inquisitr--2020-01-08--‘Desperate, Evil’ President Trump Is ‘Escalating’ Iran War To Distract From Impeachment, George Conw

‘Desperate, Evil’ President Trump Is ‘Escalating’ Iran War To Distract From Impeachment, George Conway Claims

'The evidence is hard to ignore , ' Conway says .
George Conway , husband of Trump associate Kellyanne Conway , claimed that President Donald Trump is “ escalating ” the military intervention in Iran in order to distract from his impeachment , HuffPost reports .
Though married to one of Donald Trump ’ s closest counselors , George Conway has never been one to shy away from saying exactly what is on his mind when it comes to Donald Trump and his Republican colleagues .
And this week was no exception .
On Tuesday , Conway took to Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s military interventions in Iran .
Last week , Trump ordered a military airstrike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani , a move widely believed to potentially be a catalyst for an eventual all-out war .
Since then , the two sides have continued to exchange threats , and indeed , Iran has even launched missiles at U.S. bases in the region .
Conway says , in a series of tweets , that the entire thing is a ruse to distract from Trump ’ s impeachment .
He begins by saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be wrong about his hypothesis but says that the evidence is “ hard to ignore.
” He then goes on to accuse Trump and his administration of ignoring “ all sorts of transgressions by the Iranians ” while at the same time “ kowtowing ” to dictators such as North Korea ’ s Kim Jong Un and Russia ’ s Vladimir Putin .
Then , Conway says , Trump chose the option that was “ too extreme ” even for the Pentagon , and followed it up with a threat of war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s threat to blow up Iranian cultural sites .
Conway then asked , rhetorically , what has changed , and he then provided what he claims is the answer : a picture of House Resolution 775 .
The official resolution , in its passing , officially made Donald Trump the third president to be impeached in American history .
“ He ’ s a narcissistic sociopath .
He cares only about himself and not about the country .
He ’ s desperate .
And evil , ” Conway noted .
Conway also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself had predicted that Barack Obama would start a war with Iran in order to increase his chances of reelection .
“ And now that Trump ’ s president , it is .
Pure projection ― falsely accusing someone of possibly doing something he would do , ” he said of Trump .
“ No plan , no strategy , no rhyme , no reason , just impulse from the man who thinks a president could try to stay in office by starting a war .
That Americans face iota of added danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and idiocy is a travesty beyond words , ” he said , concluding by saying that “ Donald Trump needs to go .
”

George Conway, husband of Trump associate Kellyanne Conway, claimed that President Donald Trump is “escalating” the military intervention in Iran in order to distract from his impeachment, HuffPost reports.
Though married to one of Donald Trump’s closest counselors, George Conway has never been one to shy away from saying exactly what is on his mind when it comes to Donald Trump and his Republican colleagues. And this week was no exception. On Tuesday, Conway took to Twitter to express his thoughts about Trump’s military interventions in Iran.
Last week, Trump ordered a military airstrike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, a move widely believed to potentially be a catalyst for an eventual all-out war. Since then, the two sides have continued to exchange threats, and indeed, Iran has even launched missiles at U.S. bases in the region.
Conway says, in a series of tweets, that the entire thing is a ruse to distract from Trump’s impeachment.
He begins by saying that he would be “perfectly happy” to be wrong about his hypothesis but says that the evidence is “hard to ignore.”
He then goes on to accuse Trump and his administration of ignoring “all sorts of transgressions by the Iranians” while at the same time “kowtowing” to dictators such as North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Then, Conway says, Trump chose the option that was “too extreme” even for the Pentagon, and followed it up with a threat of war crimes — possibly a reference to Trump’s threat to blow up Iranian cultural sites.
Conway then asked, rhetorically, what has changed, and he then provided what he claims is the answer: a picture of House Resolution 775. The official resolution, in its passing, officially made Donald Trump the third president to be impeached in American history.
“He’s a narcissistic sociopath. He cares only about himself and not about the country. He’s desperate. And evil,” Conway noted.
Conway also noted that none other than Donald Trump himself had predicted that Barack Obama would start a war with Iran in order to increase his chances of reelection.
“And now that Trump’s president, it is. Pure projection ― falsely accusing someone of possibly doing something he would do,” he said of Trump.
“No plan, no strategy, no rhyme, no reason, just impulse from the man who thinks a president could try to stay in office by starting a war. That Americans face iota of added danger because of the president’s narcissism and idiocy is a travesty beyond words,” he said, concluding by saying that “Donald Trump needs to go.”


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Donald Trump Approval Rating Polls Take A Slight Drop After Assassination Of Iranian General Qassem

Donald Trump Approval Rating Polls Take A Slight Drop After Assassination Of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani

Though Donald Trump may have been hoping for a boost in his popularity after ordering a drone strike that killed Iran 's military leader , polls show no real effect .
In the year prior to the 2012 election , in which President Barack Obama sought a second term in office , then-reality TV star Donald Trump repeatedly predicted that Obama would start a war with Iran in order to win re-election .
In fact , as The Washington Post recounted , Trump predicted at least eight times on his Twitter account alone that the then-president would “ play the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war in order to get elected.
” In fact , Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 election without going to war with Iran or anyone else .
But as Washington Post reporter Aaron Blake noted , Trump ’ s belief that his predecessor could somehow guarantee his re-election through a war against Iran may shed light on his “ own motivations now that he ’ s in a re-election year.
” But if the president hoped that he would get a political boost from ordering a drone strike last Thursday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , General Qassem Soleimani , new polling results released on Wednesday will likely leave him disappointed .
One election expert , whose system for predicting winners has proven correct in every presidential contest since 1984 , stated this week that the slaying of the Iranian military leader may backfire and damage Trump ’ s 2020 re-election chances .
More recently , according to the political data site RealClearPolitics , two new polls show a slight downward movement in Trump ’ s approval rating , in the days following the Soleimani drone strike assassination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll taken over three days starting on January 5 — the day after the Soleimani strike — showed Trump ’ s approval actually dropping slightly , compared to a poll by the same organization taken one week earlier .
In the late December poll , 44 percent approved of the president , while his disapproval rating hit 53 percent , putting him “ underwater ” by 9 percentage points .
But in the days immediately following news that he had ordered the successful killing of Soleimani , Trump ’ s approval registered 43 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 54 percent — a negative approval rating of 11 percentage points .
A Rasmussen Reports poll — a survey which has traditionally yielded better results for Trump than those from other agencies — showed the president ’ s approval rating at 46 percent in the immediate aftermath of the Soleimani assassination , with his disapproval at 53 percent .
One week earlier , however , Trump ’ s approval , as measured by Rasmussen , stood at 48 percent , with a disapproval rating of 51 percent — a negative rating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven points as of January 7 .
Though as his 2012 tweets about Obama appear to indicate , Trump may believe that getting the country involved in a military conflict is a surefire way to boost a president ’ s support , political science research disagrees , according to an analysis by The Washington Post .
The “ rally around the president ” effect after a military action occurs mainly when “ there is bipartisan support among political elites for the president ’ s actions , ” according to political scientist Michael Tesler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in the aftermath of the Soleimani killing , top-ranked Democrats “ have not provided any grace period ” before leveling criticism at the president .
In addition , Tesler notes , the belief that getting involved in war improves chances of re-election is a myth .
Data shows that even George W. Bush , though he won re-election in 2004 in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion , did so by a narrower margin than expected , given other factors such as a growing economy at the time , according to Tesler @

If Donald Trump hoped that he would get a political boost from ordering a drone strike last Thursday that killed Iran’s top military leader, General Qassem Soleimani, new polling results released on Wednesday will likely leave him disappointed. According to the political data site RealClearPolitics, three new polls show a slight downward movement in Trump’s approval rating, in the days following the Soleimani drone strike assassination.
According to RCP, an Economist/YouGov poll taken over three days starting on January 5 — the day after the Soleimani strike — showed Trump’s approval actually dropping slightly, compared to a poll by the same organization taken one week earlier. In the late December poll, 44 percent approved of the president, while his disapproval rating hit 53 percent, putting him “underwater” by 9 percentage points.
But in the days immediately following news that he had ordered the successful killing of Soleimani, Trump’s approval registered 43 percent, while his disapproval rating ticked up to 54 percent — a negative approval rating of 11 percentage points.
A Rasmussen Reports poll — a survey which has traditionally yielded better results for Trump than those from other agencies — showed the president’s approval rating at 46 percent in the immediate aftermath of the Soleimani assassination, with his disapproval at 53 percent. One week earlier, however, Trump’s approval, as measured by Rasmussen, stood at 48 percent, with a disapproval rating of 51 percent — a negative rating of just three points, compared to seven points as of January 7.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken a day later, starting in January 6, also showed a slight hit to Trump’s popularity following the January 4 drone strike. That poll showed Trump at 43 percent approval, 54 percent disapproval — an 11 point deficit.
A poll by the same agency two weeks earlier showed an eight-point negative rating for Trump, as recorded by RCP.
In the year prior to the 2012 election, in which President Barack Obama sought a second term in office, then-reality TV star Donald Trump repeatedly predicted that Obama would start a war with Iran in order to win re-election. In fact, as The Washington Post recounted, Trump predicted at least eight times on his Twitter account alone that the then-president would “play the Iran card in order to start a war in order to get elected.”
However, Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 election without going to war with Iran or anyone else. But as Washington Post reporter Aaron Blake noted, Trump’s belief that his predecessor could somehow guarantee his re-election through a war against Iran may shed light on his “own motivations now that he’s in a re-election year.”
Though as his 2012 tweets about Obama appear to indicate, Trump may believe that getting the country involved in a military conflict is a surefire way to boost a president’s support, political science research disagrees, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
One election expert, whose system for predicting winners has proven correct in every presidential contest since 1984, stated this week that the slaying of the Iranian military leader may backfire and damage Trump’s 2020 re-election chances.
The “rally around the president” effect after a military action occurs mainly when “there is bipartisan support among political elites for the president’s actions,” according to political scientist Michael Tesler, writing for The Washington Post. But in the aftermath of the Soleimani killing, top-ranked Democrats “have not provided any grace period” before leveling criticism at the president.
In addition, Tesler notes, the belief that getting involved in war improves chances of re-election is a myth. Data shows that even George W. Bush, though he won re-election in 2004 in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, did so by a narrower margin than expected, given other factors such as a growing economy at the time, according to Tesler.


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Democratic Lawmaker Slams Trump Administration’s Iran Briefing: ‘Sophomoric And Utterly Unconvincing

Democratic Lawmaker Slams Trump Administration’s Iran Briefing: ‘Sophomoric And Utterly Unconvincing’

Rep. Gerry Connolly expressed doubt that President Donald Trump could justify Gen. Qassem Soleimani 's killing , citing a lack of actual 'imminent threat ' to the United States .
Nearly a week after President Donald Trump authorized a surprise U.S. drone strike on Gen. Qassem Soleimani — a top Iranian military commander — he and his administration continue to receive criticism for the strike , including on Wednesday when Rep. Gerry Connolly called his reasoning for the strike “ utterly convincing.
” According to The Hill , Connolly joins a growing number of Democrats who have ripped the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States and Iran to the brink of war .
He , like many of his colleagues , remained unconvinced that killing Soleimani was even justified in the first place .
“ Without commenting on content , my reaction to this briefing was it was sophomoric and utterly unconvincing and I believe that more than ever the Congress needs to act to protect that constitutional provisions about war and peace , ” Connolly said after a congressional briefing on the reasons why the Trump administration approved the strike .
Doubling down on his harsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration is only now managing to scrape together any semblance of rationale that would have justified Soleimani ’ s killing while claiming that it only further escalated tensions in the fragile relationship between the two countries .
“ I believe this administration is after the fact trying to piece together a rationale for its action that was impulsive , reckless and put this country ’ s security at risk , ” Connolly said .
Because Connolly believes that Iran didn ’ t pose the “ imminent threat ” to the United States that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such actions , he called for the immediate repeal of the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force — the legislation that the administration is leaning on that they say provided the legal clearing to conduct the strike on Soleimani last week .
“ The fact that the administration is still citing a 17-year-old AUMF that applied to an entirely different set of circumstances ought to be a cause of concern for all members of Congress , ” Connolly said .
The Virginia lawmaker then said that Tuesday night ’ s missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iraq that house U.S. troops , could be the start of potential deadly retaliatory acts in the future .
There were no reported U.S. casualties in the missile strike , which involved 12 ballistic missiles launched from Iran into Iraq .
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , the Pentagon reportedly had enough advanced warning of the pending missile attack that they were able to move U.S. troops to safety .
The strike that resulted in Soleimani ’ s death came as retaliation after days prior , an Iranian-backed militia claimed responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. contractor .

Nearly a week after President Donald Trump authorized a surprise U.S. drone strike on Gen. Qassem Soleimani — a top Iranian military commander — he and his administration continue to receive criticism for the strike, including on Wednesday when Rep. Gerry Connolly called his reasoning for the strike “utterly convincing.”
According to The Hill, Connolly joins a growing number of Democrats who have ripped the president for killing Soleimani and pushing the United States and Iran to the brink of war. He, like many of his colleagues, remained unconvinced that killing Soleimani was even justified in the first place.
“Without commenting on content, my reaction to this briefing was it was sophomoric and utterly unconvincing and I believe that more than ever the Congress needs to act to protect that constitutional provisions about war and peace,” Connolly said after a congressional briefing on the reasons why the Trump administration approved the strike.
Doubling down on his harsh retort, Connolly suggested that the Trump administration is only now managing to scrape together any semblance of rationale that would have justified Soleimani’s killing while claiming that it only further escalated tensions in the fragile relationship between the two countries.
“I believe this administration is after the fact trying to piece together a rationale for its action that was impulsive, reckless and put this country’s security at risk,” Connolly said.
Because Connolly believes that Iran didn’t pose the “imminent threat” to the United States that is needed for a president to take such actions, he called for the immediate repeal of the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force — the legislation that the administration is leaning on that they say provided the legal clearing to conduct the strike on Soleimani last week.
“The fact that the administration is still citing a 17-year-old AUMF that applied to an entirely different set of circumstances ought to be a cause of concern for all members of Congress,” Connolly said.
Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who just emerged from a briefing on Iran from top Trump administrations officials, called it “sophomoric and utterly unconvincing” adding that he remained “utterly unpersuaded” that the strike on Qasem Soleimani was justified. pic.twitter.com/qToEZjAS39 — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) January 8, 2020
The Virginia lawmaker then said that Tuesday night’s missile attack by Iran, which targeted bases in Iraq that house U.S. troops, could be the start of potential deadly retaliatory acts in the future.
There were no reported U.S. casualties in the missile strike, which involved 12 ballistic missiles launched from Iran into Iraq. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the Pentagon reportedly had enough advanced warning of the pending missile attack that they were able to move U.S. troops to safety.
The strike that resulted in Soleimani’s death came as retaliation after days prior, an Iranian-backed militia claimed responsibility for a rocket attack that killed a U.S. contractor.


inquisitr--2020-01-10--Tulsi Gabbard Says ‘Everybody Knows’ That Hillary Clinton Is A ‘Warmonger’

During a Wednesday appearance on Fox News , Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard agreed with conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson ‘ s description of Hillary Clinton as a “ neocon , ” The Hill reports .
On an episode of his eponymous show , Carlson asked Gabbard whether he was “ imagining ” that Clinton is a “ full-blown neocon.
” “ No , you ’ re not imagining , ” Gabbard responded .
“ I think everybody knows and understands that she is a warmonger .
And it is her record that is proof of that.
” The discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq airbases housing U.S. soldiers , which were retaliation for the assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani .
The attacks led to # ivotedforHillaryClinton trending on Twitter , but Carlson suggested that the former Secretary of State would be more likely to take military action against Iran , were she president .
In particular , Carlson pointed to Clinton ’ s past remarks in a 2008 interview with ABC .
“ If Iran were to launch a nuclear attack on Israel , what would our response be ?
I want the Iranians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , we will attack Iran , ” she said at the time .
Gabbard appeared to agree with Carlson ’ s sentiments before turning to her own military experience serving in the Iraq War .
The Hawaii Rep. said that she has been calling for the withdrawal of troops from Syria and Iraq “ for days now , ” noting that troop deployment should only be authorized when there is a “ very clear mission that is achievable ” or a mission that “ serves our country ’ s national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t believe any of these criteria are met in the current situation .
Gabbard ’ s comments echo Carlson ’ s recent criticisms of Donald Trump ‘ s approach to Iran .
Carlson previously said on his show that history reveals that a prolonged conflict in Iran is possible and suggested that it ’ s not always in the best interests of the U.S. to get involved in other country ’ s affairs .
As for the 38-year-old congresswoman ’ s comments on Clinton , the pair have been taking shots at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began when Clinton suggested Russia was grooming Gabbard for a third-party run , which led to Gabbard blasting the former Democratic presidential nominee for her foreign policy record .
According to Gabbard , Clinton has been a strong advocate for foreign wars , noting her record on Iraq , Syria , and Libya .
She also expressed her belief that Clinton ’ s approach to foreign policy was mirrored in many of the Democratic presidential candidates in the race at the time .

During a Wednesday appearance on Fox News, Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard agreed with conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson‘s description of Hillary Clinton as a “neocon,” The Hill reports.
On an episode of his eponymous show, Carlson asked Gabbard whether he was “imagining” that Clinton is a “full-blown neocon.”
“No, you’re not imagining,” Gabbard responded. “I think everybody knows and understands that she is a warmonger. And it is her record that is proof of that.”
The discussion comes following Iran’s attacks on Iraq airbases housing U.S. soldiers, which were retaliation for the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The attacks led to #ivotedforHillaryClinton trending on Twitter, but Carlson suggested that the former secretary of state would be more likely to take military action against Iran, were she president.
In particular, Carlson pointed to Clinton’s past remarks in a 2008 interview with ABC.
“If Iran were to launch a nuclear attack on Israel, what would our response be? I want the Iranians to know that if I’m the president, we will attack Iran,” she said at the time.
Gabbard appeared to agree with Carlson’s sentiments before turning to her own military experience serving in the Iraq War.
“I’m the only candidate running for president who served in uniform in Iraq — and understand very clearly the situation there.”
The Hawaii congresswoman said that she has been calling for the withdrawal of troops from Syria and Iraq “for days now,” noting that troop deployment should only be authorized when there is a “very clear mission that is achievable” or a mission that “serves our country’s national security interest.” Gabbard added that she doesn’t believe any of these criteria are met in the current situation.
Gabbard’s comments echo Carlson’s recent criticisms of Donald Trump‘s approach to Iran. The Fox News commentator previously said on his show that history reveals that a prolonged conflict in Iran is possible, also suggesting that it’s not always in the best interests of the U.S. to get involved in other country’s affairs.
As for the 38-year-old congresswoman’s comments on Clinton, the pair have been taking shots at each other for months. The feud began when Clinton suggested Russia was grooming Gabbard for a third-party run, which led to Gabbard blasting the former Democratic presidential nominee for her foreign policy record.
According to Gabbard, Clinton has been a strong advocate for foreign wars, given her record on Iraq, Syria, and Libya. She also expressed her belief that the former first lady’s approach to foreign policy was mirrored in many of the Democratic presidential candidates in the race at the time.


inquisitr--2020-01-09--American Cancer Society Corrects Donald Trump After He Takes Credit For Drop In Cancer Rates

Donald Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to take credit for a drop in U.S. cancer rates .
Trump ’ s tweet shared news that the cancer death rate his a record low in 2017 , and appeared to attribute it to the work of his administration .
“ U.S .
Cancer Death Rate Lowest In Recorded History !
A lot of good news coming out of this Administration , ” Trump wrote .
But the American Cancer Society released a statement correcting Trump ’ s statement .
The organization ’ s CEO , Gary M. Reedy , told CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to boost cancer research , the drop in cancer rates could not be attributed to his administration and mostly took place before he took office .
“ The mortality trends reflected in our current report , including the largest drop in overall cancer mortality ever recorded from 2016 to 2017 , reflect prevention , early detection , and treatment advances that occurred in prior years , ” Reedy said in a written statement on Thursday .
As CNN noted , the information came from a report showing that the cancer death rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , with nearly all of the drop coming before Trump took office in January 2017 .
The report showed that the most significant decline , a 2.2 percent drop , came at the end of Barack Obama ’ s second term in office and was caused mostly from a drop in lung cancer rates .
Trump has been frequently been criticized for taking credit for accomplishments that took place under Obama .
As The Inquisitr noted , Trump had on 56 occasions taken credit for signing the Veterans Choice Act , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Obama and co-sponsored by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and late Arizona Senator John McCain .
Trump has also frequently taken credit for the strong economy and low unemployment rates that many economists believe is an extension of the economic growth starting under Obama .
Others criticized Trump this week for taking credit for the drop in cancer rates .
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote on Twitter that the drop in rates came despite Trump ’ s budget proposals that sought billions of dollars of budget cuts for the National Institutes of Health @ @ @ @ @ @

Donald Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to take credit for a drop in U.S. cancer rates, and the American Cancer Society quickly corrected him.
Trump’s tweet shared news that the cancer death rate hit a record low in 2017, and appeared to attribute it to the work of his administration.
“U.S. Cancer Death Rate Lowest In Recorded History! A lot of good news coming out of this Administration,” Trump wrote.
But the American Cancer Society released a statement correcting Trump’s statement. The organization’s CEO, Gary M. Reedy, told CNN that while the Trump administration has taken steps to boost cancer research, the drop in cancer rates could not be attributed to his administration and mostly took place before he took office.
“The mortality trends reflected in our current report, including the largest drop in overall cancer mortality ever recorded from 2016 to 2017, reflect prevention, early detection, and treatment advances that occurred in prior years,” Reedy said in a written statement on Thursday.
“Since taking office, the president has signed multiple spending bills that have included increases in funding for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute — though the impact of those increases are not reflected in the data contained in this report.”
As CNN noted, the information came from a report showing that the cancer death rates fell “continuously” from 1991 to 2017, with nearly all of the drop coming before Trump took office in January of 2017. The report showed that the most significant decline, a 2.2 percent drop, came at the end of Barack Obama’s second term in office and was caused mostly from a drop in lung cancer rates.
Trump has been frequently criticized for taking credit for accomplishments that took place under Obama. As The Inquisitr noted, Trump has, on 56 occasions, taken credit for signing the Veterans Choice Act, a veterans health care bill signed in 2014 by Obama and co-sponsored by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and late Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Trump has also frequently taken credit for the strong economy and low unemployment rates that many economists believe is an extension of the economic growth started under Obama.
Others criticized Trump this week for taking credit for the drop in cancer rates. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote on Twitter that the drop in rates came despite Trump’s budget proposals that sought billions of dollars in budget cuts for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Donald Trump’s Impeachment Trial Will Start Next Week, Mitch McConnell Reportedly Said In Meeting

The Senate Majority Leader apparently told several GOP senators that they should n't make any plans to go home over the weekend once the trial begins .
President Donald Trump and his legal team received welcomed news on Thursday after it was reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell revealed during a closed-door meeting on Thursday that the official impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate will begin next week .
According to The Hill , three senators who were in on the meeting were reportedly told not to count on the ability to go home next weekend , presumably due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties in the upper chamber over the two articles of impeachment drafted against the president last year .
“ There ’ s no reason for us to stay this weekend , but don ’ t expect to be home next weekend was the basic message , ” Sen. Kevin Cramer said , referring to the meeting with McConnell .
On Thursday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — who has purposely withheld the impeachment articles from the Senate , until fair rules are ironed out — indicated that she would be transmitting the articles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon.
” “ I ’ m not holding them indefinitely , ” Pelosi said during a Thursday press briefing .
“ I ’ ll send them over when I ’ m ready , and that will probably be soon.
” Two other Republicans in the Senate , Sen. Roy Blunt and Sen. John Cornyn , both confirmed , according to The Hill , that the trial is expected to begin next week .
“ It ’ s an assumption of what we believe will happen , ” Blunt said .
“ I believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed last weekend , that these documents are about to come over.
” News of the nearing of the impeachment trial comes on the heels of several recent developments regarding several scenarios that could play out , including a recent announcement by McConnell that he has enough votes to begin the long-awaited impeachment trial without requiring Democrats to have any input on the rules .
Pelosi has also recently come under fire from a growing list of Democrats in the Senate for stalling the trial , according to Politico .
Sen Dianne Feinstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles sooner than later .
“ The longer it goes on the less urgent it becomes , ” Feinstein said on Wednesday .
“ So if it ’ s serious and urgent , send them over .
If it isn ’ t , don ’ t send it over.
” As previously reported by The Inquisitr , earlier this week a group of Republican senators banded together and introduced a resolution that would dismiss the articles of impeachment against Trump .
Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri took the lead on the resolution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as grounds for the dismissal .
Hawley received support from a number of high-profile senators on his dismissal resolution , including support from Sen. Ted Cruz , Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Marsha Blackburn .

President Donald Trump and his legal team received some welcome news on Thursday after it was reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell revealed during a closed-door meeting that the official impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate will begin next week.
According to The Hill, three senators who were in on the meeting were reportedly told not to count on going home next weekend, presumably due to what could be another fiery battle in the upper chamber over the two articles of impeachment drafted against the president last year.
“There’s no reason for us to stay this weekend, but don’t expect to be home next weekend was the basic message,” Sen. Kevin Cramer said, referring to the meeting with McConnell.
On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — who has purposely withheld the impeachment articles from the Senate, until fair rules are ironed out — indicated that she would be transmitting the articles of impeachment to the upper chamber “soon.”
“I’m not holding them indefinitely,” Pelosi said during a Thursday press briefing. “I’ll send them over when I’m ready, and that will probably be soon.”
Two other Republicans in the Senate, Sen. Roy Blunt and Sen. John Cornyn, both confirmed that the trial is expected to begin next week, according to The Hill.
“It’s an assumption of what we believe will happen,” Sen. Blunt said. “I believe we’re believing, as we believed last weekend, that these documents are about to come over.”
News of the nearing impeachment trial comes on the heels of several recent developments regarding several scenarios that could play out, including a recent announcement by McConnell that he has enough votes to begin the long-awaited impeachment trial without requiring Democrats to have any input on the rules.
Pelosi has also recently come under fire from a growing list of Democrats in the Senate for stalling the trial, according to Politico. Sen. Dianne Feinstein sharply requested that Pelosi send over the articles sooner than later.
“The longer it goes on the less urgent it becomes,” Feinstein said on Wednesday. “So if it’s serious and urgent, send them over. If it isn’t, don’t send it over.”
When you're Nancy Pelosi and you lose the support of Dianne Feinstein on impeachment…it’s not a good look. pic.twitter.com/DCMsMEqxOq — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 9, 2020
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, earlier this week, a group of Republican senators banded together and introduced a resolution that would dismiss the articles of impeachment against Trump. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri took the lead on the resolution, citing a “failure to prosecute” as grounds for the dismissal.
Hawley received support from a number of high-profile senators on his dismissal resolution, including support from Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rick Scott, and Sen. Marsha Blackburn.


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Ann Coulter Addresses Iran-U.S. Conflict: ‘None Of This Matters’

During an interview with Rebecca Mansour and special guest host John Hayward on SiriusXM ’ s Breitbart News Tonight , conservative commentator Ann Coulter addressed the assassination of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and her belief that Iran does not pose a threat to the United States .
Coulter claimed that 30,000 Americans die each year due to border insecurity .
This insecurity allegedly leads to overdoses from smuggled drugs , Mexican drug cartel killings , and drunk driving accidents .
“ I ’ m thinking national security must have something to do with keeping Americans alive , and yeah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
According to Coulter , the purported dangers stemming from border insecurity are cast aside in favor of a broader focus on Middle East conflicts .
Coulter acknowledged that these issues matter “ a little bit ” when the U.S. needs Middle Eastern oil , but claimed that this need no longer exists .
“ This is not important for us to know about , to think about , for cable news hosts to go on and on and on about , ” she continued , calling for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s cartel , as opposed to Syria , Iran , and the Islamic State .
The 58-year-old political commentator suggested that American deaths typically only occur at the hands of Persian or Arab terrorists when they are in the Middle East .
She then asked why the U.S. always believes the solution to terrorism is to send American troops to the Middle East .
“ Let ’ s not send them there , ” she continued .
According to Coulter , U.S. foreign policy should place a priority on the Western Hemisphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dwight Eisenhower , Richard Nixon , and Ronald Reagan .
Coulter ’ s comments echo recent comments by Fox News host Tucker Carlson , who has been critical of the recent assassination of Soleimani .
In a recent op-ed , Carlson admonished the “ casual recklessness ” displayed by the Trump administration in the recent events pertaining to Iran and suggested such “ incompetence ” is an “ insult ” to the soldiers who died in Iraq .
Carlson noted that oil is no longer needed and called for the U.S. to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ money pit ” where U.S. soldiers go to die .
He also noted that the democratically elected Iraqi government has asked the U.S. to leave and believes America should honor the request .

During an interview with Rebecca Mansour and special guest host John Hayward on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Tonight, conservative commentator Ann Coulter addressed the assassination of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and her belief that Iran does not pose a threat to the United States.
Coulter claimed that 30,000 Americans die each year due to border insecurity. This insecurity allegedly leads to overdoses from smuggled drugs, Mexican drug cartel killings, and drunk driving accidents.
“I’m thinking national security must have something to do with keeping Americans alive, and yeah, that award would go to Mexico,” she said.
According to Coulter, the purported dangers stemming from border insecurity are cast aside in favor of a broader focus on Middle East conflicts.
“But that never gets talked about, no, that wide open border. Americans are supposed to spend their time watching idiotic cable news, learning the difference between Sunni and Shia and Soleimani and Khamieni versus Khomeini. No, none of this matters.”
Coulter acknowledged that these issues matter “a little bit” when the U.S. needs Middle Eastern oil, but claimed that this need no longer exists.
“This is not important for us to know about, to think about, for cable news hosts to go on and on and on about,” she continued, calling for a focus on Loz Zetas and El Chapo’s cartel, as opposed to Syria, Iran, and the Islamic State.
The 58-year-old political commentator suggested that American deaths typically only occur at the hands of Persian or Arab terrorists when they are in the Middle East. She then asked why the U.S. always believes the solution to terrorism is to send American troops to the Middle East.
“Let’s not send them there,” she continued.
According to Coulter, U.S. foreign policy should place a priority on the Western Hemisphere, noting the positions of George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan.
Tucker Carlson saves the day again? pic.twitter.com/ADTaK8TRUh — Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) January 9, 2020
Coulter’s comments echo recent comments by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has been critical of the recent assassination of Soleimani. In a recent op-ed, Carlson admonished the “casual recklessness” displayed by the Trump administration in the recent events pertaining to Iran and suggested such “incompetence” is an “insult” to the soldiers who died in Iraq.
Carlson noted that oil is no longer needed and called for the U.S. to leave Iraq, which he called a “money pit” where U.S. soldiers go to die. He also noted that the democratically elected Iraqi government has asked the U.S. to leave and believes America should honor the request.


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Mike Pompeo May Have Been Behind Soleimani Killing, Says CNN Correspondent

Although Donald Trump was the one who ultimately authorized the assassination of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have been a crucial factor in pushing the move .
The claim against Pompeo was brought forth by CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel during Wednesday ’ s edition of The Situation Room , Newsweek reports .
“ I just wanted to read to you from an inner-circle source familiar with Pompeo and the situation , ” said Gangel .
“ The source said that he is the one leading the way , and it is the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the leading voice.
” According to Gangel , the same source said that Pompeo has wanted to take Soleimani off the map for a decade .
The secretary allegedly told friends and colleagues that he didn ’ t want to retire from public service before Soleimani was dealt with .
He was reportedly the person who “ got everyone on board ” with the controversial assassination mission .
Gangel says that with the support of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper , Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley , CIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adviser Robert O ’ Brien , there was “ not much dissent ” about the decision .
Per CNN , Pompeo reportedly attempted to obtain a visa to Iran in 2016 during his time as a Kansas representative on the Republican National Committee .
Although the secretary claimed his visit was intended to monitor elections , he allegedly told those close to him that he wanted to confront Soleimani .
Pompeo reportedly has many military friends in the Middle East and his fixation on the Iranian general was likely due to Soleimani allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. soldiers .
The Trump administration has claimed that Soleimani was planning an imminent attack on U.S. interests .
But speaking at a press conference on Tuesday , Pompeo did not elaborate on the nature of this threat and appeared to suggest that the attack was motivated by Soleimani ’ s past actions – not an imminent threat .
Per Business Insider , Trump said Wednesday that Soleimani was planning to bomb the U.S. embassy in Iraq , despite no mention of such intelligence being presented in the recent intel briefing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it because they were looking to blow up our embassy , ” Trump told reporters , adding that the decision was also motivated by “ other reasons that were very obvious .
”

Although Donald Trump was the one who ultimately authorized the assassination of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have been a crucial factor in pushing the move. The claim against Pompeo was brought forth by CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel during Wednesday’s edition of The Situation Room, Newsweek reports.
“I just wanted to read to you from an inner-circle source familiar with Pompeo and the situation,” said Gangel. “The source said that he is the one leading the way, and it is the president’s policy, but Pompeo has been the leading voice.”
According to Gangel, the same source said that Pompeo has wanted to take Soleimani off the map for a decade. The secretary allegedly told friends and colleagues that he didn’t want to retire from public service before Soleimani was dealt with. He was reportedly the person who “got everyone on board” with the controversial assassination mission.
Gangel says that with the support of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, CIA Director Gina Haspel, and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, there was “not much dissent” about the decision.
Per CNN, Pompeo reportedly attempted to obtain a visa to Iran in 2016 during his time as a Kansas representative on the Republican National Committee. Although the secretary claimed his visit was intended to monitor elections, he allegedly told those close to him that he wanted to confront Soleimani.
Pompeo reportedly has many military friends in the Middle East and his fixation on the Iranian general was likely due to Soleimani allegedly being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. soldiers.
WALLACE: Trump said Soleimani was planning an 'imminent attack.' What was it? POMPEO: We'll share the intel at some time. An American was killed on Dec. 27. W: But he'd been targeting Americans for decades. Why was it urgent to take him out now? P: Inaction was more risky. pic.twitter.com/V8n5NfeM1H — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 5, 2020
The Trump administration has claimed that Soleimani was planning an imminent attack on U.S. interests. But speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Pompeo did not elaborate on the nature of this threat and appeared to suggest that the attack was motivated by Soleimani’s past actions – not an imminent threat.
“There’s been much made about this question of intelligence and imminence. You need to look no further than the days that led up to the strike that was taken against us.”
Per Business Insider, Trump said Wednesday that Soleimani was planning to bomb the U.S. embassy in Iraq, despite no mention of such intelligence being presented in the recent intel briefing on the Iran attacks.
“We did it because they were looking to blow up our embassy,” Trump told reporters, adding that the decision was also motivated by “other reasons that were very obvious.”


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Kyle Kulinski Hits Back Against Accusations Of Sexism For Trolling Elizabeth Warren’s Dancing

Progressive commentator Kyle Kulinski trolled Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday for the dances moves she recently busted out on the campaign trail .
In response , Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker appeared to imply that Kulinski ’ s attack on the Massachusetts senator was rooted in sexism .
“ Raise your hand if you know why people are trolling Elizabeth ’ s dance moves and not my dad jokes , ” Booker tweeted in response to Kulinski ’ s comment .
Kulinski responded to Booker and took a hit at the 50-year-old politician ’ s ties to the pharmaceutical industry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rising co-host Krystal Ball defended Kulinski , claiming that his mockery is “ equally applied across gender and race.
” Her co-host , Saagar Enjeti , opted instead to troll Booker , appearing to suggest that he was aiming to gain a position on Warren ’ s 2020 ticket as vice president .
Kulinski posted examples of his previous trolling of Booker ’ s dad jokes as well as Mayor Pete Buttigieg ’ s dance to Twitter .
He also took the chance to plug one of the episodes of his eponymous show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders over Warren .
The political commentator was again on the defensive when senior legal analyst Imani Gandy suggested that there was a difference between his attack on Warren and his trolling of Booker and Buttigieg and called on him to apologize .
In response , Kulinski appeared to imply her position was absurd and suggested that no apology would be coming any time soon .
Warren ’ s critics have been targeted for alleged sexism before .
During an MSNBC appearance , Emily Tisch Sussman suggested that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexism .
In response to the comments , many pointed out that Sussman is the daughter of hedge fund billionaire Donald Sussman and said that her attack was motivated out of her dislike of Sanders ’ platform , which would impose a wealth tax on her father .
Per The Daily Beast , many of Warren ’ s supporters believe that the candidate ’ s recent dip in the polls is the result of sexism — a contrast to progressives like Kulinski , who believe it is tied to her equivocating on Medicare @ @ @

'1000 Lb Sister' Tammy Slaton Defends Her 'Filtered' Pictures, Ask Critics to Talk to Her Hand
She said, "Listen, I am not trying to be rude, but it's my profile. And if I like using the filters, I will. Plain and simple," as she waved goodbye.
4h ago


inquisitr--2020-01-09--‘Fox & Friends’ Host Blasts Donald Trump For Blaming Iran Crisis On Barack Obama

Brian Kilmeade chastised Trump on the air Thursday , saying that it 'doesn ’ t make any sense ' for the president to shift responsibility to the previous administration .
In a nine-minute , nationally televised speech on Wednesday morning , Donald Trump made a series of false or misleading statements shifting the blame for the ongoing conflict with Iran to the Obama administration .
A fact-check by The Associated Press documented Trump ’ s distortions , including his bogus claim that the Iranian missiles “ were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration.
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iran crisis onto the Obama administration even strained credulity for a co-host on Fox & Friends , the Fox News morning program that appears to be Trump ’ s favorite , based on the frequency with which he posts Twitter messages directly reiterating topics discussed on the daily broadcast .
“ I don ’ t love bringing up the previous administration , ” Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade said on Thursday ’ s program , as quoted by the media-monitoring site Mediaite .
“ You have got to bring people together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots at President Obama three and a half years later doesn ’ t make any sense.
” While stopping short of holding Trump directly responsible for the Iran crisis , Kilmeade said that “ 40 years of failed policies ” led to the current conflict .
In his speech Wednesday , Trump claimed that the Obama administration gave the Iranian regime “ $ 150 billion , not to mention $ 1.8 billion in cash.
” But according to the AP fact-check , “ there was no $ 150 billion payout ” from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had always belonged to the Iranian government , but due to economic sanctions , the funds were frozen in foreign bank accounts .
When Iran signed the final multinational agreement to rein in its nuclear program in 2015 , the asset freeze was lifted .
Additionally , according to the AP , the $ 1.8 billion payment from the U.S. to Iran was a refund owed to the Persian country by the U.S. government .
The refund was for a purchase of weapons in the 1970s that was never delivered .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. troops by Iran on Wednesday were “ paid for ” by funds “ made available ” by President Obama was also highly misleading , according to the AP .
“ I doubt anyone has the insight into Iran ’ s budgetary mechanisms to say that this money was used for this purpose , ” former high-ranking U.S. diplomat Gerald Feierstein told the news agency .
In his speech , Trump also claimed that the United States is now energy-independent and that “ we do not need Middle East oil.
” But AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. imported 23 million barrels of oil in October 2019 alone , an amount that “ would not be easy to make up elsewhere , ” the fact-check said .
Kilmeade also ripped Trump in December of 2018 , when he called the president ’ s announced pullout of American troops from Syria “ irresponsible .
”

In a nine-minute, nationally televised speech on Wednesday morning, Donald Trump made a series of false or misleading statements shifting the blame for the ongoing conflict with Iran to the Obama administration. A fact-check by The Associated Press documented Trump’s distortions, including his bogus claim that the Iranian missiles “were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration.”
Trump’s attempt to transfer blame for the Iran crisis onto the Obama administration even strained credulity for a co-host on Fox & Friends, the Fox News morning program that appears to be Trump’s favorite, based on the frequency with which he posts Twitter messages directly reiterating topics discussed on the daily broadcast.
“I don’t love bringing up the previous administration,” Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade said on Thursday’s program, as quoted by the media-monitoring site Mediaite. “You have got to bring people together as the president and continue to take shots at President Obama three and a half years later doesn’t make any sense.”
While stopping short of holding Trump directly responsible for the Iran crisis, Kilmeade said that “40 years of failed policies” led to the current conflict.
Kilmeade slams Trump for blaming Iran strike on Obama pic.twitter.com/yvryA08ArP — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) January 9, 2020
In his speech Wednesday, Trump claimed that the Obama administration gave the Iranian regime “$150 billion, not to mention $1.8 billion in cash.” But according to the AP fact-check, “there was no $150 billion payout” from the United States to Iran. The money had always belonged to the Iranian government, but due to economic sanctions, the funds were frozen in foreign bank accounts.
When Iran signed the final multinational agreement to rein in its nuclear program in 2015, the asset freeze was lifted. Additionally, according to the AP, the $1.8 billion payment from the U.S. to Iran was a refund owed to the Persian country by the U.S. government. The refund was for a purchase of weapons in the 1970s that was never delivered.
Trump’s claim that the missiles fired at U.S. troops by Iran on Wednesday were “paid for” by funds “made available” by President Obama was also highly misleading, according to the AP.
“I doubt anyone has the insight into Iran’s budgetary mechanisms to say that this money was used for this purpose,” former high-ranking U.S. diplomat Gerald Feierstein told the news agency.
In his speech, Trump also claimed that the United States is now energy-independent and that “we do not need Middle East oil.” But AP called that statement “premature.” The U.S. imported 23 million barrels of oil in October 2019 alone, an amount that “would not be easy to make up elsewhere,” the fact-check said.
Kilmeade also ripped Trump in December of 2018, when he called the president’s announced pullout of American troops from Syria “irresponsible.”


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Donald Trump May Be ‘Detached From Reality,’ Says Democratic Senator

Donald Trump ’ s decision to authorize the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has received pushback from some amid skepticism of the White House ’ s claim that he was plotting an imminent attack on U.S. interests .
During an appearance on MSNBC ’ s Andrea Mitchell Reports , Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen said that Trump ’ s foreign policy with Iran has sparked worries that the president is “ detached from reality.
” While Trump recently claimed Iran was plotting to bomb the U.S. embassy in Iraq , Van Hollen doesn ’ t appear to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None of the facts presented at the classified briefing supported that claim .
And so now you have the — them saying , they can ’ t provide this kind of information to senators in a highly classified setting , but the president is going to say that today the country.
” Van Hollen believes that Trump ’ s recent comment shows that the White House is making things up on the spot .
He claims that if Trump ’ s comments were accurate , the White House would have presented evidence to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imminent attack during the classified briefing for senators .
“ And as I say , the evidence is not there to support their claim of an imminent threat , ” Van Hollen said , adding that the president ’ s actions have decreased the region ’ s safety and increased the prospects of war .
The lack of information presented in the briefing was enough to push Republican Sens .
Mike Lee and Rand Paul to change their minds and support a Democrat-sponsored war powers resolution .
The resolution would require Trump to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtain congressional approval before any forthcoming action .
Lee appeared to be particularly outraged by the briefing .
He called it “ insulting ” and the “ worst ” he has ever seen , noting that Trump administration officials instructed senators not to publicly debate the reasoning behind the president ’ s decision to order the assassination of Soleimani .
The briefings were given by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley , and CIA Director Gina Haspel .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly had problems with the briefing and noted the lack of evidence presented about the purported threat Soleimani posed to U.S. interests .
As for the war powers resolution , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims that representatives will vote as soon as Thursday .

Donald Trump’s decision to authorize the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has received pushback from some amid skepticism of the White House’s claim that he was plotting an imminent attack on U.S. interests. During an appearance on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen said that Trump’s foreign policy with Iran has sparked worries that the president is “detached from reality.”
While Trump recently claimed Iran was plotting to bomb the U.S. embassy in Iraq, Van Hollen doesn’t appear to believe this explanation, Breitbart reports.
“None of the facts presented at the classified briefing supported that claim. And so now you have the — them saying, they can’t provide this kind of information to senators in a highly classified setting, but the president is going to say that today the country.”
Van Hollen believes that Trump’s recent comment shows that the White House is making things up on the spot. He claims that if Trump’s comments were accurate, the White House would have presented evidence to back Trump’s claim about an imminent attack during the classified briefing for senators.
“And as I say, the evidence is not there to support their claim of an imminent threat,” Van Hollen said, adding that the president’s actions have decreased the region’s safety and increased the prospects of war.
“So a very dangerous moment and to listen to the president give that address just makes me worry even more that he’s more detached from reality.”
Republican Senator Mike Lee says a Trump administration briefing on the Iran situation was “the worst briefing I've seen in the nine years I've served in the United States Senate”. pic.twitter.com/Ty1bPbGVrI — Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) January 9, 2020
The lack of information presented in the briefing was enough to push Republican Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul to change their minds and support a Democrat-sponsored war powers resolution. The resolution would require Trump to cease all military action against Iran and obtain congressional approval before any forthcoming action.
Lee appeared to be particularly outraged by the briefing. He called it “insulting” and the “worst” he has ever seen, noting that Trump administration officials instructed senators not to publicly debate the reasoning behind the president’s decision to order the assassination of Soleimani.
The briefings were given by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, and CIA Director Gina Haspel. In addition to Paul and Lee, Democrats also reportedly had problems with the briefing and noted the lack of evidence presented about the purported threat Soleimani posed to U.S. interests.
As for the war powers resolution, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims that representatives will vote as soon as Thursday.


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Tulsi Gabbard Says Donald Trump Is ‘Undermining Our National Security’

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has long been critical of Donald Trump ’ s foreign policy .
In the wake of Iran ’ s recent attack on military bases in Iraq housing U.S. soldiers following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani , Gabbard took another hit at Trump .
She suggested that his foreign policy decisions have been harmful to U.S. national security and brought Iran closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon than ever before , Newsweek reports .
“ Trump ’ s war with Iran is undermining our national security and putting all Americans in greater danger , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a nuclear weapon than ever before .
And it ’ s opening the door to resurgence of [ Islamic State ] /Al-Qaeda.
” Trump notoriously pulled the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) in 2018 .
Also known as the Iran nuclear deal , the agreement decreased Iran ’ s uranium enrichment program .
Prior to the agreement , Iran was allegedly two to three months away from acquiring the uranium needed for a nuclear weapon .
Following Iran ’ s recent announcement that it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country is reportedly four to six months away from obtaining said uranium .
According to Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi , a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute , Iran could create a nuclear weapon within six months .
As for claims of Trump undermining national security , the JCPOA was followed by a decrease in attacks by militant groups supported by Iran .
After Trump pulled from the deal , the number of attacks increased from six in 2017 to 40 in 2018 .
Gabbard ’ s comments were echoed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently critical of Trump ’ s speech addressing the recent ballistic missile attacks of U.S. military bases .
The talk show host noted Trump ’ s claim that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon while he is in office and suggested it was untrue in the face of his current decisions .
Kulinski also noted that Soleimani was one of the Islamic State ’ s biggest enemies in the region and said that his death had increased the likelihood of the terrorist militant group ’ s reemergence .
Although Iran claims that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its revenge against the U.S. , journalist Yashar Ali says that believing this is the end is naive .
He pointed to the Persian Gulf country ’ s proclivity for attacking vulnerable targets on an unpredictable timeline and implied that there would likely be more retribution in anywhere from months to years .

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has long been critical of Donald Trump’s foreign policy. In the wake of Iran’s recent attack on military bases in Iraq housing U.S. soldiers following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, Gabbard took another hit at Trump. She suggested that his foreign policy decisions have been harmful to U.S. national security and brought Iran closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon than ever before, Newsweek reports.
“Trump’s war with Iran is undermining our national security and putting all Americans in greater danger,” she tweeted. “Iran is closer now to a nuclear weapon than ever before. And it’s opening the door to resurgence of [Islamic State]/Al-Qaeda.”
Trump notoriously pulled the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018. Also known as the Iran nuclear deal, the agreement decreased Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Prior to the agreement, Iran was allegedly two to three months away from acquiring the uranium needed for a nuclear weapon.
Following Iran’s recent announcement that it would not be abiding by JCPOA commitments, the country is reportedly four to six months away from obtaining said uranium. According to Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, Iran could create a nuclear weapon within six months.
Politicians & pundits talk tough on TV pushing for Iran War. But most have no idea what it means to serve in harm's way, nor do they understand what military moms, dads, husbands, wives, & children go thru as their loved one is sent overseas #NoWarWithIran #IranAttacks #IranvsUSA pic.twitter.com/700FLTyaIq — Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) January 8, 2020
As for claims of Trump undermining national security, the JCPOA was followed by a decrease in attacks by militant groups supported by Iran. After Trump pulled from the deal, the number of attacks increased from six in 2017 to 40 in 2018.
Gabbard’s comments were echoed by progressive commentator Kyle Kulinski, who was recently critical of Trump’s speech addressing the recent ballistic missile attacks of U.S. military bases. The talk show host noted Trump’s claim that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon while he is in office and suggested it was untrue in the face of his current decisions.
“Pulling out of the Iran deal and assassinating a general obviously makes it much more likely they will get a nuke, for deterrence of US aggression.”
Kulinski also noted that Soleimani was one of the Islamic State’s biggest enemies in the region and said that his death had increased the likelihood of the terrorist militant group’s reemergence.
Although Iran claims that the recent missile strikes marked the conclusion of its revenge against the U.S., journalist Yashar Ali says that believing this is the end is naive. He pointed to the Persian Gulf country’s proclivity for attacking vulnerable targets on an unpredictable timeline and implied that there would likely be more retribution in anywhere from months to years.


inquisitr--2020-01-09--Elizabeth Warren And Joe Biden Plunge, Pete Buttigieg And Bernie Sanders Surge In Latest New Hampshi

Elizabeth Warren And Joe Biden Plunge, Pete Buttigieg And Bernie Sanders Surge In Latest New Hampshire Poll

According to the latest Monmouth University Poll of New Hampshire , the Democratic primary is becoming a four-way race , with support for former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders growing , as former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren continue to lose the backing of potential voters .
Among registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters , 20 percent back Buttigieg , 19 percent support Biden , and 18 percent support Sanders .
Fifteen percent of them support Warren .
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , billionaire Tom Steyer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bennett , and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker are all in the single-digit category .
Seven percent of New Hampshire voters remain undecided , according to the poll .
Among self-described liberals , Sanders leads with 26 percent .
Warren is in second place , having earned the backing of 24 liberal voters , Buttigieg and Biden are in third place , with 16 percent of the vote .
Twenty-five percent of self-described moderates and conservatives support Buttigieg , and 22 percent of them support Biden .
Sanders enjoys the backing of 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is supported by seven percent .
When it comes to younger voters , those under the age of 50 , Sanders leads convincingly with 26 percent of the vote .
Buttigieg is in second place with 17 percent , Warren in third with 16 , and Biden in fourth with 15 percent of the vote .
Among older voters , those aged 65 and over , Biden leads with 27 percent of the vote .
Buttigieg is in second place , having earned the backing of 20 percent of older voters , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders is in the fourth place , with 14 percent of the vote .
The respondents were also asked to share their opinion of Democratic White House hopefuls .
Sanders holds a convincing lead in that regard , with 69 percent of New Hampshire Democrats and non-affiliated voters holding a favorable view of him .
Yang , Klobuchar and Steyer ’ s favorability ratings have increased , but Warren , Biden , and Buttigieg ’ s have not .
The poll also reflects a broader trend , suggesting that Buttigieg and Sanders are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Warren continues to plunge .
The Massachusetts senator ’ s support has dropped by staggering 12 points since September .
Biden ’ s has decreased as well , by six points .
However , Buttigieg is up 10 points , and Sanders is up six points .
As Patrick Murray , director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute , explained , the New Hampshire primary race is still “ wide-open , ” and one of the front-runners stumbling could pave the way for a less popular candidate to surge .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extent that New Hampshire voters could take some cues from Iowa , it ’ s also worth keeping an eye on lower polling candidates like Klobuchar if any of the leading contenders stumble in the earlier Iowa contest , ” he said .

According to the latest Monmouth University Poll of New Hampshire, the Democratic primary is becoming a four-way race, with support for former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders growing, as former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren continue to lose the backing of potential voters.
Among registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters, 20 percent back Buttigieg, 19 percent support Biden, and 18 percent support Sanders. Fifteen percent of them support Warren. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, billionaire Tom Steyer, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennett, and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker are all in the single-digit category. Seven percent of New Hampshire voters remain undecided, according to the poll.
Among self-described liberals, Sanders leads with 26 percent. Warren is in second place, having earned the backing of 24 liberal voters, Buttigieg and Biden are in third place, with 16 percent of the vote. Twenty-five percent of self-described moderates and conservatives support Buttigieg, and 22 percent of them support Biden. Sanders enjoys the backing of 10 percent of such voters, and Warren is supported by seven percent.
When it comes to younger voters, those under the age of 50, Sanders leads convincingly with 26 percent of the vote. Buttigieg is in second place with 17 percent, Warren in third with 16, and Biden in fourth with 15 percent of the vote. Among older voters, those aged 65 and over, Biden leads with 27 percent of the vote. Buttigieg is in second place, having earned the backing of 20 percent of older voters, and Warren in third with 16 percent. Sanders is in the fourth place, with 14 percent of the vote.
The respondents were also asked to share their opinion of Democratic White House hopefuls. Sanders holds a convincing lead in that regard, with 69 percent of New Hampshire Democrats and non-affiliated voters holding a favorable view of him. Yang, Klobuchar and Steyer’s favorability ratings have increased, but Warren, Biden, and Buttigieg’s have not.
The poll also reflects a broader trend, suggesting that Buttigieg and Sanders are surging, as Biden gradually loses support and Warren continues to plunge. The Massachusetts senator’s support has dropped by staggering 12 points since September. Biden’s has decreased as well, by six points. However, Buttigieg is up 10 points, and Sanders is up six points.
As Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, explained, the New Hampshire primary race is still “wide-open,” and one of the front-runners stumbling could pave the way for a less popular candidate to surge.
“The race remains fairly wide-open. To the extent that New Hampshire voters could take some cues from Iowa, it’s also worth keeping an eye on lower polling candidates like Klobuchar if any of the leading contenders stumble in the earlier Iowa contest,” he said.


inquisitr--2020-01-09--President Trump Is ‘Dangerous’ And ‘Incapacitated,’ Psychiatric Health Group Warns, Urges Congressio

President Trump Is ‘Dangerous’ And ‘Incapacitated,’ Psychiatric Health Group Warns, Urges Congressional Action

'The US Congress must act immediately and forcefully without further delay , ' the coalition warned in a statement .
President Donald Trump is “ dangerous ” and “ incapacitated , ” and Congress must act immediately to force him to undergo a mental health evaluation , a coalition of mental health professionals warns .
As The Independent reports , World Mental Health Coalition has been warning for some time that Trump ’ s mental state is compromised , causing him to act rashly and without thought of the consequences .
Now that Trump has ordered military action in Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eastern country to the brink of war , the matter is even more urgent , the group says .
“ We have been seriously warning about this for some time .
The US Congress must act immediately and forcefully without further delay , ” the group said in a statement .
Further , the coalition says , Trump is “ psychologically and mentally both dangerous and incapacitated [ and has a presentation that is ] consistent with a person who , when his falsely inflated self-image is questioned , or when his emotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in an attempt to restore his sense of potency and command over others.
” Americans “ can not wait any longer to deal with the dangerous situation caused by a mentally compromised person acting in erratic , reckless , impulsive , and destructive ways , ” the group says .
The group ’ s president , Yale University professor Dr. Bandy Lee , said that evidence of Trump ’ s supposed mental state can be seen in the fact that Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him .
The group claims that it has been warning for some time that Trump ’ s mental state is compromised , adding that being impeached could cause his mental state to deteriorate further .
His purported fragile ego is unlikely to recover from such a wound , according to the group .
The group urges Congress to consult with them in order for the two sides to develop a profile or even an evaluation , albeit one done without the presence of the patient — something that is generally considered not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , one member of the group , George Washington University Professor Dr. Richard Zinner , brushes those concerns aside , stating that the American Psychiatric Association ’ s code of ethics states that a psychiatric professional has a duty to society at large , not just to his or her patients .
Of course , there is no process in the Constitution or in case law that allows for a president to be forced by Congress to undergo a psychiatric evaluation against his will .
Even if he did submit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his mental state is compromised , or if such a conclusion was reached without him , the odds of this information being used to remove him from office , in the case of Donald Trump anyway , are quite slim .
As Fortune noted in 2018 , the 25th Amendment lays out what would happen if the president is unable to execute his duties .
In order for a president to be declared incapacitated against his will , it would take a majority of his cabinet members to make that determination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would take a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress to forcibly remove him from office .

President Donald Trump is “dangerous” and “incapacitated,” and Congress must act immediately to force him to undergo a mental health evaluation, a coalition of mental health professionals warns.
As The Independent reports, World Mental Health Coalition has been warning for some time that Trump’s mental state is compromised, causing him to act rashly and without thought of the consequences. Now that Trump has ordered military action in Iran and brought the U.S. and the Middle Eastern country to the brink of war, the matter is even more urgent, the group says.
“We have been seriously warning about this for some time. The US Congress must act immediately and forcefully without further delay,” the group said in a statement.
Further, the coalition says, Trump is “psychologically and mentally both dangerous and incapacitated [and has a presentation that is] consistent with a person who, when his falsely inflated self-image is questioned, or when his emotional need for adulation is thwarted, lashes out in an attempt to restore his sense of potency and command over others.”
Americans “cannot wait any longer to deal with the dangerous situation caused by a mentally compromised person acting in erratic, reckless, impulsive, and destructive ways,” the group says.
The group’s president, Yale University professor Dr. Bandy Lee, said that evidence of Trump’s supposed mental state can be seen in the fact that Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani the “most extreme” of the options presented to him.
The group claims that it has been warning for some time that Trump’s mental state is compromised, adding that being impeached could cause his mental state to deteriorate further. His purported fragile ego is unlikely to recover from such a wound, according to the group.
The group urges Congress to consult with them in order for the two sides to develop a profile or even an evaluation, albeit one done without the presence of the patient — something that is generally considered not a best practice in the psychiatric community.
However, one member of the group, George Washington University Professor Dr. Richard Zinner, brushes those concerns aside, stating that the American Psychiatric Association’s code of ethics states that a psychiatric professional has a duty to society at large, not just to his or her patients.
Of course, there is no process in the Constitution or in case law that allows for a president to be forced by Congress to undergo a psychiatric evaluation against his will.
Even if he did submit to such an examination and it was conclusive that his mental state is compromised, or if such a conclusion was reached without him, the odds of this information being used to remove him from office, in the case of Donald Trump anyway, are quite slim.
As Fortune noted in 2018, the 25th Amendment lays out what would happen if the president is unable to execute his duties. In order for a president to be declared incapacitated against his will, it would take a majority of his cabinet members to make that determination. And if the president resists, it would take a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress to forcibly remove him from office.


inquisitr--2020-01-10--One Day Before Deadline, Tom Steyer’s Poll Surge Qualifies Him For January Iowa Democratic Debate

The billionaire investor managed to make staggering gains in pair of Fox News polls on Thursday , qualifying him for the debate stage .
As the fairly large field of Democrats prepare to make lasting impressions on voters across the country , and especially in Iowa by taking part in the January Democratic primary debate , billionaire Tom Steyer managed to come in clutch in recent polls .
That showing qualified him for the debate stage , less than 24 hours before the qualification deadline .
According to The Hill , the successful businessman can credit his upcoming debate stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Fox News , which gave the New York hedge fund manager the boost he needed to meet debate qualification criteria set forth by the Democratic National Committee .
Both of the surveys from Fox News were state-level , with the first one from Nevada that revealed Steyer had jumped up seven points to 12 percent of support .
That improvement was enough to tie for third place with Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
He was only beaten by former Vice President Joe Biden , who led the pack in Nevada , followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Steyer apparently has made an even larger splash in the crucial voting state of South Carolina , where his numbers shot up 11 points since the last iteration of the poll , giving him the second place position at 15 percent of support .
As with the Nevada survey , Biden once again led his competitors , scoring 36 percent of support in a state that has , so far , been one of his best .
The late-breaking results came as the Friday deadline approached to qualify for the Iowa debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 5 percent in four qualifying national polls , or 7 percent in two qualifying state-based polls , which Steyer easily hit on Thursday .
The news comes on the heels of a big announcement by Steyer ’ s campaign last week , when they revealed that their candidate managed to hit 225,000 unique donors , which is another challenging objective in any candidate ’ s quest to appear on the debate stage .
Steyer has reportedly self-funded a large portion of his campaign , using millions of dollars to fund advertising campaigns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t appear as if they were paying off .
Though Andrew Yang managed to raise an impressive amount of money in the fourth quarter , it appears at the time of this writing that he ’ s not yet managed to hit the polling threshold to make the Iowa debate , which would be a major setback for the surging , but struggling candidate .
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Cory Booker have also failed , as of now , to qualify for the debate .
Steyer will join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , Sanders , and Warren for the seventh Democratic primary debate , which is set to air on January 14 on CNN .

As the fairly large field of Democrats prepare to make lasting impressions on voters across the country, and especially in Iowa by taking part in the January Democratic primary debate, billionaire Tom Steyer managed to come in clutch in recent polls. That showing qualified him for the debate stage, less than 24 hours before the qualification deadline.
According to The Hill, the successful businessman can credit his upcoming debate stage appearance to a pair of polls administered by Fox News, which gave the New York hedge fund manager the boost he needed to meet debate qualification criteria set forth by the Democratic National Committee.
Both of the surveys from Fox News were state-level, with the first one from Nevada that revealed Steyer had jumped up seven points to 12 percent of support. That improvement was enough to tie for third place with Sen. Elizabeth Warren. He was only beaten by former Vice President Joe Biden, who led the pack in Nevada, followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in second place.
Steyer apparently has made an even larger splash in the crucial voting state of South Carolina, where his numbers shot up 11 points since the last iteration of the poll, giving him the second place position at 15 percent of support. As with the Nevada survey, Biden once again led his competitors, scoring 36 percent of support in a state that has, so far, been one of his best.
The late-breaking results came as the Friday deadline approached to qualify for the Iowa debate. Candidates either had to score at least 5 percent in four qualifying national polls, or 7 percent in two qualifying state-based polls, which Steyer easily hit on Thursday.
The news comes on the heels of a big announcement by Steyer’s campaign last week, when they revealed that their candidate managed to hit 225,000 unique donors, which is another challenging objective in any candidate’s quest to appear on the debate stage. Steyer has reportedly self-funded a large portion of his campaign, using millions of dollars to fund advertising campaigns which, until recently, didn’t appear as if they were paying off.
Though Andrew Yang managed to raise an impressive amount of money in the fourth quarter, it appears at the time of this writing that he’s not yet managed to hit the polling threshold to make the Iowa debate, which would be a major setback for the surging, but struggling candidate.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Cory Booker have also failed, as of now, to qualify for the debate.
Steyer will join Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Biden, Sanders, and Warren for the seventh Democratic primary debate, which is set to air on January 14 on CNN.


inquisitr--2020-01-10--Ivanka And Donald Trump Jr. Knowingly Lied To Defraud Investors In Luxury New York Condos, Book Clai

Ivanka And Donald Trump Jr. Knowingly Lied To Defraud Investors In Luxury New York Condos, Book Claims

Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump “ knew they were lying ” when they exaggerated figures of how well their luxury New York condominiums were selling , a new book claims .
As The Guardian reported , an expose from journalist Andrew Bernstein claimed that the pair took part in a fraudulent scheme to fool investors around a Trump SoHo property in Manhattan .
The book revealed that emails from the siblings showed that they purposely used figures exaggerating how well the condos were selling , all in an attempt to attract more buyers .
According to The Guardian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the condo sales , which showed that the figures released by the Trump family did not match data that was filed with state and federal agencies .
As The New York Times had reported , these filings showed that the company had sold only between 15 percent and 30 percent of condos by the start of 2009 .
However , in June 2008 , Ivanka claimed publicly that 60 percent had been sold , while in 2009 , her older brother stated that 55 percent were sold .
As the report added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the Trump family for allegedly defrauding investors .
As Pro Publica reported in 2017 , Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. were both close to being charged for the scheme , with prosecutors in New York preparing a case against the two .
The report noted that District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. then overruled his staff after a personal meeting with Trump attorney Marc Kasowitz .
As the report noted , Kasowitz was one of Vance ’ s largest donors , giving $ 25,000 to the re-election campaign of the Manhattan D.A .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to colleagues that he represented the Trump children and that the case was “ really dangerous to them.
” He reportedly added that it was “ amazing I got them off , ” though he later denied making the statement .
According to Bernstein , emails showed that Ivanka and Donald Jr. were aware that some reporters were growing wise to the inflated numbers .
However , the siblings allegedly said in one email chain that they were confident no one would ever find out and that only those receiving the emails and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the false claims .

Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump “knew they were lying” when they exaggerated figures of how well their luxury New York condominiums were selling, a new book claims.
As The Guardian reported, an expose from journalist Andrew Bernstein claimed that the pair took part in a fraudulent scheme to fool investors around a Trump SoHo property in Manhattan. The book revealed that emails from the siblings showed that they purposely used figures exaggerating how well the condos were selling, all in an attempt to attract more buyers.
According to The Guardian, the book follows up on earlier reporting on the condo sales, which showed that the figures released by the Trump family did not match data that was filed with state and federal agencies. As The New York Times had reported, these filings showed that the company had sold only between 15 percent and 30 percent of condos by the start of 2009. However, in June 2008, Ivanka claimed publicly that 60 percent had been sold, while in 2009, her older brother stated that 55 percent were sold.
As the report added, investors have already pursued legal action against the Trump family for allegedly defrauding investors.
“Buyers of units in Trump SoHo sued Trump, arguing that they had been defrauded by inflated claims of sales. The Manhattan district attorney’s office then began investigating whether the allegations could also constitute a crime, issuing subpoenas and carrying out interviews.”
As Pro Publica reported in 2017, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. were both close to being charged for the scheme, with prosecutors in New York preparing a case against the two. The report noted that District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. then overruled his staff after a personal meeting with Trump attorney Marc Kasowitz. As the report noted, Kasowitz was one of Vance’s largest donors, giving $25,000 to the re-election campaign of the Manhattan D.A.
The report claimed that Kasowitz later bragged to colleagues that he represented the Trump children and that the case was “really dangerous to them.” He reportedly added that it was “amazing I got them off,” though he later denied making the statement.
According to Bernstein, emails showed that Ivanka and Donald Jr. were aware that some reporters were growing wise to the inflated numbers. However, the siblings allegedly said in one email chain that they were confident no one would ever find out and that only those receiving the emails and those in the Trump Organization were aware of the false claims.


inquisitr--2020-01-10--Donald Trump Boasts Of Environmental Record, Citing Book By Own Adviser Praising Him As Environmenta

Donald Trump Boasts Of Environmental Record, Citing Book By Own Adviser Praising Him As Environmental ‘Hero’

Donald Trump calls himself an environmentalist after signing bill rolling back important environmental regulations that have been in place since Richard Nixon 's first term .
In a sweeping rollback of environmental regulations that have been in place for 50 years , Donald Trump on Friday announced new rules that would severely curtail the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act , which was signed by President Richard Nixon in 1970 and is considered one of the most important laws protecting the environment ever passed in the United States .
But in making the announcement , Trump claimed that he was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said , “ I ’ m a big believer in that word : the environment .
I ’ m a big believer , ” as quoted by The Washington Post .
As proof of his claim to be an “ environmentalist , ” Trump cited a book , the title of which he could not recall .
But media reports quickly identified the book to which he refereed as Donald J. Trump : An Environmental Hero , a 2016 self-published work by Edward Russo , “ an environmental advisor for the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news site Gizmodo , which first named the book .
Trump ’ s revisions to the 1970 law would eliminate or cut back requirements that new federal infrastructure projects undergo a comprehensive review to assess their impact on the environment , and how any harmful effects could be prevented .
The law was updated under President Barack Obama in 2016 to require that all federal agencies include how projects would affect climate change , in their environmental “ impact ” reports .
But in his remarks announcing the rollbacks , Trump said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endless delays ” that “ waste money ” and “ deny jobs ” to American workers .
Trump then proceeded to defend his environmental record .
“ I want clean air .
I want clean water .
I want the cleanest air , want the cleanest water .
The environment is very important to me , ” he said , as quoted by The Post , going on to discuss the book , without naming the author , and incorrectly naming the title .
“ Somebody wrote a book that I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called The Environmentalist , ” Trump said , as quoted by The Guardian newspaper .
“ I ’ d like to get it.
” Despite saying that he would “ like to get ” the book , Trump then went on to claim that he had a copy “ in the other office.
” In the book , Russo claims that Trump offered him the job of environmental adviser to make sure that his building projects would not “ negatively affect habitats , ” according to the Guardian report .
But Russo himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Evironmental Protection Agency , and dismissing the effects of climate change , once saying , “ Every time there ’ s lightning or thunder that , oh , it ’ s climate change , ” as quoted by The Guardian .
Russo , however , claims to remain an informal adviser to Trump — unlike his ghostwriter on his 1987 bestseller The Art of the Deal , Tony Schwartz , who has become one of Trump ’ s most outspoken critics .
Schwartz once described Trump ’ s personality as “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his private thoughts , Trump “ feels in every moment like a fraud .
”

In a sweeping rollback of environmental regulations that have been in place for 50 years, Donald Trump on Friday announced new rules that would severely curtail the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act. But in making the announcement, the president claimed that he was in fact, an “environmentalist,” and said that he’s “a big believer in that word: the environment,” as quoted by The Washington Post.
As proof of his claim to be an “environmentalist,” Trump cited a book, the title of which he could not recall. But media reports quickly identified the book he was referring to as Donald J. Trump: An Environmental Hero. According to the tech news site Gizmodo, the title is a 2016 self-published work by Edward Russo, “an environmental advisor for the Trump Organization,”
Trump’s revisions to the law, which was signed by former President Richard Nixon in 1970, would eliminate or cut back requirements that new federal infrastructure projects undergo a comprehensive review to assess their impact on the environment, and how any harmful effects could be prevented. The law was updated under former President Barack Obama in 2016 to require that all federal agencies discuss how projects would affect climate change in their environmental “impact” reports.
But in his remarks announcing the rollbacks, Trump said that the need for environmental review created “endless delays” that “waste money” and “deny jobs” to American workers.
Trump then proceeded to defend his environmental record.
“I want clean air. I want clean water. I want the cleanest air, want the cleanest water. The environment is very important to me,” he said, as quoted by The Washington Post, as he discussed the book without naming the author or providing the correct title.
“Somebody wrote a book that I’m an environmentalist – it’s actually called The Environmentalist,” Trump said, as quoted by The Guardian. “I’d like to get it.”
Despite saying that he would “like to get” the book, the president then went on to claim that he had a copy “in the other office.”
In the book, Russo claims that Trump offered him the job of environmental advisor to make sure that his building projects would not “negatively affect habitats,” according to the Guardian report. But Russo himself is on record supporting budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, and dismissing the effects of climate change, once saying, “Every time there’s lightning or thunder that, oh, it’s climate change,” as quoted by the publication.
Russo, however, claims to remain an informal advisor to Trump — unlike his ghostwriter on his 1987 bestseller The Art of the Deal, Tony Schwartz, who has become one of the president’s most outspoken critics. Schwartz once described Trump’s personality as “a black hole,” and said that in his private thoughts, Trump “feels in every moment like a fraud.”