Says

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have had what a foreign affairs expert called an “ unusual amount of communication ” recently , speaking by phone five times over the course of three weeks around the time that the U.S. president was reportedly told about a Russian effort to offer bounties for militants who kill American service members .
There is no evidence that the world leaders spoke about the allegation , or whether Trump himself knew about the supposed bounty program during any of the times they spoke .
As the U.K. outlet The Sun reported , the world leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and April , including what was described as some lengthy phone conversations .
Dmitry Suslov , a professor and foreign affairs expert at Moscow ’ s Higher School of Economics , told the publication that it was an unusual level of communication for world leaders that coincided with what was seen as another peculiar action — a shipment of coronavirus-related humanitarian aid from Russia to the United States .
Eugene Rumer , the former national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council , noted that while the level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alarms , it shows that the two world leaders weren ’ t speaking by accident .
“ There has to be an agenda that has to happen , ” he said .
The phone calls corresponded roughly with the time frame in which Trump was reportedly briefed on intelligence showing that a Russian military outfit was offering bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
While Trump denied that he had been briefed on the intelligence , The Inquisitr noted that a new report on Monday indicated that the information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the spring .
It was not known whether Trump was aware of this , as it was reportedly well-known that he does not read all of the daily briefings put together for him by the intelligence community .
The New York Times reported that Trump was given written briefings in February about the alleged bounties , weeks before his calls with Putin .
Russia has denied the existence of any program to offer bounties for militants who kill U.S. soldiers , calling the report “ lies.
” As Al Jazeera reported , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there was no credible information on the program and noted that the topic did not come up during discussions between the world leaders .
“ Asked about the reports on a conference call with reporters , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said media outlets should take heed of Trump ’ s comments , adding Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin never discussed the allegations , ” the publication wrote .

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have had what a foreign affairs expert called an “unusual amount of communication” recently, speaking by phone five times over the course of three weeks around the time that the U.S. president was reportedly told about a Russian effort to offer bounties for militants who kill American service members.
There is no evidence that the world leaders spoke about the allegation, or whether Trump himself knew about the supposed bounty program during any of the times they spoke.
As the U.K. outlet The Sun reported, the world leaders had a flurry of communications between March and April, including what was described as some lengthy phone conversations. Dmitry Suslov, a professor and foreign affairs expert at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, told the publication that it was an unusual level of communication for world leaders that coincided with what was seen as another peculiar action — a shipment of coronavirus-related humanitarian aid from Russia to the United States.
Eugene Rumer, the former national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council, noted that while the level of communication itself doesn’t set off alarms, it shows that the two world leaders weren’t speaking by accident.
“There has to be an agenda that has to happen,” he said.
The phone calls corresponded roughly with the time frame in which Trump was reportedly briefed on intelligence showing that a Russian military outfit was offering bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. While Trump denied that he had been briefed on the intelligence, The Inquisitr noted that a new report on Monday indicated that the information was included in his daily intelligence briefing during the spring. It was not known whether Trump was aware of this, as it was reportedly well-known that he does not read all of the daily briefings put together for him by the intelligence community.
The New York Times reported that Trump was given written briefings in February about the alleged bounties, weeks before his calls with Putin.
Russia has denied the existence of any program to offer bounties for militants who kill U.S. soldiers, calling the report “lies.” As Al Jazeera reported, Russia pointed to Trump’s insistence that there was no credible information on the program and noted that the topic did not come up during discussions between the world leaders.
“Asked about the reports on a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said media outlets should take heed of Trump’s comments, adding Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin never discussed the allegations,” the publication wrote.


inquisitr--2020-06-30--Intelligence On Russian Bounties Was Included In Donald Trump’s Daily Brief Earlier This Year, Repor

Intelligence On Russian Bounties Was Included In Donald Trump’s Daily Brief Earlier This Year, Report Says

Intelligence that there was an effort from a Russian military unit to pay bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. soldiers was included in Donald Trump ’ s daily briefings earlier this year , a new report claims .
As CNN reported , the information was presented to Trump in a briefing in the spring and was backed up by “ several pieces of information ” supporting the view that the Russian military intelligence unit was paying bounties to kill soldiers .
The information included electronic spying and interrogations of captured members of the Taliban .
The report cited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information presented , who said that while the intelligence was not airtight , it contained enough information that Trump should have acted .
The report appears to contradict statements from the White House that Trump was not briefed on the intelligence , though there is some doubt about whether the information gathered and put together by intelligence officials actually reached him .
As CNN noted , Trump is well-known for not regularly reading the President ’ s Daily Brief , which was reportedly scaled back considerably from what was given to his predecessors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention span .
When asked on Monday whether Trump had seen the information , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany only said that Trump was “ not personally briefed ” — not answering whether it was included in writing form that he did not read .
Trump had tweeted on Sunday that the information was never reported either to him or Vice President Mike Pence , saying it was possible that the New York Times invented the information in its original story .
“ Intel just reported to me that they did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not report it to me or @ VP .
Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax , maybe by the Fake News @ nytimesbooks , wanting to make Republicans look bad !
!
!
” Trump wrote .
Despite Trump ’ s denials and insistence that the information was not found credible , the intelligence reports were taken seriously by others in the administration , with CNN reporting that the National Security Council reportedly holding a meeting in the spring to discuss “ possibly response options ” including potential sanctions .
As The Inquisitr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with some desperation to get Trump to take the information seriously and respond , which he has not .
Trump has yet to condemn Russia or give any credence to the reports .

Intelligence that there was an effort from a Russian military unit to pay bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. soldiers was included in Donald Trump’s daily briefings earlier this year, a new report claims.
As CNN reported, the information was presented to Trump in a briefing in the spring and was backed up by “several pieces of information” supporting the view that the Russian military intelligence unit was paying bounties to kill soldiers. The information included electronic spying and interrogations of captured members of the Taliban.
The report cited a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the information presented, who said that while the intelligence was not airtight, it contained enough information that Trump should have acted.
“This was a big deal,” the source told CNN.
“When it’s about US troops you go after it 100 percent, with everything you got.”
The report appears to contradict statements from the White House that Trump was not briefed on the intelligence, though there is some doubt about whether the information gathered and put together by intelligence officials actually reached him. As CNN noted, Trump is well-known for not regularly reading the President’s Daily Brief, which was reportedly scaled back considerably from what was given to his predecessors in order to account for his short attention span.
When asked on Monday whether Trump had seen the information, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany only said that Trump was “not personally briefed” — not answering whether it was included in writing form that he did not read.
Trump had tweeted on Sunday that the information was never reported either to him or Vice President Mike Pence, saying it was possible that the New York Times invented the information in its original story.
“Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or @VP. Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News @nytimesbooks, wanting to make Republicans look bad!!!” Trump wrote.
Despite Trump’s denials and insistence that the information was not found credible, the intelligence reports were taken seriously by others in the administration, with CNN reporting that the National Security Council reportedly holding a meeting in the spring to discuss “possibly response options” including potential sanctions. As The Inquisitr reported, military leaders were also trying with some desperation to get Trump to take the information seriously and respond, which he has not.
Trump has yet to condemn Russia or give any credence to the reports.


inquisitr--2020-06-29--Joe Biden’s Campaign Might Have ‘Serious Issues’ With Enthusiasm Gap Among Democrats, Report Says

A Monday report from Breitbart claims that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden might face “ serious issues ” with his reported enthusiasm gap among Democratic voters .
In particular , the report points to a memo released by Donald Trump ’ s deputy campaign manager , Bill Stepien , in which he argued that the president is in a better position than Biden .
Despite a recent slew of polls that put Trump in an unfavorable position , Stepien pointed to Trump ’ s “ historic support ” within the Republican Party , which he contrasts to Biden , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or coalesce ” the Democratic base .
In particular , Stepien noted Trump ’ s record-breaking support in the 2020 Republican primary elections compared to recent incumbent presidents — notably Barack Obama and George W. Bush .
“ In many cases , President Trump received two- or three-times Obama ’ s totals , ” the memo reads .
As Breitbart noted , a CNN survey from earlier this month found that 70 percent of voters supporting Trump were doing so out of support for his record , while 27 percent claimed their vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Conversely , only 37 percent of Biden ’ s supporters were backing him for his record , and 60 percent said they were doing so in opposition to Trump .
The memo also notes that Biden was unable to gain more than 85 percent of the vote in the 18 states — and District of Columbia — that have held primaries since Bernie Sanders dropped from the race in April .
According to the memo , these results are “ not encouraging.
” “ In primary after primary , an alarming number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone other than their own party ’ s presumed nominee , ” it reads .
Although Trump ’ s polling position has led to speculation that he will drop from the race , a recent poll showed him 1 percentage point ahead of Biden in the battleground state of Wisconsin .
The survey was conducted by Trafalgar Group , which was one of the only firms to predict Trump ’ s win against Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
Still , other reports suggest Biden ’ s strategy of remaining out of the spotlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective .
Not only is the former vice president leading in the polls , but he also outraised Trump in May and managed to spend significantly less due to his time off the campaign trail .

A Monday report from Breitbart claims that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden might face “serious issues” with his reported enthusiasm gap among Democratic voters. In particular, the report points to a memo released by Donald Trump’s deputy campaign manager, Bill Stepien, in which he argued that the president is in a better position than Biden.
Despite a recent slew of polls that put Trump in an unfavorable position, Stepien pointed to Trump’s “historic support” within the Republican Party, which he contrasts to Biden, who he says has yet to “inspire or coalesce” the Democratic base. In particular, Stepien noted Trump’s record-breaking support in the 2020 Republican primary elections compared to recent incumbent presidents — notably Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
“In many cases, President Trump received two- or three-times Obama’s totals,” the memo reads.
“President Trump has also received more votes than President George W. Bush when he was seeking re-election in 2004.”
As Breitbart noted, a CNN survey from earlier this month found that 70 percent of voters supporting Trump were doing so out of support for his record, while 27 percent claimed their vote was motivated by their disdain for Biden. Conversely, only 37 percent of Biden’s supporters were backing him for his record, and 60 percent said they were doing so in opposition to Trump.
The memo also notes that Biden was unable to gain more than 85 percent of the vote in the 18 states — and District of Columbia — that have held primaries since Bernie Sanders dropped from the race in April.
“Overall, the results bode even worse when compared to Trump’s performance in the state’s Republican primary. While the president was also uncontested, with former governor Bill Weld having dropped out in March, Trump received more than 93 percent of the GOP vote.”
According to the memo, these results are “not encouraging.”
“In primary after primary, an alarming number of Democrat voters have cast votes for someone other than their own party’s presumed nominee,” it reads.
Although Trump’s polling position has led to speculation that he will drop from the race, a recent poll showed him 1 percentage point ahead of Biden in the battleground state of Wisconsin. The survey was conducted by Trafalgar Group, which was one of the only firms to predict Trump’s win against Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Still, other reports suggest Biden’s strategy of remaining out of the spotlight and letting Trump damage his standing is effective. Not only is the former vice president leading in the polls, but he also outraised Trump in May and managed to spend significantly less due to his time off the campaign trail.


inquisitr--2020-06-29--Donald Trump Considered A National Threat After ‘Delusional’ Calls With Foreign Leaders, Sources Tel

Donald Trump Considered A National Threat After ‘Delusional’ Calls With Foreign Leaders, Sources Tell ‘CNN’

President Donald Trump was so unprepared and abusive on calls with various foreign leaders that senior officials feared he was a threat to national security , CNN recently revealed .
Trump administration officials like John Bolton , James Mattis , Rex Tillerson , and John Kelly were reportedly so worried about highly classified conversations the president was having with foreign leaders like Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , German Chancellor Angela Merkel , and former United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May that they were concerned he was “ delusional.
” According to several sources , Trump was abusive with May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lacked courage .
While speaking with Merkel , another U.S. ally , he allegedly told her that she was stupid .
CNN says that Trump was particularly rude to female leaders .
A German official confirmed that conversations with Trump were “ unusual ” and “ problematic.
” Meanwhile , he supposedly told Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un that he thought of himself as a “ genius , ” bragged about his wealth , and thought his predecessors were idiots .
With Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new light on the recent scandal that the president might have known about bounties placed by Russia on American soldiers .
But it was his calls with Erdogan that were most frequent , with the Turkish leader calling at least twice a week .
As claimed , there were standing orders in the White House to put him directly through to the president when he called .
With Erdogan and Putin , he reportedly said that both former President George W. Bush and former President Barack Obama weren ’ t as effective in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predecessors repeatedly .
“ They didn ’ t know BS , ” he allegedly said of Bush and Obama .
Sources also said that Trump was ignorant of history and didn ’ t prepare well for calls .
Though most of the comments were about aides who are no longer in the White House , insiders say there is little evidence that Trump has changed over time .
“ The sources said there was little evidence that the President became more skillful or competent in his telephone conversations with most heads of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believe that he could either charm , jawbone or bully almost any foreign leader into capitulating to his will , and often pursued goals more attuned to his own agenda than what many of his senior advisers considered the national interest , ” CNN wrote .
Bolton echoed some of these claims in his new book , The Room Where It Happened .
However , not all conversations were negative .
As CNN reported , “ sources did cite some instances in which they said Trump acted responsibly and in the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders.
” Neither the White House , nor Mattis , Tillerson , or Kelly has responded to requests for comment on the reporting , which took place over a four-month period .

President Donald Trump was so unprepared and abusive on calls with various foreign leaders that senior officials feared he was a threat to national security, CNN recently revealed.
Trump administration officials like John Bolton, James Mattis, Rex Tillerson, and John Kelly were reportedly so worried about highly classified conversations the president was having with foreign leaders like Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and former United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May that they were concerned he was “delusional.”
According to several sources, Trump was abusive with May, telling her that she was weak and lacked courage. While speaking with Merkel, another U.S. ally, he allegedly told her that she was stupid. CNN says that Trump was particularly rude to female leaders. A German official confirmed that conversations with Trump were “unusual” and “problematic.”
Meanwhile, he supposedly told Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un that he thought of himself as a “genius,” bragged about his wealth, and thought his predecessors were idiots.
With Putin, Trump apparently showed deference, shedding new light on the recent scandal that the president might have known about bounties placed by Russia on American soldiers. But it was his calls with Erdogan that were most frequent, with the Turkish leader calling at least twice a week. As claimed, there were standing orders in the White House to put him directly through to the president when he called.
With Erdogan and Putin, he reportedly said that both former President George W. Bush and former President Barack Obama weren’t as effective in dealing with foreign leaders, trashing both predecessors repeatedly.
“They didn’t know BS,” he allegedly said of Bush and Obama.
Sources also said that Trump was ignorant of history and didn’t prepare well for calls.
Though most of the comments were about aides who are no longer in the White House, insiders say there is little evidence that Trump has changed over time.
“The sources said there was little evidence that the President became more skillful or competent in his telephone conversations with most heads of state over time. Rather, he continued to believe that he could either charm, jawbone or bully almost any foreign leader into capitulating to his will, and often pursued goals more attuned to his own agenda than what many of his senior advisers considered the national interest,” CNN wrote.
Bolton echoed some of these claims in his new book, The Room Where It Happened.
However, not all conversations were negative. As CNN reported, “sources did cite some instances in which they said Trump acted responsibly and in the national interest during telephone discussions with some foreign leaders.”
Neither the White House, nor Mattis, Tillerson, or Kelly has responded to requests for comment on the reporting, which took place over a four-month period.