The 2017 Trump

Presidency - 8
The First 100 Days +
April 18, 2017 – May 30tthh, 2017

See How The Main Stream Media, The

Neocons, & the Deep State Are Trying To
Destroy The Trump Presidency
And United States of America
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April 2017
FIRST EDITION
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2
 CONTENTS
MSNBC’s Malcolm Nance Nominates Trump Tower Istanbul For ‘ISIS Suicide Bombing’ xxx
“Making America Great Again” By Reducing The World To Ashes? xxx
BOMBSHELL: James Comey Used Buzzfeed Fake Dossier To Build Russia Collusion Case Against Trump xxx
MIT Scientist FURTHER Debunks False Flag: "The Nerve Agent Attack That Did Not Occur" xxx
Trump’s Tax Returns: What’s There To Hide? xxx
Warren Can't Even Name One Good Thing Trump's Done in First 90 Days xxx
Trump’s Fatal Reality Gap And How The Media Can Close It xxx
Foreign Policy and “False Flags”: Trump’s “War and Chocolate” Reality Show xxx
Confirmed: John Brennan Colluded With Foreign Spies To Defeat Trump xxx
Is Trump Heading For War On Iran? xxx
“This Goes Far Beyond Incidental Surveillance. This Was Spying On Political Enemies.” xxx
Obama, Comey Relied On Discredited Dossier To Obtain FISA Warrant On Trump Campaign xxx
Tillerson Warns 'Unchecked Iran' Could Follow Path Of North Korea xxx
Camille Paglia: Trump Already Headed Towards Reelection, Democrats Have Overplayed Their Hand xxx
Democrats’ All-Too-Telling Love For Maxine Waters xxx
MSNBC's Craig Melvin Calls Out Maxine Waters For Impeachment Tweet – Then She Lies On National TV xxx
Treason: John Brennan Worked WITH Foreign Spies In Desperate Attempt To Take Down Donald Trump xxx
Trump’s ‘Armada’ Turns Toward North Korea As White House Defends Misleading Remarks xxx
Oliver Stone Blasts Trump: “He’s Taken Off Handcuffs On War Machine And Turned It Over To Glorified
Generals” xxx
Study: Trump Has Eliminated $86B In Regs xxx
False Accusation Against Russia On North Korea xxx
OPCW Rejects Russian, Iranian Proposal On Investigating Idlib Chemical Incident xxx
Trump Signs Order Granting Steel Import Sanctions On "National Security" Grounds xxx
Assad: West Blocks Probe As It Would Show Idlib 'Attack', US Strike 'False Flag' xxx
Tillerson: 'Iran's Provocative Actions Threaten The United States' xxx
Show Of Force Real Aim Of US Missile Strike In Syria - Russian Foreign Ministry xxx
Where’s Trump’s Duct Tape? xxx
Over 80% Of Russians Consider US Attack On Syrian Airfield As 'Provocation'
PROOF: Ex-CIA Director Brennan Worked Directly With Foreign Spies To Keep Trump OUT Of The Oval
Office xxx
Confirmed: Hillary And CIA Colluded With Foreign Spies To Defeat Trump xxx
Trump Fires Surgeon General xxx
Questions Raised About Another Claim In Trump Dossier xxx
Donald Trump: Ruling Class President xxx
Trump Administration Begins Quiet Preparations For Government Shutdown xxx
President Trump’s Disappearance xxx
Psychiatrists Target Donald Trump With Mental Illness Disinformation Campaign xxx
Trump Sends Princess Ivanka To Germany With Crying Towel xxx
Krieger: The American Empire Under Trump Has Become Increasingly Desperate, Dangerous, & Insecure xxx
Russia Used Trump's Advisers To Meddle In Election Campaign - FBI
What Do Trump And Clinton Share But Lack?
New Report: FBI Was Willing To Pay $50,000 To Former British Spy For Trump Dossier
Changing Narratives: Ex-Trump Adviser Page Fires Back At CNN’s ‘Russia Contacts’ Claim
Trump: The Man Vs. His Ideas
Trump’s Presidential Approval Rating Within First 100 Days In Office Lowest Since 1945
‘Everyone Tunes In’: Inside Trump’s Obsession With Cable TV
US Threat Of War Forces North Korea Into Siege State Mentality
You Got Trumped! Winning Horse In Presidential Race Was Trojan
The Bait Goes On: ‘Russia Remains Scapegoat For Hillary Clinton Losing To Trump’
Candidate Trump: ‘I Love Wikileaks.’ President Trump: ‘Arrest Assange!’
Sad ‘Morning Joe’ Is Floored That Only Two Percent Of Trump Voters Regret Backing Him
Trump Spits On America Again
Insane Shrinks Say Trump Mentally Ill: Official Science Howls At The Moon
Trump Has Dangerous Mental Illness
Entire U.S. Senate To Go To White House For North Korea Briefing

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A Global Catastrophe Is Being Orchestrated By The Elites: “There Are Many Things The President Does Not Know”
Oh My: Democratic Congressman Tells Child That President Trump Is More Dangerous Than A Terrorist
Trump Tells UNSC Members Status Quo On N Korea 'Unacceptable'
US Advocacy Group Warns Of Corporate Takeover Of White House
Trump’s First 100 Days: Already Achieved Massive Cuts In Federal Regulations
Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Wall’ Collides With Congress
Dan Savage Raises 100K With ‘Impeach The Mother F**Ker Already’ Gear
The Madder Trump Gets, The More Seriously The World Takes Him
Matthews Strongly Defends, Re-Ups Comparing Trump Family To Romanovs, Saddam’s Children
President Trump’s First 100 Days In Office: Major Accomplishments
Trump Taps Ex-Cheney Middle East Advisor For Senior Pentagon Post
CNN's Camerota Jokes About Whether Guest Called Trump 'Maniac,' 'Insane'
73% of Americans Want Independent Probe of Russia's Alleged Election Meddling
New York Times Correspondent Praises Trump’s Handling Of The Media
Trump Is Advised By Liars, Like Bush Was
Donald Trump’s Failing Presidency
Trump Talks Tough On North Korea
The Satanists Who Destroyed The Middle East Are Back In Washington
Trump Goes Off The Rails In Fervent Support Of False Jewish Narrative
Senators Describe 'Long And Detailed' White House Briefing On North Korea
Senators: Little Learned During Rare All-Hands North Korea Briefing
The Quantified Presidency
Trump Picks Retired General To Lead Secret Service
Michael Flynn Under Pentagon Investigation. AP Says He Was Warned “Not To Accept Foreign Government
Payments”
Sorry MSM: Leftists Confirm That Protesters Are Paid
Trump Is Puppet Of US ‘Deep State,’ Has No ‘Own’ Foreign Policy – Assad
The First 100 Days…A Tale Of Two Trumps
Reports Uncover Jared Kushner's Business Ties With One Of Israel's Richest Families
The Conservative Media Meets Trump
Trump Fails To Force Health Care Vote In First 100 Days
Trump Continues To Disappoint
Trump: "I'm A Nationalist And A Globalist"
Trump’s Deplorable First 100 Days
Every Promise President Trump Has Broken That Candidate Trump Made
Exclusive: Trump Says He Thought Being President Would Be Easier Than His Old Life
CNN's Brian Stelter: Trump Remarks Mocking CNN And MSNBC Are 'Insidious' And 'Poisonous'
Trump’s Deadly Legacy. One Hundred Days And Counting. And There’s More To Come…
'Broken By US Power Machine': Trump’s 100 Days Prove His Maverick Image Was Fake
‘Buffoonery On Steroids’: Analyzing Trump’s First 100 Days As President
Jews Celebrate Successful Coup Against Trump Administration
CNN's Cabrera Baffled At Ben Stein Finding Anti-Trump Minhaj Jokes 'Sickening'
The Trump Rescue Flare Is Fading Out Fast
Trump Calls Out Media Dishonesty On CBS’s ‘Deface the Nation’
Trump’s Op-Ed Big Lies
99 Problems: NY Times Unwittingly Reveals Own Bias With Collection Of Trump Headlines
Assessing Trump’s First 100 Days: He DID Get A Lot Accomplished… Now If He Could Only Get Congress On Board
'Disturbing' Speech By 'Moral Midget'; CNN Suffers Epic Meltdown Post-Trump Rally
Trump Dismantling Shadow Cabinet As Infighting Escalates: Sources
Media Can’t Stop Whining About ‘Poisonous’ ‘Dangerous’ Trump
CNN Defends Rejecting 'False' Trump Campaign Ad
Concha Trashes Liberal Media Claim That Trump Is A Threat To First Amendment
Dawdling Congress Tests Trump's Patience
Trump's Adviser And Son-In-Law Fails To Report Dealings With Soros
CNN's Begala: 'My Dog Would Be A Better President Than Trump'
Donald Trump's Stunning U-Turn In Less Than Seven Days
Scarborough Smears: I’m Not Saying Trump Has Dementia, But…
Trump: US "Needs A Good Shutdown In September To Fix This Mess"
NBC Calls Out Colbert For ‘Crude’ Anti-Trump Tirade

4
DNC Just Admitted They Had The Legal Right To Rig The 2016 Primaries
Susan Rice Declines To Testify Before Senate Subcommittee
James Comey: Loretta Lynch's Tarmac Meeting With Bill Clinton Was The Turning Point In The Email Investigation
Trump Blasts Susan Rice
For Declining Request To Testify Before Senate Panel
Tom Fitton: Comey Has ‘Repeatedly And Improperly Protected Clinton And Her Top People From Consequences Of
Criminal Behavior’
Top Democrat ‘Has Seen No Evidence Of Trump-Russia Collusion’ (VIDEO)
James Comey Didn't Sink Hillary, Hillary Sank Hillary
Comey’s Quixotic Quest To Prove Russian Involvement In Elections
'No Evidence Russia Influencing Voter Tallies In...50 States' ‒ US Ex-Intel Chief
Yates / Clapper Hearing: Flynn In Deep Trouble But Still "No Evidence" Of Trump Collusion With Russia
Sources Claim That Comey Firing Could Release Of Documents, Potential New Clinton Probe
"This Is Nixonian" - Democrats Demand "Immediate Emergency Hearings" Over Comey Termination
Loretta Lynch Busted: Leaked Email Shows She ‘Would Do Everything She Could’ To Protect Hillary From
Criminal Charges (VIDEO)
F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired By Trump
President Trump Fires FBI Director Comey
Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey
10 Major FBI Scandals On Comey's Watch
Krauthammer: ‘Highly Implausible’ To Claim Comey Was Fired For How He Handled Clinton Investigation
Trump Changes His Twitter Banner To Include Tweet Citing Former Intelligence Director Clapper Saying
There Is 'No Evidence Of Collusion' With Russia
Trump Ax Falls On FBI's Comey In Midst Of Russia Probe
CNN Exclusive: Grand Jury Subpoenas Issued In FBI's Russia Investigation
Updates And Reactions To F.B.I. Director Comey’s Firing
President Trump Fires FBI Director Comey
Comey’s Firing Means Hillary Clinton Can be Prosecuted
Trump Fires Comey: Spin Doctors Go Wild In The Swamp
Phoenix Trump Nazi Billboard Funded With Taxpayer Dollars
Michael Snyder Is Calling For An Army Of Pro-Trump Activists To Run For Office All Over America
WikiLeaks Offers "US$100k For The Trump-Comey Tapes"
Trump Threatens Comey Not To Leak To The Press: "Better Hope There Are No Tapes"
BREAKING: FBI Source Drops Comey Bombshell, People Are Going To Prison
As Clinton Blames Comey & Russia, Authors Of “Shattered” Expose Aimless Campaign
The ‘Soft Coup’ Of Russia-Gate
CORRUPTION Confirmed As Email Reveals FBI Head James Comey Protected Clinton, Lynch From Prosecution
Classified Bombshell Hyperventilation
Are They Really Out To Get Trump?
Michael Moore Once Again Claims He’s Going To Take Trump Down With A Movie
Retired Green Beret Warns A Successful Derailment Of Trump's Efforts Is Well Under Way; War Is Inevitable
BREAKING: Putin Offers Congress Transcript Of Trump-Lavrov Meeting
Why FBI Can’t Tell All on Trump, Russia
RED ALERT: Attempted Political Coup Now Taking Place In D.C. With Effort To Impeach Trump For Fabricated
“Obstruction Of Justice”
White House Vows To Audit The Pentagon, Which Would Be A First
Congressman Calls For Trump Impeachment For "Obstruction Of Justice"
The Dow Plunges 372 Points As Trump Impeachment Talk Reaches A Fever Pitch On Capitol Hill
US Congress Should Not Rush To Impeach Trump - Schiff
Banker: "One Million Will March On Washington If They Impeach Trump. They Will Be Armed"
CNN Brazenly Suggests The 'Deep State' Is Responsible For Memogate Revenge Against The President
Top GOP Lawmakers Were Secretly Recorded Saying They Think Putin Pays Trump
House Majority Leader To Colleagues In 2016: ‘I Think Putin Pays’ Trump
OBSESSED! 92% Of CNN’s Trump Coverage Is Negative
Putin Says Can Prove Trump Did Not Pass Russia Secrets
Trump Campaign Said To Have 18 Previously Undisclosed Russia Contacts: Reuters
Articles Of Impeachment For Donald J. Trump
Banana Republic Antics in Washington
Comey-Probing Congressman Announces Early Resignation From Politics
Putin Accused Of Bribing Trump
5
Trump: Russia Probe Is Greatest Witch Hunt Of A Politician In US History
NYT Praise For Witch-Hunt Investigations
Tapping Ex-FBI Head To Lead Russia Probe Likely To Hurt Russia-US Ties
Trump Team Knew About FBI Probe Into Flynn Before Naming Him Top Security Aide
Mike Flynn Refuses To Honor Senate Subpoena
US Air Strikes Pound Pro-Assad Forces In Syria
Liberal Activists Organizing Nationwide Impeachment Marches
Re: Wash Post story -- Sorry to write this on a Saturday night
Impeachment Odds: Record Bets Online That Trump Won’t Last Until Year-End
How To Impeach The President (Or Not)
Trump: Where Was Special Counsel for Hillary and Obama?
The Ghost Of Mike Flynn
McCain Questions Rationality Of Calls To Impeach US President
The Washington Post: America's #1 Source Of Mass Hysteria
Comey Admits Under Oath That Obstructions To Investigations "Never Happened"
Deep State Cover-Ups, Conspiracies & Lies
Fmr. Rep. Kucinich Says The ‘Deep State’ Is Trying To Destroy Trump And Associates
Internet Freedom Fighter Kim Dotcom Questions Why Seth Rich’s Murder Is Not Solved, Presents Camera Locations
To Be Checked
Kim Dotcom Confirms May 16, Intellihub Report: Murdered DNC Staffer Seth Rich Was The “DNC Emails”
Wikileaker
Trump Shakes Hands With Saudi Leader, Doesn't Bow As Obama Appeared To Do
Latest Anti-Trump Media Assault
Kushner ‘Person Of Interest’ In Russia Probe: Report
Trump Comes To Israel Citing A Palestinian Deal As Crucial
Washington Post Exposed As A CIA Front Propaganda Rag Working To Overthrow The Trump Administration And
Install Political Puppets
Donald Of Arabia: A Disgusting Spectacle
D.C. Surgeon Who Operated On Seth Rich: ‘The DNC Staffer Was Alive And Well After Surgery, Before A Group Of
Leos Showed Up To The ICU’
‘Spirit Cooking Creep’ John Podesta Bashes Trump, One Obvious Reason Why
Coulter: If Trump Doesn't Keep His Promises, Dems Will Win Big In 2018 & Impeach Him
Kim Dotcom Tweets: I Was Involved With Seth Rich. Public Statement Tuesday #Wikileaks
Fox Drops Seth Rich Murder Story As Sean Hannity Attacks 'Liberal Fascism'
The Republic Has Fallen: The Deep State’s Plot To Take Over America Has Succeeded
Partisan WashPost Editor Convicts Trump: This ‘Feels Like’ Watergate
Why Trump Is On Track To Disappoint Israel’s Netanyahu
Chris Cuomo Defends Illegal Leaks, Dismisses Any Damage Done, Blames The President
Kim Dotcom Releases New Statement On Seth Rich And It May Shock You
Did Several Democratic IT Staffers Under Investigation Just Flee To Pakistan?
New Cracks In Russia-Gate ‘Assessment’
Want Donald Trump Impeached? Be Careful What You Wish For
Pastorum Group Spokesperson In Seth Rich Case Tied To Democrat Propaganda Chief
Caught On Tape: Wasserman Schultz Threatens Police Chief For Investigating Her IT Staff's Crimes
Key Democratic Officials Now Warning Base Not To Expect Evidence Of Trump/Russia Collusion
Trump In Rome
Seth Rich Likely Murdered Over Hillary Clinton’s Uranium One Ties, The Offloading Of 20% Of America’s Uranium
Supply To The Russians
Comey’s Upcoming Senate Testimony Much Ado About Nothing
"Secret" Russian Document Influenced Comey's Probe Into Hillary Clinton: Report
Egyptian President Calls Out Trump And Saudi Arabia For Aiding And Abetting Terrorism
Anti-Trump Media Bias
The Latest Deceptive NYT Deep State Press Release
MRC’s Brent Bozell Condemns CNN As ‘National Disgrace’ For Trump Coverage
Judiciary Now Attempting To Nullify The Presidential Election With Ridiculous Ruling On Trump’s Travel Ban
Still No Proof Of Trump Russia Collusion, Economic Update, MSM Is Fake News
Trump's Right About Germany
FBI Refuses To Hand Over “Comey Memos” To Congress
Trump Will Be IMPEACHED: Clinton Returns To Her University To Launch All-Out Attack On President
Lone Congresswoman Calls Out Trump For Insane Arms Deal With Human Rights Violator Saudi Arabia
6
How Team Obama Tried To Hack The Election
CNN Reporter Admits: We Report From Progressive 'Arc Of History' As Defined By Obama, Hillary
Report: Sean Hannity To Be Fired By Fox News Over Seth Rich Murder Coverage
WSJ’s Strassel Destroys Stacked Anti-Trump Panel on ‘Meet the Press’ With Facts
What Did Trump Accomplish On His First Foreign Trip?
McCain: Russia Is A Bigger Threat Than ISIS; Comey Investigated Clinton Over 'Fake News'
Truth About Seth Rich Murder May Expose The Establishments ‘Russian Hacking’ Propaganda
Huge Piece Of The Seth Rich Murder Puzzle - Report: FBI Memo Connects Seth Rich To Wikileaks After His Murder
But Before Wikileaks Released Leaked DNC/Podesta Emails
White House Slams "False & Unverifiable" CNN Claims Of Intercepted Russian Trump Threats
DNC Lawsuit Exposes Corruption, Data Breaches, Raises Questions About Death Of Shawn Lucas
Trump's White House Communications Director Has Resigned
New Evidence Suggests Seth Rich Was DNC Leaker
Seth Rich Mystery: DNC Leaks Came From Inside, Not Russian Hackers
Evidence Backs Claim Pro-Bernie Seth Rich Was DNC Leaker
Chris Cuomo Thinks CNN Needs To Hear From More Anti-Trump Voices

7
 MSNBC’s Malcolm Nance Nominates Trump Tower
Istanbul For ‘ISIS Suicide Bombing’
By Nicholas Fondacaro
April 18, 2017 | 11:27 PM EDT

In an absolutely shocking tweet late Tuesday afternoon,

MSNBC’s Counter Terrorism Analyst Malcolm Nance
stepped up and suggested that ISIS bomb a Trump
property in Turkey. “This is my nominee for first ISIS
suicide bombing of a Trump property,” he tweeted in
response to another one asserting that President Trump
congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
election win for corrupt reasons tied to his tower.

Nance has since deleted the tweet but has yet to issue an
apology or a clarification.

This isn’t the first time Nance has invoked ISIS in relation
to Donald Trump. During the 2016 election, he once
declared that Donald Trump was the “ISIS candidate,” and
claimed he was propping up the terrorist organization with
his rhetoric.

And when it comes to terrorist attacks, Nance has a history

of playing them down. In his commentary on the truck
attack in Nice, France, Nance argued that the driver could
possibly be just suffering from a mental ailment.

Nance had also downplayed the attack at the gay nightclub

in Orlando, Florida. There he suggested that the attack was
not linked to terrorism but Omar Mateen’s personal
“psycho-sexual problem.” He also added that “San
Bernardino may, in fact, have been a hybrid act of
terrorism/workplace violence.”
.

8
 “Making America Great Again”
By Reducing The World To Ashes?
By Felicity Arbuthnot
Global Research, April 18, 2017

“And you saw that quite frankly in Syria and

you saw that in Afghanistan. And he will
take action if he needs to take action.”
“You have to have massive backbone
when it comes to dealing with awful, awful
dictators who don’t like us, don’t like our
way of life.”

Straight out of the George W. Bush handbook:

“They hate our way of life.” Wait for: “You

are either with us, or you are with the
“In the event of a nuclear war, there will be terrorists.”
no chances, there will be no survivors – all
will be obliterated… nuclear devastation is But again, why no proof of North Korea’s
not science fiction – it is a matter of fact. much vaunted threatening action? The US
The world now stands on the brink of the has: “an existing armada of spy planes and
final abyss. Let us all resolve to take all drones on and around the Korean
possible practical steps to ensure that we Peninsula.”
do not, through our own folly, go over the
edge.” Former First Sea Lord, Lord Louis Moreover:
Mountbatten (1900-1979) Strasbourg, 11
May 1979.” “The Pentagon’s Space-Based Infrared
System (SBIRS) employs multiple types of
As US threats ratchet up towards North Korea, the latest satellites and sensors to address some of
hinging on the accusation that the country attempted a these issues and provide greater coverage.
further ballistic missile test on the annual Day of the Sun, According to defense contractor Lockheed
the annual national holiday holiday commemorating the Martin, the constellation can watch for the
birth of the country’s founder and Kim Jong Un’s heat signature of enemy missile launches
grandfather, Kim Il Sung. and track them in flight, gather details
about those weapons and their capabilities
Without the slightest proof produced by the US that such a …
test was attempted, yet alone a nuclear one, Donald “Closer to earth, spy planes and drones
Trump’s language and that of his fiefdom have been on are almost constantly zipping around North
the level of a bar room brawl rather than statesmanlike. Korea. The Air Force and the Army have
The sabre rattling, intemperate recklessness in threatening spy planes and unmanned reconnaissance
to do “whatever it takes” with serially verbally challenged aircraft permanently deployed in the region
spokesman, Sean Spicer calling the invisible test “an …
unsuccessful military attack”, is sending shivers down
“Satellite data links, known as Senior Span
governmental and national spines across the globe.
and Senior Spur, mean the spy planes can
send back some of this information back to
“All our options are on the table”, said base while still in flight so analyst can begin
National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster. picking it apart. The Air Force has the
694th Intelligence, Surveillance and
The Presidency being a family affair, Trump’s son Eric Reconnaissance Group at Osan in part to
chipped in on Fox and Friends with: help ‘exploit’ this kind of data.”
9
There is also: Equally certain is that North Korea’s activities are equally
detectible.
“ … the U.S. Navy’s Task Force 72, the unit
overseeing the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s aerial “It is not just heat”, states Ritter,
patrol and reconnaissance forces. P-3C “centrifuge facilities emit gamma radiation,
Orion and P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft as well as many other frequencies. It is
and EP-3E Aries II spy planes rotate detectable. Iraq could not get around this.”
through deployments to the unit’s bases at “Our radar detects the tests, we know what
Naval Air Stations Atsugi and Misawa Air
the characteristics are, and we know
Base in Japan. From there, they make
there’s nothing to be worried about.” (2)
routine trips to South Korea proper for
training exercises. The EP-3E Aries IIs are
dedicated intelligence gathers, but all three In 2015, Scott Ritter wrote a further detailed article with
types could help monitor North Korean facts which surely apply to North Korea (3.) Arriving in
developments.” Iraq their ground vehicles were accompanied above by:

Further: “… sensor-laden helicopters and U-2 high-

altitude reconnaissance aircraft above and
high-resolution spy satellites providing
“The RC-135S Cobra Ball and RC-135U
further imagery … satellite imagery
Combat Sent have very different missions.
detected a still existing covert missile force
The Air Force’s three Cobra Balls have
…”
specialized gear to track ballistic missile
launches … The two Combat Sents have
equipment to detect and analyze electronic He concludes:
emissions from sites on the ground.” The
astonishing array of surveillance is “ … in Iraq … the end result was a war
comprehensively presented at (1.) based on flawed intelligence and baseless
accusations that left many thousands dead
It is also worth quoting former UN weapons Inspector in and a region in turmoil.”
Iraq, Scott Ritter back in 2002, seven months before the
illegal invasion and destruction of Iraq (ongoing) If the US makes a nuclear attack on North Korea, the
describing sophistication of monitoring, with warning megalomaniacal, narcissistic and seemingly frighteningly
words on how politics can cause irreversible disaster: ill informed Donald Trump – who, in an early telephone
call to President Putin was reported as having to put his
“And we had in place means to monitor – hand over the mouthpiece and ask someone what the
both from vehicles and from the air – the START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, 4) was –
gamma rays that accompany attempts to could trigger the unimaginable.
enrich uranium or plutonium. We never
found anything. We can say unequivocally “In our new age of terrifying, lethal gadgets,
that the industrial infrastructure needed by which supplanted so swiftly the old one, the
Iraq to produce nuclear weapons had been first great aggressive war, if it should come,
eliminated.” will be launched by suicidal little madmen
pressing an electronic button.
Further: “Such a war will not last long and none will
ever follow it. There will be no conquerors
“We eliminated the nuclear programme, and no conquests, but only the charred
and for Iraq to have reconstituted it bones of the dead on and uninhabited
would require undertaking activities planet.”
eminently detectable by intelligence
services.”

Reference 2.
William L. Shirer (1904-1993) The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/sep/19
History of Nazi Germany /iraq.features11
Notes 3. https://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n13/scott-
1. http://www.thedrive.com/the-war- ritter/we-aint-found-shit
zone/9315/this-is-how-america-keeps-watch- 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/START_I
over-north-korea-from-the-sky

10
 BOMBSHELL: James Comey Used Buzzfeed Fake
Dossier To Build Russia Collusion Case Against Trump
Alex Christoforou
April 19, 2017

It now appears that we are entering a phase where the bureau has used to bolster its investigation, according to
entire Russiagate fake news is collapsing unto itself, with US officials briefed on the probe.
little fanfare and media attention…given that North Korea
and Trump’s war presidency has placated the liberal left This includes approval from the secret
and neocon right. court that oversees the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to
It was but a few weeks ago when Buzzfeed released the monitor the communications of Carter
now infamous fake news dossier, claiming Donald Trump Page, two of the officials said. Last year,
was the recipient of “Golden Showers” in a Moscow Page was identified by the Trump
hotel, and Putin had it all on video…making Trump the campaign as an adviser on national
ultimate, compromised US President. security.

The dossier was allegedly compiled by an anonymous Zerohedge reports…

source (who we now know as former MI6
agent Christopher Steele), James Comey, the man who refused to
bring charges against Hillary Clinton
who claimed the Russian government despite a mountain of concrete evidence
had been nurturing Donald Trump as a that she, and several members of her staff,
potential president for “at least 5 years,” knowingly violated several federal laws,
offering him lucrative business apparently used the largely discredited
opportunities, supplied with “Trump Dossier” to help secure a FISA
intelligence, and arranged for warrant to secretly monitor Trump’s
“perverted sexual acts” to be able to former campaign aide, Carter Page.
blackmail Trump.
Among other things, the dossier alleged that Page met
The entire dossier was such fiction that the majority of senior Russian officials as an emissary of the Trump
mainstream news media outlets refused to run the story. It campaign, and discussed quid-pro-quo deals relating to
took fake news listicle site Buzzfeed to publish the dossier, sanctions, business opportunities and Russia’s interference
and very fake news CNN to reference the Buzzfeed article. in the election. Page has denied meeting the officials
named in the dossier and says he never cut any political
CNN is now reporting that FBI Director James deals with the Kremlin.
Comey used the “Trump Dossier” to secure a FISA
warrant to secretly monitor Trump campaign aide, Carter According to the Washington Post, the warrant to monitor
Page. Page was obtained in the summer of 2016 which indicates
that the FBI was in possession of the now-infamous
CNN reports… dossier well before President Obama supposedly received
his first briefing on the material in December 2016.
The FBI last year used a dossier of
allegations of Russian ties to Donald Of course, as we reported back in January
Trump’s campaign as part of the (see “Here Is The Full 35-Page Report
justification to win approval to secretly Alleging Trump Was “Cultivated,
monitor a Trump associate, according to Supported And Assisted” By Russia“)
US officials briefed on the investigation. the dossier, compiled by ex-British
intelligence official Chris Steele, was
almost immediately discredited by the
The dossier has also been cited by FBI Director James
public at large after numerous glaring
Comey in some of his briefings to members of Congress in
errors were quickly identified and
recent weeks, as one of the sources of information the
11
 salicious stories of ‘golden showers’ discovery process will be of great value to
and other sexual acts were also the United States, as our nation hears
dismissed as pure rubbish. testimony from them under oath and we
receive disclosure of the documents which
Allegedly the dossier was even available to the Clinton show what exactly was done in 2016.”
campaign should they have chosen to use it to discredit
Trump, but even they were quickly convinced that no one
would buy it.

All of which, once again, brings into

question the level of stupidity and/or
pure corruption that must have been
involved in this process given the shear
number of people whose approval was
undoubtedly required to authorize the
issuance of a FISA warrant that paved
the way for Comey and the Obama
administration to secretly monitor the
Trump campaign.

The man at the center of the liberal left smear campaign,

Carter Page, replied to this latest revelation, saying that he
looks forward to the lawsuit he plans to file…

“I look forward to the Privacy Act of 1974

lawsuit that I plan to file in response to the
civil rights violations by Obama
administration appointees last year. The
.

12
 MIT Scientist FURTHER Debunks False Flag:
"The Nerve Agent Attack That Did Not Occur"
By Theodore A. Postol
Published: April 19, 2017

THE NERVE AGENT ATTACK THAT DID NOT some kind of poisoning event, but that event was not the
OCCUR: one described by the WHR.

ANALYSIS OF THE TIMES AND The findings of this analysis can serve two important
LOCATIONS OF CRITICAL EVENTS IN purposes:
THE ALLEGED NERVE AGENT ATTACK
AT 7 AM ON APRIL 4, 2017 IN KHAN 1. It shows exactly what needs to be determined in an
SHEIKHOUN, SYRIA international investigation of this alleged atrocity. In
particular, if an international investigation can
Introduction determine where casualties from the nerve agent
attack lived, it will further confirm that the findings
This analysis contains a detailed description of the times reported by the WHR are not compatible with the data
and locations of critical events in the alleged nerve agent it cites as evidence for its conclusions.
attack of April 4, 2017 in Khan Shaykhun, Syria – 2. It also establishes that the WHR did not utilize simple
assuming that the White House Intelligence Report (WHR) and widely agreed upon intelligence analysis
issued on April 11, 2017 correctly identified the alleged procedures to determine its conclusions.
sarin release site.
This raises troubling questions about how the US political
Analysis using weather data from the time of the attack and military leadership determined that the Syrian
shows that a small hamlet about 300 m to the east government was responsible for the alleged attack. It is
southeast of the crater could be the only location affected particularly of concern that the WHR presented itself as a
by the alleged nerve agent release. The hamlet is separated report with “high confidence” findings and that numerous
from the alleged release site (a crater) by an open field. high-level officials in the US government have confirmed
The winds at the time of the release would have initially their belief that the report was correct and to a standard of
taken the sarin across the open field. Beyond the hamlet high confidence.
there is a substantial amount of open space and the sarin
cloud would have had to travel long additional distance for Methodology Used in This Analysis
it to have dissipated before reaching any other population
center. The construction of the time of day at which particular
video frames were generated is determined by simply
Video taken on April 4 shows that the location where the using the planetary geometry of the sun angle during the
victims were supposedly being treated from sarin exposure day on April 4. The illustration below of the sun-angle
is incompatible with the only open space in the hamlet that geometry shows the Day/Night Sun Terminator at the
could have been used for mass treatment of victims. This location of Khan Sheikhoun on April 4. The angle of the
indicates that the video scenes where mass casualties (dead sun relative to local horizontal is summarized in the table
and dying) were laid on the ground randomly was not at that follows the image of the planetary geometry along
the hamlet. If the location where the bodies were on the with the temperature during the day between 6:30 AM and
ground was instead a site where the injured and dead were 6 PM.
taken for processing, then it is hard to understand why
bodies were left randomly strewn on the ground and in The next set of two side-by-side images shows the
mud as shown in the videos. shadows at a location where a large number of poison
victims are being treated in what appears to be the
The conclusion of this summary of data is obvious – the aftermath of a poisoning event. The shadows indicate that
nerve agent attack described in the WHR did not occur as this event occurred at about 7:30 AM. This is consistent
claimed. There may well have been mass casualties from with the possibility of a nerve agent attack at 7 AM on the
morning of April 4 and it is also consistent with the

13
allegation in the WHR that an attack occurred at 6:55 AM this individual would be subjected to the severe and
on that day. possibly fatal effects of sarin poisoning. As a result, this
throws substantial suspicion on the possibility that the
The timing sequence of the attack is important for crater identified by WHR would be the source of the sarin
determining the consistency of the timelines with the release.
allegations of a sarin release at the crater identified in the
WHR. At the time of the sarin release, the temperature of the air
was about 60°F and the sun was at an angle of only 8°
Assuming there was an enough sarin released from the relative to local horizontal. This means that liquid sarin left
crater identified by the WHR to cause mass casualties at on the ground from the dispersal event would remain
significant downwind distances, the sarin would have mostly unevaporated. By 11 AM, the temperature of the air
drifted downwind at a speed of 1 to 2 m/s and for several had risen to 75° and the angle of the sun relative to
minutes before encountering the only location where mass horizontal was at 66°. Thus, one would expect that the
casualties could have occurred from this particular release. combination of the rise in air temperature and the sun on
The location where these mass casualties would have had the crater would lead to significant evaporation of liquid
to occur will be identified and described in the next sarin left behind from the initial dispersal event. The air
section. If there was a sarin release elsewhere, mass temperature and sun angle are such that the area around the
casualties would have not occurred at this location but crater should have been quite dangerous for anybody
would have occurred somewhere else in the city. without protection to operate.

Assuming the victims of the attack were exposed to the This is therefore an important indication that the crater was
plume, the symptoms of sarin poisoning would have probably not a dispersal site of the sarin.
express themselves almost immediately. As such, the scene
at 7:30 AM on April 4 is absolutely consistent with the The final set of three photographs shows arriving victims
possibility of a mass poisoning downwind of the sarin- seeking treatment at a hospital at some location in Khan
release crater. Sheikhoun. The arrivals at the hospital are at between 9
and 10:30 AM on the day of the attack. This is perhaps late
The next figure shows the earliest photograph we have since victims were seriously exposed by 7:30 AM, but
been able to find of an individual standing by the sarin- victims could have been trailing in after the initial arrival
release crater where the alleged release occurred. The of severely affected victims. This time is considerably
photo was posted on April 4 and the shadow indicates the earlier than the time at which WHR alleges that a hospital
time of day was around 10:50 AM. Thus the individual was attacked while treating victims of the poisoning attack.
was standing by the crater roughly 4 hours after the
dispersal event. In the next section we discuss the location where mass
casualties should have occurred if the sarin release
If the dispersal event was from this crater, the area where occurred at the location alleged by the WHR.
this unprotected individual is standing would be toxic and

14
 Khan Shaykhun Sun Angles
Relative to Local Horizontal on April 4, 2017

Sun Angle in
Local Time of Surface
Degrees
Day in Khan Temperature
Relative to
ShayKhun on in Degrees
Local
April 4, 2017 Fahrenheit
Horizontal

6:30 58.16 1.20

7.00 60.24 8.40

7:30 62.39 15.60

8.00 64.55 22.80

8:30 66.68 30.00

9.00 68.74 37.20

9:30 70.69 44.40

10.00 72.51 51.60

10:30 74.15 58.80

11.00 75.59 66.00

11:30 76.81 73.20

12.00 77.80 80.40

12:30 78.53 87.60

13.00 79.01 94.80

13:30 79.24 102.00

14.00 79.22 109.20

14:30 78.96 116.40

15.00 78.48 123.60

15:30 77.81 130.80

16.00 76.99 138.00

16:30 76.04 145.20

17.00 75.03 152.40

17:30 74.01 159.60

18.00 73.05 166.80

15
 Trump’s Tax Returns: What’s There To Hide?
By Sam Richards
April 19, 2017

Let’s begin by dispatching with the flimsy pretext that Donald Trump recently declared on Twitter, the election is
Donald Trump should not publish his tax returns because over—and any hit to his poll numbers over the specifics of
he is under audit, if it is even true that he is under audit. his effective tax rates is likely to be unimportant while he
With the IRS operating on a barebones budget, it’s true has us teetering on the precipice of war with North Korea.
that audits can be slow to resolve, but they are typically
The real reason that Donald Trump will never publish his
limited in scope to specific issues and there is nothing
tax returns is likely summed up in two words: foreign
plausible, let alone “routine,” about an audit that allegedly
reporting. While foreign reporting requirements can often
never ends. But that’s beside the point, as the Internal
be separate from a person’s tax filings, Form 8938:
Revenue Service already has copies of his tax returns in
Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets is required
their entirety, so there is no leverage lost in Donald Trump
to be filed with the tax returns of individuals who have
publishing his tax filings for the general public to see. The
certain valuable overseas foreign assets, and Donald
IRS has nothing to gain from Donald Trump publishing the
Trump likely has dozens, if not hundreds, of such
information that they have already had on file for years.
reportable foreign financial assets. The “smoking gun” in
There are many actual reasons for which Donald Trump is Donald Trump’s tax returns is most likely that he has so
hiding his tax information in the face of mounting public much of his wealth in foreign assets that his personal
pressure. The most favorable justification to him may be financial interests are irreconcilable with the interests of
that detail provided in his personal tax returns could be the American people, and his tax returns, if published in
used by third parties, like creditors or former business their entirety, would reveal conflicts of interests so
partners, to provide evidence of actionable claims against intractable and damning that they would be without
him, such as that he broke contracts or misled his many precedent in modern political history. America’s foreign
debtors. This is unlikely, however, because his personal policy may be driven in large part by which specific
tax returns will only divulge the most basic financial data countries Donald Trump has chosen to invest his father’s
from his businesses—for example, his share of their fortune in.
income and losses—and to see the real inner workings of
In the face of certain corruption in the White House,
his business dealings one would need access to the tax
Americans should call for transparency now more than
returns of The Trump Organization and the various other
ever. The Trump Administration will only be as
businesses he owns an interest in. There’s just not much
transparent as the American public demands it to be, and
information contained in his personal tax returns that is
so when the White House makes announcements like the
detailed enough that it could be used effectively in a
declaration that they will no longer publish the White
lawsuit against him.
House visitor logs, the American public should forcefully
The next most favorable excuse might be the cynical and reject these decisions as fundamentally unacceptable to the
fundamentally unacceptable conclusion that the political values of our democracy. As Donald Trump continues to
benefits of concealing the information outweigh the break historic precedent in failing to publish his tax
political costs. Maybe Donald Trump’s tax returns would returns, the American public can only assume it is because
reveal that Melania Trump likes to give money to Planned Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest are vast and pervasive
Parenthood, or alternatively that they give almost nothing that they impair his ability to serve another day as
to charity, and publishing his tax returns would likely president. The best thing for the American public to do is
reveal that he has taken overly aggressive tax positions— to demand transparency and accountability, vocally and
an especially likely theory if he is under a seemingly never persistently, and not acquiesce to the corruption by easing
ending audit and brags about doing everything legally up on the public pressure. Americans should take to the
permissible to avoid paying his fair share. Another likely streets and loudly denounce the sham that has become the
political disincentive to publishing the returns may be that American presidency until the White House is compelled
Donald Trump loses money more often than he makes it, to cave to mounting public pressure and introduce
and publishing his tax returns would divulge the fact that desperately needed transparency and reforms, beginning
he continues to roll forward huge net operating losses— with the publication of the White House visitor logs and
that is, accumulated losses from decades of bankrupting Donald Trump’s tax returns.
his poorly managed business ventures. However, as
.
16
 Warren Can't Even Name
One Good Thing Trump's Done in First 90 Days
By Kristine Marsh
April 19, 2017 | 2:05 PM EDT

that makes it easier for companies that kill

or maim their employees to keep it hidden.
He signed off to make it easier for
investment advisers to cheat pensioners
and retirees, and to me, Trumpcare was,
like, the whole thing in one microcosm.
When he said, “Hey. I'm all in for a plan to
knock 24 million people off their health care
coverage, raise the cost for a lot of middle
class families so that we can produce a tax
cut for a handful of millionaires and
billionaires.” So look. I wish he were out
there working for middle class families and
Senator Elizabeth Warren was on Wednesday’s The View the working families and the working poor,
to talk about her new book, but it turned into the usual slob but what he is doing is delivering one gut
fest of friendly questions and Trump-bashing answers. punch after another.

However, the interview started off unexpectedly, with

libertarian host Jedediah Bila asking Warren to play
devil’s advocate and name one thing that Trump had done
“right” in his first 90 days in office. Warren, ever partisan,
couldn’t even manage that and turned the question around
to name everything Trump had done “wrong” in office so
far.

The interview began with Bila confessing the first question

would be a “curveball”:

BILA: Trump has been here for 90 days. The fact that Warren couldn’t even muster a semblance of
WARREN: Is that all? It's, like, dog years or neutral or positive statement towards just one of the
something. president’s efforts, shows just how partisan and extreme a
politician she is, yet this is the same show which
BILA: He has done a lot of stuff in 90 days.
frequently bashes Republicans for being “extremists.”
What has he done right so far? [
Laughter ]
Of course, Warren’s answer was like red meat for rabidly
WARREN: No. Actually, I take that anti-Trump host Joy Behar. She followed up by asking her
question very seriously. Because, look. “why” Trump still had supporters. “They get nothing!”
Obviously, I fought hard to try the get Behar added.
Hillary elected. I did not want to see Donald
Trump as president. But he promised he
Warren claimed it was because Trump was the master of
was going to be out there for working
distraction and had fooled voters.
people. And, you know, it's not -- it's not the
what he says. It's not the tweets. I just keep
watching what he is actually doing. And so Sunny Hostin then asked, “Now that we
in 90 days, he signed off on a law that have a President Trump in the White
makes it easier for employers to steal their House, do you regret that decision [not
employees' wages. He signed off on a law to run]?”

17
Co-host Sara Haines added to Hostin’s question by asking, As per usual, the panel and the audience hung by baited
“could things have been different” if Warren had “jumped breath for each answer Warren gave. Instead of the
in earlier” to endorse Hillary Clinton. Warren took constant interruptions Republicans get from the hosts, she
umbrage at that notion, acting as if Bernie Sanders had a was able to complete every answer, with dutiful rounds of
legitimate chance at becoming the Democratic candidate, applause from the audience after every response.
but said that she did everything she could to get Clinton
elected once she was the forerunner.
.

18
 Trump’s Fatal Reality Gap
And How The Media Can Close It
By James Rose
April 19, 2017

Recently, I have had reason to revisit a journal article I Palestinian people have never recovered, and desperation,
published in 1996. The essay, titled “The Fatal Gap” frustration and alienation remains a force in the region.
argued that the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, then
having just won leadership of the first ever autonomous This is a common problem. The best or most worthy
Palestinian Council, was not a legitimate leader of the causes are not always the ones we learn about in our news
vibrant civil sector it purported to represent. Donor money and current affairs feeds. The fatal gap I noted in my essay
and political support was, I suggested, misdirected to the is actually still very noticeable globally. But, I was wrong
PLO as civil society in Gaza and in the West Bank had to focus on political leaders as the source of this
been running both places for years, had a non-violent dysfunction. It really rests with our media industry.
agenda and understood better the needs of Palestinian
people. Better to back local NGOs rather than the PLO I
TRUMP’S AMERICA
argued.
The same gap is there and the relationship between the
As I read this I was struck by an odd and unexpected
state and the citizenry will widen, as it has already, under a
similarity with today’s America.
Trump Presidency. As in Gaza and the West Bank, and as
in examples around the world too numerous to mention, a
Like the PLO, President Trump was elected on the basis of fascination with centralised power and an obsession with
a revolutionary prospect. His frame has been to upturn the its travails will ensure American civil society will be
current status-quo and to “drain the swamp” of its bottom marginalised as the state and it’s peripatetic leader suck the
dwellers and to radically change the structure of power in air out of the rest of society.
Washington. It’s all hot air of course and will not happen,
but, the revolutionary intent is well established.
It is as if the currency of politics is traded only in the halls
of state power and in the crippled minds and bucket
The PLO found that translating a sense of often violent mouths of those who walk there. And so, a fatal gap.
revolution into the mundane day-to-day action of
government was difficult if not impossible. The dynamics
Since the Trump election, I have been enjoying attempts
are too different to be managed by a small number of the
by some media outlets to explain the Trump phenomenon
same people who have fought at the barricades. and to take on his foibles. Some have sought to
contextualise the man’s ascendency and to bravely attempt
One Gazan I spoke to, with a keen eye for European to lay out the implications his vague ideas and random
history, called the then leader of the PLO, Yassir decision-making processes will have.
Arafat,”the Napoleon of Palestine.”
But, one thing concerns me. These publications, despite
Trump’s administration seems afflicted with the same the intelligence and wisdom of their content, are keeping
problematic transition. the spotlight on Trump. Mainstream media has, almost
exclusively focussed on the post-victory manoeuvres, the
The connections don’t bear a lot of comparisons. But, the lead up to the inauguration, the inauguration speech and
point I want to make here is that from the mid-1990s concert and the early days of the presidency. This means,
onwards, the PLO sucked up all the attention. The media the inevitable fumbles and falls, the predictable blusters
equated the PLO with Palestine and vice-versa. The result and the petty tweeting all receive headline coverage.
was, as I had predicted, aid and support went to the PLO,
the squeakiest wheel. Civil-based groups in Gaza and the There is a lot of confusion in media circles about how to
West Bank were starved, the people suffered and, the cover Trump. Some are, as above trying gamely to take
region was even riper for more extreme elements. The him seriously. Others are falling back on a kind of wry,
occasionally shrill tirade on Trump’s myriad of
19
shortcomings. While this rightly holds Trump’s feet to in which Donald John Trump can become a leader? What
fires of truth, so far he seems to have asbestos soles. does this say about the system?

Others again are getting caught up in reporting about But, its a narrative the news media seems unable, or
reporting on Trump, the personality, as the wheelbarrows unwilling, to follow in a way that reflects the true course
of BS the new president trundles out becomes of the public’s manifest interest.
overwhelming and suffocates actual editorial process.
You might expect, for instance, news coverage of
These approaches only deepen the gap. President Trump’s inauguration would dominate the news
cycle. A Google search I conducted a few days after the
The current direction of news media seems ignorant of one event confirmed the item was a huge news story. On
of the real positives in Donald Trump’s election. It is January 25, a Google search for all reference to “Trump
becoming ever clearer that Trump presents the moment Inauguration” returned 46.8 million links.
when freedom loving democrats (small d) are actually
forced to adopt credo that the price of freedom is eternal A search at the same time on “Women’s March on
vigilance. Washington” returned just 9.87 million, a ratio of almost
five to one.
This possibility needs to be understood as a good thing;
any challenge is an invitation to step up. And, lets face it, Something like half a million citizens taking to the streets
our systems needs us to and has done for some time. in mid-winter on the day a new President becomes official,
Indeed this moment should have happened long ago, at because of that very fact, surely suggests a strong counter
least since the global financial crisis of 2008, but likely story to the Trump inauguration. Given the demo crowd in
long before then. The liberal, capitalist, state-based system Washington has been assessed as three-times larger than
has failed the majority of the world’s population and its the audience assembled for President Trump’s big moment
environment. We need a new model. This essay is not the and that this march and others contributed to a total of
place to suggest what that might be, but many will surely some millions protesting their President’s very presence, in
acknowledge this as fact. what one network described as “one of the largest days of
protest in US history”, suggests the mainstream news
The value of this possibility, paradoxically perhaps, is that media in the US and elsewhere, got the balance wrong.
real power may fall from the grip of those who have
tended to hold it tightly, for at least the last 50 years. Big This is despite the fact that a large number of news reports
government, unwieldy bureaucracies, greedy corporations on the inauguration were likely critical or negative on the
and leagues of hungry advisors and consultants have been Trump inauguration. But that coverage – good or bad – is
running America, and most other nations down an ever in itself a force of empowerment for the President. In
narrowing path, pushing us all into the pointy end of a bossing the news cycle and online chatter with the new
triangle. POTUS, news media ensures that the power he wields is
underlined. Media consumers are told “The presidency still
This vision is actually what America voted for. The counts more than millions in protest.” The institution is
Democratic Convention got it awfully wrong and legitimised by the blanket coverage it receives in an sort of
nominated Hillary Clinton, of course. And once she was Pavlovian dynamic with the media public – big story
there, the disgruntled American voter had nowhere else to means we are still supposed to offer our fealty to the rants
go. But they got it right. We need change. Trump, the man of the man in the White House and to submit to the big
and his policies – those we can guess at – are woefully off picture beamed down upon us.
the mark. But the widespread reaction to him is the best
catalyst we’ve had in a generation. THE REALITIES OF NEWS MEDIA

The revealing truth about Trump’s victory is that it is So, why did the media give the women’s march and others,
reflection of the fact that many Americans want to see the relatively little coverage?
end of the current system, or at least important parts of it.
They may not say so, they may not even know it, they may The reasons have to do with shifts in the media industry
be deluded in their actions, but that is what they have over the last decade and the ramifications this has had on
voted for. The sub-text of Trump, the subliminal message newsrooms.
is that “If he can win the Presidency, then America is
surely broken.” The American voters have just proven it. As editors are forced to choose between, say Trump’s
inauguration and a street march – even a big one –
The only intelligent response to his victory is to take a resource constraints will push them towards doing what is
paraphrase of Groucho Marx: I wouldn’t want to join a easier, takes less staff, is organised and will provide
club that lets me be a member. Who wants to be in system guaranteed copy to a guaranteed deadline. An inauguration
20
fits this requirement. You get your camera spot, or a place of thing most people (including journalists) are too busy,
in the shutter-bay, and get your shots set up. The presenter too stressed or simply too lazy to consider.
or writer knows where he is she will be, what will happen
when and will have already taken notes on what aspects This is theatre for the masses and its called news.
he/she is likely to report on – in fact the reporter will
almost always have a transcript of important speeches
This is set in a context of sharpened competition among
prior to their delivery – and, if doing live feeds, what will
media outlets, a red-in-tooth-and-claw melee that recalls
be discussed then. the 1920’s and the era of Yellow Journalism. Not only is
news being subject to being editorially assessed on its
It’s formulaic and predictable. entertainment value – as news audiences are increasingly
barraged with content, much of it free – it is being jostled
A protest march is something else. It’s messy and rarely and buffeted by others seeking to attract the sought after
runs to a schedule you can trust. You don’t really know clicks and meme-worthy stories.
where to go, what vantage point works best or is likely to
yield the most newsworthy image or moment. The people Buzzfeed’s report on in January the claims made by an
– the talent – that may be interviewed may be incoherent, alleged British secret service officer, that Donald Trump
may not speak English, may swear, may not speak well has “deep ties” to Russia isa case in point . The claims had
enough to be interesting or know how to address the been airing on the Hill prior to Buzzfeed’s editorial
camera, mic or journalist. Things happen fast and decision to run the material in full – some 45 pages – and
generally without warning. Live feeds can be completely Buzzfeed surely felt it was worth hoisting. But, Buzzfeed’s
disastrous. Its a scramble. editors pulled their punches. “The allegations are
unverified, and the report contains errors,” the editors
In short, a protest march, even one that’s well organised, is wrote. “BuzzFeed News is publishing the full document so
a nightmare. that Americans can make up their own minds about
allegations about the president-elect.”
Another layer of the media industry’s decline has been its
attempts to find the lowest common denominator in their While one can debate the editorial decision to expect
choice of story and editorial line. Human beings are not ordinary readers to make an assessment on a long,
rational beings, coolly calculating each and every complicated document that security professionals had
proposition through a filter of reason and common sense. struggled to verify, the point is that Buzzfeed most likely
We are a pulsing bundle of prejudices and assumptions, didn’t run the piece for its objective news value. It ran it
mistaken facts and outright lies told to ourselves. we are because it knew that the running of it would be a valuable
constantly looking, like water down a hill, for the easiest news item. They would get some cross promotion by
path with the least obstructions and challenges. virtue of them being named as the publisher and they
would get traffic as everyone would flick onto their site to
In terms of news, this generally translates to something see what the fuss was about. They were right. The story of
like “Tell me what I know.” them running the piece became the story.

Moreover, news media has to hold the attention of Its brand awareness and the number of clicks that drove
individuals constantly diverted and prodded by this story, and countless others, forward. The media is
innumerable distractions. Drama therefore, becomes a mirroring the President in it’s circular motion disguised as
value as the more immediately compelling the story – the forward movement; trying to look real even as the walls of
more shocking, outrageous, titillating or saddening – the echo chamber close in ever smaller.
translates to upticks in the real-time quantitative
measurements that online data research can provide. One serious casualty of rabid competition is the
Immediacy is the key and in this landscape, things like camaraderie which has characterised news journalism,
context and nuance, or the need to explain something especially beat or topic-based journalism, like say, the
become as Krypton to news industry executives. Quantity White House press gallery. For a long time, media has,
is key. Quality is Quantity. True quality is simply an while competing with each other, reached for the higher
option to be included in a SWOT analysis. goal of actual disseminating truth. Cross-checking of facts
with other reporters – “did you get that quote?” – and
As such, reporting on say, a protest march on the day of a various other small acts of kindness among journos has
new President’s inauguration may require an explanation. been part of the landscape.
It may tax the minds of media consumers because its
unusual and seems uncomfortable. It’s not easily digested That is less so now and may become extinct in the Trump
and may require questioning, applied thinking, asking era. When CNN’s Jim Acosta was point blank refused an
questions, doing background, finding connections, the sort answer to a question on the allegations aired in Buzzfeed,
at President elect Trump’s first news conference since his
21
election, the press corps just swam right on by like the The hapless producer sent out to background the demo
whole matter was a turd in a swimming pool. The clapping and to find an on-camera talent, played by Dev Patel, gets
of Trump’s supporters sounds like the arms of the media frustrated with the disorganised and decentralised beast
hitting the water, swimming madly to keep up with the that confronts him. Patel’s character, Neal, ends up finding
new President’s selective finger. In their clamour to get the a photogenic female to act as spokesperson and she is
President to pick them, they passed up the opportunity to rather mauled by the fictional news show anchor, Will
make a stance against this fairly unprecedented act, and McAvoy, played by Jeff Daniels who asks her the kind of
put a line in the sand on behalf of the media and of the pointed policy questions mainstream media would, and
watching public. finds her wanting.

What afflicts modern news media is less due to any This conclusion is telling. The program’s thrust appears to
ideological choice. It is likely a reaction to a problem of a be that any political movement that can’t articulate itself in
logistical nature, referring to resource limitations and the policy bytes and neat, headline ready demands isn’t really
mechanics of putting together a media story. worthy of coverage or wider interest. This seems arrogant
and unworkable. How are ordinary people, expressing
We’ve been here before of course. widely acknowledged grievances, supposed to find time in
busy and stressful lives to devise intricate and workable
policy positions and political strategy, and then present
OCCUPY NEWS SPACE (NOT)
them coherently and succinctly for media consumption?
Isn’t that what paid politicians, think tanks, academics and
The Occupy Movement started as Occupy Wall Street in consultants do? The problem is not that concerned or
New York’s Zuccotti Park in the second half of 2011. alienated people can’t articulate their concerns and ideas,
Fired up by the apparent escape from justice of those who its that they often do it in a way in which those in whom
had seemed to embody the greed of the age and who had our society invests in to lead us aren’t capable of
seemingly perpetrated the biggest financial disaster in comprehending.
history, the Occupy movement, as it was to become as it
spread around the country and around the world (I spoke
That’s due, to some extent, to the fact that news media
with a gaggle of “occupiers” parked outside the Reserve
isn’t making them.
Bank building in Sydney’s Martin Place around this time,
one of whom vowed “I’m never leaving here.”) wanted,
well, something better. #ows was actually less about a political agenda and more
about how to live. It was an attempt to display the place of
politics and business, not as driving a society, but as being
The thing with the Occupy Movement, now going by the
driven by it, as subservient to its needs and worth little
cooler and more abbreviated #ows, and its myriad
offshoots, is that it never really had an aim beyond the without a wider social integration.
occupation, outside of a pretty broad and inarticulate
vision of separating money and politics. It was avowedly But, mainstream news media, as Newsroom‘s Will
leaderless, professed adherence to no real ideology, carried McAvoy did, simply tried to force it into the box of state-
no manifesto as such and articulated no concrete demands based policy oriented conformity and thus, misrepresented
or policy alternatives. its meaning and undervalued its potential.

What the movement did manage was to occupy a public One of the founders of #ows, Micah White, has gone so far
space of high value and high visibility and to create there a as to argue that OWS was ineffectual because it did not fit
working anarcho-syndicalist commune where ownership of the media’s frame. In an interview in 2016, White outlined
everything, including ideas, was shared. “Public works” his belief that OWS was “a constructive failure.”
like keeping the space clean, was meticulously organised
on a volunteer roster. Meetings arrived at decisions and “…the paradigm of protest, the theory of protest, that
positions as much by osmosis as by a formal, adversarial, underlies contemporary activism is broken. The main idea
dynamic of debate and vote. underlying contemporary protest is that, if we get millions
of people into the street with a unified message and they’re
It evolved into less a political protest and more a lesson in largely non-violent, then our elective representatives will
how an alternative society might look. have to listen, and real change will happen. But we’ve seen
repeatedly that, when activists actually achieve this
remarkable feat – it’s happened during Occupy Wall
This was something neither the political/corporate
establishment, nor the mainstream media could work with. Street, the anti-war marches in 2003, the climate marches –
An episode of the TV series Newsroom, with Aaron it doesn’t yield the social change that activists are
demanding. Too many in the activist community are
Sorkin showing off his up-to-the-moment scripting,
subscribing to illusions about what creates mass change.”
factored in an Occupy-like gathering which the eponymous
newsroom program is obliged to cover.
22
His solution is to find ways to get those with alternative Even as news media belatedly rushes to get on the bash-
support and ideas elected. The thinking should be, he says, Trump bandwagon, it is maintaining his power and that of
about “How are social movements going to gain power?” his position, simply by allowing him to dominate the news
cycle. Good, bad or otherwise, news mentions of Donald
Another prominent thinker at the time of the moment of Trump serve the dual purpose of allowing news media to
#ows is the academic Gene Sharp. His “from Dictatorship tell a rollicking good story, full of conflict, risible
to Democracy” publication – a 93 page guidebook on moments and thriller-like hanging chapters and give
shaping and running a protest movement – became Trump himself an endless array of spotlights in which to
something of a bible to those supporting the various bathe his TV-ready citrine features.
uprisings in the first years of this century’s second decade.
The satirical tsunami that will continue to roll during his
Both White and Sharp, as central actors in the most febrile administration – led now to a large extent by SNL’s Alec
few years of this century so far, felt and feel that gaining Baldwin and his Trump Trick – runs the risk of lauding the
power is the key. Both also give space to the need to man even as it seeks to bring him down. Malcolm
communicate the message to gain popular support and to Gladwell, in his podcast series “Revisionist History”
begin to break the grip of a regime that needs removal. talked about “the satire paradox” whereby American
One of Sharp’s core “campaign strategies” is humourists too often play for the laughs and drop the sharp
“Communication of the resistance news to the general edges they should be wielding. Gladwell uses the example
population.” of Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin, whom he argues, Fey captured
hilariously, but not necessarily pointedly. Palin appearing
next to her on SNL only underlined how beneficial Fey’s
But, what both fail to understand is that mainstream mass
faux Palin became to the real person.
media does not have the will, nor perhaps even the
capacity, to receive and to disseminate truly revolutionary
ideas. Micah White’s volte face on his own progressive Baldwin’s Trump runs the same line and his audience ends
ideals, and his march into the statist, elitist and ritually up simply laughing at someone, even as their country slips
rigged maw of the election cycle stands as a damning away from them. Trump, dutifully, huffs and puffs about
testimony on the news media’s inability to bridge the fatal the lack of respect. But, it’s just playing his part and he
gap he himself had done so much to identify and articulate. knows better than anyone that Baldwin is a Trump
His broken idealism looks a like like that of the wild horse positive.
who submits to its owner’s harsh and unyielding treatment,
not because it wants to, but because it has no other Mainstream news media played its part in Trump’s
alternative. ascendency during the Presidential campaign. His colour
and noise, like baubles for a child, drew news editors in
Micah White is correct is noting that #ows was a and ended up dominating the agenda. Initially, the
constructive failure. But the failure is not owned by #ows, coverage was largely mocking and media organisations
it is owned by the mainstream news media and the state found a mine of copy in Trump’s misquotes, lies and
itself as both proved unwilling to accommodate its missteps. But, even a critical news spotlight, if one is thick
movement. skinned enough, becomes a solarium. The subject can bask
in it, look good, glow with the attention.
DECLINING FORCES
America’s state apparatus and media industry may be
failing, but no-one will notice if they both keep serving up
In a way, both state and mainstream new media need each
the world’s biggest and best soap-opera-cum-comedy-
other. Both are declining in power. Credibility is at an all
cum-thriller-cum-cautionary tale. With content like this,
time low for both institutions and the so-called margins of
political and social activity – gender, workers, anti-war, everyone’s happy right?
anti-capitalism – are widening by the day.
Well, only for so long. Once even Trump supporters
realise he’s taken them all to the showers and that they’re
And this we are also seeing with the rise of Donald Trump.
Everything about his campaign and his shining new not there to have a wash, this cosy system will crumble.
administration suggests that he believes the news media’s
role is to act as his stenographer. Whether unwittingly or Which is why media needs to act now.
brilliantly, he has honed in on the symbiotic relationship
between the two ailing dinosaurs – the liberal capitalist WAR ON OTHER FRONTS
state and the mainstream news media – and worked them
both to gain a power base from which to launch his world CNN is generally considered the progenitor of the wall-to-
view. wall war coverage that is now de riguer across most news
media at such times, especially TV. The world’s first 24/7
news broadcaster fashioned a sort of on-going drama, with
23
ceaseless output, excruciating details (down to the boots a chase conflicts like those in Afghanistan or Iraq or Syria,
soldier might wear or his/her diet) and early forms of and package them to within an inch of reality, other,
embedding to get close to the action. Filling 24 hours possibly even bigger, wars exist everywhere. And they are
every day with one topic needed some imagination, even crying out for media interest. Think domestic violence,
for a war, and CNN managed with remorseless will to think hate crimes, think child pornography, think
complete its mission to do so, its producers striding about homelessness, think poverty, think refugees, think drug
like Cecil B DeMille across the war-stained sand. abuse, think corporate greed, think human rights, think
social justice. All these and more are battlegrounds in
It was during Desert Storm (was the name meant to sound today’s America, where real people are fighting real
like a movie or is it just how we’ve come to see these dangers and are being defended and aided by real heroes.
things now?) in which Peter Arnett and co., more or less
invented digital era, rolling coverage, blow by blow, war And in Trump’s America, there will be so many more.
coverage. Authenticity was not entirely the aim (one notes Climate change, immigration, foreign policy,
anecdotes passed to the writer from an Australian environmental law, minorities, the list could go.
correspondent in Iraq at the time who would hijack CNN’s
expensively lit and lovingly stage managed backdrops, for All these areas are at least as valid for media coverage,
his own to-camera pieces before they packed up to leave). indeed war coverage, as any war in any country or any
Getting facts right was not necessarily the point either and Presidential speech full of lies, bragging, ignorance and
it was certainly never intended that such coverage would more lies. Why not embed reporters in these battleground
ever suggest that a war had at least two sides and that its areas? Why not report from these frontlines? Why not have
context may be more complicated than an anchor’s grab in blanket coverage and constant live updates on events in
front of said extravagantly set-up backdrops. women’s shelters or prisons, soup kitchens or on the
streets with the homeless? Why not cover the stories daily
These days any self-respecting news media organisation of the vast majority out there in the real world who are
cannot consider itself credible if it can’t get amid the struggling to hold their lives and their families lives
bombed buildings, the shattered lives and the daily dramas together, how they are going, how people are helping, how
that accompany any war. For most news organisations, some have got on the winning side of life, and what can we
there are two ways to get this kind of copy. One is through do to contribute as individuals and as a nation?
embedding, one through freelancers.
Why not have a Homelessness correspondent or a Social
The concept of embedding would have been laughed out of Justice correspondent just like we have a White House
the press tent in Vietnam, but these days, its hard for news correspondent?
organisations to get copy any other way. The cost in
independence is of course offset by the excellent copy war Why not cover the protests and marches, the
front-line war, even slightly stage managed, can provide. demonstrations, the stunts, the sit-ins, live, just as a
Presidential presser might be covered: respectfully, with
The other way, through freelancers, relies upon what might high production value, and intelligently, contextually
be called old school journalists getting into trouble, getting framed.
actually fired at or trapped in enemy territory. While these
reporters give news media a whiff of the old days, the The reality is that for all the marches, protests, demos and
freelancers themselves are offered little support from their well rehearsed indignation, this will take some time. The
paymasters, regularly left to swing in the breezes of anti-Trump honeymoon will sour and fall out of love with
modern conflict when the inevitable shit hits the fan. These itself. It will be worn down by the relentless babble
fearless and dedicated reporters generally have to pay their coming out of the White House. The story will cease to be
own way and take massive, even reckless risks as their interesting and will fade.
editors goad them on but rarely actually promise a
commission or a paycheck.
Humans are narrative driven mammals. we need stories to
guide us and to light our path, at this time more than ever.
The broad result of both strategies is a Hollywood style Mainstream news media needs to find better stories, the
version of war and its implications – more John Wayne kind that can sustain us all.
and the Green Berets than the realities and environment of
war and conflict. Its range is of the moment and therefore
The paradoxical, ironical truth is that the Trump
bereft of context, its aim is drama not truth and it is always
administration may be the best thing that has happened to
one-sided, displaying the “right side’s” heroism and
mainstream news media in recent memory. It is both a
sacrifice. challenge and an opportunity, often common bedfellows.
But, it’s not in the way many seem to think. It’s not
News media’s reasoning for the value of war is obvious. because POTUS 45 provides such eye-catching content; its
But, its choice of topic seems odd. Even as news moguls because his politics have created the opportunity for news
24
media in particular to recapture its market, to establish a civil society beast that the American elite has fought off
more powerful and resonant brand identity with the and weakened for decades. And that’s where the real
majority of voters at least who didn’t vote for him. stories are for those who want to look. That’s where news
media has to be, because that is where the future is.
Trump is how mainstream news media gets its mojo back
because Trump is unknowingly, fatuously regenerating the The fatal gap is there for the media to close.
.

25
 Foreign Policy and “False Flags”:
Trump’s “War and Chocolate” Reality Show
Who is the Butcher, Mr. Trump?
By Prof Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research, April 19, 2017

“I was sitting at the table. We had finished

dinner. We’re now having dessert. And we
had the most beautiful piece of chocolate
cake that you’ve ever seen and President
Xi was enjoying it,” (TV interview Fox
News, see below)

Precedent in the conduct of US foreign policy? Trump ran

it as a “war and chocolate” reality show: A shift in the
mode of decision-making pertaining to US aggression?
What kind of president do we have?
The dinner event was also part of “publications relations”
Cynical and diabolical? The plush dinner
operation with the intent to boost a “pro-American
event with China’s president Xi Jinping at
sentiment” by president Xi Jinping and the PRC
Mar-a-Lago on the evening of April 6 was
delegation.
carefully planned to coincide with Trump’s
missile strikes against Syria.
Xi and Trump were accompanied by their
wives; guests, family members and high-
level officials from both countries were in
attendance at the Palm Beach Mar-a Lago
“replicate” of Rome’s Palazzo Chigi 16th
Century dining room.

The Daily Telegraph, 7 April 2017

Trump’s order to strike Syria had been carefully timed to

coincide with the final “dessert stage” of the official dinner
event with president Xi:

“And I was given the message from the

generals that the ships are locked and
loaded. [ready to go]
What do you do? And we made a
Later that evening on Thursday April 6, it was dessert
determination to do it. So the missiles
time: The Donald was at the dinner table eating a
were on the way.”
delicious chocolate cake together with Xi Jinping, while
also ordering Tomahawk missile strikes against Syria, in … “And I said: ‘Mr President, let me explain
the presence of China’s president and his entourage: something to you …this is during dessert…
we’ve just fired 59 missiles – all of which hit
by the way, unbelievable, from, you know
26
 hundreds of miles away, all of which hit, it’s Visibly Trump hasn’t the foggiest idea of the workings of
so incredible, it’s brilliant, it’s genius, our international diplomacy.
technology is better than anybody’s by a
factor of five …” Nor does he understand that Chinese politicians never
“So what happens is, I said [to Xi] we’ve reveal their game at an official dinner venue. What they
just launched 59 missiles heading to Iraq, say is invariably intended to hide their real intentions.
[sic] …
Xi’s spontaneous response –while finishing his chocolate
The 59 missiles had been launched, “heading to Iraq” desert– was not an “endorsement” of the People’s
according to Trump, … Republic of China, which a few days earlier politely
abstained in the vote of the UN Security Council
Oops, he rectifies: “heading towards Syria”, got his Resolution directed against Bashar al Assad. China also
countries mixed up. joined the Russian initiative calling for an independent
investigation into the chemical weapons issue.
“I didn’t want him to finish his dessert and
go home … and then they say: ‘You know But Mr. President. There no evidence.
the guy you just had dinner with just
attacked [Syria].’” The United Nations in a 2013 report confirms that Syrian
opposition “rebels” (supported by Washington) “may have
And then Trump invites the Chinese president to finish his used chemical weapons against [Syrian] government
dessert. forces.”

“And he was eating his cake. And he was The UN report refutes Trump’s
silent.” accusations that Bashar al Assad was
using chemical weapons against his
own people.
Video, source Fox News (English audio, French
subtitles)
What the UN mission findings confirm is that the US
sponsored opposition “rebels” largely composed of Al
Qaeda affiliated groups, financed and supported by the
Western military alliance were responsible for these 2013
chemical weapons attacks.

And then Trump intimates (in his interview with Fox

News) that president Xi had endorsed his punitive
airstrikes via his interpreter. Xi said, according to Trump’s
recount:

“anybody that was so brutal and uses

gases to do that [to] young children and
babies, it’s OK”. (emphasis added)
“He agreed… He [Xi] was ok with me” said
Trump.

Moreover, as confirmed in an earlier report, the Al Qaeda

China is with us.
rebels were being trained in the use of chemical weapons
by specialists on contract to the Pentagon. From the
Who is Anybody? horse’s mouth: CNN

27
 No credible evidence that the Syrian president is killing his
own people has been provided.

The false flag does not hold up to scrutiny, yet this “sloppy
Sources: U.S. helping underwrite Syrian rebel training on securing
chemical weapons intelligence” seems to have convinced the President and
Commander in Chief of the United States of America,
who’s eating a chocolate cake with the president of
Atrocities were committed and Trump ordered airstrikes
China…
which have resulted in further deaths of innocent civilians
including children.
And the Chinese president knows that the intelligence is
fake.
US intelligence is often based on the art
of deceit, i.e. the fabrication of evidence.
Washington (which supported the opposition rebels in the
use of chemical weapons) rather than Damascus is
But in this case there was “no art of deceit”. The White
responsible for extensive crimes against humanity.
House report which Trump used to justify his airstrikes
constitutes fake evidence and “sloppy intelligence”. Did it
have the endorsement of the intelligence community? Who is the Butcher, Mr. Trump?

There is ample evidence of a US coverup contained in this

scanty White House “intelligence report” which has been
refuted.
.

28
 Special Report
Confirmed: John Brennan Colluded
With Foreign Spies To Defeat Trump
George Neumayr
April 19, 2017, 12:04 Am

The Guardian story is written in a style designed to flatter

its sources (they are cast as high-minded whistleblowers),
but the upshot of it is devastating for them, nonetheless,
and explains why all the criminal leaks against Trump first
originated in the British press. According to the story,
Brennan got his anti-Trump tips primarily from British
spies but also Estonian spies and others. The story
confirms that the seed of the espionage into Trump was
This is the open scandal that Congress planted by Estonia. The BBC’s Paul Wood reported last
should investigate. year that the intelligence agency of an unnamed Baltic
State had tipped Brennan off in April 2016 to a
An article in the Guardian last week provides more conversation purporting to show that the Kremlin was
confirmation that John Brennan was the funneling cash into the Trump campaign.
American progenitor of political espionage aimed at
defeating Donald Trump. Any other CIA director would have disregarded such a
flaky tip, recognizing that Estonia was eager to see Trump
One side did collude with foreign lose (its officials had bought into Hillary’s propaganda that
powers to tip the election — Hillary’s. Trump was going to pull out of NATO and leave Baltic
countries exposed to Putin). But Brennan opportunistically
Seeking to retain his position as CIA director under seized on it, as he later that summer seized on the half-
Hillary, Brennan teamed up with British spies and baked intelligence of British spy agencies (also full of
Estonian spies to cripple Trump’s candidacy. He used their officials who wanted to see Trump lose).
phony intelligence as a pretext for a multi-agency
investigation into Trump, which led the FBI to probe a The Guardian says that British spy head Robert Hannigan
computer server connected to Trump Tower and gave
cover to Susan Rice, among other Hillary supporters, to “passed material in summer 2016 to the
spy on Trump and his people. CIA chief, John Brennan.”

John Brennan’s CIA operated like a branch office of the To ensure that these flaky tips leaked out, Brennan
Hillary campaign, leaking out mentions of this bogus disseminated them on Capitol Hill. In August and
investigation to the press in the hopes of inflicting September of 2016, he gave briefings to the “Gang of
maximum political damage on Trump. An official in the Eight” about them, which then turned up on the front page
intelligence community tells TAS that Brennan’s retinue of of the New York Times.
political radicals didn’t even bother to hide their activism,
decorating offices with “Hillary for president cups” and All of this took place at the very moment Brennan was
other campaign paraphernalia. auditioning for Hillary. He desperately wanted to keep his
job and despised Trump for his alleged “Muslim ban,” a
A supporter of the American Communist Party at the matter near and dear to Brennan’s heart. Not only was he
height of the Cold War, Brennan brought into the CIA a an apologist for the Muslim Brotherhood, but Brennan’s
raft of subversives and gave them plum positions from Islamophilia dated to his days in college, when he spent a
which to gather and leak political espionage on Trump. He year in Cairo learning Arabic and taking courses in Middle
bastardized standards so that these left-wing activists could Eastern studies. He later got a graduate degree with an
burrow in and take career positions. Under the patina of emphasis in Middle Eastern studies. In 1996, his ties to the
that phony professionalism, they could then present their Islamic world tightened after he became the CIA’s station
politicized judgments as “non-partisan.” chief in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He once recalled that
29
 “during a 25-year career in government, I Were the media not so completely in the tank for Obama
was privileged to serve in positions across and Hillary, all of this political mischief would make for a
the Middle East — as a political officer with compelling 2016 version of All the President’s Men.
the State Department and as a CIA station Instead, the public gets a steady stream of Orwellian
chief in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, I propaganda about the sudden propriety of political
saw how our Saudi partners fulfilled their espionage. The headline writers at Pravda couldn’t
duty as custodians of the two holy improve on this week’s official lie, tweeted out by the
mosques of Mecca and Medina. I marveled Maggie Habermans:
at the majesty of the Hajj and the devotion
of those who fulfilled their duty as Muslims “Susan Rice Did Nothing Wrong, Say Both
by making that privilege — that pilgrimage.” Dem and Republican House Aides.”

Out of this Islamophilia came a special dislike of Michael Liberals pompously quote the saying — “the bigger the lie,
Flynn, who had planned to rip up the Obama-era “reset” the more it will be believed” — even as their media
with Muslim countries. Furious with Flynn for his apostasy enshrine it.
from political correctness, Brennan and other Obama aides
couldn’t resist the temptation to take him out after rifling
Historians will look back on 2016 and
through transcripts of his calls with the Russian
marvel at the audacity of its big lie:
ambassador.
whispers of an imaginary Trump-Russia
collusion that wafted up from the fever
They caught him in a lie to Mike Pence and swamps of a real collusion between
made sure the press knew about it. John Brennan and foreign powers
seeking Trump’s defeat.
.

30
 Is Trump
Heading For War On Iran?
By Stephen Lendman
4-19-2017

Neocons infesting Washington and Israel, along with On April 17, AIPAC published a “timeline of (fabricated
AIPAC, want pro-Western puppet governance replacing Iranian) malign behavior” following the nuclear deal.
the Islamic Republic of Iran.
It maliciously calls Iran
Will hawkish Trump administration generals given
warmaking authority attack the country? “the greatest long-term threat to US and
Israeli interests in the Middle East” -
On January 3, ahead of his inauguration, Rep. Alcee repeating the canard about it being “the
Hastings (D. FL) introduced HJ Res. 10: Authorization of world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.”
Use of Force Against Iran Resolution.
“Counter Iran’s regional aggression,” it
It calls for urges, wanting hardline administration and
administration actions.
“us(ing) the Armed Forces of the United
States as the President determines On April 18, in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan,
necessary and appropriate in order to Secretary of State Tillerson lied, saying
achieve the goal of preventing Iran from
obtaining nuclear weapons.” “Iran remains a leading state sponsor of
terror, through many platforms and
“The United States must do all that is methods.”
necessary to ensure that all of Iran’s
pathways to obtaining a nuclear weapon “President Donald J. Trump has directed a
are blocked.” National Security Council-led interagency
review of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
So far, neither house passed the measure. Trump remains Action that will evaluate whether
hostile to Tehran. suspension of sanctions related to Iran
pursuant to the JCPOA is vital to the
Before his sacking, National Security national security interests of the United
Advisor Michael Flynn put Iran “on States.”
notice.”
“When the interagency review is
In early February, the Trump administration imposed new completed, the administration looks forward
illegal sanctions on Tehran. to working with Congress on this issue.”

At the time, Defense Secretary Mattis lied, Anti-imperial intellectual Jean Bricmont believes if
calling it the world’s “biggest state sponsor
of terrorism.” “Trump wants to assuage his opposition,
he will have to (wage) a full war with Syria
Days later, Trump repeated the outrageous accusation, and maybe Iran.”
saying
“Zionist-neocon” influence infests his
“they’re the world’s top sponsor of administration. Warmaking is prioritized,
terrorism, and we’re not going to stop until “aggression…viewed positively,” anti-war
that problem is properly solved.” activism heavily criticized.

During his mid-February White House meeting with “The West has fallen in some sort of
Netanyahu, he falsely accused Iran of seeking to develop madness,” he stressed. “We are in genuine
nuclear weapons, vowing he’ll never permit it. He decline.”
repeatedly denounced the landmark nuclear deal.

31
Candidate Trump preached noninterventionism. President
Trump escalated Bush/Cheney/Obama wars. He’s waging naked aggression in multiple theaters. Will he
attack North Korea and/or Iran next?
His hostility toward Pyongyang risks nuclear war on the
Korean peninsula. His geopolitical agenda toward Russia Is confrontation with Russia and China coming? Is
and China is confrontational. eventual nuclear war inevitable? Is humanity doomed
because of Washington’s imperial madness?
Last Wednesday, he said US relations with Moscow are at
an “all-time low.” Washington bears full responsibility, he
failed to explain.
.

32
 “This Goes Far Beyond Incidental
Surveillance. This Was Spying On Political Enemies.”
By Pamela Williams
Published April 19, 2017 · Updated April 20, 2017

War has been declared on “Deep State’s” political agenda,

which goes way beyond incidental surveillance, as they In other words, we are speaking about the Globalists now,
called it. It was not “incidentally surveilled!” the Deep State, and the Shadow Government. Tell me,
how do you fight against these entities…these destroyers
of mankind?
It was out and out spying on President
Trump and his Transition Team in
November, December 2016, and finally Instead of leaving Washington, as most former presidents
in January 2017. They were spied on, do, Obama has set up a command center in a mansion a
because they were political enemies of few miles from the White House. However, at the moment
Hillary Clinton and the Deep State, he is on vacation with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks,
which is aligned to Clinton. Oprah, and David Geffen.

Susan Rice ordered spread sheets of Trump and Since President Trump took office, the information used
Associates! The powerful public interest legal firm, against him was based on the leaks from the Intelligence
American Center for Law and Justice has declared war on Community. Sekulow goes on to say,
the “deep state,” which is considered to be comprised of
deeply entrenched politicians, who are using their power to “Now we know this goes far beyond
destroy President Trump. incidental surveillance. This was spying on
political enemies.”
These are their claims:
Please, everyone, keep this alive and don’t forget those
1. The Trump Transition Team was surveilled by the two sentences.
Obama Administration, says, ACLJ’s chief counsel, Jay
Sekulow. This organization headed by Sekulow is our only hope. It
2. Someone in the Obama Administration unmasked the has gone to court when they could not get information by
names of those on the Trump Transition Team who using the Freedom of Information Act. A complaint filed
were surveilled. this week is against the National Security Agency saying
3. Obama changed the rules in his final days in order to they did not respond within the allowed time limit. We
widely disseminate the information. have to pray that our Judicial System still has some truth
4. The deep state bureaucracy leaked the information to and dignity left to respond to these proceedings.
the media.
ACLJ wants to know what process allowed
This is absolutely the most down and dirty thing in my the government to change rules to allow for
opinion that has ever been done in politics. It has begun “dissemination of raw signals intelligence
the unraveling of our democracy at a root level that will information.”
not stop. Obama and his deep state has set an example that
So we can see that Susan Rice was the
will only be repeated in the future unless “they” are
“gatherer of that information.”
charged and prosecuted. This is worse than any Watergate
ever could be!
Obama DNI James Clapper executed those procedures,
and ex-Attorney General Loretta Lynch also helped in the
Sekulow goes on to say,
process. The damage has been done, and these
government officials have destroyed our Judicial
“an orchestrated conspiracy where the System…it is worthless now in my opinion.
conspirators marching orders come from
the highest levels.”
Further, Sekulow says,

33
 “While opponents of President Trump have information, classified information,
become emboldened in the wake of information that jeopardizes US intelligence
General Flynn’s resignation as the National methods, sources, and even the very
Security Adviser, and while the media has integrity and reputation of the US
reveled in a frenzy of self-righteous outrage intelligence community – all for purely
that conceals glee, it is important to political purposes. I understand that, in
observe that his resignation was sparked Washington, leaking is certainly not new.
by leaked information coming from But it has never happened at such an
unelected bureaucrats within our nation’s alarming rate and with a root system
intelligence apparatus, seemingly provoked embedded deep and wide throughout the
by their deep distate for the new bureaucracy – the shadow government.”
administration. Even more ominously,
some of these beureaucrats are perhaps I want to remind you of the following things:
motivated by their loyalities to the Obama
Administration.”
1. Hillary Clinton’s treason and being cleared by the FBI.
2. The total destruction of the FBI by James Comey.
In my opinion our voting process is no longer relevant or 3. The fact that pedophilia is rampant within Washington
necessary as it is not valid or respected by the government. elite, but they are not being charged or prosecuted.
What is the point? The Liberals would have had had no 4. And although, Sedulow and the ACLJ are noble and
problem or caused hellfire and damnation to reign down honorable in trying to get to the bottom of this betrayal
upon America if Hillary Clinton had won. With Donald and the destruction of WE THE PEOPLE, you and I
Trump winning, they are committed to overthrowing him; both know most likely they will have their hands tied in
thus, what good was his winning? If they are in control of the end.
the United States, our voting ritual is false and in its grave. 5. WE THE PEOPLE have been raped and branded as
They have won, and what can we do about it? impotent and inadequate to be the voice of the Country
we love and fund. We are merely slaves of the
Sekulow is trying, but will he be able to do anything at all Shadow Government and the Globalist Elites. This is
to repare the damage that has been done to the US? I finally a fact…a truth…not a conspiracy.
doubt it. He is honorable for trying; nevertheless, there is
at least some of the remnants left of us: WE THE
PEOPLE are a dying breed. President Trump will be the
last President chosen by WE THE PEOPLE. He has had
to do some adjustments to integrate with what he found
inside…what choice did he have?

Sekulow further states,

“Today, we are sending our FOIA request

to the NSA. If they do not respond, we’ll
once again go back to federal court. Rice’s
conduct is unprecedented. We will do
everything in our power to get to the bottom
Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel of the American Center for
of what she actually did, why she did what
Law and Justice (ACLJ), one of the most prestigious law
she did, and who else was a part of the
firms in the country. He is an accomplished Supreme
conspiracy. While the purely political
Court advocate, renowned expert on religious liberty, a
nature of the motive seems obvious, the
number 1 New York Times-bestselling author, and a
ACLJ is after the evidence that will prove
respected broadcaster.
it.”

Jay Sekulow is an attorney with a passion for protecting

In conclusion he stated,
religious liberty – freedom – democracy. For nearly a
quarter of a century, he’s been on the front lines – working
“Deep state operatives consistently leak to protect religious and constitutional freedoms in the
selective information – intelligence courts, in Congress, and in the public arena.
.

34
 Obama, Comey Relied On Discredited Dossier
To Obtain FISA Warrant On Trump Campaign
By Tyler Durden
Apr 19, 2017 5:35 AM

James Comey, the man who refused to bring charges Of course, as we reported back in January
against Hillary Clinton despite a mountain of concrete (see "Here Is The Full 35-Page Report
evidence that she, and several members of her staff, Alleging Trump Was "Cultivated, Supported
knowingly violated several federal laws, And Assisted" By Russia") the dossier,
compiled by ex-British intelligence
apparently used the largely discredited official Chris Steele, was almost
"Trump Dossier" to help secure a FISA immediately discredited by the public at
warrant to secretly monitor Trump's large after numerous glaring errors were
former campaign aide, Carter Page, quickly identified and salicious stories
according to CNN. of 'golden showers' and other sexual
acts were also dismissed as pure
rubbish.
Among other things, the dossier alleged that Page met
senior Russian officials as an emissary of the Trump
campaign, and discussed quid-pro-quo deals relating to Allegedly the dossier was even available to the Clinton
sanctions, business opportunities and Russia's interference campaign should they have chosen to use it to discredit
in the election. Page has denied meeting the officials Trump, but even they were quickly convinced that no one
named in the dossier and says he never cut any political would buy it.
deals with the Kremlin. Per CNN:
All of which, once again, brings into
The FBI last year used a dossier of question the level of stupidity and/or
allegations of Russian ties to Donald pure corruption that must have been
Trump's campaign as part of the involved in this process given the shear
justification to win approval to secretly number of people whose approval was
monitor a Trump associate, according to undoubtedly required to authorize the
US officials briefed on the investigation. issuance of a FISA warrant that paved
the way for Comey and the Obama
administration to secretly monitor the
The dossier has also been cited by FBI Director James
Trump campaign.
Comey in some of his briefings to members of Congress in
recent weeks, as one of the sources of information the
bureau has used to bolster its investigation, according to Meanwhile, Carter Page offered a simple reply to this
US officials briefed on the probe. latest revelation saying that he looks forward to the
discovery process and testimony that will come from the
lawsuit he plans to file in short order.
This includes approval from the secret
court that oversees the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to "I look forward to the Privacy Act of
monitor the communications of Carter 1974 lawsuit that I plan to file in
Page, two of the officials said. Last year, response to the civil rights violations by
Page was identified by the Trump Obama administration appointees last
campaign as an adviser on national year. The discovery process will be of
security. great value to the United States, as our
nation hears testimony from them under
oath and we receive disclosure of the
According to the Washington Post, the warrant to monitor
documents which show what exactly was
Page was obtained in the summer of 2016 which indicates
done in 2016."
that the FBI was in possession of the now-infamous
dossier well before President Obama supposedly received
his first briefing on the material in December 2016.

35
36
 Tillerson Warns 'Unchecked Iran'
Could Follow Path Of North Korea
Published Time: 19 Apr, 2017 20:53Edited Time: 20 Apr, 2017 09:02
and other Palestinian terrorist organizations,” said the
secretary of state, citing reports that Iran displayed a
missile inscribed “death to Israel” during a military parade
on Tuesday.

“A comprehensive Iran policy requires that

we address all of the threats posed by Iran,
and it is clear there are many,” Tillerson
said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. © Mark Wilson / Getty Images

/ AFP

The Trump administration is reviewing US policy towards

Iran, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced, accusing
Tehran of sponsoring terrorism and violence and
destabilizing numerous countries in the Middle East.
“Whether it be assassination attempts,
support of weapons of mass destruction,
deploying destabilizing militias, Iran spends
its treasure and time disrupting peace,”
Tillerson said, adding, “An unchecked Iran
has the potential to travel the same path as
North Korea ‒and take the world along with
it.”
“Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of
terrorism, and is responsible for intensifying
multiple conflicts and undermining US
interests in countries such as Syria,
Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, and continuing
to support attacks against Israel,” Tillerson
told reporters at the State Department on
Wednesday.
“An unchecked Iran has the potential to
travel the same path as North Korea ‒and
take the world along with it,” Tillerson
added. The 2015 nuclear agreement between
Iran and the six world powers “fails to
achieve the objective of a non-nuclear Iran
He accused Iran of continuing to support the “brutal Assad
‒ it only delays their goal of becoming a
regime” in Syria with weapons and money, as well as
nuclear state,” according to Tillerson. “This
Revolutionary Guard troops. Tehran also supports the
deal represents the same failed approach
Houthis in Yemen, threatening the southern border of
of the past that brought us to the current
Saudi Arabia, while the Iranian-sponsored Quds force has
imminent threat that we face from North
been “undermining security in Iraq for years,” Tillerson
Korea.”
said.
“The Trump administration has no intention
Iran also “maintains a long-standing hostility towards of passing the buck to a future
Israel, providing weapons, training and funding to Hamas administration on Iran. The evidence is
clear: Iran’s provocative actions threaten
37
 the United States, the region and the Mattis told reporters in Riyadh, after meeting senior Saudi
world,” the secretary of state added, officials.
vowing to “meet the challenges Iran poses
with clarity and conviction” once the policy "We will have to overcome Iran's efforts to
review is done destabilize yet another country and create
another militia in their image of Lebanese
Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Secretary James Mattis Hezbollah,” he added, “but the bottom line
also accused Iran of seeking to destabilize the Middle East. is, we are on the right path for it."

"Everywhere you look if there is trouble in Mattis is visiting Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, Qatar and
the region, you find Iran," Djibouti as part of a week-long Middle East tour.

38
 Camille Paglia: Trump Already Headed Towards
Reelection, Democrats Have Overplayed Their Hand
Posted By Tim Hains
On Date April 19, 2017

FRANK BRUNI: I feel like one can't have any

conversation today, without it being at some point about
Donald Trump. So I thought we'd just begin with Donald
Trump.

Get him entirely out of the way.

In my world of friends and acquaintances it seems like

everybody is either in near hysteria and feels like we're in
the end of days. Or they look at those people and see a
bunch of drama queens. I want to know where you two
stand on this. What is your state of mind and state of
New York Times columnist Frank Bruni moderates a feeling about the Donald Trump era?
'Times Talks' discussion between legendary feminist
Camille Paglia and 'Watch What Happens Live' host Andy We'll start with you Camille because I know you're so shy
Cohen about life in the Trump era. with your opinions.

Paglia says Bruni's newspaper and the Democratic Party CAMILLE PAGLIA: I am a Bernie Sanders supporter. I
still have "soul searching" left to do about why they called voted for Jill Stein. So I want to make that clear.
2016 wrong. "It is incumbent upon the defeated party to
pull itself together, or else we're going to get the reelection My feeling is that an election occured.
of the present administration," she said.
It is incumbent upon the defeated party to pull itself
"I didn't take him seriously at all," she said about the early together, or else we're going to get the reelection of the
days of the Trump campaign. "And then, shortly after the present administration. That's what I feel right now.
very first Republican debate, I saw Diamond & Silk, the
African-American sisters doing a pro-Trump attack on
BRUNI: You feel like he is going to get reelected?
Megyn Kelly on their podcast, and... I suddenly saw the
populism, and from that moment forward, I could feel the
momentum of it." PAGLIA: Yes. The Democrats have overplayed their hand.
And the -- I just can't imagine--
"The New York media was in an absolute bubble about
this," she added. BRUNI: You're already betting on his reelection less than
100 days in?
Andy Cohen said he had similar thoughts: "Just today I
was walking by a monitor, I don't know what channel was PAGLIA: Yes because what the Democrats needed to do--
on, but there was -- he has some slogan about jobs for and the major media, Frank, needed to do was to do some
America or some new plan. And I saw that chyron: 'Jobs soul-searching.
For America Plan,' and I thought to myself... it doesn't
even matter if this works or not, he could get reelected just BRUNI: By that you mean the failing New York Times?
because he has a 'Jobs For America' plan."
PAGLIA: Yes.
Related Video: President Trump Introduces New 'Hire
American, Buy American' Order In Kenosha, Wisconsin BRUNI: Yes, we're going to rebrand this 'Failing Times
Talks.'

39
PAGLIA: If you read only the New York Times-- I said, I just felt like the biggest asshole on election night, like I
'Oh my God!' The readers of the New York Times are had been--
heading for a major, major breakdown shock if Trump is in
fact elected. And then suddenly all the tweets were-- The New York
Times is predicting 85% chance Trump is going to win by
BRUNI: Did you think he was going to be elected? 9:30 at night... So I do feel like an idiot. I got sucked into
this thing, but when I did -- nothing was sticking to him,
PAGLIA: I was the very first to call him a carnival barker, he was behaving like a Real Housewife at all of these
and I didn't take him seriously at all. And then, shortly debates, and he was --and not in a good way...
after the very first Republican debate, I saw Diamond &
Silk, the African-American sisters doing a pro-Trump And he was, but he was talking to people in a way that
attack on Megyn Kelly on their podcast, and I thought, I they were connecting with, and the thing that is so
suddenly saw the populism, and from that moment upsetting to me and a lot of people is that facts don't matter
forward, I could feel the momentum of it. And the New anymore. And he can lie and lie and lie, and it is his own
York media was in an absolute bubble about this. Let's not truth, and it is funny you said you think he could be
get started on the strategic errors of the Hillary campaign... reelected.

BRUNI: We're going to get to that, but let me ask Andy: Just today I was walking by a monitor, I don't know what
When he came down the escalator, almost two years ago channel was on, but there was -- he has some slogan about
now, did you think it was possible we'd be sitting here jobs for America or some new plan. And I saw that
tonight talking about him in the White House? chyron: 'Jobs For America Plan,' and I thought to myself,
okay, it doesn't even matter if this works or not, he could
ANDY COHEN: No. Actually, I kept thinking in the back get reelected because he has a 'Jobs For America' plan. But
of my head, 'He could win!' I thought it was possible. I was I had that thought today.
the idiot who was going to FiveThirtyEight and looking at
Nate Silver's percentages eighteen times a day. And I was
like, 'It's okay, it's at 72% today, so it is going to be okay!'

40
 Democrats’ All-Too-Telling
Love For Maxine Waters
By Post Editorial Board
April 19, 2017 | 7:17pm

On the record, at least 25 times.

Last week, she told the Los Angeles Press Club,

“I want this president impeached.”

She spent the weekend leading a crowd of activists in an

“Impeach 45!” chant.

But MSNBC’s Craig Melvin pressed her on the issue

Tuesday, and she quickly insisted,

“I have not called for impeachment.”

Rep. Maxine Waters Getty Images
No, she claimed, she wants the Russian-collusion stuff
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is the current darling of the investigated first:
left — which tells you just how crazy Democrats have
gotten. “We need the facts in order to do the
impeachment. And I’m going to work every
CNNPolitics reports, accurately, Waters is “having a day to try and help get those facts and to
moment” with the biggest online buzz since Bernie reveal them to our public until, of course,
Sanders. Elle dubbed her “The Millennials’ Political Rock impeachment has taken place.”
Star.”
Waters, in short, can’t be bothered to make sense — and
Yet she’s every bit the over-the-top lefty she’s been for that’s why they love her.
decades. Indeed, she’s winning all the praise by calling for
President Trump’s impeachment.
.

41
 MSNBC's Craig Melvin Calls Out
Maxine Waters For Impeachment Tweet –
Then She Lies On National TV
By Zeropointnow
Apr 19, 2017 6:09 AM

The left couldn't have produced a more retarded liar than

Maxine "Putin is advancing into Korea" Waters... who on
several occasions has called for Trump's
impeachment over Twitter, in interviews, and recently in a
chant she led at an anti-Trump rally. Yesterday on
MSNBC, host Craig Melvin called Waters out for her
rhetoric - reading her most recent tweet on the topic, then
letting her mechanically run her ventriloquist puppet
mouth about Russia. When Melvin suggests perhaps
waiting for an investigation before indicting Trump -
Waters tries to backtrack, and it doesn't go well...

Craig Melvin: Should we wait to call for

impeachment until we have the answers
to some of the questions?

Maxine Waters: I have not called for

impeachment...

Craig Melvin: You said you're going to

fight every day until he's impeached!

Maxine Waters: Yeah, but here's what

I've said... Here's what I've said... Talk to the hand Maxine... you're full of shit.

Some of the tweets in question:

42
 Treason: John Brennan Worked WITH Foreign
Spies In Desperate Attempt To Take Down Donald Trump
"Open Scandal" Being Ignored By Mainstream Media
By Staff Writer -
04.20.2017 @11:52 PM EDT

“Any other CIA director would have

disregarded such a flaky tip, recognizing
that Estonia was eager to see Trump lose
(its officials had bought into Hillary’s
propaganda that Trump was going to pull
out of NATO and leave Baltic countries
exposed to Putin). But Brennan
opportunistically seized on it, as he later
that summer seized on the half-baked
intelligence of British spy agencies (also full
of officials who wanted to see Trump lose),”
continued the Spectator.
“The Guardian says that British spy head
Robert Hannigan “passed material in
summer 2016 to the CIA chief, John
Brennan.” To ensure that these flaky tips
(INTELLIHUB) — In a largely ignored development in
leaked out, Brennan disseminated them on
the ongoing investigation into the deep state war against all
Capitol Hill. In August and September of
things Donald Trump, the Guardian reported late last week
2016, he gave briefings to the “Gang of
that it was none other than Obama hack John Brennan who
Eight” about them, which then turned up on
was responsible for the start of the still ongoing
the front page of the New York Times.”
disinformation campaign connecting Trump and the
Russians.
Keep in mind that the entire Russia-Trump narrative is
literal deep state invented propaganda and we are now
As the American Spectator recently noted in reaction to the
starting to actually find out where it originated. As many
stunning news,
suspected, it was mostly conducted by actual Hillary
Clinton supporters within the intelligence community.
“One side did collude with foreign powers
to tip the election — Hillary’s.”
“John Brennan’s CIA operated like a
branch office of the Hillary campaign,
The Guardian report attempts to make their sources and leaking out mentions of this bogus
allies look good, painting Brennan and other officials as investigation to the press in the hopes
high-minded public servants simply worried about Russian of inflicting maximum political damage
interference in the election when in reality these operatives on Trump. An official in the intelligence
were working with multiple foreign powers, who had community tells TAS that Brennan’s
obvious anti-Trump agendas, to “cripple” then candidate retinue of political radicals didn’t even
Trump’s shot at the White House. bother to hide their activism, decorating
offices with “Hillary for president cups”
According to the Guardian story, Brennan got his original and other campaign paraphernalia.”
information regarding a possible Trump Russia connection
not only from British spies but also those from Estonia, a
country that was openly anti-Trump due to their belief that
Trump could pull out of NATO.
.

43
 Trump’s ‘Armada’ Turns Toward North Korea
As White House Defends Misleading Remarks
Published Time: 20 Apr, 2017 03:17Edited Time: 20 Apr, 2017 09:03

“steaming out toward the Sea of Japan” to

give the president “options in the region.”
“I think when you see a carrier group
steaming into an area like that, the forward
presence of that is clearly, through almost
every instance, a huge deterrence. So I
think it serves multiple capabilities,” Spicer
said, according to the White House.

That same day, Defense Secretary James Mattis added to

USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) . © U.S. Navy Photo / Flickr the confusion when he told reporters that the strike group
was on its way to the Sea of Japan, but added,
The White House stood by President Donald Trump’s
recent talk of a Navy strike force on its way to the Korean “There's not a specific demand signal or
peninsula, after the USS Carl Vinson was spotted specific reason why we're sending her up
thousands of miles away, headed in the opposite direction. there,” according to the Department of
The fleet has since turned around. Defense website.

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer On April 15, the Navy posted a photograph to Flickr with a
denied that Trump misled the public about the location of description that said the USS Carl Vinson was heading
the USS Carl Vinson strike force, which he said was through the Sunda Strait, putting it several hundred miles
heading to North Korea during an interview with Fox south of Singapore, around 3,500 miles from the Korean
News earlier this month. Peninsula.

On Wednesday, Spicer denied that the Trump

administration misled or failed to correct the reports that
the Vinson strike force was en route to North Korea.

“The president said that we have an

armada going toward the peninsula. That’s
a fact. It happened. It is happening, rather,”
Spicer said during a press briefing.

Pressed by reporters as to why the White House did not

clarify the conflicting information, Spicer said that his
“We have submarines. Very powerful, far statements were not false.
more powerful than the aircraft carrier, that
I can tell you,” Trump told Maria Bartiromo “I think we were asked very clearly about
in a pre-taped interview that aired April 12. the use of a carrier group in terms of
deterrence and foreign presence and what
Several tweets from Trump at the time also signaled that that meant. That’s what we discussed,”
rising tensions were leading to the US taking action against Spicer told reporters.
North Korea over the country’s nuclear program.
Speaking on a visit to Saudi Arabia, Mattis also denied that
On April 11, Spicer confirmed that the Vinson strike force he had said anything misleading about the Vinson.
was
“We’re doing exactly what we said we were
going to do,” Mattis told reporters in a video
44
 posted to the Department of Defense Reports from the Korea Herald say that the strike force is
website. now on its way to the Korean Peninsula, citing the US
Pacific Fleet Command’s Flickr account.
“She will be on her way, and I’ll determine
when she gets there and where she
actually operates, but the Vinson is going The Vinson is currently expected to arrive at the Korean
to be part of our ensuring that we stand by Peninsula on April 25, the same day as the 85th
our allies in the northwest Pacific,” Mattis anniversary of the foundation of the North Korean army,
added. according to the Korea Herald.

The Vinson Strike Group consists of the USS Carl Vinson,

a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, two
destroyers and one cruiser.

On April 9, the Navy announced that Admiral Harry

Harris, the commander of US Pacific Command, ordered
the strike group to forgo the previously planned port visits
to Australia and return to the Western Pacific Ocean.

45
 Oliver Stone Blasts Trump:
“He’s Taken Off Handcuffs On War Machine And
Turned It Over To Glorified Generals”
He Had Hoped That Trump Would Prevail.
Alex Christoforou
April 20, 2017

What a tortured bind we’re in. There are intelligent people

in Washington/New York, but they’ve lost their minds as
they’ve been stampeded into a Syrian-Russian groupthink,
a consensus without asking — ‘Who benefits from this
latest gas attack?’ Certainly neither Assad nor Putin.

The only benefits go to the terrorists

who initiated the action to stave off their
military defeat.

Oliver Stone had reserved some hope for Donald Trump, It was a desperate gamble, but it worked because the
as many did. Western media immediately got behind it with crude
propagandizing about murdered babies, etc. No real
The hope was that Trump would, as he promised, drain the investigation or time for a UN chemical unit to establish
swamp and finally stop America’s senseless war policy. what happened, much less find a motive. Why would
Assad do something so stupid when he’s clearly winning
the civil war?
Stone is having buyers remorse, as he comes to the
realization that instead of taking down the neocon war
machine, the neocons (with the enlisted help of the liberal No, I believe America has decided
left) pushed Trump into more endless conflict. somewhere, in the crises of the Trump
administration, that we will get into this
war at any cost, under any
Stone sounded off in this Facebook post entitled, “So It
circumstances
Goes” (full FB post below).
— to, once again, change the secular regime in Syria,
“So It Goes”
which has been, from the Bush era on, one of the top goals
— next to Iran — of the neoconservatives. At the very
I confess I really had hopes for some conscience from least, we will cut out a chunk of northeastern Syria and call
Trump about America’s wars, but I was wrong — fooled it a State.
again! — as I had been by the early Reagan, and less so by
Bush 43. Reagan found his mantra with the “evil empire”
Abetted by the Clintonites, they’ve done a wonderful job
rhetoric against Russia, which almost kicked off a nuclear
throwing America into chaos with probes into Russia’s
war in 1983 — and Bush found his ‘us against the world’
alleged hacking of our election and Trump being their
crusade at 9/11, in which of course we’re still mired.
proxy candidate (now clearly disproved by his bombing
attack)
It seems that Trump really has no ‘there’ there, far less a
conscience,
— and sadly, worst of all in some ways,
admitting no memory of the same false
as he’s taken off the handcuffs on our flag incident in 2013,
war machine and turned it over to his
glorified Generals — and he’s being
for which again Assad was blamed (see Seymour Hersh’s
praised for it by our ‘liberal’ media who
fascinating deconstruction of this US propaganda, ‘London
continue to play at war so recklessly.
Review of Books’ December 19, 2013, “Whose sarin?”).
46
No memory, no history, no rules — or rather ‘American
rules.’

No, this isn’t an accident or a one-off affair.

This is the State deliberately

misinforming the public through its
corporate media and leads us to believe,

as Mike Whitney points out in his brilliant analyses, “Will

Washington Risk WW3” and “Syria: Where the Rubber
Meets the Road,” that something far more sinister waits in
the background. Mike Whitney, Robert Parry, and former
intelligence officer Phil Giraldi all comment below. It’s
well worth 30 minutes of your time to read.
Mike Whitney, “Will Washington Risk WW3 to Block and
Lastly, I enclose Bruce Cumings’s “Nation” analysis of Emerging EU-Russia Superstate,” Counterpunch,
North Korea, as he again reminds us of the purposes of http://bit.ly/2oJ9Tpn
studying history. Can we wake up before it’s too late? I
for one feel like the John Wayne veteran (of war) character Mike Whitney, “Where the Rubber Meets the Road,”
in “Fort Apache,” riding with the arrogant Custer-like Counterpunch, http://bit.ly/2p574zT
General (Henry Fonda) to his doom. My country, my
country, my heart aches for thee. Phil Giraldi, “A World in Turmoil, Thank You Mr.
Trump!” Information Clearing House,
http://bit.ly/2oSCGrW

Robert Parry, “Did Al Qaeda Fool the White House

Again?” Consortiumnews, http://bit.ly/2nN88c0

Robert Parry, “Neocons Have Trump on His Knees,”

Consortiumnews, http://bit.ly/2oZ5GyN

Robert Parry, “Trump’s Wag the Dog Moment,”

Consortiumnews, http://bit.ly/2okwZTE

Robert Parry, “Mainstream Media as Arbiters of Truth,”

Consortiumnews, http://bit.ly/2oSDo8A

Mike Whitney, “Blood in the Water: the Trump

Revolution Ends in a Whimper,” Counterpunch,
http://bit.ly/2oSDEo4

Bruce Cumings, “This is What’s Really Behind North

Korea’s Nuclear Provocations,” The Nation,
http://bit.ly/2nUEroH

47
 Study: Trump Has Eliminated $86B In Regs
By Tim Devaney
04/20/17 12:16 PM EDT

President Trump has saved taxpayers more than $86 These are just a few examples mentioned in the report.
billion in regulatory costs during his first three months in Since taking office, Trump and Congress have repealed 13
the White House, according to a new study from a rules with the CRA. The CRA allows lawmakers to
conservative group. overturn recent rules they disapprove of with a simple
majority in Congress, and send the action to the president
The American Action Forum (AAF) points to several for his signature.
Obama-era regulations that Trump has either rolled back
on his own or with the help of Republican lawmakers “Just as there are fiscal costs for new significant rules,
using the Congressional Review Act (CRA). there can be savings from repealing old rules through
comprehensive regulatory reform,” said Sam Batkins,
This includes the Education Department’s school director of regulatory policy at the AAF.
accountability standards, the Environmental Protection
Agency’s waters of the United States rule and the so-called Proponents of stronger regulation warn that critics often
“blacklisting” rule for government contractors. assess only the costs of these rules, but overlook the
financial benefits they create.

48
 False Accusation
Against Russia On North Korea
By Stephen Lendman
4-20-2017

The Trump administration is spoiling for confrontation “to a peaceful, diplomatic and political
with Pyongyang. Nuclear brinksmanship risks the solution to the situation.”
unthinkable.
The words “through dialogue” used in previous statements
At the same time, Trump abandoned efforts to improve on North Korea were dropped.
relations with Russia. Reportedly, Secretary of State
Tillerson’s meeting with Sergey Lavrov in Moscow didn’t On Wednesday, UN envoy Nikki Haley
go well, both diplomats disagreeing sharply on Syria and warned Pyongyang against “pick(ing) a
other key issues. fight” with SC members, adding “(t)he ball
is in their court. They shouldn’t try and play
The latest Russia bashing episode came Wednesday. CBS it” - meaning end its nuclear and ballistic
News quoted an unnamed US official, falsely accusing missile programs or perhaps Washington
Moscow of blocking an April 15 Security Council will end it belligerently.
statement, condemning Pyongyang’s ballistic missile
program, saying: According to Russia’s UN mission, Washington’s draft
statement excluded a call for dealing with Korean
Washington “wanted to get the message peninsula tensions through responsible dialogue, adding:
out…Russia is slowing this down, and it’s
not clear why.” The text includes a demand “When we demanded to restore this (earlier
for Pyongyang to halt further tests. It calls used) ‘agreed wording,’ which is of great
its ballistic missile program “illegal(l)y political importance, and expressed our
contributing to its development of nuclear readiness to continue working with the
weapons.” authors of the draft, the US delegation
scaled down the work on the document
Moscow rejected the statement because it excluded dealing without explanation of reasons and said
with Korean peninsula tensions through responsible that Russia had blocked a statement…”
dialogue.
No blocking occurred. Washington withdrew the draft
A meaningless US-drafted statement only expressed the statement - bashing Moscow irresponsibly, making Trump
Security Council’s commitment look tough on Russia while letting heightened Korean
peninsula tensions fester.
.

49
 OPCW Rejects Russian, Iranian
Proposal On Investigating Idlib Chemical Incident
© East News/ Peter Dejong - World
18:34 20.04.2017

source telling Sputnik that the army did not possess

chemical weapons.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on April 5 that the

airstrike near Khan Shaykhun by the Syrian air force hit a
terrorist warehouse that stored chemical weapons slated
for delivery to Iraq, and called on the UN Security Council
to launch a proper investigation into the incident.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said April 6 that

groundless accusations in the chemical weapons incident
in Syria's Idlib were unacceptable before the investigation
The Organisation for the Prohibition of into the matter had been carried out.
Chemical Weapons turned down a
proposal by Moscow and Tehran
However, the incident was used as pretext for a US missile
regarding an investigation of the Idlib
strike against the Ash Sha'irat airbase carried out late
chemical incident.
on April 6. US President Donald Trump characterized the
strike as a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Organisation for the by the Syrian government troops while Russian Foreign
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons voted against the Minister Sergei Lavrov said it was a violation of the
Russian and Iranian proposal on investigation of a international law. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
suspected chemical weapons incident in Syria’s Idlib, the Khamenei described the US missile strike against the
UK delegation to the organization said Thursday. Syrian airfield as a strategic mistake.

In an exclusive interview with Fox Business on April 12,

US President Donald Trump blamed the current situation
in Syria on Moscow's support for country's Assad, calling
the Syrian leader "an animal."

Earlier this year, Syrian President Bashar Assad said that

the country’s government had never used weapons of mass
destruction, including chemical weapons, against the
On April 4, a chemical weapons incident in Syria's Idlib Syrian people. Besides, under a Russian-US deal after the
province claimed the lives of some 80 people and inflicted east Ghouta sarin gas incident in 2013, Damascus joined
harm on an additional 200 civilians. The Syrian National the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, as well and agreed to destroy its stockpile under Organization
as a number of Western states, accused the Syrian for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
government troops of carrying out the attack, while oversight. In January 2016, the OPCW announced that all
Damascus refuted these allegations, with a Syrian army chemical weapons in Syria had been destroyed.

50
 Trump Signs Order Granting Steel
Import Sanctions On "National Security" Grounds
BY Tyler Durden
Apr 20, 2017 11:52 Am

At noon, Donald Trump will sign an executive order While an official said that the directive is not aimed at a
calling for a probe whether imports of foreign-made steel specific country but is "product oriented", in recent years
are hurting U.S. national security. The order will revive a the US has seen a substantial increase in imports of Steel
decades-old, rarely used law to explore imposing new and related products from China, which has been dumping
barriers on steel imports, in this case aimed loosely at its exports around the globe, although in recent months has
China. been either warehousing the product domestically, or using
it as part of the latest housing bubble.
Trump will sign the memorandum related to section 232 of
the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 at an event in the White As the WSJ adds,
House that will include leaders of several U.S. steel
companies; the law will allow the president to impose the U.S. government hasn’t used the law to
restrictions on imports for reasons of national security. impose penalties since the creation of the
Trump’s directive will ask Ross to conduct the probe World Trade Organization in 1995, which
discourages such unilateral sanctions. The
“with all deliberate speed and deliver the law was most famously used by President
results to the president with his Richard Nixon in 1971 to impose an
recommendations." across-the-board 10% import surcharge to
contain the U.S. trade deficit at the time.
An official cited by Reuters sad that there are national
security implications from imports of steel alloys that are The planned ceremony follows a Trump rally Tuesday at
used in products such as the armor plating of ships and Wisconsin tool factory where he ordered aides to craft new
require a lot of expertise to create and produce. policies increasing “Buy American” provisions for
government procurement spending. In the speech unveiling
The move is another step in Trump's "America First" the action, he blasted the WTO as “another one of our
policies in which he has tried to boost U.S. manufacturers disasters,” and vowed to accelerate acting on his campaign
and preserve American jobs. It comes as he tries to coax promises to rewrite American trade policy.
China into taking a more active role in reining in North
Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
.

51
 Assad: West Blocks Probe As It
Would Show Idlib 'Attack', US Strike 'False Flag'
© AFP 2017/ HO/SANA - Middle East
19:12 20.04.2017

"in order to prove what we said about the

terrorists having gases used against our
army."
"And later many incidents happened in that
way, and they didn't send any delegation.
It's the same now," Assad noted.

Western countries are blocking

attempts to investigate the Idlib
chemical incident because in the event
of a probe it will be established that the
"attack" was a false flag and lie, Syrian
President Bashar Assad told Sputnik.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — The United States and other © Photo: Press-service of Syria's President. Syria's President Bashar
Western countries block any attempts to launch an al-Assad
impartial investigation into the alleged use of chemical
weapons in Syria, Syrian President Bashar Assad told There was no chemical weapons attack in the Syrian
Sputnik. province of Idlib, the reports of it were a false flag play
which was supposed to justify a US missile strike on a
"We formally sent a letter to the United Syrian armed forces’ airbase, Bashar Assad told Sputnik.
Nations, we asked them in that letter
to send a delegation in order to investigate "So, for us, there was no gas attack and no
what happened in Khan Shaykhun," Assad gas depot, it was a false flag play just
said in an interview. to justify the attack on the Shairat base.
"Of course till this moment they didn't send, That's what happened," Assad said.
because the West and the United States
blocked any delegation from coming, Assad added that the Syrian army did carry out an attack
because if they come, they will find that all in the province of Idlib on April 4, when the suspected
their narratives about what happened chemical weapons incident in Khan Shaykhun took place,
in Khan Shaykhun and then the attack but at a different time than reported by western media.
on Sha'irat airport was a false flag, was a
lie," Assad stressed. "First of all, we don't know if the site that
we attacked that day half an hour
Similarly, he said that in the wake of the first attack before noon, about 11:30, was a chemical
in Aleppo carried out by terrorists against the government warehouse or depot or anything like this.
army a few years ago, Damascus had asked the United And their story said that the attack
Nations to send an investigation delegation happened at 6, 6:30 in the morning. We
didn't launch any attack at that time. So,
you have two possibilities: the first one is
52
 that there was an attack at lunch time or no gas coming out of that airport. No-one
at about 11:30. The other possibility that of our army officers or military staff, was
we believe in is that it was a false flag, affected by any gas," he said.
there was no attack," the president
explained. A video footage from the Syrian Khan-Shaykhun
presented by the "White Helmets" completely contradicts
The videos and pictures from the site resemble those the specifics of sarin gas use, Syrian President Bashar
created by the White Helmets in Assad said in an interview with Sputnik.

"the last year or two years or more … Assad stressed that the video clearly shows people
which is an elusive story," Assad said. without any means of chemical warfare protection helping
those who allegedly fell victims to sarin gas attack.
"That's what we believe in, because the
attack was already prepared, and they
didn't want to listen, they didn't want "…Even if you look at the pictures, you can
to investigate; they only wanted to launch see that the rescuers — presumable
the attack. We believe it was a false flag rescuers — were rescuing people
for one reason and a simple reason: if without masks, without gloves, and they
there was gas leakage or attack, and were moving freely. How? This is
you're talking about 60 dead in that city, against all the specifications of the sarin
how could the city continue its life gas that they talked about," Assad said.
normally? They didn't evacuate the city. "You can fake this image, it's very easy.
No-one left the city, life continued So, you cannot just base your judgment
as normal, and this is mass destruction. on images and videos, especially made
The other day, they attacked Sha'irat where by al-Qaeda [terrorist group outlawed
they said there was the gas depots, and in Russia]," the Syrian leader stressed.
they attacked all the depots, and there was
.

53
 Tillerson: 'Iran's Provocative
Actions Threaten The United States'
By The_Real_Fly
Apr 20, 2017 8:56 AM

It's all coming together now. All inside Trump's 1st 100 in the Persian gulf, and annoying our good friends in Saudi
days in office, we can clearly see where his administration Arabia by trying to sponsor more terrorists than them.
is heading toward -- all out war. It's fun and games now,
up until when the draft is reinstated and your ANTIFA
fighting skills are put to the test inside of Tehran.

Incredulously, our Sec. of State, Rex Tillerson, just did a

presser, announcing the Trump administration was doing a
'comprehensive review' on Iran, followed by a lot of saber
rattling.

"The Trump administration is currently conducting across

the entire government a review of our Iran policy ... an
unchecked Iran has the potential to follow the same path as
North Korea and take the world along with it. The United
States is keen to avoid a second piece of evidence that
strategic patience is a failed approach."

The entire speech was filled with ridiculous anecdotal

evidence, 'proving' how evil Iran was -- such as a
photograph of a bomb scrawled with 'Death to Israel' on it.
Clearly, that sort of graffiti and hate speech is
unacceptable. We ought to go with war with them now.

Tillerson droned on, tediously reminding the world how

fucked up Iran was and how it was the job of the United
States to police it -- instead of 'passing the buck' down to
future administrations.

Nothing says 'America first' like policing the shittiest parts

of the planet -- all for the sake of proving American is
tough again. Since we already destroyed most of the
middle east, I suppose another war or two won't kill too
many. We might as well do it -- providing it could stop the
Iranians from saying 'death to Israel', menacing our boats
.

54
 Show Of Force Real Aim Of US
Missile Strike In Syria - Russian Foreign Ministry
© AP Photo/ Ford Williams/U.S. Navy - Middle East
10:52 20.04.2017

would it ever use chemical weapons on either civilians or

terrorists operating in the country.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on April 5 that the

airstrike near Khan Shaykhun by the Syrian air force hit a
terrorist warehouse that stored chemical weapons slated
for delivery to Iraq, and called on the UN Security Council
to launch a proper investigation into the incident.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on April 6 that

groundless accusations in the chemical weapons incident
in Syria's Idlib were unacceptable before the investigation
Russian Foreign Ministry said that the into the matter had been carried out while Foreign Minister
purpose of the United States' missile Sergei Lavrov on Saturday criticized the US missile attack
strike on a Syrian military airfield this as a violation of the international law.
month was to show force instead of to
destroy an unverified cache of chemical
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
weapons.
described the US missile strike against the Syrian airfield
as a strategic mistake.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The purpose of the United States'
missile strike on a Syrian military airfield this month was
The US missile attack claimed the lives of 10 people, an
to show force instead of to destroy an unverified cache
officer of the Syrian Armed Forces told Sputnik. The
of chemical weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry said
Russian Defense Ministry said that the attack left two
in remarks published Thursday.
Syrian servicemen missing, four killed, and six suffering
"Apparently, the purpose of this illegal severe injuries from the fire. Homs Governor Talal Barazi
action was the demonstration of force said on April 7 that at least two civilians from a nearby
and intimidation, and not the village and five Syrian servicemen were killed.
destruction of chemical weapons,
whose presence in Syria no one has yet After the missile attack, the Russian Defense Ministry
proven," Department suspended a point-to-point communications link with the
for Nonproliferation and Arms Control US military under the memorandum of understanding
(DNAC) head Mikhail Uliyanov said at a on de-confliction in Syria.
chemical weapons watchdog session.
The ministry said the Russian air group in Syria was
On April 7, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk protected by S-400 and Pantsir-S1 air defense systems on a
cruise missiles at the Syrian military airfield in Ash round-the-clock basis.
Sha’irat. US President Donald Trump said that the attack
was a response to the alleged chemical weapon use
In an exclusive interview with Fox Business on April 12,
in Syria's Idlib province on April 4, which resulted in the
US President Donald Trump blamed the current situation
death of over 80 people, an incident which Washington
in Syria on Moscow's support for country's Assad, calling
blames on the Syrian government.
the Syrian leader "an animal."
The Syrian foreign minister denied the government’s
involvement in the Idlib incident, saying it had never nor
.
55
 Where’s Trump’s Duct Tape?
By Clancy Sigal
April 20, 2017

I keep looking for Donald Trump’s missing piece of duct A major conspirator, Atty Gen John Mitchell, a Jeff
tape but it isn’t there yet. Half a century ago Richard Sessions predecessor, served 19 months prison.
Nixon over-reached himself in the “Watergate fiasco” that
brought him down. But so far Nixonian overplaying his As also did two UCLA school pals and drinking buddies of
hand seems to be part of Trump’s winning style. mine, Nixon’s top aides Bob Haldeman (“I’m the
president’s sonofabitch”) and the President’s snarling
Roll flashback: spymaster John Ehrlichman. I spent tons of time with Bob
at (a rather comfortable) prison and with Ehrlichman. The
On the night of June 17, 1972, Frank Willis, a low wage bottom line of our talks was with dark energy. They
African American security guard at Washington’s despised the press and journalists, the basic fuel for the
luxury Watergate office complex, noticed a piece of duct Watergate fiasco.
tape on one of the door locks to the Democratic National
Committee kept reappearing after he’d removed it. He Unbelievably, their hatred of reporters went back years to
called the police who arrested five CIA employees on one my college newspaper UCLA Daily Bruin which in
of their several “black bag” operations to burglarize Haldeman’s view was a cabal of “Jewish liberals”. (And
anywhere Pres. Nixon believed his enemies lurked. we wonder where Nixon got his spewing anti-Semitism on
Previous break-ins included the psychiatrist of former war his office tapes?)
hawk Daniel Ellsberg who had leaked the “Pentagon
Papers” tracing official lies that led to, and persisted in Roll to Today. Give Robert Redford, who got the movie
losing, the Vietnam war. made, the next to last word. A few days ago on
Watergate’s 45th anniversary, he drew the parallel:
Ellsberg in particular drove Nixon nuttier. A White
House-based ‘plumbers unit’ (to plug leaks) was formed “When President Trump speaks of being in a ‘running war’
that, with Nixon looking the other way, ran wild with with the media, calls them ‘among the most
serial burglaries and fantasies of assassinating The Boss’s dishonest human beings on Earth’ and tweets that they’re
enemies. Nixon was too busy to pay full attention since he the ‘enemy of the American people,’ his language takes
was conducting several wars at once, against the press (his the Nixon administration’s false accusations of ‘shoddy’
near-psychotic obsession), black people, the antiwar and ‘shabby’ journalism to new and dangerous heights.”
movement and almost as an afterthought the Vietnamese.
Back then, Redford says, “politicians from both sides of
For months the Watergate break-in was a minor police the aisle put partisan politics aside to uncover the
matter and hardly appeared in the press except as a tiny truth”. He’s talking about a long-ago political Brigadoon,
item on an inner page. almost lost in the mists, when now forgottens like Judge
Sirica, Sen. Sam Ervin, Archibald Cox – we musn’t forget
But due to the reality later dramatized by Robert Redford ‘Woodstein’s secret source Deep Throat the FBI’s 2d in
(as reporter Bob Woodward) and Dustin Hoffman (as Carl command Mark Felt – outwrestled a once-popular and
Bernstein) in All The President’s Men, and the persistence impregnable Pres Nixon.
of a powerful Beltway paper the Washington Post, it all
came undone. But Redford is concerned that in today’s “divided”
America, things might be different. “If we have another
The break-ins would have faded into history (as indeed the Watergate, will we navigate it as well?
Watergate scandal itself has) except for Nixon’s
hysterical attempts at cover-up. All it needed was these In the 1970s America was also “divided”. But today
two stubborn reporters and one CIA conspirator to lose his somewhere out there another Frank Willis is alive, alert
nerve and confess, and the whole house of corruption came and has an I-phone.
tumbling down with Nixon’s impeachment and
indictment of 69 – no less- federal officials for perjury,
fraud, obstruction, whatnot.

56
 Over 80% Of Russians Consider
US Attack On Syrian Airfield As 'Provocation'
© Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy - World
09:26 20.04.2017

use of chemical weapons by [Syrian

President] Bashar Assad's troops," the poll
said.

According to the poll, 12 percent of respondents were

unable to describe the motives behind the US strike.

The survey was carried out on April 11-12 and involved

1,200 respondents.

On April 6, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk

According to a new survey, 82 percent cruise missiles at the military airfield in Ash Sha’irat. The
majority of Russian nationals consider US President Donald Trump said the attack was a response
the recent US missile attack on the to the alleged chemical weapon use in Syria's Idlib
Syrian military airfield in Ash Sha’irat to province on April 4, which resulted in the death of over 80
be a provocation aimed at destabilizing people. The strikes were unanimously supported by NATO
the situation in the war-torn country. member states.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – An 82 percent majority of Russian Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem denied the
nationals consider the recent US missile attack on the government’s involvement in the Idlib incident, saying it
Syrian military airfield in Ash Sha’irat to be a provocation had never and will never use chemical weapons on either
aimed at destabilizing the situation in the war-torn country, civilians or terrorists operating in the country.
a new survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion
Research Center (VTsIOM) revealed on Thursday. On April 5, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the
airstrike near Khan Shaykhun by the Syrian air force hit a
"The majority of Russians, 82 percent, tend
terrorist warehouse that stored chemical weapons lined
to consider the April 7 US missile strike
up for delivery to Iraq, and called on the UN Security
on the Syrian military base to be a
Council to launch a proper investigation into the incident.
provocation aimed at destabilization of the
situation, and over 70 percent [of
respondents] from all social and On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
demographic groups agree with that. Only called the chemical weapons incident in the Syrian
6 percent of our fellow citizens call province of Idlib a provocation as well as an attempt
Washington's actions a response to the to undermine the ceasefire in the country.

57
 PROOF: Ex-CIA Director Brennan
Worked Directly With Foreign Spies To Keep Trump
OUT Of The Oval Office
By: JD Heyes
Date: April 21, 2017

That would be Brennan.

The allegation caused such a stir that Fox News took

Napolitano off the air. And uncharacteristically, GCHQ
issued a public ridicule of Napolitano, calling the claim
“nonsense.”

Only, turns out that Napolitano’s sources were spot-on.

First, some background on why this sounded, to me, very

plausible from the outset. The U.K. is one of the so-called
“Five Eyes” countries that includes the U.S., Canada,
If there is one intelligence scandal Congress ought to be
Australia and New Zealand. Often abbreviated as “FVEY”
investigating involving foreign spies and the presidential
and formed in the aftermath of World War II, this is a
campaign of Donald J. Trump, this is it.
signals intelligence-gathering and intelligence-sharing
treaty that has been enhanced several times since it was
As reported by The Guardian, there is compelling launched.
evidence to suggest that former CIA Director John
Brennan was the primary U.S. intelligence community
In 2013, documents leaked to the media by former NSA
source working to undermine the Trump campaign in an
contractor Edward Snowden showed that FVEY was
effort to prevent the billionaire businessman from
essentially a supra-national intelligence operation that has
becoming president and, after he won, to undermine his
been used by member countries to spy on each others’
transition.
citizens. The information gathered is then shared among
the five countries in order to skirt restrictive laws limiting
The bizarre tale actually begins with a Fox News analyst, or preventing domestic surveillance of their respective
judicial analyst and former judge Andrew Napolitano. In populations.
mid-March, he leveled an amazing allegation: That the
Obama administration used GCHQ, Great Britain’s
So when I heard Napolitano’s accusations, I knew it was at
equivalent of the National Security Agency, to spy on the
least feasible.
Trump campaign during the campaign cycle so that no
paper trail would be left. (RELATED: Read Confirmed:
Rice ordered spy docs on Team Trump.) And now, thanks to some intrepid reporting by The
Guardian, we learn that not only was Napolitano correct,
but that the U.S. spymaster at the time, Brennan, was the
“Three intelligence sources have informed
Obama administration official behind the effort:
Fox News that President Obama went
outside the ‘chain of command’ to conduct
surveillance on Trump,” Napolitano According to one account, GCHQ’s then
claimed. “Obama didn’t use the NSA, he head, Robert Hannigan, passed material in
didn’t use the CIA, he didn’t use the FBI summer 2016 to the CIA chief, John
and he didn’t use the Department of Brennan. The matter was deemed so
Justice. sensitive it was handled at “director level.”
After an initially slow start, Brennan used
“What happened to the guy who ordered GCHQ information and intelligence from
this? Resigned three days after Trump took other partners to launch a major inter-
office,” Napolitano said. agency investigation.
58
The spying, as other reporting has suggested, was not supporters, to spy on Trump and his
really in relation to any suspected Russia-Trump collusion. people.
Rather, it was nothing more than a political operation to
gather whatever damning evidence might be available Brennan’s CIA, then, was nothing less than a political
about Trump and his campaign, under the guise of an branch office of the Clinton campaign. (RELATED:
intelligence mission. Trump Says The Entire “Russia Hacked The Election”
Narrative Has Been Fabricated By Democrats.)
As for Brennan, the American Spectator noted in a special
exclusive, that his motives were entirely political: This is serious, serious stuff. Politicizing the U.S.
intelligence community to thwart the candidacy of a
Seeking to retain his position as CIA legitimate presidential contender has involved criminal
director under Hillary, Brennan teamed up leaking of sensitive intelligence information, the improper
with British spies and Estonian spies to unmasking of American civilians, and created a dangerous
cripple Trump’s candidacy. He used their distrust of the very agencies entrusted to protect our
phony intelligence as a pretext for a multi- country from attack.
agency investigation into Trump, which led
the FBI to probe a computer server Congress needs to investigate Brennan’s alleged role in all
connected to Trump Tower and gave cover of this and, if need be, refer the matter to the Justice
to Susan Rice, among other Hillary Department for further action and possible prosecution.

59
 Confirmed: Hillary And CIA
Colluded With Foreign Spies To Defeat Trump
By Voice Of Reason
Friday, April 21st, 2017

The article states that European spy

agencies passed this ‘intel’ to CIA director
John Brennan, who then used to
orchestrate a full on campaign of political
espionage against Trump.

In the above video, Right Wing News re-examines the

timeline of the whole fiasco and explores Brennan’s
motivations. Did he become overly enamored by the
Muslim world during his time as a station chief in Saudi
Arabia and now views Trump’s realistic view of Islam as
anti-Islamic? That wouldn’t be at all surprising; Brennan
was an American Communist Party supporter at the height
In an effort to once again demonize Trump with the tired of the Cold War and brought in a host of like-minded ilk
‘Russian collusion’ angle, liberal newspaper The Guardian into the CIA. Or was it simple greed; did he just want to
has instead proved what we have suspected all along. keep his position as CIA director under a Hillary
presidency?

60
 Trump Fires Surgeon General
By Jesse Byrnes
04/21/17 11:30 PM EDT

as Surgeon General after assisting in a

smooth transition into the new Trump
Administration," the statement said.
"Dr. Murthy has been relieved of his duties
as Surgeon General and will continue to
serve as a member of the Commissioned
Corps," the statement continued, adding
that Health and Human Services Secretary
Tom Price "thanks him for his dedicated
service to the nation."
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, an appointee of President
Obama's, has been fired by the Trump administration. Murthy had been surgeon general since 2014 and his
sudden departure surprised employees at HHS, The New
In a statement, the Department of Health and Human York Times reported.
Services said Murthy had been asked to resign, and that he
would be replaced temporarily by Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent- Murthy called gun violence a health threat to the United
Adams, the current deputy Surgeon General. States, however, which had won him opposition from the
NRA.
“Today, Dr. Murthy, the leader of the U.S.
Public Health Service Commissioned
Corps, was asked to resign from his duties
.

61
 Questions Raised About
Another Claim In Trump Dossier
Chuck Ross - Reporter
10:24 PM 04/21/2017

Just as it emerged this week that the FBI cited the Trump The human rights worker confirmed his recent meeting in
dossier to obtain a surveillance warrant against Trump an email to The Daily Caller and said that Kaptsugovich is
advisers, another allegation made in the 35-page document treated “negatively” by other prisoners because of the
is coming under scrutiny. nature of his crimes. He also works in the prison
bathhouse, washing bedclothes for other inmates.
A computer hacker identified in the dossier, compiled by
former British spy Christopher Steele, is currently in a Sources who talked to McClatchy did say that it is still
Russian prison on pedophilia charges, McClatchy reports. possible that Kaptsugovich carried out the cyber attacks
alleged in the dossier while at the penal colony. Russian
And a Russian prison monitor who recently met with the intelligence services often recruit criminals and prisoners
man, Sevastyan Kaptsugovich, says that the prisoner does for computer hacking operations.
not have access to the Internet — a requirement for
carrying out the cyber attacks alleged in the dossier. But other parts of the Dec. 13 memo naming
(RELATED: FBI Relied On Dossier To Obtain Kaptusogovich have already been disputed.
Warrant To Spy On Trump Adviser)
The entry names the convict in the same paragraph as
As McClatchy reports, Kaptsugovich, 45, is in prison in a Aleksej Gubarev, a tech executive who is head of the web
small village in Russia’s Kirov region, 500 miles northeast hosting companies, Webzilla and XBT Holdings.
of Moscow. He has been in and out of jail for pedophilia-
related crimes since 2011. He was most recently sentenced In that paragraph, the dossier states that Gubarev’s
to 18 years in a penal colony in 2013 for operating a companies and
network of child porn websites.
“affiliates had been using botnets and porn
Kaptusgovich is identified in a Dec. 13 memo, Steele’s last traffic to transmit viruses, plant bugs, steal
report for the dossier, which was published by BuzzFeed data and conduct ‘altering operations’
on Jan. 10. against the Democratic Party leadership.”

Steele compiled the memos on behalf of Fusion GPS, an

opposition research firm working for an ally of Hillary
Clinton’s.

The dossier refers to the alleged hacker as Seva

Kapsugovich, a slight misspelling of his real name.
McClatchy was able to verify that he is a computer expert
and is currently in prison.

Artur Abashev, an official with the Public Monitoring

Commission, a group that monitors Russian prisons, told
McClatchy that Kaptsugovich is a prisoner at the penal Passage from Dec. 13 memo in dossier compiled by Christopher Steele
colony and that he does not have access to the Internet, a
computer, or a cell phone. The memo alleges that Gubarev and Kaptsugovich were
recruited “under duress” by Russia’s spy services and were
Abashev said that it is “unlikely” that Kaptsugovich would “were significant players” in the operation to hack
have been able to carry out the alleged cyber attacks given Democrats.
his lack of computer access.
But Gubarev strongly denies having been recruited by
Russian spies or taking part in any cyber attacks. He is
62
suing BuzzFeed News for publishing his name in the Despite those inconsistencies in the dossier, the FBI
dossier. The website responded to the suit by apologizing appears to have had enough confidence in some parts of
to Gubarev and redacting his name from the online version the document to cite it in an application for a surveillance
of the document. (RELATED: Russian Tech Exec Sues warrant on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser
BuzzFeed For Publishing His Name In Dossier) who has done business in Russia.

BuzzFeed also appears to have redacted Kaptsugovich’s The FBI obtained the warrants in September, after Page
name since its first publication of the dossier, though it is left the campaign.
unclear why.
Steele claims in the dossier that Page met secretly with
Evan Fray-Witzer, a lawyer for Gubarev, told The Daily Kremlin officials and Igor Sechin, the president of Russian
Caller on Friday that there is “no connection whatsoever” oil giant Rosneft, to hammer out a plan to help Trump win
between Kaptsugovich and his client. the election.

“Kaptsugovich has never worked for XBT Page says he has never met Sechin and refers to the Steele
or Webzilla, has no connections to XBT or memos as the “dodgy dossier.”
Webzilla, and Mr. Gubarev does not know
him, nor has he ever met him,” Fray-Witzer In addition to citing the dossier in the FISA application,
said, noting that the dossier itself does not FBI Director James Comey has reportedly cited it in recent
allege that Kaptsugovich worked for or was meetings with congressional investigators.
connected in any way to Gubarev’s
companies.
Republicans have questioned why the FBI would rely on
“We know that the allegations in the the dossier given the many questions about its veracity.
dossier [published by Buzzfeed] concerning Some see it as a politically-motivated document given that
Mr. Gubarev, XBT, and Webzilla are wholly it was financed by a Clinton ally.
without factual basis but, beyond that, we
cannot say what role others may have But Steele has worked with the FBI on other cases, and
played in the hacking of the DNC.” intelligence community veterans have noted that it would
“What Buzzfeed did was wildly not be out of the ordinary for a document compiled by an
irresponsible and damaged our clients and intelligence expert to have a mixture of accurate and
those facts aren’t going to change,” Fray- inaccurate information.
Witzer said.
Ron Hosko, who served as assistant director of the FBI’s
The source for the information in the Dec. 13 memo is criminal division until 2014, says that he has confidence
unclear. The identity of the source could be key to that FBI officials properly vetted the dossier, even if some
weighing the veracity of the memo, but the name of the parts of the document are inaccurate.
person is redacted in the version of the dossier published
by BuzzFeed. The news outlet previously told The Daily “They wouldn’t be just dropping an
Caller that redactions were already included on the version unvalidated dossier in the middle of a
of the dossier it was provided. surveillance warrant application and
treating it as if it was true in its entirety.
The rest of the memo discusses an alleged meeting in They may well take pieces of it,
August in Prague between Trump lawyer Michael Cohen characterize the source of the information,
and Kremlin officials. Other memos in the dossier allege talk about how they independently
that Cohen and the Russian agents were discussing ways to validated it,” he told TheDC.
influence the election. Cohen has vehemently denied the
claims, saying that he was in the U.S. at the time he was Hosko, who was critical of Hillary Clinton’s use of a
alleged to have been at the meeting. private email server, says he has faith that Comey, who he
has worked with closely, is conducting a fair investigation.
.

63
 Donald Trump: Ruling Class President
By Paul Street
April 21, 2017

Bannon’s white-nationalist “populist” bluster was of great

electoral use to Trump on his path to the White House. In
the real world of world capitalist power, however, the
Beast of Breitbart is a liability. His self-declared
nationalism does not jibe with the deeply rooted Open
Door policy preferences of an American corporate and
financial ruling class that has long been deeply invested
across national boundaries in the world capitalist system.

Trump, it turns out, is not the worker-friendly populist he

posed as while running for president. He’s not the great
anti-establishment outsider determined to return “power to
the people” he claimed to be in his Inauguration Address.
His economic program amounts to neo-liberalism on
The Ruling Class Reserve Tag steroids.

One of the many irritating things about the dominant You don’t say! Gee, who knew? Anyone who’s paid
United States corporate media is the way it repeatedly serious attention to American electoral politics and policy
discovers anew things that are not remotely novel. Take its over the course of history, that’s who. Seventeen years
recent discovery that Donald Trump isn’t really the ago, the then still left Christopher Hitchens usefully
swamp-draining populist working class champion he described the “essence of American politics” as “the
pretended to be on the campaign trail. manipulation of populism by elitism. That elite is most
successful,” Hitchens noted:
The evidence for this “news” is solid enough. His cabinet
and top advisor circle has been chock full of ruling class “which can claim the heartiest allegiance of
swamp creatures like former Goldman Sachs President the fickle crowd; can present itself as most
Gary Cohn (top economic adviser), longtime top Goldman ‘in touch’ with popular concerns; can
Sachs partner and top executive Steve Mnuchin (Secretary anticipate the tides and pulses of public
of the Treasury), and billionaire investor Wilbur Ross opinion; can, in short, be the least
(Secretary of Commerce). Trump has surrounded himself apparently ‘elitist.’ It is no great distance
with super-opulent and planetarily invested financial from Huey Long’s robust cry of ‘Every man
gatekeepers – the very club he criticized Hillary Clinton a king’ to the insipid ‘inclusiveness’ of [Bill
for representing. Clinton’s slogan] ‘Putting People First,’ but
the smarter elite managers have learned in
the interlude that solid, measurable
Trump meets regularly with top corporate and financial pledges have to be distinguished by a
CEOs, who have been assured that he will govern in reserve’ tag that earmarks them for the
accord with their wishes. He receives applause from bankrollers and backers.”
business elites for his agenda of significant large scale tax
cuts and deregulation for wealthy individuals and for the
giant, hyper-parasitic, and largely transnational Democracy Imprisoned by Capitalism
corporations they milk for obscene profits
In a recent New York Times Magazine reflection on the
Trump’s political strategist Steve Bannon is by numerous chilling extent to which Trump’s rise is consistent with
reports being pushed aside by Cohn and by Trump’s dodgy, fascist-like tendencies in the long history of the
hedge-fund financier son-in-law Jared Kushner – a American right, the prolific liberal historian Rick Perlstein
longtime neoliberal Democrat – when it comes to holding notes that the irony of a “populist” president who has
the president’s ear. Bannon has been reduced to bitterly “placed so many bankers and billionaires in his cabinet,
cursing Kushner as a “globalist cuckservative.” and has relentlessly pursued so many 1-percent-friendly

64
policies” is “far from unique.” The Orange-Tinted Beast is Beyond the ownership and investment/disinvestment
the latest version of what Perlstein calls levers, concentrated capital achieves policy, cultural, and
societal outcomes it prefers in numerous other ways: the
“The often-cynical negotiation between buying of candidates and election through campaign
populist electioneering and plutocratic donations; the flooding of government with armies of well-
governance on the right.” heeled lobbyists; the drafting and dissemination of Big
Business-friendly legislation; massive investment in public
Perlstein is right to note the unoriginality of the relations and propaganda to influence the beliefs and
phenomenon. But why does Perlstein seem to think the values of citizens, politicians, and other “opinion-shapers”;
“cynical negotiation” is just a Republican phenomenon? It direct “revolving door” capture of key government
was no less evident in the presidencies of Jimmy Carter, positions; the offer of private sector positions to public
Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama than it was during the officials who reasonably expect significantly increased
Reagan and Bush presidencies and under Trump today. compensation once they exit government; the “cognitive
That is no small part of how and why the ugly Republican [ideological] capture” (every bit as corrupting as bribery)
right that Perlstein understandably fears gets its recurrent of state officials, politicians, media personnel, educators,
trips into national and state-level power. nonprofit managers, and other “influential;” the destruction
and undermining of organizations (i.e., labor unions) that
might offer some countervailing power to that of big
And just how mysterious is the tension between “populist business; the granting of jobs, corporate board
electioneering and plutocratic governance”? From Karl memberships, internships, and other perks and payments to
Marx’s time and before to the present day, bourgeois public officials’ family members; the control of education
“constitutional” states practicing a strictly limited and and publishing; the ownership, management, and
deceptive form of “democracy” have been torn by a monitoring of mass media (including “entertainment” as
fundamental contradiction. On one hand, victorious well as public affairs news and commentary).
candidates have to win enough popular votes to prevail in
elections. They can hardly do that by proclaiming their
The American philosopher John Dewey put things very
commitment to the rule of the wealthy capitalist Few. On
the other hand, they cannot garner the resources to win well in 1931.
elections and govern effectively without the backing and
cooperation of the investor/capitalist class, whose control He wrote that “politics is the shadow cast
of money and the means of production is critical to on society by big business” and rightly
political power and policymaking. prophesized that U.S. politics would stay
that way as long as power resided in
Thirty-three years ago, the left political scientist Charles “business for private profit through private
Lindblom penned a convincing take on American power, control of banking, land, industry,
likening the capitalist marketplace to a prison. Lindblom’s reinforced by command of the press, press
agents, and other means of publicity and
analysis is aptly summarized in a recent critique of “deep
state” discourse by Anthony DiMaggio: propaganda.”

Ten years later, the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis

“U.S. corporations exercised power over
Brandeis made the elementary Aristotelian observation
communities, much like Kings do over
that Americans “must make our choice. We may have
feudal serfs, by exercising ownership over
democracy,” Brandeis wrote, “or we may have wealth
the means of production in the U.S.
concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have
economy. They command worker loyalty
both.” That was an unwitting call for the abolition of
due to their ability to hire and fire
capitalism, which is marked among other things by an
Americans and provide basic benefits such
inherent tendency towards the upward concentration of
as health care or 401k and pension
wealth and power.
benefits. But corporations also possess the
power to destroy people’s lives via capital
flight. Simply by threatening to leave a Let the People Be Taught
community and move factories abroad in
pursuit of higher profits and weaker The fundamental contradiction between bottom-up
environmental regulations, corporations democratic pretense and top-down class-rule reality is
hold citizens hostage…The marketplace is nothing new in American history. The New England
a prison, Lindblom warned, because these clergyman Jeremy Belknap captured the fundamental idea
corporations ultimately control the levers of behind the U.S. Founders’ curious notion of what they
the U.S. economy, and control the life liked to call “popular government.”
outcomes of American workers.”

65
 “Let it stand as a principle,” Belknap wrote the 1930s and 1940s, Ferguson has shown, the labor-allied
to an associate in the late 1780s, “that New Deal (Franklin Roosevelt) Democratic Party rose to
government originates from the people, but power with critical support from highly capital intensive
let the people be taught…that they are multinational corporations and internationally oriented
unable to govern themselves.” investment banks who were less concerned about wage
bills than the more nationally oriented, anti-union, and
Consistent with Belknap’s advice, the U.S. Constitution protectionist industrial firms that dominated the reigning
was structured precisely and quite brilliantly to encode and (Teddy Roosevelt, William McKinley and Howard Taft)
enforce the impossibility of the Founders’ ultimate Republican Party at the turn of the 20th century.
nightmare: popular sovereignty. American history remains
haunted by the darkly democidal enshrinement of the “first The end of rapid growth and of the United States’ short-
new nation’s” crippling charter. The document invokes lived and near-absolute post-World War II global
“We the people” and “the general welfare” only to set up a economic hegemony during the late 1960s produced
government dedicated to the hegemony of the propertied inflation and growing fiscal and trade deficits, leading to
Few. sharply raised interest rates, a strengthened dollar, and an
unprecedented flow of surplus capital from industry to
A Common Masquerade finance. The resulting new finance capital explosion
transformed the American party system, which stabilized
Dressing elite class and economic interests in popular garb around 1980 with high finance atop the “hegemonic bloc”
has always been a core function of the U.S. electoral and of political (as well as economic) investors. With the arch-
party system in its various iterations. Its first assignment neoliberal Clinton presidency of the 1990s, big finance
was to rally ordinary citizens as voters for different capital had clearly taken over the Democratic Party as well
factions of the developing nation’s bourgeois class in its as the Republicans, along with most of the nation’s
recurrent intra-capitalist policy struggles. Across much of nonfinancial corporations.
the 19th century, some leading U.S. investors sought to
advance their interests in the development of the domestic There have been differences in the investor class profiles
U.S. market and a manufacturing economy by pushing of the two dominant parties through this century.
through an “American System” of government-subsidized “Defense” (military) and oil and other Big Carbon firms
internal improvements (transportation infrastructure above have tended to tilt towards the Republicans. Silicon
all), government central banks, and tariffs on imports. Valley and Hollywood lean Democratic. Beneath such
These capitalists tended to align with and fund the Whig differences, the 1% is united in neoliberal consensus across
Party and its anti-slavery successor the Republican Party. both parties around Wall Street-led globalization and a
More export-, agricultural-, and free trade-oriented huge Pentagon System to expand and protect global
investors aligned with the Democratic Party. finance capitalism. Both the Republicans and the
Democrats are committed to the neoliberal world-capitalist
These not insignificant differences aside, all these and imperial order, with big finance calling the shots while
bourgeois parties made feverish electoral appeals to mass unions, the working class, and the poor are relegated to the
constituencies in the name of “the common man” to win margins.
votes in a republic with comparatively wide (universal
white male across most of the nation by the eve of the The two major parties have different historical,
Civil War) suffrage. The competing parties needed to demographic, ethno-cultural, religious, and geographic
“masquerade as commoners” (in the words of the late and profiles that matter. Still, they are united at the end of the
great U.S. historian Alfred F. Young) to elected politicians day in their shared manipulations of carefully calibrated
pledged to the “bankrollers and backers” preferred path of populist rhetoric and voter and partisan identity on behalf
capitalist development. The Hitchensian game – the of the bipartisan super-rich and their global empire. As the
“manipulation of populism by elitism” – first came into Left author Chris Hedges noted four years ago:
own not during the time of Huey Long but a century before
in the Andrew Jacksonian so-called “age of the common “Both sides of the political spectrum are
man.” manipulated by the same forces. If you’re
some right-wing Christian zealot in
“No Way to Vote Against Goldman Sachs”…. Georgia, then it’s homosexuals and
abortion and all these, you know, wedge
Policy specifics and party alignments have since shifted issues that are used to whip you up
more than once in accord with underlying political- emotionally. If you are a liberal in
economic and demographic factors. Still, the basic Manhattan, it’s – you know, they’ll be
manipulative reality captured in Left political teaching creationism in your schools or
scientist Thomas Ferguson’s “investment theory of [U.S. whatever…Yet in fact it’s just a game,
because whether it’s Bush or whether it’s
two-] party competition” has continued throughout. During
Obama, Goldman Sachs always wins.
66
 There is no way to vote against the capitalist democracy or RECD, pronounced as ‘wrecked’”
interests of Goldman Sachs.” lives on today as long before. .

…or (Earlier) J.P. Morgan American capitalism has an equally evil Siamese twin
called imperialism, progenitor of the giant “national
The Machiavellian ruling class exploitation of what is security” and “foreign apparatus” that eats up the lion’s
today called “identity politics” is also less than novel in the share of U.S. federal discretionary spending – at no small
American historical experience. Fierce class conflict fueled cost to social and environmental health even as it provides
by intense class consciousness roiled the industrializing s rich revenue stream for the nation’s unelected
United States across the late 19th and early 20th centuries, dictatorship of money.
creating the most violent labor history in the world during
those years. But great working class and farmer rebellions “The costs of empire,” Chomsky wrote
against the emergent new corporate plutocracy never nearly half a century ago, “are in general
translated into national politics thanks to the prior distributed over the whole of society, white
existence of a constitutionally mandated winner-take-all its profits revert to a few within.”
two party and elections system that channeled ballots into
It is long past time for left thinkers to stop
one of two reigning capitalist parties – aptly described by
giving the American capitalist ruling class a
Upton Sinclair in 1904 as
free pass on Donald Trump, hoping for the
neoliberal deep state” to bring about his
“two wings of the same bird of prey” – demise from the top down.

and in accord with differences of race, ethnicity, religion, Yes, the elite financial campaign finance and speech
and region. State and national politics and “voting royalty data suggest that Hillary Clinton was Wall Street’s
behavior” were structured around ethnocultural and related preferred candidate last year. Still, Trump was never
geographic (sectional) factors. It’s not for nothing that the really an anti-establishment candidate beyond the
Marxist American historian Alan Dawley once referred to deceptive rhetoric he cynically employed – consistent with
the American ballot box as “the coffin of class the longstanding fake-populist “essence of American [and
consciousness.” With all due respect to Eugene Debs’ high bourgeois] politics” – to win enough white working class
water mark returns in 1912 (a mere 6% of the popular and rural votes to prevail over dismal, dollar-drenched
vote), there was little way to meaningfully vote against the Hillary Clinton. And you don’t have to join the right-wing
interests of J.P. Morgan, Averill Harriman, and John conspiracy mongers at Zero Hedge to agree with them that
Rockefeller.
“Trump is where the elites want him” and
No Free Pass “serves the establishment.”

It’s become fashionable on both left and right in recent Militarized Accumulation
years to think of Wall Street’s untouchable power (along
with that of Silicon Valley and the military industrial A recent teleSur English reflection by the brilliant Marxian
complex) as a reflection of the rule of the permanent “deep sociologist William I. Robinson notes that the
state.” In its more measured and workable (non- transnational capitalist class (TCC) has turned to military
conspiratorial) usage, the term refers to the embedded investment as a solution to its drastic over-accumulation of
corporate and financial profit and power sectors that co- capital in an increasingly unequal and poverty-ridden
exist and merge with entrenched government institutions world. As Robinson notes:
prominently including but not restricted to the ever-
mushrooming national security state (we should include
the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal “Here there is a convergence around the
Reserve alongside the Pentagon, the CIA, and the FBI) to system’s political need for social control
govern the nation behind the electoral and parliamentary and its economic need to perpetuate
“marionette theater” (Mike Lofgren) of the visible state accumulation. Unprecedented global
and its pseudo-democratic election rituals. inequalities can only be sustained by ever
more repressive and ubiquitous systems of
social control and repression. Yet quite
But, with all due respect for the chilling expansion of the apart from political considerations, the TCC
intertwined military, police, and surveillance states, it is has acquired a vested interest in war,
hard not to sense behind the notion of the “deep state” the conflict, and repression as a means of
simple and less-than-secretive persistence of the class rule accumulation. CIT has revolutionized
regime called capitalism. The harsh authoritarian reality of warfare and the modalities of state-
what Noam Chomsky has wryly called “really existing organized militarized accumulation,
including the military application of vast
67
new technologies and the further fusion of flare up in the Middle East…Within an hour
private accumulation with state of the April 6th Tomahawk missile
militarization….” bombardment of Syria, Raytheon’s stock
increased by $1 billion. Hundreds of
“…The so-called wars on drugs, terrorism,
private firms from around the world have
and immigrants; the construction of border
put in bids to construct Trump’s
walls, immigrant detention centers, and
ever-growing prisons; the installation of infamous…border wall.”
mass surveillance systems, and the spread
of private security guard and mercenary Trump, his team of politicized generals, and his call for a
companies, have all become major sources 10 percent increase in the already hyper-bloated Pentagon
of profit-making… The class interests of the budget are a perfect match for the militarized accumulation
TCC, geo-politics, and economics come strategy, with its “built-in war drive.”
together around militarized accumulation.
The more the global economy comes to Waiting for supposedly enlightened and decent elites atop
depend on militarization and conflict the the “deep state” to dump Trump is a fool’s game. As
greater the drive to war and the higher the Robinson says,
stakes for humanity…after… Trump’s….
victory, the stock price of Corrections “Only a worldwide push back from below,
Corporation of America…soared 40 and ultimately a program to redistribute
percent, given Trump’s promise to deport wealth and power downward, can counter
millions…Raytheon and Lockheed Martin the upward spiral of international
reports spikes each time there is a new conflagration.”
.

68
 Trump Administration Begins
Quiet Preparations For Government Shutdown
By Tyler Durden
Apr 21, 2017 11:59 PM

Even as Donald Trump is desperate to show to the US As Compass Point analyst Isaac Boltansky, notes,
population, and especially his voter base, some actual
achievement before his first 100 days run out next "wall funding is just one of many policy
weekend, prompting him to tell AP that he will unveil a potholes that could disrupt negotiations,
"tremendous" tax ut plan next week (recall he did the same including ACA cost-sharing subsidies, coal
in February), the Trump administration is quietly preparing miner benefits, sanctuary cities."
for the possibility of a government shutdown, even though
the president and his staff believe one is unlikely to occur. To be sure, Congress can avoid a full-blown shutdown if it
passes a short-term spending measure to keep the
With the Senate reconvening on Monday and the House of government open while negotiations over a broader
Representatives on Tuesday after a two-week recess, funding deal continue, but even that process has been put
lawmakers will have only four days to pass a spending into question.
package to keep the government open beyond April 28,
when funding expires for numerous federal programs.
"I think we're in good shape," President
Trump said when asked about the
"I think we want to keep the government possibility of a shutdown. “We remain
open," confident we’re not going to have a
shutdown,”
Trump said on Thursday, adding he thinks Congress can
pass the funding legislation and perhaps also a revamped White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at a
healthcare bill. separate off-camera briefing, calling the preparation
“required steps” for the federal agencies and departments.
Trump's wish may be problematic: as a reminder, the
government will shut down midnight on April 28 if Some analysts disagree with the optimistic assessment.
Congress cannot agree on a spending bill. As reported over
the past week, the measure hit various snags over Trump's
According to Cowen's Chris Kruger
demands to include funding for Trump’s border wall and a "shutdown theatrics reach fever pitch next
debate over money for an ObamaCare insurer subsidy week, with one-week punt most likely
program, both programs which virtually assure the outcome" however he focuses on the
spending bill will not pass. "White House’s misconception they have
any leverage with Democrats when it’s the
As a result, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) opposite, as Congressional Democrats
has begun to coordinate with government agencies to plan have less than zero incentive to
for a possible shutdown. compromise with Trump and Trump needs
them to keep govt from shutting down."
“While we do not expect a lapse,
prudence and common sense require As such unless Trump concedes to all demands, not only is
routine assessments will be made,” a full spending bill out of the question, but even a short-
OMB Director Mick Mulvaney said in a term agreement appears precarious.
statement.
More ominously, Kruger adds that "until this week,
The office set up a phone call to go over the agencies’ shutdown threat seemed very low as Congressional GOP
shutdown plans, which could include steps such as leadership, appropriators hammered out spending
furloughs for federal workers. The OMB said the plans agreements, were on same page as Democrats;
were reviewed ahead of a possible shutdown last
December and are unlikely to be revised.

69
 that went sideways when White House control the House and the Senate, you
pushed more confrontational approach can't blame anybody but yourself," said
on ObamaCare, immigration." Representative Tom Cole, a senior House
Appropriations Committee Republican.
Meanwhile, Height Securities' Peter Cohn has noted the
House Democrats taking a hard line against even one-week White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said the
stopgap continuing resolution (CR) Trump administration was willing to talk to Democrats
about funding for Obamacare subsidies in exchange for
"due to unresolved White House demands their agreement to include some Trump priorities such as
on funding wall construction, withholding the wall, the defense hike and more money for
funds from sanctuary cities." immigration enforcement.

He sees 25% odds for temporary partial shutdown, with "It is ripe for some type of negotiated
path to deal including boost for border "security" funds agreement that gives the president some of
(not wall), added military funding. Others, such as his priorities and Democrats some of their
Goldman see shutdown odds at one in three (and rising). priorities. So we think we've opened the
door for that," Mulvaney said.
As Reuters adds, leading House
Democrats were voicing skepticism a Democrats reacted negatively.
deal could be reached by the deadline.
"Everything had been moving smoothly
In a telephone call for House Democrats, Representative until the administration moved in with a
Nita Lowey, the senior Democrat on the House heavy hand. Not only are Democrats
Appropriations Committee, said: opposed to the wall, there is significant
Republican opposition as well,” said Matt
House, a spokesman for Senate
"I don't see how we can meet that
Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
deadline"

***
and avoid having to pass a short-term extension, according
to an aide on the call. The second-ranking House
Democrat, Representative Steny Hoyer, told his fellow Should the Trump and the GOP be unable to concede on
Democrats that they should only support such a short-term some of the controversial demands floated in recent days,
measure if a deal on long-term bill is reached and only we expect the shut down odds to rise substantially, and
finishing touches remained, the aide said. instead of a "massive" tax cut, the most likely outcome
may in fact be a closed government starting next weekend,
and lasting for the foreseeable future.
Republican leaders face a familiar balancing act: satisfying
the party's most conservative members while not alienating
its moderates. The government was last forced to close in October 2013,
when Republican Senator Ted Cruz and some of the most
conservative House Republicans engineered a 17-day
Rules in the 100-seat Senate mean Trump's party also
shutdown in an unsuccessful quest to kill Democratic
would need the support of at least eight Democrats even if
former President Barack Obama's healthcare law.
the Republicans remain unified, giving the opposition
Meanwhile, the current Congress has passed no major
party leverage. House Republican leaders would need
legislation since Trump took office in January. Among his
some Democratic votes if the most conservative
ambitions are hopes for major tax-cut legislation,
lawmakers object to the bill, as they did to the healthcare
infrastructure spending and other bills.
plan championed by Speaker Paul Ryan.

A federal closure would shutter National Park Service

With congressional elections looming
destinations like the Statue of Liberty, Yellowstone and the
next year, Republicans acknowledge the
Grand Canyon. Government medical research would be
stakes are high.
suspended. Thousands of federal workers would be
"Even our most recalcitrant members furloughed with thousands more working without pay until
understand that if you shut down the the shutdown ends, including homeland security personnel.
government while you're running it and you Some veterans benefits could be suspended.
.

70
 President Trump’s Disappearance
Paul Craig Roberts
21.04.2017

For Trump, the presidency is a fund-raising device. If his

VP, National Security Advisor, Secretary of Defense, UN
Ambassador, CIA Director, whoever, want to start wars
wherever, that’s just more memorabilia to raffle off for a
$3 donation.

As a result of Trump’s failure to govern his own

government, we have VP Pence telling Russia and China
that there could be a nuclear exchange on their borders
between the US and North Korea. Although Pence is not
smart enough to know, this is not something Russia and
China will accept.

Washington worries about North Korea having nuclear

In my long experience in Washington, vice presidents did weapons, but the entire world worries that Washington has
not make major foreign policy announcements or threaten nuclear weapons. And so many of them. World polls have
other countries with war. Not even Dick Cheney stole this shown that the majority of the world’s population are far
role from the weak president George W. Bush. more concerned about the threat to peace posed by
Washington and Israel than by Iran, North Korea, Russia
But yesterday the world witnessed VP Pence threaten and China.
North Korea with war. “The sword stands ready,” said
Pence as if he is the commander in chief. Pence prefaced his “the sword stands
ready” remark with “the United States of
Perhaps he is. America will always seek peace,” which
after Serbia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq,
Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, and Syria is as
Where is Trump? As far as I can tell from the numerous
false a statement as it is possible to make.
emails I receive from him, he is at work marketing his
From Washington’s perspective it is always
presidency. Once Trump won the election, I began
Washington’s victims that are “reckless and
receiving endless offers to purchase Trump baseball caps,
provocative,” never Washington.
T-shirts, cuff-links, coffee mugs, and to donate $3 to be
entered into a raffle to win some memorabilia. The latest
offer is a chance to win one of “personally signed five The US stands for war. If the world is driven to
incredible photographs of our historic and massive Armegeddon, it will be Washington, not North Korea,
inauguration.” Iran, Russia, or China, that brings life on earth to an end.

71
 Psychiatrists Target Donald Trump
With Mental Illness Disinformation Campaign
"Unethical " Psychiatrists Want Democracy Overturned
By Alex Thomas -
04.22.2017 @10:17 PM EDT

(INTELLIHUB) — A group of left-leaning psychiatrists illness that renders him psychologically

recently told a conference at Yale University that Donald incapable of competently discharging the
Trump has the hallmarks of mental illness that duties of President of the United States.
“compromise” his role as president despite never actually And we respectfully request he be removed
meeting with him. from office, according to article 4 of the
25th amendment to the Constitution, which
The 25 researchers have taken the campaign against states that the president will be replaced if
Trump to the next level, breaking away from all ethical he is “unable to discharge the powers and
standards by discussing so-called evidence of his mental duties of his office.”
health that has already been attacked by others within the
psychiatric community. Fortunately, some within the community have seen
through this transparent attempt at taking out the president
“Dr. James Gilligan, a psychiatrist, and for political reasons with the man who co-wrote the literal
professor at New York University, said manual on mental disorders destroying the claims made by
many psychiatrists have been timid about Garner and his group.
approaching the topic because of the
Goldwater rule,” reported the Daily Mail. “Most amateur diagnosticians have
“The rule states it’s unethical for mislabeled President Trump with the
psychiatrists to give a professional opinion diagnosis of narcissistic personality
about public figures they have not disorder. I wrote the criteria that define this
examined in person.” disorder, and Mr. Trump doesn’t meet
them. He may be a world-class narcissist,
“However, Dr. Gilligan insists his and his
but this doesn’t make him mentally ill,
colleagues’ duty comes from the Duty to
because he does not suffer from the
Warn, a concept about when a medical
distress and impairment required to
professional fails to warn ‘victims’ when
diagnose mental disorder,” wrote Dr. Allen
someone communicates an explicit threat
Frances in a letter to the New York Times.
of danger.”

This is clearly yet another attempt by the global

The Daily Mail continued,
establishment to take out the anti-globalist sitting president
with the “priesthood” being simply the latest weapon
“The group, organized by psychiatrist Dr. deployed.
John Gartner, has considered the president
– who’s fast approaching his 100th day in
office on April 29 – an unfit leader for the
US.”

The group has gone so far as to start a petition that has

gathered over 40,000 signatures and specifically calls for
removing the sitting president literally based on the outside
opinion of 25 “professionals”.

We, the undersigned mental health

professionals (please state your degree),
believe in our professional judgment that
Donald Trump manifests a serious mental
72
 Trump Sends Princess Ivanka
To Germany With Crying Towel
By Patricia Doyle
4-22-2017

Hello Jeff … Trump is sending the Princess to Germany to

remind them how horrible they are and she is bringing a The US would be a much better place if we had 0 Jews and
huge crying towel along. 0 Muslims and Blacks. Sad to admit it but it is true...and it
is a fact.
This 'holocaust' mourning is sickening. Always pick on
Germany. Trump did not live in Germany in the 20s and An entire nation of white Christians sans Jews and blacks
30s and has NO IDEA as to what the Jews were doing to and Muslims would be much better for us. The Jews will
the German people. The Germans finally fought back. see to it that that never happens. Meanwhile, they are busy
removing ALL non-jews from Israel. And no one says a
How come it is always the 'holocaust' that we have to word...
mourn? How come we never mourn the genocide of
Armenian people by Turks? The Turks tried to kill off all Patty
Armenians and not one word ever gets mentioned. What
about Cambodia? Or the 50 million Stalin 'holocausted' in PS - What do you make of the blackouts? China figured
Crimea and during the war? And so many more examples out how to hack our grid about 15 years ago…they even
of REAL holocausts. left a calling card. Practice. With bio- terrorism they
usually release a test amount of pathogen. They test to see
So, now come the mourning and ceremonies of the so- how quickly an outbreak gets identified, how hospitals will
called 'holocaust.' The Jews love the holocaust! What a handle it, etc. A test run. This was probably a test
payday for them! Imagine if they did not have a blackout and the big one will hit this summer. They will
'holocaust' to trot out. How many Jews worked with the plan for the hottest day of the year. Could be really nasty
Germans in camps? The Jewish overseers were harder on even. Many will die.
their own people then the Germans. Up to 500,000
German Jews volunteered and fought in the brave, heroic I know I would not survive in the heat of summer and no
and extremely tough German army. Most don't know that. air due to my COPD. A Generac lasts just so long. then
the gas runs out. Many elderly and babies will die. Might
This Jewish Princess is really pushing the envelope. I be a good idea to have a couple of car batteries on hand
guess President Kushner pushed Trump to send her. The and have them fully charged and ready to go. Also have
Mossad loves to push the holocaust. Awesome for some solar fans on hand. A good time to live in a fully
business. self-contained, off the grid, tiny house. The one I saw had
all solar power and could even run a room air conditioner.
Sickening. This Trump Presidency is beneficial for the
Jews and Israel. NOT for America. And who is pushing I am so disappointed in Trump. He has packed the top
for the transfer of lowlife muslims to the US and the level of his administrations with Jews, his billionaire pals,
West? Who else, the Jews. neocon maniacs and anything but genuine 'outsiders'.
Dump Trump. He has lied and betrayed us that same way
The Jews want to be the number one nation in the world. Obama did. That is the grim truth.
They have eliminated Germany and Europe, and the US is
on its way to Third World status as are Canada and Patty
Australia. BTW, Australia and New Zealand are FILLED
with Orthodox jews.
.

73
 Krieger: The American Empire Under Trump Has
Become Increasingly Desperate, Dangerous, & Insecure
Authored By Mike Krieger Via Liberty Blitzkrieg Blog
Apr 22, 2017 4:00 PM

My current working hypothesis is that the U.S. is a late- WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence
stage empire about to enter a more serious and service and talks like a hostile intelligence
dangerous period of collapse. In case you missed it, I service. It has encouraged its followers to
outlined my broad brush view in the very popular recent find jobs at CIA in order to obtain
post, Prepare for Impact – This is the Beginning of the intelligence. It directed Chelsea Manning in
End for U.S. Empire. Here’s a brief excerpt: her theft of specific secret information. And
it overwhelmingly focuses on the United
I believe last night’s strike represents States, while seeking support from anti-
the beginning of the end for U.S. empire. democratic countries and organizations.
Although the U.S. has been declining
domestically for this entire century, This is what’s called “projection.”
America has still been calling all the
shots on the international front. This It is time to call out WikiLeaks for what it
makes sense in late-stage empire, as really is – a non-state hostile intelligence
the focus of the fat and happy “elite” service often abetted by state actors like
becomes singularly obsessed with Russia. In January of this year, our
domination and power, while the Intelligence Community determined that
situation back home festers and rots. Russian military intelligence—the GRU—
Trump won on an “America first” had used WikiLeaks to release data of US
platform that promised to emphasize the victims that the GRU had obtained through
well-being of American citizens over cyber operations against the Democratic
geopolitical adventurism. We now know National Committee. And the report also
for certain he’s been manipulated into found that Russia’s primary propaganda
the imperial mindset, and his outlet, RT, has actively collaborated with
recklessness will merely accelerate U.S. WikiLeaks.
decline on the world stage, and in turn, We know this because Assange and his
back home. ilk make common cause with dictators
today. Yes, they try unsuccessfully to cloak
When I came across reports yesterday that the U.S. Justice themselves and their actions in the
Department is trying to figure out a way to prosecute the language of liberty and privacy; in reality,
world’s most courageous and effective news publisher, however, they champion nothing but their
Wikileaks’ Julian Assange, I immediately saw it to own celebrity. Their currency is clickbait;
be further evidence of the incredible insecurity and their moral compass, nonexistent. Their
desperation of the American establishment. mission: personal self-aggrandizement
through the destruction of Western
The CIA is particularly enraged at Assange as a result of values.
last month’s initial Vault 7 release. Rather than apologize They do not care about the causes and
for allowing zero day exploits in large tech companies to people they claim to represent. If they
remain open and therefore vulnerable to hacking from did, they would focus instead on the
anyone with the skills to do so (see: CIA Hacking Tools autocratic regimes in this world that
Allow for an Unaccountable Intelligence Agency actually suppress free speech and dissent.
Dictatorship), CIA director Mike Pompeo decided to Instead, they choose to exploit the
respond with an unhinged nervous breakdown during a legitimate secrets of democratic
recent speech to the Saudi funded Center for Strategic and governments—which has, so far, proven to
International Studies (CSIS). Here are a few excerpts be a much safer approach than provoking a
from his deranged, incoherent, and unconstitutional tyrant.
remarks courtesy of the CIA:

74
More projection. possible with the American people so that
our society can reach informed judgments
No, Julian Assange and his kind are not the on striking the proper balance between
slightest bit interested in improving civil individual privacy and national security.
liberties or enhancing personal freedom.
They have pretended that America’s First The first thing to appreciate from the above excerpts is
Amendment freedoms shield them from how uncollected and unhinged Mike Pompeo appears to
justice. They may have believed that, but be, and let’s also not forget that Donald Trump appointed
they are wrong. Pompeo of his own volition. Much of his commentary
centers around simple name calling, for instance referring
Assange is a narcissist who has created
to Assange as a “narcissist,” a “false wizard” and a
nothing of value. He relies on the dirty
“demon” in the span of just a few short paragraphs. His
work of others to make himself famous. He
is a fraud—a coward hiding behind a seemingly unstable emotional state certainly doesn’t give
screen. me a lot faith in the CIA, not that I had much to begin
with.
Really? Seems to me he’s created the most powerful and
impactful media organization of the 21st century, which is Moving along, Pompeo’s entire rant is filled with
precisely why you hate his guts. projection. First let’s define Psychological Projection:

And in Kansas, we know something about Psychological projection is a theory

false Wizards. in psychology in which humans defend
themselves against their own
So we face a crucial question: What can unconscious impulses or qualities (both
we do about this? What can and should positive and negative) by denying their
CIA, the United States, and our allies do existence in themselves
about the unprecedented challenge posed while attributing them to others. For
by these hostile non-state intelligence example, a person who is
agencies? habitually rude may constantly accuse
While there is no quick fix—no foolproof other people of being rude. It
cure—there are steps that we can take to incorporates blame shifting.
undercut the danger. First, it is high time
we called out those who grant a platform to Pompeo exhibits this behavior repeatedly in his remarks.
these leakers and so-called transparency For instance, he accuses Assange of
activists. We know the danger that
Assange and his not-so-merry band of “seeking support from anti-democratic
brothers pose to democracies around the countries and organizations.”
world. Ignorance or misplaced idealism is
no longer an acceptable excuse for I mean, that’s basically the CIA’s mission statement, and
lionizing these demons. its entire history is filled to the brim with
Third, we have to recognize that we can
no longer allow Assange and his “seeking support from anti-democratic
colleagues the latitude to use free countries and organizations.”
speech values against us. To give them
the space to crush us with misappropriated Moving along, he states
secrets is a perversion of what our great
Constitution stands for. It ends now.
“Assange and his ilk make common cause
And finally—and perhaps most with dictators today,” and also says about
importantly—we need to deepen the trust Wikileaks, “they do not care about the
between the Intelligence Community causes and people they claim to
and the citizens we strive to protect. represent.”

Deepen the trust? There is no trust. Both of these statements summarize U.S. foreign policy to
a tee. After all, one of America’s closest foreign allies,
At CIA, I can assure you that we are Saudi Arabia, is not only one of the world’s most
committed to earning that trust every day. repressive, undemocratic states, it is also one of the leading
We know we can never take it for granted. propagators of radical Islamic terrorism across the globe,
We must continue to be as open as including the attacks of 9/11 (for more see: Meet the

75
Lawyer Who’s Suing Saudi Arabia for Financing the Assange, US officials familiar with the
9/11 Attacks). matter tell CNN.
The Justice Department investigation of
Finally, Pompeo justifies his attack on the First Assange and WikiLeaks dates to at least
Amendment by pushing a false “us versus them 2010, when the site first gained wide
mentality.” He states: attention for posting thousands of files
stolen by the former US Army intelligence
Third, we have to recognize that we can no analyst now known as Chelsea Manning.
longer allow Assange and his colleagues Prosecutors have struggled with
the latitude to use free speech values whether the First Amendment precluded
against us. the prosecution of Assange, but now
believe they have found a way to move
This implies that Assange and Wikileaks represent “the forward.
enemy,” while the CIA is somehow some shining white
night. Unfortunately for Pompeo, this isn’t how many Think about what you just read for a minute. The
Americans see the situation. DOJ apparently spent 7 years trying to figure out how to
void the First Amendment, yet it couldn’t jail a single bank
Let’s recall the following tweet, and executive during that entire time. What does this tell you
understand that John Harwood’s about where the government’s priorities lie? Even more
following isn’t exactly filled with anti- disturbingly, it doesn’t matter which Goldman Sachs/deep
establishment types. state puppet sits in the White House, the agenda moves
forward. It is an imperial agenda to protect and secure the
wealth and power of the few against the well being and
liberty of the many.

The U.S. empire doesn’t work for the people, it works for
a small handful of elitists and insiders who have
completely gamed a corrupt system for their advantage.
The America people are starting to figure this out, partly
due to the journalism of Wikileaks, which is why the deep
state hates Assange so passionately.

The American empire is becoming

increasingly insecure and desperate,
You can say that’s not a scientific poll, and that’s fine, but
I’d argue a large percentage of Americans think Wikileaks which also makes it increasingly dangerous.
is more patriotic than the CIA, and that poses an enormous
problem for the deep state. Empires don’t reform,

In fact, Americans as a whole no longer trust most of the and as we can see from Trump’s first 100 days, we
institutions charged with managing the U.S. empire, certainly aren’t going to see a reversal of course from him.
because those institutions have completely and utterly
failed the people. The only way to regain trust is to
We the people need to keep our eye on
actually start doing some decent things for the nation, but
the prize and stop bickering with one
that’s not what happens in late-stage empire. In late-stage
another over relatively trivial issues.
empire, the corrupt and foolish “ruling class” continues to
double and triple down on their own stupidity and theft
until the whole thing falls apart. This is precisely what I That is precisely what the status quo wants and actively
expect to happen, and the ongoing Assange witch-hunt encourages us to do. They can’t keep us oppressed if we
simply further confirms my suspicions. stand together, so let’s not make their jobs easier by
constantly fighting with one another. We need to stand tall
and say enough is enough. That we are sick of your
To further prove the point, take a look at the following
puppets, your wars and your Wall Street bailouts. America
excerpt from CNN’s article on the topic:
is tired of being controlled by a small group of
unaccountable, incompetent, greedy, unethical
US authorities have prepared charges to crooks running around stealing everything in sight.
seek the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian
Enough is enough.
76
 Russia Used Trump's Advisers
To Meddle In Election Campaign - FBI
© AP Photo/ Pavel Golovkin World
10:04 22.04.2017

Russian agents could be in contact with Page both

in Russia and in the United States, the broadcaster added.
On April 4, BuzzFeed News claimed that
Page met Victor Podobnyy, a Russian
intelligence operative who was charged
in January 2015 by the US government
for acting as unregistered agents of a
foreign government, back in 2013 while
working as an energy consultant. Page
said he met Podobnyy at an energy
industry event and merely exchanged
The Federal Bureau of Investigation contacts and innocuous information.
(FBI) said that Russian spies used On April 17, Page told the Washington
advisers of US President Donald Trump, Times that the dossier, containing
including Carter Page, to infiltrate the information about his meetings
election campaign, local media reported with Russian businessman Igor Sechin and
Saturday, citing unnamed US officials. high-ranking Russian official Igor Diveykin,
was "completely false" and "full of lies."
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — According to the CNN On April 12, The Washington Post reported
broadcaster, the Russian side tried to use Trump's former that the FBI obtained a secret warrant last
adviser Page, while he could be unaware that he was year in order to investigate Page over his
in touch with Russian spies because of the way they alleged ties to Russia.
operated.
Moscow rejected having any secret ties to Trump and
The FBI suggested that Page could have been repeatedly refuted allegations of interference in the US
compromised by Russian intelligence after his speech at a elections. Trump has also rejected claims of undercover
university in Moscow in July 2016, in which he criticized dealings with Russia.
US policy against Moscow, and raised concern that
.

77
 What Do Trump And Clinton Share But Lack?
CLASS! In That Both Belong To The Upper Class. And Both Only Serve
The Interests Of Their Class--Whatever They May Tell Their
"Deplorable" Voters. Yet Neither Is A Class Act Like Vladimir Putin--The
Strong But Compassionate, True Christian President Of Russia.
Dr. William Wedin
Sat, Apr 22, 2017

And one of the perks of being in that Class is that unless

you're a Bernie Madoff and actually confess to a crime
(out of belated "Jewish" guilt that was so déclassé!), you
will never go to jail. Not if you're Donald Trump, you
won't.

And not if you're Hillary Clinton. Nope!

Not even if you've committed the most fragrant of felonies.

And Trump himself has led huge rallies of "deplorables"

against you, shouting:

"Lock 'er up! Lock 'er up!"

As soon as the election was over, Trump announced that

haggard Hillary had "suffered enough." And that was that.
Old friends

Trump and Clinton both belong to the Upper Class. They

move in the same circles. Their daughters, Chelsea and
Ivanka, are best friends.

So when The Donald invited the Clintons to his lavish

wedding reception at his lavish Mar-a-Lago estate in 2005-
-this time with Melania as his bride--of course, ever social-
climbing Hillary leaped at the chance and dragged Bill
along.

Just look at Hillary's utterly enraptured smile as The

Donald regales Bill with how he groped Melania the first
time they met. Do you know how much a man must be
worth for Hillary to smile at him like that?

I'm joking, of course. [He could be worth a million less;

and she'd still smile like that.] Come on. Trump wasn't going to lock up the mother of
Ivanka's best friend. Not after the "poor woman" had spent
Honestly, though, this photo did shock me a little. For it $1.2 billion against Trump's measly $600 million to defeat
made me realize--not for the first time, to be sure, but with him--and lost!
singular intensity--that Clinton and Trump really DO
belong to the same Club--the same Class. The Upper Losing money like that has gotta hurt!
Class.

78
Imagine if you lost money like that! But these people are paupers compared to the Arab Royal
Families who contribute to the Clinton Foundation and buy
Trump out of bankruptcies to the tune of millions.

Just as these Royal Families who actually own their oil-

rich emirates and kingdoms bought up George Bush Jr's
failing oil businesses back in the 1980's so George could
follow his father clear to the Presidency.

And what did these Royal Families want from Bill and
Hillary Clinton, George Bush, the newly-rich Obama, and
Donald Trump, in return?

Only war against Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria,

Yemen, and Iran. And the "cleansing" of all Christians and
Shiite Muslims from these lands.

Trump may have raged against Muslims

to those "deplorables" whom he and
Hillary and their Upper Class so deplore.
But since his election, Trump has done
exactly what these Arab Royal Families
have wanted of him. The travel ban. The
Yemeni raid. The Syria reversal. The
Tomahawk missile attack. So what does Vladimir Putin--that Monster of Evil--do?
And Trump has just begun. He kneels down and talks to this lonely little boy who so
needs a father right now. And in that one single simple
gesture of loving understanding--in my professional
***
judgment--Putin gives the lie to all the ugly charges that
have been hurled at him.
And then there is Vladimir Putin. And here's my very
favorite shot of him, talking to a little boy who's gotten so,
In kneeling down in tender compassion like that, Putin
so tired from standing at a long, long Russian Orthodox
shows real class.
service that he's just... well... sat down... right there... while
his mother in the pink sweater tries to ignore him.
.

79
 New Report: FBI Was Willing To Pay $50,000
To Former British Spy For Trump Dossier
Cristina Laila
Apr 22nd, 2017 2:29 Pm

More details are now emerging about The Times reports that Steele and the FBI
the largely debunked Trump dossier settled on a $50,000 payout if the ex-MI6
provided by former British spy, agent could corroborate information
Christopher Steele. contained in his dossier.
As The Times notes, the payment was
We just reported on a lawsuit filed by Cause of Action never made, perhaps suggesting that
which revealed that the FBI perhaps paid for the Trump Steele was not able to confirm information
dossier. A new report by The Times claims that the FBI in his memos.
was willing to pay up to $50,000 for it, however; the
payment was never made. The report raises questions about the degree of confidence
that the FBI had in the dossier. And that level of
Via The Times: confidence is important because the FBI reportedly relied
on the dossier in a September application for a Foreign
Mr. Steele met his F.B.I. contact in Rome in early October, Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant against former
bringing a stack of new intelligence reports. One, dated Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
Sept. 14, said that Mr. Putin was facing “fallout” over his
apparent involvement in the D.N.C. hack and was A Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court judge granted
receiving “conflicting advice” on what to do. that warrant, meaning that the court agreed there was
probable cause to believe that Page was working as an
The agent said that, if Mr. Steele could get solid agent of the Russian government.
corroboration of his reports, the F.B.I. would pay him
$50,000 for his efforts, according to two people familiar Shame on the FBI for the lengths it went to destroy Trump.
with the offer. Ultimately, he was not paid This debunked dossier is also the subject of a lawsuit
against Buzzfeed and our government took it seriously
Via The Daily Caller: enough to the point a judge granted the FBI a FISA
warrant.

80
 Changing Narratives: Ex-Trump Adviser
Page Fires Back At CNN’s ‘Russia Contacts’ Claim
Published Time: 23 Apr, 2017 04:09Edited Time: 23 Apr, 2017 11:25
Commenting on the infamous dossier, Page told CNN:

“There are certain questions I have, frankly

speaking, just reading that report – two
weeks before the inauguration day, I might
add – that makes me wonder whether this
was really just a political stunt.”

“False narratives,” not the alleged Russian attempts, were

the ultimate form of meddling in the election, Carter Page
told CNN, striking back at the network’s anonymous
report claiming the FBI has proof he and other Trump
advisers interacted with Russian agents.

Carter Page made the comments to CNN on Saturday, just

one day after the news outlet alleged that the FBI had
gathered intelligence last summer suggesting that Russian
agents attempted to infiltrate the election by using Trump’s
advisers to do so.

Page was explicitly mentioned in the original CNN report,

which cited unnamed US officials as sources.

Responding to the CNN report, Page noted that it said that He added that
Russia “tried” to infiltrate the campaign – which is a far
cry from other terms previously used when it came to the
“we’ve seen that looking back at the history
Trump campaign's alleged ties with Moscow.
of political intelligence operations going
back many decades.”
“Remember the headlines for many, many
months. The Trump campaign ‘colluded’
The leaked dossier was said to be compiled by a former
[with Russia] or there [were] nefarious
British intelligence official for Trump’s political
things going on. Now they’re really reeling
opponents.
things back and someone is saying out
there the word ‘tried’,” Page pointed out.
The Friday CNN report claims that Page is one of several
“I’ve certainly seen a lot of ‘tries’ going Trump advisers that US and European intelligence found
back for much of the last year. Trying to put to be in contact with Russian officials and other Russians
in false narratives over many, many known to Western intelligence during the campaign.
months,” he went on.
It states that Page may have communicated with them
Page then referred to the “dodgy dossier” of unverified unknowingly
information which includes allegations of Russian ties to
the Trump campaign, calling it the “ultimate try” and
“because of the way Russian spy services
“swing and a miss.”
operate.”

81
But when asked whether he was aware of Russian efforts CNN asked Page about the FISA warrant on Saturday, in a
of using him to get into the Trump campaign, Page was way which Young said was “baiting” him. He accused
confident he was never asked for any information that CNN of trying to get Page to admit that the FISA court had
would have breached the campaign. a reason to connect him to a crime with Russia, calling the
line of questioning “ridiculous.”
“Nothing I was ever asked to do, or no
information that I was ever asked for, was Young also noted that it was easy to “make up anything”
anything beyond what you can see on when it comes to reports from unknown sources, such as
CNN... nothing I ever talked about with any the ones cited by CNN in the Friday report.
Russian official extends beyond that
publicly available, immaterial information.” The US has repeatedly accused Russia of hacking the
Democratic National Committee’s computer networks
Political commentator and satirist Tim Young told RT that during the election, claiming Moscow was trying to
he isn’t sure if the allegations of Russian meddling will “interfere” with the results.
ever end, adding that the left is merely looking for a
scapegoat for losing the election. However, there is no evidence to show that the Kremlin
was behind the attack, with many in the intelligence
It comes less than two weeks after the Washington Post community stating that all signs point to an insider leak,
reported that the FBI obtained a secret FISA warrant last rather than an outside hack.
summer to monitor Page’s communications, stating that
there was probable cause to believe he acted as an agent Moscow has denied Washington’s claims as untrue and
for Russia and baseless.

“knowingly engaged in clandestine

intelligence activities on behalf of Moscow.”
.

82
 Trump: The Man Vs. His Ideas
By Jon Rappoport
April 23, 2017

“Well, my hero failed to live up to his change for the better occur as long as this preposterous
promises. He has feet of clay. So why proxy-condition persists?
should I care about his ideas? They’re
unimportant. All I really wanted in the first Trump has planted seeds for a revolutionary shift in
place was a hero. That was the only dream foreign policy, based on non-interference in the affairs of
that mattered.” other nations. Regardless of how far he moves in the
opposite direction (e.g., Syria, Russia), his initial position
In past articles, I’ve praised Trump and criticized him. on non-interference acknowledged untold numbers of
Here I want to make a few remarks about his best effects people in many countries who have been waiting to hear
and the ripples that have spread from his words—but not that message.
necessarily from his present and future actions.
To say, because Trump abandoned that stance, his
Why do I make that distinction? proclamation against Empire-building was wrong is a
fool’s errand. In the same way, people have claimed that
Because I’m far more interested in the millions of people the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are meaningless
who decided to support Trump than I am in Trump because some of the Framers owned slaves.
himself. Those millions will carry freight in the years to
come, here in the US and in other countries. If they turn Failing to distinguish between ideas and the people who
passive, the so-called populist movement will die on the espouse them is a sign of the lowest possible level of
vine. intelligence.

Trump has raised the issue of Globalism as no other The mainstream press displays that level every day.
modern president has. Specifically, he’s spoken about the
horrendous consequences of: shipping jobs overseas, Trump has pointed out, over and over, that an open borders
throwing huge numbers of willing domestic workers on to immigration policy is madness. The financial burden it
unemployment lines; and failing to lay on tariffs when imposes; the open invitation it offers to immigrants, to take
corporations who have gone overseas send their products advantage of free government services (never before the
back here for sale. intent of any US immigration program); the seeding of
communities with immigrants who have no intention of
He’s pointed to Globalist trade treaties as the source of this becoming part of American society; the indifference
calamity, and he has killed the TPP treaty. toward crimes and terrorist acts that result from non-
vetting; these and other factors demand a change of
More generally, he’s spoken about Globalism vs. approach.
Nationalism; i.e., solving problems at home vs. trying to
incorporate America into an international framework of For the so-called political Left, a sense of idealism implies
governance. there will never be a ceiling on immigration. It is unlimited
and forever. Separate nations are a fiction. The world is
His words have helped stimulate, confirm, and support the One Nation. These sentiments are, in fact, Globalism’s wet
Brexit decision in the UK, and the rise of pro-nationalism dream, which by the way has nothing to do with kindness
anti-EU movements in Europe. and sharing. It has to do with top-down control of
civilization, from one end of the planet to the other.
Trump has attacked the prime source of fake news, major
media, as no other president ever has. Time and time Trump has built strong pillars with his words.
again, he has gone after these scurrilous creatures as liars
and purveyors of false realities. In this effort, he has lent a He has confirmed what untold numbers of people in many
considerable hand to the expansion of independent media. nations believe and want.

From the inception of major media here in America and There is every danger that, if Trump fails to live up to what
other countries, their news has functioned as the eyes, ears, he has said, these people, many of them, will decide his
mouths, and brains for the public. How can authentic words mean nothing. His ideas mean nothing.
83
Again, that is because they can’t distinguish between ideas “Well, my hero failed to live up to his
and the individuals who espouse them. They have neither promises. He has feet of clay. So why
the capacity nor the desire. They’re trapped along a fault- should I care about his ideas? They’re
line of their own cynicism; they’re looking for a reason to unimportant. All I really wanted in the first
say destiny is doom. place was a hero. That was the only dream
that mattered.”
This attitude has plagued humanity since the beginning.
Those who championed freedom and the individual have Really?
fought against it.
Those are the words of a disappointed child.

84
 Trump’s Presidential Approval Rating
Within First 100 Days In Office Lowest Since 1945
Published Time: 23 Apr, 2017 18:17Edited Time: 23 Apr, 2017 21:09

More than half of Americans, 56 percent, say

“he’s accomplished little or nothing in his

first 100 days,” while almost the same
number of people, 55 percent, say “he
doesn’t follow a consistent set of principles
in setting policy.”

However, no more than 48 percent see this as a problem.

As President Donald Trump is approaching the 100-day However, there are some silver linings for Trump as well.
benchmark in the White House, his approval rating has hit According to the survey results, as many as 73 percent of
a historical low of 42 percent. Twelve of his predecessors Americans say it’s good that the new president is
averaged 61-percent at this point, a new Washington Post- pressuring companies to keep jobs in the United States.
ABC News poll showed. That number includes Democrats, liberals, and non-whites
– the three groups, most unsupportive of Trump.
An average of 42 percent of Americans approve of
Trump’s performance as president, while 53 percent Moreover, 53 percent called Trump a “strong leader,”
disapprove. Past presidents’ ratings averaged 69 percent though 77 percent of respondents considered Obama as
approval and 19 percent disapproval by their 100th day in such at this stage.
office, the poll shows.
Generally, Trump’s foreign policy ratings look quite
For example, Trump’s closest predecessor, Barack Obama promising with 46 percent saying the situation with North
had a 69-26 percent rate. Korea is being handled “about right,” compared to 37
percent saying his actions are “too aggressive,” or to 7
The next president with such low ratings was former percent calling him too “cautious.”
President Bill Clinton who had 55 percent approval. The
highest approval rating for the first 100 days was achieved Conversely, Obama was seen as too cautious when dealing
by John F. Kennedy, who had 71 percent. with situations in Syria and Ukraine in 2014.

Despite the deplorable results, 96 percent of those who The poll, which is based on data collected from 1,004
supported Trump in November still stand by their vote adults surveyed April 17-20, 2017, was produced by
today. Langer Research Associates. The results are said to have a
margin of error of 3.5 points.
Going into the details, the poll says that six out of 10
people Trump’s 100th day in office, which is historically
considered the point when a newly-elected president’s
“doubt his [Trump’s] honesty and accomplishments can be measured for the first time, will
trustworthiness, see him as out of touch, be April 29th.
and don’t think he understands the
problems of people like them.”
.

85
 ‘Everyone Tunes In’:
Inside Trump’s Obsession With Cable TV
By Ashley Parker And Robert Costa
April 23 At 4:55 PM

request for more information, and appears on TV himself

when he wants to appeal directly to the public.

Some White House officials — who early on would appear

on TV to emphasize points to their boss, who was likely to
be watching just steps away in his residence — have
started tuning into Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” because
they know the president habitually clicks it on after waking
near dawn.

But Trump’s habits have consequences far beyond being

President Trump's relationship with television goes back decades –
and now that he's in the White House, his TV-watching habit is still
the quirky, unchanging ways of a 70-year-old man who
going strong. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) keeps an eye on cable as he goes about his day, as his
confidants describe his behavior. Foreign diplomats have
During a small working lunch at the White House last urged their governments’ leaders to appear on television
month, the question of job security in President Trump’s when they’re stateside as a means of making their case to
tumultuous White House came up, and one of the Trump, and U.S. lawmakers regard a TV appearance as
attendees wondered whether press secretary Sean Spicer nearly on par with an Oval Office meeting in terms of
might be the first to go. showcasing their standing or viewpoints to the president.

The president’s response was swift and unequivocal. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said
Trump’s intense monitoring cuts both ways.
“I’m not firing Sean Spicer,” he said,
according to someone familiar with the “At times, it’ll lead to mistakes,” he said.
encounter. “That guy gets great ratings. “Other times, it lets him move with
Everyone tunes in.” astounding speed.”
“It’s all part of him being this work in
Trump even likened Spicer’s daily news briefings to a progress who is constantly listening and
daytime soap opera, noting proudly that his press secretary evolving,” Gingrich added.
attracted nearly as many viewers.
Explaining his decision to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise
For Trump — a reality TV star who parlayed his blustery- missiles at a Syrian air base, Trump even cited, publicly
yet-knowing on-air persona into a winning political brand and privately, the gruesome images of dead and dying
— television is often the guiding force of his day, both Syrian children poisoned with the nerve agent sarin,
weapon and scalpel, megaphone and news feed. And the images that dominated television for several days.
president’s obsession with the tube — as a governing tool,
a metric for staff evaluation, and a two-way conduit with “President Trump is someone who comes to the White
lawmakers and aides — has upended the traditional House with a sophisticated understanding of how to
rhythms of the White House, influencing many spheres, communicate, the power of television, the power of
including policy, his burgeoning relationship with imagery, the power of message, and how message,
Congress, and whether he taps out a late-night or early- messenger and delivery all work together,” said Kellyanne
morning tweet. Conway, counselor to the president.

Those Trump tweet-storms, which contain some of his The president’s fascination with television is born of
most controversial utterances, are usually prompted by personal experience. Trump, long a fixture in the New
something he has seen on television just moments before. York tabloids, did not become a household presence until
The president, advisers said, also uses details gleaned from 2004, when he began hosting NBC’s hit reality TV show
cable news as a starting point for policy discussions or a
86
“The Apprentice.” He relished the attention, boasting In the morning, the president typically flips between “Fox
about and fretting over his ratings, much as he now & Friends,” Maria Bartiromo’s show on Fox Business and
handles political polls. CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” West Wing aides assert that the
president stopped watching MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” after
He is also a natural showman. During the campaign, he the show’s hosts grew increasingly critical of his
riveted viewers with his raucous rallies, where he often presidency, but some confidants think he still tunes in,
spoke for more than hour without any notes or especially for the top of the program.
teleprompters. And in TV interviews, he sometimes offers
tips on matters including lighting and chair placement, His feelings toward CNN and its president, Jeff Zucker,
with an intuitive sense of what makes for good TV. who greenlighted “The Apprentice” when he was running
NBC Entertainment, are similarly fraught. Trump is
“He is very attuned to the fact that cable furious with Zucker for what he thinks is the network’s
networks have 24 hours a day that they unfair coverage but admires Zucker’s business bona fides
need to fill — and if you’re interesting, you and ratings growth, said a friend.
are gold,” Gingrich said.
Always tuned in Most of the televisions in the West Wing
display four channels at all times — CNN,
Fox, Fox Business and MSNBC.
Trump’s quotidian viewing is unremarkable, based on his
profile. Fox News’s average prime-time viewer last year,
for instance, was 68 years old and mostly white, and the The president also likes One America News, a
conservative-leaning channel whose correspondent often
average American watches more than four hours per day,
gets questions in Spicer’s daily news briefing, and before
according to Nielsen data.
the campaign told an aide that he occasionally enjoyed
watching Al Jazeera.
On his campaign plane, Trump watched television on full
volume — usually Fox News, sometimes CNN — almost
He is still in touch with Roger Ailes, the former Fox News
constantly, said someone who flew with him, shushing his
chairman who was ousted amid charges of sexual
aides whenever he himself came on the screen and
listening with rapt attention. When Hillary Clinton harassment and who unofficially advised Trump near the
appeared, he’d similarly quiet his team, often before end of the presidential campaign. But, Trump has told
pointing a finger at the TV and scolding: friends, he thinks Fox News is “nicer” to him in the post-
Ailes era. Fox News host Sean Hannity, meanwhile, is
especially close to Trump’s two older sons, as well as to
“She’s lying! She’s lying!” the president.

To relax, however, he would occasionally watch the Golf “For all the talk about how the media is so
Channel, while on his plane or in the clubhouses of some tough on Trump, which they are, the most
of his private courses. interesting thing about Trump and the
media is that in the end, Trump totally
Now that he’s in the White House, friends and aides manipulated the media,” said Stephen
describe a president who still consumes a steady diet of Moore, an economist for the Heritage
cable news. During an intimate lunch recently with a key Foundation who served as a senior adviser
outside ally in a small West Wing dining room, for to the Trump campaign.
instance, Trump repeatedly paused the conversation to
“The media is why he won — because he
make the group watch a particularly combative Spicer
completely dominated the media. That’s
briefing.
the irony of the whole thing.”
Trump turns on the television almost as soon as he wakes, Appearances matter
then checks in periodically throughout the day in the small
dining room off the Oval Office, and continues late into West Wing staffers have begun including local news
the evening when he’s back in his private residence. clippings in his morning briefing, said one, noting that an
issue such as rolling back environmental regulations may
“Once he goes upstairs, there’s no earn the president poor press nationally but a more positive
managing him,” said one adviser. headline —

Sometimes, at night, he hate-watches cable shows critical “Trump saves coal jobs,” for example — in
of him, while chatting on the phone with friends, said a local paper.
someone familiar with the president’s routine — a quirk a
senior official jokingly called “multi-teching.”
87
But Trump — who has boasted to several advisers and “That was good.”
friends about having “the world’s best TiVo” — remains
most focused on what he sees on his flat screens, going so Indeed, it is now a running joke in television green rooms
far as to compliment print reporters on their television that if a trade association or special-interest group wants to
appearances. reach the president, the smartest use of their money is to
buy morning television ad time or book a representative on
He can also be critical. When Spicer did his first briefing- air.
room appearance in an ill-fitting gray pinstripe suit, the
president made his displeasure known, and Spicer returned House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), a
the next week more crisply attired. Trump often asks his friend of the president’s, said he has been impressed with
West Wing staff whether they happened to catch their how Trump will call attention to individual lawmakers in
colleagues’ TV hits, praising dramatically confrontational meetings, recalling who said what about him or his
or cool and smooth appearances. policies on TV.

“He prefers facts and figures; he likes when “I’ve watched him in rooms where he goes
people are defending but also explaining. through person by person. He clearly
He likes toughness but also appreciates keeps track,” McCarthy said. “He’s not just
polish, poise and positivity,” Conway said. watching big shows, either. He has called
“He appreciates when you don’t look like us up after watching our news conferences
people are bothering you or getting the here at the Capitol.”
best of you. He loves when you call out
media bias, or what the anchors have said Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a nattily dressed 39-year-
or not said.” old former Air Force pilot who now serves in the Air
National Guard, was taken aback when Trump singled him
Trump was especially incensed, said a senior adviser, by out during an Oval Office meeting with several House
what he saw as cable news’ blanket coverage of his Republicans during health-care discussions, telling the
campaign and what was portrayed as his administration’s group to pay attention to how sharply attired and articulate
overly cozy ties to Russia. Kinzinger is on TV.

Another time, Trump took particular issue with the “We all come into the Oval, and right when
aesthetics of a male commentator who appeared sometimes he sees me, he goes, ‘You’re really good
as a guest on “Morning Joe,” and began pestering the on TV,’ ” Kinzinger said, confirming the
hosts, imploring them to dump the analyst who so anecdote with a chuckle. “Then, during our
offended his visual sensibilities, said someone with meeting, he eventually gets to me, and
knowledge of the episode. that’s when he tells the whole group. It was
fun to hear.”
But Trump’s interest in TV has proved a welcome — and
at times surprising — point of entry to the White House for Not everyone appreciates Trump’s television obsession.
lawmakers and even pundits. Some of his tweets, often prompted by TV segments, have
left his aides scrambling to reverse-engineer information to
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) once appealed to support his dubious assertions. Others worry about a
Trump directly on “Morning Joe,” addressing the camera president who can seem to be swayed by the last thing he
to implore the president to call him so the two could chat sees on TV, a medium geared more for entertainment than
about prescription drugs. A day or so later, Cummings actual policymaking.
said, the president himself responded.
Rick Wilson, a veteran Republican consultant and vocal
“I was a little surprised that he called — I Trump critic, said a number of Republicans in Congress
thought his secretary would call, but he and in establishment party circles find the president’s
actually called,” Cummings said. “But it’s habits bizarre to the point of alarming, although they rarely
the way he operates. And he does watch say so publicly because they do not want to draw his
television and he’s very critical of wrath.
television, and I thought we had a good
conversation.” “There are many conversations where it
ends: ‘But of course, God knows, he could
Gingrich added that sometimes after an appearance watch Fox News tomorrow and change his
on “Fox & Friends,” he’ll have just left the studio and not whole position,’ ” Wilson said. “They don’t
even reached his car when his cellphone will ring: the get him, because he’s a creature of
president calling to tell him, television and they’re creatures of politics.
88
 They care about the details, he cares about “I know you have already said it’s a bad
what’s on TV.” deal, but Kellyanne is going to walk you out
to the microphones and I’d love it if you
The president, Wilson added, could say it’s great,” Trump said.

“is a TV character to them, and they have The group never did embrace the health-care proposal. But
to navigate around it.” speaking briefly to reporters that evening, the attendees
were polite and took pains not to criticize Trump himself.
Either way, Trump’s viewing habits have seeped into the
ether of both the White House and the nation’s capital. And later, as they began doing television appearances to
During the Republicans’ failed health-care push last gin up opposition to the bill, they were always careful to
month, Trump invited a small group of conservative mention that they appreciated the open dialogue with the
activists to meet with him in the Oval Office. president and his inviting them into the West Wing to
chat.
When the meeting was over, said someone with knowledge
of the gathering, the president made a plea to the After all, they knew he’d be watching.
participants:
Dan Balz contributed to this report.

89
 US Threat Of War Forces
North Korea Into Siege State Mentality
Published Time: 23 Apr, 2017 09:59

nuclear deterrent? But this crucial

background doesn’t enter mainstream
American discourse. History doesn’t
matter, until it does - when it rears up and
smacks you in the face."

The DPRK’s leadership never tires of pointing out that it

doesn’t actually want to be a nuclear state; its demand is
for denuclearization of the whole Korean Peninsula.
However, given the nuclear threat that it lives with, it is by
no means unreasonable for it to develop a deterrent.
In recent days, the Trump administration has been issuing
threats against North Korea, the nuclear-armed pariah What about talks? The DPRK has consistently said it is
state, escalating tensions and creating a potentially willing to engage in negotiations, as long as these don’t
catastrophic situation in East Asia. take place in a context of bullying and threats. China has
worked hard over the years to facilitate such talks. It is
precisely the US that has made bilateral or multilateral
Ridiculously, many people in the West are worried about talks impossible, by including an unreasonable and
the situation not because of Donald Trump’s insane hypocritical precondition that the DPRK abandon its
militarism, but that of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. weapons program.
Such thinking is irrational and ahistorical, and is rooted
largely in mass-media deception and good old-fashioned
'Yellow Peril' racism. Any reasonable person wants to see a nuclear-free Korean
Peninsula and to avoid a nuclear war. The key first step
towards this is for the US to drop its preconditions to
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has negotiations, and to lessen its aggressive stance – at least
invaded and bombed not a single country. The United by reciprocating the North Korean assurance of nuclear no
States of America, on the other hand, has invaded and first use. Negotiations will need to cover a number of
bombed dozens of countries - including Syria, Libya, Iraq, tough issues, including the removal of US troops from
Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Grenada, Nicaragua, Vietnam, South Korea, removing the nuclear threat against North
Laos, Cambodia and, yes, Korea. Korea, and steps towards national reunification.

The war waged by the US and its allies against North Resolution on these issues feels out of reach after so many
Korea (1950-53) was nothing short of genocidal. All major decades of mistrust, but as Selig Harrison writes in his
cities were destroyed. At least 20 percent of the population authoritative book, Korean Endgame: A Strategy for
was killed. Only through extraordinary heroism and Reunification and U.S. Disengagement,
creative genius - along with the selfless support of China
and the USSR - did the country survive. Since then, the
North Korean people have lived every single day under the “if the United States agrees to play the role
threat of nuclear annihilation. of an honest broker and to remove what
North Korea regards as threatening
aspects of its conventional force presence,
As Bruce Cumings, the leading Western academic expert in return for missile limitations, Pyongyang
on the DPRK, puts it: would be more likely than it is at present to
give up its nuclear weapons option and to
"North Korea is the only country in the permit a meaningful inspection regime.”
world to have been systematically
blackmailed by US nuclear weapons going Under international law, countries have the right to
back to the 1950s, when hundreds of independence and sovereignty; to choose their own path,
nukes were installed in South Korea… Why even if that path doesn't correspond with the needs of US
on earth would Pyongyang not seek a
90
economic, political, cultural and ideological domination. the CIA World Factbook. Most developing countries
Do you want the DPRK to be less of a siege state; to would be very happy to achieve such figures.
devote more resources to social welfare and less to military
development? Fine. The key to that is taking away the Bombing the Korean people would be reckless and
constant threat of war, nuclear annihilation and regime unjustifiable; all sides must work to avoid war. The
change. international community has almost unanimously
condemned the DPRK’s nuclear missile tests as an
North Korea is full of normal human beings who want to unacceptable provocation. However, there should also be
enjoy their lives, live in peace, raise their children, learn, recognition of Washington's double standards.
love, socialize, dance, sing, and so on. They don't have the
same ideology as modern westerners, but frankly that's not As General Charles Horner, former commander of the US
an entirely bad thing. And in many respects the DPRK is Space Command says:
surprisingly successful.
"It's kind of hard for us to say to North
An internal CIA study almost grudgingly acknowledged Korea, 'You are terrible people, you are
various achievements of this regime: compassionate care developing a nuclear weapon,' when the
for children in general and war orphans in particular; United States has thousands of them."
“radical change” in the position of women; genuinely free (cited in Harrison, op cit)
housing, free health care, and preventive medicine; and
infant mortality and life expectancy rates comparable to It’s time to stop the escalation of tensions and for all sides
the most advanced countries. to sit down at the negotiating table.

Life expectancy at birth is 70.4 years. Hospital bed density Carlos Martinez is a political activist,
(number of hospital beds per 1,000 of the population) is analyst and musician from London. He runs
13.2 – quadruple that of the United Kingdom. The entire
the political history blog Invent the Future,
population has access to improved drinking water. The and produces hip-hop under the name
literacy rate is 100 percent. Think these statistics come Agent of Change.
from the DPRK’s ministry of propaganda? They’re from
.

91
 You Got Trumped! Winning
Horse In Presidential Race Was Trojan
By Knave Dave
Apr 23, 2017 1:27 PM
Nevertheless, I continued to write on that theme in the
months that followed because I believed the warning was
important and because I choose to see and describe the
world as it is (as best I can) and not how I want it to be.
Because I criticize any political party as readily as
another, I am often seen as too conservative by liberals
and too liberal by conservatives. (I don’t get the benefit
of club membership that gains a writer an easy loyal
following.) So be it.
Here is some of that article, which is now looking like it
was spot on:
Has there ever been a bigger or worse April fools
I crave the opportunity to see an anti-
joke than the spectacle this month of Donald Trump
establishment candidate win the election. I
revealing the manifold ways in which he fooled the
would exult in seeing our
multitudes? I sympathize with the many people who
corrupt establishment shattered. So, while I
hoped for a shot at changing the corrupt political-
do not like Trump the man (as it would
industrial establishment as they feel their opportunity
appear he has never done anything that
evaporate around them. Their hopes were the best hope
didn’t entirely serve his own self-interest
this nation had, but the head-spinning transformation
and pompous ego), I have thoroughly
of Trump has turned stomachs to where some of
enjoyed seeing him upset establishment
Trump’s most ardent campaign supporters now publicly Republicans and establishment Democrats
deem him Traitor Trump. The rest are simply hoping alike. (And, yes, they are “alike,” so let’s
against hope that he is not. Everyone, conservative or
just call them “the establishment” because
liberal, is seriously starting to wonder what happened to whether they are Republican or Democrat
Candidate Trump. is not relevant; both parties exist to serve
This is what April has consistently revealed: If you voted the same rich people and themselves
for the Donald because you wanted to end America’s either way.)
endless wars for regime change and failed attempts at I’ll even acknowledge that perhaps it takes someone as
nation building, you got Trumped. If you thought brazen and blusterous as Trump in order to stand up to
Hillary’s red reset button with Russia was a disaster and such a powerful assemblage of egoists as we have
so you voted for the orange reset button as a path to embedded in congress and in the president’s
peace with Russia, you got Trumped. If you voted for the administration, which now rules by decree…. While I
Tweeter in Chief because he promised to get tough on have never liked this particular publicity whore, I’d put
trade with China, you got Trumped. If you voted for up with his relentless boasting and forgive his audacious
Trump in order to thump Fed Head Janet Yellen; she past if it takes that kind of brassy, risk-taking adventurer
doesn’t get thumped, but you got Trumped. to find someone with enough spine to stand up to the
Back in September when he was still just Candidate intimidations of congress…. Whether or not I like him is
Trump, I wrote an article titled “Trump: Trojan Horse not important unless it is leading me to see flaws that
for the Establishment or Mighty Mouth for may mean Trump is not what he makes himself out to be.
Mankind?” I knew that pointing out my deep From there, I pointed out such character flaws as made
reservations about Trump would cost me readers because me believe Trump would not prove to be what he was
I write an anti-establishment blog, and Trump was the making himself out to be. He would let his anti-
anti-establishment candidate of choice. I published the establishment supporters down hard:
article anyway. It not only cost me readers (from which I
haven’t recovered), but it also cost me websites that had Overturning a vast global establishment is the kind of
been carrying my articles. Such is the pursuit of truth battle that will take someone with unbelievable tenacity,
over popularity intelligence, and courage. The opponents are rich, and
you can be sure some are willing to kill to keep the status

92
quo that is making them immensely rich he has even finished his first hundred days as president,
(and have killed). President Trump has turned 180 degrees on almost every
promise Candidate Trump made, and the couple of times
Unfortunately, I have seen often in life that bellicose
Trump has tried to enact his promises, he has failed
people are usually nowhere near as brave as they sound.
“bigly.”
People like Ike, who was strong in war and humble in
attitude, are usually the ones with real courage. It is not In this final week of April as Trump finishes his first
usually the most blustery people who have the deepest hundred days, I’m publishing a series of daily articles
strength to carry through with the right thing for the right that lays out the huge reversals toward serving the
reasons, regardless of cost to themselves. establishment that Trump has already made. As Trump
would say, “They’re big! Really big! They’re the biggest
Trump is aptly named for how often he blows his own
reversals you’ve ever seen.” Unfortunately, those turns
horn in order to create his own image; but his actions
point consistently to one clear message:
show he backed out of previous presidential races when
it was clear they weren’t going to be an easy win after “You got Trumped!”
getting lots of publicity for teasing people with the
Last week, I wrote about the Korean Missile
possibility that he’d run. He has also backed out of many
Crisis, and tomorrow this series will look at how
business deals when things got rough, rather than push
completely owned Trump has become by the military-
forward to try to make things work….
industrial complex. As one example among several,
It’s his latest political actions that concern me. In the few Trump has revolved on Russia more quickly than I’ve
places where we have seen Trump make actual political seen any politician spin, just as he did on Hillary, going
decisions so far, his choices have been 100% pro- from “lock her up” to “she’s good people.”
establishment as I pointed out in a recent article titled
I have to disagree with Guo Rui, the director of
“Whirled Politics: Would you rather be Trumped or
the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies, who says
Pillaried?” I wished very much to see something
President Donald Trump’s domestic troubles should keep
different than what I am seeing.
him from engaging in a war with North Korea. I think
The article delineated a number of tell-tale signs that they may be doing just the opposite. There is nothing
indicated Trump was anything but the anti-establishment like shifting the nation to a war footing to shift the
candidate he was presenting himself to be. I pointed out, national conversation.
for example, how the Trump horse that was being
Did you notice how suddenly war has consumed the
brought into the city gates was filled with neocons and
press and congress so that inquests into President
the Wall Street establishment, and how I believed they
Trump’s former relationship with Russia fell instantly to
would come to own Trump if they didn’t already. The
the back pages of the news? Is that what the armada to
Trump horse was brazenly anti-establishment on the
Korea that never happened, the biggest bomb in
outside, but almost total establishment on the inside.
Afghanistan, and the $50-million barrage that disabled
I concluded my intro to the article with this warning: Assad’s airport for all of half a day were all about? Was
Trump acting alone to throw up as much flack as he
Be careful that you don’t believe
could to create distraction? Or was this month of military
something just because you want to
muscle evidence of a Trump deal with the military-
believe it so badly. That is how the
industrial complex to get the intelligence community, the
citizens of Troy were conquered in the
Democrats and the McCains and Grahams in the
Trojan war. I’d love to have an anti-
Republican party to back off from their Trump attacks?
establishment candidate roll in, too.
Sadly, I don’t think I do…. The time to We’ll close the week by looking at the degree to
hold Trump to task is now, not after the which the Trump transformation has caused Trump to
establishment makeover turns him into lose some of his most ardent and outspoken supporters.
their Trojan Trump card, but while they While some are sitting uneasily on the fence, hoping for
are trying so that they don’t succeed. a better turn, others have stated emphatically,
And I closed the article by asking, “I’m off the Trump train!”
Is he force or farce? The following artice by David Haggith was first
published on The Great Recession Blog
April has demonstrated that Trump was either a Trojan
horse by design or, in the very least, that
his establishment makeover is nearly complete. Before
.

93
 The Bait Goes On: ‘Russia Remains
Scapegoat For Hillary Clinton Losing To Trump’
Published Time: 23 Apr, 2017 13:43

losing the election and they are going after everyone. It

was a very interesting interview, and of course Carter Page
isn’t going to admit – they were trying to get him to admit
that he did something wrong, or that there should have
been probable cause. They were baiting him throughout
the entire interview on CNN, and they just want every little
nugget that they can get to blame the election on
something other than the Left and Hillary Clinton.

They are still trying to blame Russia

months and months after this election
© Stephen Morton / Getty Images for losing the election and they are
going after everyone.
Carter Page, former Trump adviser, was baited throughout
an entire interview with CNN in yet another effort to
blame the lost presidential election on something other
than the Left and Hillary Clinton, Tim Young, political
commentator and satirist, told RT.

According to the latest revelation by CNN, Russian special

services tried to use Trump advisers, including Carter
Page, to infiltrate the US Presidential elections. Citing
anonymous officials, the channel suggested Page didn't
know he'd been used by Moscow's agents.

Page says the allegations are groundless, calling the initial

report on alleged Russian meddling "a political stunt".

RT: What do you make of this latest round of allegations

about Russia's meddling in the US election? Will they ever
end?

Tim Young: These unknown sources… You can make up

anything that comes from an unknown source. I could RT: What's your take on CNN's interview with Carter
come to your program right now and say that - from an Page? Some viewers complain Page wasn't listened to, and
unknown source that is very credible - I am the most CNN were trying to push their own agenda.
attractive man on the planet. And then you just have to
prove me wrong. TY: Absolutely and that is what was going on. That entire
interview, which was about eleven minutes long, it seemed
RT: Carter Page denies the allegations, but CNN insists like the interviewer had no desire to learn anything from
he must have been compliant. Why are they so convinced Page. He kept trying to bait him into admitting that the
they're right? Does the presumption of innocence still FISA Court and someone else had some reason to connect
matter in the US? him to a crime with Russia. It was kind of ridiculous.

TY: Here’s the thing. It seems like to the Left, to the RT: Another allegation against Russia, more anonymous
people who lost this last election that it doesn’t matter – sources. Are they hiding their identities or don't the
everyone is automatically guilty. They are still trying to sources exist?
blame Russia months and months after this election for

94
 these stories, or could be someone that is just making
profit of that. So far there has been no conclusive evidence
that anything has happened. All these sources are wrong.

RT:CNN "broke" this story on Saturday, but a similar one

was in the Washington Post ten days ago. So, what's new?
Why the obsession with so-called Russian meddling in the
elections?

TY: It is not necessarily an obsession with Russia as much

as: “I am not going to point a finger on myself for being
wrong here, I am going to point out finger at everyone
TY: If somebody smart right now, they would go to a else.” The mainstream media in America does not like
news organization, make up a hot sounding story and Donald Trump, and loved Hillary Clinton. They are
collect the pay check on it. It could be either way. These looking for a scapegoat for losing this last election. And
could be completely false stories that they are just running this may never end at this rate. This is becoming a
with a narrative. Who knows where they are coming from? ridiculous… line of stories that is coming up to try not to
It could be the Democratic National Committee making up take responsibility for losing an election.

95
 Candidate Trump: ‘I Love Wikileaks.’
President Trump: ‘Arrest Assange!’
Written by Ron Paul
Monday April 24, 2017

intelligence service.” Pompeo accused

Assange of being “a fraud — a coward
hiding behind a screen.”

Pompeo’s word choice was no accident. By accusing

Wikileaks of being a “hostile intelligence service” rather
than a publisher of information on illegal and abusive
government practices leaked by whistleblowers, he
signaled that the organization has no First Amendment
“I love Wikileaks,” candidate Donald Trump rights. Like many in Washington, he does not understand
said on October 10th on the campaign trail. that the First Amendment is a limitation on government
rather than a granting of rights to citizens. Pompeo was
He praised the organization for reporting on the darker side declaring war on Wikileaks.
of the Hillary Clinton campaign. It was information likely
leaked by a whistleblower from within the Clinton But not that long ago Pompeo also cited Wikileaks as an
campaign to Wikileaks. important source of information. In July he drew attention
to the Wikileaks release of information damaging to the
Back then he praised Wikileaks for promoting Clinton campaign, writing,
transparency, but candidate Trump looks less like
President Trump every day. The candidate praised “Need further proof that the fix was in from
whistleblowers and Wikileaks often on the campaign trail. President Obama on down?”
In fact, candidate Trump loved Wikileaks so much he
mentioned the organization more than 140 times in the There is a word for this sudden about-face on Wikileaks
final month of the campaign alone! Now, as President, it and the transparency it provides us into the operations of
seems Trump wants Wikileaks founder Julian Assange the prominent and powerful: hypocrisy.
sent to prison.
The Trump Administration’s declaration of war on
Last week CNN reported, citing anonymous “intelligence whistleblowers and Wikileaks is one of the greatest
community” sources, that the Trump Administration’s disappointments in these first 100 days. Donald Trump
Justice Department was seeking the arrest of Assange and rode into the White House with promises that he would
had found a way to charge the Wikileaks founder for “drain the swamp,” meaning that he would overturn the
publishing classified information without charging other apple carts of Washington’s vested interests. By
media outlets such as the New York Times and unleashing those same vested interests on those who hold
Washington Post for publishing the same information. them in check – the whistleblowers and those who publish
their revelations – he has turned his back on those who
It might have been tempting to write off the CNN report as elected him.
“fake news,” as is much of their reporting, but for the fact
President Trump said in an interview on Friday that issuing Julian Assange, along with the whistleblowers who reveal
an arrest warrant for Julian Assange would be, “OK with to us the evil that is being done in our name, are heroes.
me.” They deserve our respect and admiration, not a prison cell.
If we allow this president to declare war on those who tell
Trump’s condemnation of Wikileaks came the truth, we have only ourselves to blame.
just a day after his CIA Director, Michael
Pompeo, attacked Wikileaks as a “hostile
.

96
 Sad ‘Morning Joe’ Is Floored That
Only Two Percent Of Trump Voters Regret Backing Him
By Curtis Houck
April 24, 2017 | 12:51 PM EDT

“there’s a tale of two Americans now”

as “[t]he people who voted for him still
happy with him, giving him a chance,
but his numbers, as Mika said, overall
are not enough to have sway with
Congress or to get things done.”
“[T]he reason I was shocked by that,
John Heilemann, it does have an impact
if you have a gerrymandered House and
you have districts that [are]
overwhelmingly Republican. If Donald
Trump is getting 96 percent, you know,
Just as the news media missed the boat in predicting the support from people who supported for
outcome of the 2016 election, their behavior in 2017 have him in districts he won by 70 percent,
shown they’ve learned absolutely nothing. On Monday’s those House Republicans aren’t going
Morning Joe, the MSNBC panel was flabbergasted that the to move away from him,” Scarborough
new ABC News/Washington Post poll found only two replied (even if senators will).
percent of President Trump’s voters regret voting for him. Author and frequent panelist John
Heilemann added that this means the
Floored by the “remarkable number,” the liberals and President is “not in free fall” and “not
pseudo-Republicans attempted to explain away the number collapsing and it's also the number that
and infer that it was much higher because Trump voters says Donald Trump can't do any of the
wouldn’t be forthcoming with pollsters. large, big, ambitious things that he’d
like to do.”
Co-host Joe Scarborough kicked things off, telling panelist
Mark Halperin: Co-host Mika Brzezinski read from NBC’s own poll and
then the ABC poll statistic about how few Trump voters
But when I saw in the first poll that I read have dumped him. Brzezinski and Scarborough continued
yesterday morning, I think it was the to express their amazement:
ABC/Washington Post poll that 96 percent
of people who voted for Trump are glad SCARBOROUGH: Mika, how can that just
they voted for Trump and two percent are be two percent?
not glad they voted for Trump. If you're
BRZEZINSKI: I’m supri — I mean, just
Donald Trump, you're saying, okay, I've
anecdotally we're asking Trump voters just
done pretty damn well to go with my base.
everywhere, they are wavering —
People go, yeah, that's enough to beat
Hillary. No, the first thing you do in SCARBOROUGH: They are wavering.
American politics is you hold your base and BRZEZINSKI: — but maybe they still
you win the nomination for your party and support him. Maybe they’re wavering but
then you get a chance to run again. I would they still support him.
think that two percent would have been
closer to 10 or 15 percent.
After more than enough complaining, Scarborough
suggested that it probably is high since
Both Halperin and Scarborough blurted out the word
“remarkable” and Halperin fretted that
“[m]aybe they don't want to say to the
pollsters” and “it’s a tale of in the first

97
 month, we love him” whereas, in his SCARBOROUGH: — except and again, for people going, I
mind, its eroded since then. mean, the reason I was shocked by that, John Heilemann, it does
have an impact if you have a gerrymandered House and you
The wealthy, current New England resident then have districts that overwhelmingly Republican. If Donald Trump is
hilariously tried to claim he’s personally heard from getting 96 percent, you know, support from people who
supported for him in districts he won by 70 percent, those House
Republicans aren’t going to move away from him. The senators
“a lot of Trump voters that at first month
will. Joni Ernst will. But that number right there is significant
said hell, yeah, we’re with him are gosh, I
because he holds onto support in the House.
wish the guy would just focus.”

Heilemann agreed, replying:

But that really is the difference between

wavering and abandonment, right? I think a
lot — we hear people are concerned,
worried, wavering but they’re not yet —
they’re not yet the point of Republicans.
Yes, supporters of Trump but they’re not
yet ready to say I've washed my hands of
this guy. He's a failure. They are not there
yet.

Here’s the relevant portion of the transcript from JOHN HEILEMANN: This is the number that says Donald Trump
MSNBC’s Morning Joe on April 24: is not collapsing and it's also the number that says Donald Trump
can't do any of the large, big, ambitious things that he’d like to
do. They are both true. He's not in free fall. There's a time a few
MSNBC’s Morning Joe weeks ago where we thought, well, he could be down in the mid-
April 24, 2017 30s.
6:03 a.m. Eastern
SCARBOROUGH: When he was like 34, 35 percent? That’s free
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Before we go into subgroups. Mark fall.
Halperin, I'm sure you'll disagree with me as does the entire
Twitter universe. But when I saw in the first poll that I read
yesterday morning, I think it was the ABC/Washington Post poll HEILEMANN: He gets there, then he's be in free fall and people
that 96 percent of people who voted for Trump are glad they who would be his normal supporters in Congress start to say,
voted for Trump and two percent are not glad they voted for hey, you have no ability it sway me, you have no way intimidate
Trump. If you're Donald Trump, you're saying, okay, I've done me, forget about you, buddy. Right now he's for the in collapse
pretty damn well to go with my base. People go, yeah, that's but he's equally not able to do anything large at this level.
enough to beat Hillary. No, the first thing you do in American
politics is you hold your base and you win the nomination for your SCARBOROUGH: Exactly.
party and then you get a chance to run again. I would think that
two percent would have been closer to 10 or 15 percent. BRZEZINSKI: He's got this big marker coming up. So among
subgroups in NBC poll, the president has a positive 85 point net
MARK HALPERIN: It's one of the remarkable numbers. approval rating among his own voters and a 69 point rating
among Republicans but he is at negative 23 points with
SCARBOROUGH: That’s remarkable number. independents, a number that was only negative 10 back in
February and as we just showed, when Trump voters were asked
by The Washington Post poll about their decision to back him,
HALPERIN: And it's certainly because there's a tale of two only two percent regret their support.
Americas now. The people who voted for him still happy with him,
giving him a chance. But his numbers, as Mika said, overall are
not enough to have sway with Congress or to get things done. SCARBOROUGH: Mika, how can that just be two percent?
This is a big week for him.
BRZEZINSKI: I’m supri — I mean, just anecdotally we're asking
SCARBOROUGH: Except — Trump voters just everywhere, they are wavering —

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Huge week. SCARBOROUGH: They are wavering.

98
 SCARBOROUGH: Maybe they don't want to say to the pollsters.
Again, it’s a tale of in the first month, we love him. Second month,
you know, and now into the third month, I'm hearing a lot of
Trump voters that at first month said hell, yeah, we’re with him
are gosh, I wish the guy would just focus.

HEILIEMANN: But that really is the difference between wavering

and abandonment, right? I think a lot — we hear people are
concerned, worried, wavering but they’re not yet — they’re not
yet the point of Republicans. Yes, supporters of trump but they’re
not yet ready to say I've washed my hands of this guy. He's a
failure. They are not there yet.
BRZEZINSKI: — but maybe they still support him. Maybe they’re
wavering but they still support him.
.

99
 Trump Spits On America Again
By Jim Kirwan
4-24-2017

given the facts of the massive slaughter of the Palestinian-

prisoners of War which Israel has been murdering by the
hundreds of thousands since 1948. Israel is an ever
spreading blood-stain upon the planet, that must be
silenced if history is to ever recapture anything like real
life or prgress anywhere in the currently known world.

Apparently Trump has forgotten that he is not the president

of Israel, he is supposed to be the president of All
Americans; would that he be arrested and charged for lying
about the true facts that accompany this fake saga of the
much amplified “plight of the Jews” when it was those
...While Trying to Applaud Israel same Jews that actually launched their own war against
Germany in 1942 not to mention all their crimes
“...Today we're reminded of this committed Against America and American troops
organizations long and heroic history of worldwide. Mabe it's time that Israel is thrown out of the
fighting for the Jewish people. Your brave civilized world for the one hundreth and tenth time,
leaders warned the world of the planned apparently the first 109 times were not enough...
attrocities that sought to extinguish an
entire people. ...we look back at the darkest
Since Trump began to lose his mind, in public: First with
chapter of human history. We morn, we
59 Tomahawk missiles that he launched on Syria to no
remember, we pray, and we pledge
partictular point or purpose which he followed up a few
“NEVER AGAIN”. I say it 'never again'.
days later with “The Mother of All Bombs” somewhere
inside Afghanistan again with no military reason even
The mind cannot fathom the pain, the horror and the loss. mentioned. It is as though Trump has clearly lost his mind.
Six million Jews, two thirds of the Jews in Europe,
murdered by the Nazi genocide. They were murdered by
an evil that words cannot describe and that the human Apparently he is also unaware that it is the responsibility
heart cannot bear. of the president to exercise total control over all branches
of the United States Military, at all times, and yet he just
gave away all the powers of control over the entire US
On this Holocaust Rememberance Day we tell the stories military to a bunch of feckless faceless generals, without
of the father's, mothers's and children, whose lives were any civilian surpervision over any of our forces anywhere
extinguished; and whose love was torn from this earth. We in the wider world.
also tell the stories of courage in the face of death.
Humanity in the face of Barbarity, and the unbreakable
spirit of the Jewish people. USS Michigan nuclear sub heads to South Korea, and is
expected to make a port of call on Tuesday
Today only decades removed from the Holocaust we see a
great nation risen from the desert and we see a proud Star http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/24/politics/uss-michigan-
of David. Waving above the State of Israel...” nuclear-sub-south-korea/

Then just this morning Trump has called together all one
President Trump's Remarks to the World hundred U.S.senators in Washington on Wednesday for
Jewish Congress Plenary Assembly something to do with Korea?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB_r91
afuz0
3min 54sec VIDEO Entire U.S. Senate to go to White House for North Korea
briefing
For a sitting president of the United States to publicly lie
so profusely about the history of the Apartheid State of http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-nuclear-usa-
Israel in a public proclamation, defending the pack of lies senate-idUSKBN17Q1LR
that have long since been refuted by experts is obsene
100
On Friday Secretary Rex Tillerson plans on charring a “These deals represent the tremendous
special meeting of the United Nations Security Council, on excitement that American companies feel
North Korea, this Friday in New York City. about opportunities in Indonesia,” said
Pence....”
Tillerson to Chair Meeting on North Korea
The country of Indonesia has the highest population on the
http://thehill.com/policy/international/un-treaties/330271- planet...
tillerson-to-chair-un-meet-on-north-korea
Pence announces $10 bn in deals on Indonesia trip
“JAKARTA: US Vice President Mike Pence
announced $10 billion in deals between
American and Indonesian companies http://www.arabnews.com/node/1088041/world
during a visit to Jakarta Friday, as he
pushed for greater access to Southeast Now wrap this whole charade up with this:
Asia’s top economy.
Kremlin advisor reveals 'cure' for US Aggression
Eleven deals were signed. Energy firm Exxon Mobil,
General Electric, and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin http://tass.com/politics/942643
were among the American companies involved in the
agreements.
[email protected]

101
 Insane Shrinks Say Trump
Mentally Ill: Official Science Howls At The Moon
By Jon Rappoport
April 24, 2017

My readers are familiar with my extended refutation of “The definition of NPD states that it
psychiatry as science. Here I’ll focus on the latest piece of comprises of a persistent manner of
non-logic from professional know-nothings. grandiosity, a continuous desire for
admiration, along with a lack of empathy. It
The Daily Mail: starts by early adulthood and occurs in a
range of situations, as signified by the
existence of any 5 of the next 9 standards
“A group of leading psychiatrists told a
(American Psychiatric Association, 2013):
conference that Donald Trump has clear
hallmarks of mental illness that A grandiose logic of self-importance
compromise his role as president. Twenty-
five researchers made a drastic break  A fixation with fantasies of infinite success, control,
away from ethical standards by meeting at brilliance, beauty, or idyllic love
Yale University on Thursday to discuss  A credence that he or she is extraordinary and
evidence questioning the commander-in- exceptional and can only be understood by, or should
chief’s mental health.” connect with, other extraordinary or important people or
institutions
Psychiatrist Allen Frances, who has played a central role in  A desire for unwarranted admiration
defining mental disorders, disagrees. He wrote in the NY  A sense of entitlement
Times:  Interpersonally oppressive behavior
 No form of empathy
 Resentment of others or a conviction that others are
“Most amateur diagnosticians have
resentful of him or her
mislabeled [Mr. Trump as having]
 A display of egotistical and conceited behaviors or
narcissistic personality disorder… He may
attitudes
be a world-class narcissist, but this doesn’t
make him mentally ill…”
Another model, characterizes NPD as having fair or
superior impairment in personality functioning, apparent
Dr. Frances makes an interesting point. He distinguishes
by characteristic troubles in at least 2 of the following 4
between behavior and earning a badge for having a
areas (American Psychiatric Association, 2013):
particular mental disorder.

1. Individuality
For example, a person can be sad, but that alone doesn’t
2. Self-direction
make him a candidate for the label, “clinical depression.”
3. Empathy
A person can take aggressive actions against authority, but
4. Closeness
that doesn’t necessarily mean he is suffering from
Oppositional Defiance Disorder.
No actual physical characteristics are seen with NPD, but
patients may have concurrent substance abuse, which may
If that were all there was to this story, I wouldn’t bother
be seen in the clinical examination.”
writing about it. There is another layer, however. The press
isn’t discussing it, because the press is clueless.
Got it? Now, think about this:
Consider the accusation that Trump has Narcissistic
Personality Disorder (NPD). What does that mean? What NOWHERE IN THE DEFINITION IS
is the official definition of NPD? Here is an excerpt from THERE ANY DEFINING DIAGNOSTIC
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, TEST.
the official bible of the American Psychiatric Association.
Go ahead, plow through it, it’ll only take a minute: No blood test, urine test, saliva test, brain scan, genetic
assay. Nothing.
102
What you’ve just read is a collection of behaviors. This the case, all mental disorders would be
collection was assembled by a committee of psychiatrists, invalid…There is no lab test for any mental
who decided that, taken together, they added up to a disorder right now in our science. That
mental disorder. doesn’t make them invalid.

There is no defining diagnostic test for NPD. Oh, indeed, that does make them invalid. Utterly and
completely. All 300 mental disorders. Because there are no
We’re talking about psychiatrists sitting in a room and defining tests of any kind to back up the diagnosis.
arbitrarily deciding that a cluster of behaviors adds up to
an official mental disorder. Psychiatrists can sway and tap dance all they like and they
won’t escape the noose around their necks. We are looking
These psychiatrists are playing word games. They’re at a science that isn’t a science.
inventing so-called mental disorders.
That’s called fraud. Rank fraud.
Underneath this story about Trump and the shrinks, there
is a far more important truth. Psychiatrists are world-class Imagine this. You walk into a doctor’s office, you talk
purveyors of fake news. They always have been. Because with him for a few minutes, and then he says:
you see…
“You have cancer. You need to start chemo
None of the roughly 300 officially certified at once.”
and labeled mental disorders has a
defining diagnostic test. None. After you recover, you say,

If you have the tenacity, read through the whole DSM and
“You didn’t give me a test.”
you will see for yourself.
And he says,
Or read this brief exchange. In a PBS Frontline episode,
“Does ADHD Exist?”, Dr. Russell Barkley, an eminent
professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of “Well, we don’t need a test. We know what
Massachusetts Medical Center, spelled out the fraud the symptoms are because we convened a
clearly. high-level meeting of oncologists last year,
and we listed the answers to the questions
I just asked you. You gave those telltale
Here it is. answers. So we start chemo tomorrow. We
may also need to surgically remove an
PBS FRONTLINE INTERVIEWER: organ or two before we’re done.”
Skeptics say that there’s no biological
marker—that it [ADHD] is the one condition That’s psychiatry. That’s the way it works.
out there where there is no blood test, and
that no one knows what causes it.
Those boys have quite a con going. And now, from a few
BARKLEY: That’s tremendously naïve, hundred miles away, they’ve diagnosed a sitting president.
and it shows a great deal of illiteracy about
science and about the mental health Well, why wouldn’t they? They’ve been shucking and
professions. A disorder doesn’t have to jiving all the way to the bank for the entirety of their
have a blood test to be valid. If that were professional lives.
.

103
 Trump Has Dangerous Mental Illness
By Ian Greenhalgh
April 24, 2017

“Worse than just being a liar or a narcissist,

in addition he is paranoid, delusional and
grandiose thinking and he proved that to
the country the first day he was President.
If Donald Trump really believes he had the
largest crowd size in history, that’s
delusional,” he added.

Chairing the event, Dr. Bandy Lee, assistant clinical

professor in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, said:

“As some prominent psychiatrists have

noted, [Trump’s mental health] is the
The Independent
elephant in the room. I think the public is
Donald Trump has ‘dangerous mental really starting to catch on and widely talk
illness’, say psychiatry experts at Yale about this now.”
conference
Mental health experts say President is James Gilligan, a psychiatrist and professor at New York
‘paranoid and delusional’ University, told the conference he had worked some of the
Donald Trump has a “dangerous mental
illness” and is not fit to lead the US, a “most dangerous people in society”,
group of psychiatrists has warned including murderers and rapists — but that
during a conference at Yale University. he was convinced by the “dangerousness”
of Mr. Trump.
Mental health experts claimed the President was “paranoid “I’ve worked with some of the most
and delusional”, and said it was their “ethical dangerous people our society produces,
responsibility” to warn the American public about the directing mental health programmes in
“dangers” Mr. Trump’s psychological state poses to the prisons,” he said.
country. “I’ve worked with murderers and
rapists. I can recognize dangerousness
Speaking at the conference at Yale’s School of Medicine from a mile away. You don’t have to be
on Thursday, one of the mental health professionals, Dr. an expert on dangerousness or spend
John Gartner*, a practising psychotherapist who advised fifty years studying it like I have in order
psychiatric residents at Johns Hopkins University Medical to know how dangerous this man is.”
School, said:
Dr. Gartner started an online petition earlier this year on
“We have an ethical responsibility to warn calling for Mr. Trump to be removed from office, which
the public about Donald Trump’s claims that he is “psychologically incapable of
dangerous mental illness.” competently discharging the duties of President”. The
petition has so far garnered more than 41,000 signatures.
Dr. Gartner, who is also a founding member of Duty to
Warn, an organisation of several dozen mental health It states:
professionals who think Mr. Trump is mentally unfit to be
president, said the President’s statement about having the “We, the undersigned mental health
largest crowd at an inauguration was just one of many that professionals (please state your degree),
served as warnings of a larger problem. believe in our professional judgment that
Donald Trump manifests a serious mental
104
 illness that renders him psychologically psychiatrists were invited to speak about
incapable of competently discharging the whether there are other ethical rules that
duties of President of the United States. override it, as in ordinary practise,” said the
spokesperson.
“And we respectfully request he be
removed from office, according to article 4 “The organiser, Dr. Bandy Lee, agrees with
of the 25th amendment to the Constitution, the Goldwater rule but is troubled by its
which states that the president will be recent expansion (as of March 16, 2017)
replaced if he is ‘unable to discharge the and the silencing of debate. She hopes that
powers and duties of his office’.” the public and politicians will understand
that mental health issues are not to be
The claims made in the conference have drawn criticism used as a weapon, just as other health
from some in the psychiatric establishment, who say they issues are not.
violate the American Psychiatric Association’s “Goldwater “Dr. Gartner was invited as an activist and
rule,” which states psychiatrists are not to give was not on the actual panel. The organiser
professional opinions on people they have not personally emphasises that the event was
examined. independently organised and did not
represent the views of Yale University or
They have also been condemned by Republicans, Yale School of Medicine.”
including Connecticut Republican Party Chairman JR
Romano, who accused the group of The doctors have said that even if it is in breach of
tradition ethical standards of psychiatry, it was necessary
“throwing ethical standards out the window to break their silence on the matter because they feared
because they cannot accept the election “too much is at stake”.
results.”
It is not the first time Mr. Trump’s mental health has been
Responding to the criticism, Dr. Gartner said: called into question. In February, Duty to Warn, which
consists of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers,
“This notion that you need to personally signed an open letter warning that his mental state
interview someone to form a diagnosis
actually doesn’t make a whole lotta sense. “makes him incapable of serving safely as
For one thing, research shows that the president”.
psychiatric interview is the least statistical
reliable way to make a diagnosis.” The letter warned that the President’s tendency to “distort
reality” to fit his “personal myth of greatness” and attack
A spokesperson for Yale University told The Independent those who challenge him with facts was likely to increase
the panel at the conference abided by the Goldwater rule in a position of power.
during the discussions, but that the organiser was
“troubled” by the “silencing of debate”. * John D. Gartner has not been affiliated with Johns
Hopkins since 2015
“The panel at Yale School of Medicine
abided by ‘the Goldwater rule’. Eminent
.

105
 Entire U.S. Senate To Go To
White House For North Korea Briefing
By Patricia Zengerle | WASHINGTON
Tue Apr 25, 2017 | 9:59am EDT

Monday that "the status quo" is not acceptable, and said

the council must be ready to impose new sanctions.

Congressional aides suggested the briefing was being held

at the White House to underscore the message to North
Korea that Washington is serious about wanting a shift in
policy.

A senior Trump administration official said the flurry of

activity around North Korea was

"not a part of something choreographed"

and cautioned against over-interpretation.
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaks next to Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson during a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Senators said they were happy to be hearing from the
Jinping (Not Pictured) at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, White House.
Florida, U.S., April 7, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

"It's (the location) their choice," said

Top Trump administration officials will hold a rare Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on
briefing on Wednesday at the White House for the entire the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I
U.S. Senate on the situation in North Korea. hope that we hear their policy as to what
their objectives are, and how we can
All 100 senators have been asked to the White House for accomplish that hopefully without dropping
the briefing by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary bombs."
of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of National Intelligence
Dan Coats and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, said White House spokesman Sean administration should be telling senators it had a "red line,"
Spicer on Monday. if it has one.

While administration officials routinely travel to Capitol "By 2020, if nothing changes inside of
Hill to address members of Congress on foreign policy North Korea, they'll have the technology,
matters, it is unusual for the entire Senate to go to the they'll have a breakthrough, to develop an
White House, and for all four of those officials to be ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) that
involved. can reach America. I hope this president
will say that's a non-starter," Graham said.
Wednesday's briefing was originally scheduled for a secure
room at the Capitol, but President Donald Trump The briefing will take place at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT).
suggested a shift to the White House, congressional aides
said. Aides said they were working with the White House to
schedule a similar briefing for the House of
Washington has expressed mounting concern over North Representatives.
Korea's nuclear and missile tests, and its threats to attack
the United States and its Asian allies. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland and Richard
Cowan; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Lisa Shumaker)
Trump, who called the leaders of China and Japan during
the weekend, told U.N. Security Council ambassadors on

106
A Global Catastrophe Is Being Orchestrated By The Elites:
“There Are Many Things The President Does Not Know”
Jeremiah Johnson
April 24th, 2017

Patiently these elitists have been

awaiting the day when their “1984”
society is a reality, crafting and shaping
it all along throughout the decades.

The numbers of humanity pose a problem, because they

cannot effectively eradicate all necessary without a large-
scale plague or a war, and after such an event, the planet
itself might be unsustainable.

The key question for them: how to kill

off about 6 to 6 ½ billion people without
destroying the world?
Following the money is always the key and crucial element
to determining the “probable cause/modus operandi” The most efficient way would be with a limited nuclear
regarding to globalist actions. Although there are many war that destroyed enough key targets to minimize postwar
who believe that President Trump is the panacea to all our effectiveness of the major powers, in a manner that does
problems, even they may perhaps admit that there are not irradiate most of the warring nations. The key to the
forces other than the President that drive our country, as entire equation is to take down the United States. The
well as the world. The shadowy cabal of globalists, EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) is the weapon of choice.
Bilderbergers, bankers, and other secretive organizations This would paralyze all the infrastructure, leading to (as so
bent on a “union” of totalitarian control are almost too eloquently outlined in the book “One Second After”)
numerous to count. mass die-offs and the reduction of populations to pre-
industrial societies.
There are many things the President
The shielded and stocked communities of the elite could
does not know. This is intentional on
just sit back and allow the populations to destroy
the part of the moneyed interests that
control the very fabric of our society. themselves and whittle down the numbers. After a time
(most likely already estimated and predetermined),
mercenary forces of the elitists could emerge to mop up
The interests are corporate, political, and religious: a three- the remnant, enslaving and subjugating them completely.
level tier of control over all the facets of human society.
Just as one individual person cannot “dominate” one of
these sectors, the sectors themselves cannot dominate. The question isn’t whether this is in the works:
They are forced into a symbiotic relationship rooted in
commensalism, where each of these “parasites” benefits it is.
the other two.
The elite have been following such plans as revealed in the
The problem lies in the fact that these interests are elitists Iron Mountain Report, and the moneyed interests have
who believe in the forced imposition of their philosophies been crafting their plans long before House wrote Philip
upon the masses. They also believe in “culling the herd,” Dru, Administrator, as he and Wilson created the Federal
and maintaining a servile population at minimum levels to Reserve and laid the roots for the cancer that is pervasive
carry out all menial labor and industrial production (the and underlying the thin veneer of our phony, Hallmark-
Deltas and Epsilons of Huxley’s Brave New World) as Card society.
they direct.
The numerous articles about the millionaires and
billionaires forming “intentional communities” and

107
compounds/complexes for the purpose of surviving an  “Coincidentally,” that EMP “drill” named Operation
apocalyptic event/societal collapse are not inaccurate. The Gotham Shield is supposed to run through April 25th,
widespread reports of tunnel complexes, nonstop truck and possibly a little longer.
deliveries, and the diversion of taxpayer-funded  Coincidentally, there was a power outage in three
government resources to secret locations throughout the different U.S. cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, and
United States are not inaccurate. Jesse Ventura was New York City on Thursday.
investigating many of these matters before the moneyed  Coincidentally, Russian bomber and intelligence-
interests put a stop to his actions and he retired from the gathering aircraft have been flying test runs along the
field without fanfare. Everyone who has exposed or coast of Alaska, for four days straight with the U.S. and
threatened to expose them has either been marginalized or even Canada scrambling fighters to intercept.
destroyed. Just as people search for the “one” hero, they  Coincidentally, the Russians claim to have electronic
are also easily manipulated to focus upon “one” villain, devices with an EMP-type effect, already used against
such as a Kim Jong-Un, or a Bashar al-Assad. Substitute the USS Donald Cook, a guided missile destroyer with
the name “Emmanuel Goldstein” for either of them before Tomahawk missiles back in November of 2014.
the Two-Minutes Hate is conducted.  Coincidentally, the U.S. naval armada is set to arrive in
the waters off the Korean coast on April 26th… right in
Fast forward to now. The bottom line is that when line with the EMP drill “Operation Gotham Shield.”
different factors come together “coincidentally” the
probability for action by the elites and the point of no All these factors point
return is increased exponentially. toward a false flag.

They haven’t ushered in their era yet; If the opportunity to pull such a false flag off arises, they
they will not until they’re certain they will seize upon it. Trolls without number try to disparage
can pull it off, but they will eventually this concept… the “nothing has happened yet, therefore
make a play for it. nothing will happen” crowd. The ones who are so certain
that all of this is just “fear porn” or a “sham” of some
These power-brokers will not commit themselves in the kind…don’t pay their nonproductive and perhaps
gamble unless they’re sure of a win. remunerated redundancies any mind.

For this reason, it is important to monitor The whole point is to be aware of what
the hot spots for those convergent is going on and try to survive it.
points to know when something is likely
to occur: when the possibility exists, Be that “10th man” as outlined in the film World War Z,
and the probability increases. and consider what the herd has been conditioned not to
consider, and it might improve your chances to survive
One of those points of convergence is this week. what is coming: what the elites have planned and will
trigger with a False Flag.
The North Koreans are supposed to test another nuclear
device on or about the 25th of this month. “No matter how improbable it may
seem, the tenth man has to start
thinking with the assumption that the
other nine are wrong.”
.

108
 Oh My: Democratic Congressman Tells Child That
President Trump Is More Dangerous Than A Terrorist
Matt Vespa
Posted: Apr 24, 2017 12:45 PM

Back to Eden’s question:

“I think you should be concerned,”

DeSaulnier said. “This is dangerous stuff.
I’ve said a few times, the most
dangerous person in America isn’t a
terrorist, it’s the person who’s president
of the United States. So Eden, you’ve got
to read, you have to be thoughtful, and you
have to be engaged.”

Well, if you want another example of Trump Derangement This is ridiculous.

Syndrome, just look to Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA),
who told an 11-year-old girl that President Trump is more Democrats are telling people that the president of the
dangerous than a terrorist. The East Bay Times reported on United States is more dangerous than a terrorist.
this exchange at a town hall event. A girl named Eden was
that last questioner, but a staffer read it because it was past
What drugs do you have to be on to actually believe this is
her bedtime [emphasis mine]:
true?
My name is Eden, and I’m 11 years old. My
It's just another case of Democrats failing to respond to the
mom is worried about my future with
stinging defeat they suffered last November.
President Trump. On election night, my
mom cried. Kids at my school are worrying
about being deported. I’ve read and heard They don’t get that their agenda is too far left; they don’t
awful things about him. Should I be worried get that more voters view them as more out of touch on the
about my future? As a kid, what can I do issues than Republicans; and this serving up of red meat,
about it?” (i.e. bashing Trump and saying he’s worse than ISIS) isn’t
going to help them move forward. At the same time, I hope
they continue this death spiral.
“From the mouths of babes,” DeSaulnier said, apparently
affected by the question. And who wouldn’t be? The toxic
national discourse is dispiriting enough for adults. To hear A new ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that while
that it is trickling down to affect 11-year-olds? Trump’s approval isn’t solid, virtually no one who voted
for him has regrets. Clinton's support, on the other hand,
would have dropped six points. If the election were held
“It’s interesting,” he would say a few days
again today, Trump would still win—and he would also
later. “The night before in Richmond,
win more popular votes than the former first lady. So,
something similar happened. Both
telling kids that Trump is more threatening than a terrorist
instances were a little out of body for me. I
really isn't going help you win elections, but please keep
sort of responded to the way people were
on whining, left wingers.
responding to me.”
.

109
 Trump Tells UNSC Members
Status Quo On N Korea 'Unacceptable'
© Ap Photo/ Susan Walsh Us
20:57 24.04.2017(Updated 00:07 25.04.2017)

Earlier on Monday, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki

Haley stated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un should
not take any provocative actions that may cause retaliation
against him with US military force.

On April 14, media reported that Trump might direct a

military strike against Pyongyang if the country's
leadership decides to launch another nuclear weapon test.

The North Korean General Staff responded with threats

of a "preemptive strike" against US military bases in Japan
and South Korea, as well as the presidential residence
The UN Security Council should be in Seoul in case of US aggression.
ready to issue a set of new punitive
measures against North Korea, US The Pentagon sent the naval group from Singapore
President Donald Trump said prior to a toward North Korea earlier in April amid tensions on the
working lunch with ambassadors of the Korean Peninsula. US President Donald Trump said an
Council’s 14 member states on Monday. "armada" has been sent, but the date and time of the drill
remains unknown.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Trump underlined that
North Korea remains "a real threat to the world" and a After it turned out that the Carl Vinson deployed to deter
problem that must be resolved as soon as possible. North Korea did not reach the Sea of Japan reportedly
because White House and Pentagon failed to communicate
"The status quo on North Korea is effectively and was spotted near Indonesia, it was reported
unacceptable and the Council must be that it will finally reach the Korean Peninsula later this
prepared to impose additional and stronger month. The armada's current location is unknown.
sanctions on North Korean nuclear and
ballistic missile programs," Trump told
reporters.

110
 US Advocacy Group Warns
Of Corporate Takeover Of White House
Mon Apr 24, 2017 10:10PM

including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and

National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn (Goldman
Sachs), Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (Exxon Mobil),
Secretary of Defense James Mattis (General Dynamics)
and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao (Wells
Fargo).

“Corporate interests are directly driving

policy on everything from pesticides to
China, regulation to for-profit college rip-
offs. Meanwhile, Trump is degrading the
US President Donald Trump (C) signs the Memorandum Regarding office of the presidency to promote the
the Investigation Pursuant to Section 232(B) of the Trade Expansion
Act at the White House in Washington, DC, April 20, 2017, with
Trump brand, and the ethical vacuum in the
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (L). (Photo by AFP) White House is ensuring that mega-
scandals will ensnare this administration.
A Washington-based nonprofit America has never seen anything like this,
consumer advocacy group and we have endured only the first three
is warning about the extraordinary grant months,” Weissman noted.
of power to corporate businesses and
the enrichment of US President Donald
Trump’s private businesses by the The report further criticized Trump for destroying the
administration. protective regulations established by former US president
Barack Obama, saying that the new rules could hurt
consumers, the environment and public health.
In a report published on Monday, the head of Public
Citizen group sounded the alarm bells about Trump's
frequent meetings with corporate executives and also high- "Trump has signed 13 Congressional
profile positions in his administration occupied by former Review Act resolutions passed by a GOP-
business leaders. led Congress that were deemed gifts to big
business because they would roll back
regulatory protections established by the
“We are nearly 100 days into the Trump Obama administration and were opposed
administration, and it’s clear that there has by industry. These have eradicated
been a wholesale corporate takeover of the protections for broadband privacy, Alaskan
government,” said Robert Weissman. wildlife, worker health and safety, women's
health and streams used to dump coal
Since taking office, Trump has met with nearly 200 mining waste."
corporate executives while shaping America's future
policies. He also filled the vacancies in his cabinet with the
people who have strong ties with corporate America,
.

111
 Trump’s First 100 Days:
Already Achieved Massive Cuts In Federal Regulations
By: JD Heyes
Date: April 25, 2017

Until now, the law had not been used much because the
congressional majority differed from the party that held the
White House. Now, Republicans hold both.

But more than that, the GOP has an ally in Trump in that
the former businessman campaigned on the promise of
rolling back the federal bureaucracy, including last-minute
rules enacted by his predecessor.

“We’re excited about what we’re doing

so far. We’ve done more than that’s
ever been done in the history of
Congress with the CRA,” Rep. Doug
Collins, R-Ga., told The Daily Signal.
President Donald J. Trump’s biggest accomplishments
since taking office Jan. 20 have come without much help at Here are some ways Congress and Trump have used the
all from the Republican-controlled Congress, which in and CRA to thwart some of Obama’s rules:
of itself is a story. Still, the populist president has managed
to accomplish a great deal of what he promised during the  Coal mining regulations: Under House Joint
campaign, and that includes dramatically scaling back the Resolution 41 (H.J. Res. 41), rules mandated by
jobs-and-opportunity-killing federal regulations. Obama and finalized in 2016 were dismantled. The
rules “threatened to put domestic extraction companies
While negotiations are either ongoing or have just begun and their employees at an unfair disadvantage,” said
regarding major legislation including an Obamacare White House spokesman Sean Spicer. The measure
repeal-and-replace measure, as well as tax reform, Trump repealed rules that could save U.S. businesses
has begun chipping away at the rules and regulations that somewhere around $600 million a year.
stifle the American dream for tens of millions.  Streams – and coal mines: H.J. Res. 38 blocked
(RELATED: What Donald Trump Just Said About Obama administration rules which provided a vague
Regulations Is HUGE And Ought To Make Every definition of what constituted a “stream” and which was
Business Owner And Job Seeker Happy) directed specifically at coal mining operations.
“Complying with the regulation would have put an
As reported by The Daily Signal, it’s not as if Trump unsustainable financial burden on small mines,” said
hasn’t gotten any help at all from the Republican- Spicer.
controlled Congress. Under this president, Republicans  Protecting gun rights for the disabled: H. J. Res. 40
have managed to roll back scores of last-minute Obama- did away with an Obama rule that would have denied
era rules using a little-known (and before now, little- some Americans with disabilities their right to keep and
employed) law known as the Congressional Review Act. bear arms “based on their decision to seek Social
Security benefits,” said Spicer.
Here’s how it works.
Essentially the rule prohibited anyone who needed help
managing their affairs from getting a gun, but there was
Passed in 1996 as part of the Contract With American
no due process requirement in the regulation – denial
Advancement Act (Section 251), the law gives Congress
would have simply been up to the next bureaucrat in
the power to disapprove a wide range of regulations that
line at some federal agency.
are issued by federal agencies, generally speaking within
60 days of the rule being transmitted to Congress. The
disapproval must come in the form of joint resolution,  Land management: H. J. Res. 44 undid a rule that
which must then be signed by the president. critics say put way too much power to manage and

112
 administer public lands in the hands of Washington With some backing from Congress and working on his
agencies. “The Obama administration wanted to shift own, Trump is making good on promises to roll back
land policy from local governments with specific federal rules and regulations, giving the free market and
expertise to the federal government, basically shifting enterprising Americans back their ability to innovate and
even more of the land management policy away from grow the economy. (RELATED: As Trump Approaches
those affected by it,” said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. His 100th Day, Here Are The Promises He’s Kept And
 So-called Internet ‘privacy’: This rule, Spicer said, Is Likely To Keep)
essentially allowed “bureaucrats in Washington to pick
winners and losers in the industry.” Sen. Jeff Flake, R- Trump, it is said, is establishing a “legacy” of
Ariz., introduced a resolution to block the regulation, deregulation, even more so than did President Ronald
saying it would help keep consumers in charge of how Reagan. As his 100th day in office approaches, he is
they want to share information electronically. planning even more executive action aimed at cutting
federal rules.

113
 Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Wall’
Collides With Congress
Liz Goodwin - Senior National Affairs Reporter
April 25, 2017

would get the funds in this week’s spending bill, which

increasingly looks like a political impossibility.

The president may have realized that with Democrats

ready to shut down the government over the wall and
many lawmakers in his own party skeptical of it, there was
Then-candidate Donald Trump visiting the U.S.-Mexico border in the
summer of 2015. (Photo: Rick Wilking/Reuters) little chance of reaching a deal on his signature campaign
promise before the Friday night deadline. Some critics
WASHINGTON — President Trump reportedly backed noted that Trump had long promised that Mexico — and
off his demand that Congress include a down payment for not the U.S. — would pay for the wall’s construction.
a wall spanning the entire U.S.-Mexico border in a crucial
spending bill that must pass by Friday night to keep the Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praised Trump
government funded. in a statement for taking the wall “off the table.” He had
earlier called the demand a “monkey wrench” the president
Republican lawmakers have urged the president to focus had thrown into sensitive negotiations between the parties
on border security in general instead of the wall, which over a series of spending bills to keep the government
Democrats have called a poison pill that would cause them funded for the next five months.
to reject the bill and shut down the government.
But it’s possible the president will find a way to declare
Trump told a group of conservative reporters he invited to victory even if his call for a wall goes unanswered by
the White House on Monday that he was open to getting Congress. Several Republican senators urged the president
funding for the wall in September when Congress debates to think of the “big, beautiful wall” he promised on the
the 2018 budget, the Associated Press reported. This is a campaign trail as symbolic of border security in general.
sharp reversal from his position over the weekend and That way, the president could declare any increase in
early Monday, when he doubled down on his demand for border spending in the spending bill a victory, right as his
the wall. Trump tweeted repeatedly that the wall is presidency passes the symbolic 100-day mark on Friday.
necessary to stop the flow of drugs into the United States.
“Border walls and fences are part of an
“If the wall is not built, which it will be, the overall plan, but there will never be a
drug situation will NEVER be fixed the way 2,200-mile wall built. Period,” Sen. Lindsey
it should be!” Trump exclaimed Monday, Graham, R-S.C., told reporters Monday
adding: “#BuildTheWall.” evening. “I think [the wall] has become
symbolic for better border security. So it’s a
code word for better border security.”
On Tuesday morning, the president claimed he had not
changed his position on the wall as the “fake media” was
claiming, but he didn’t specify whether he still believed he

114
Graham said the president would still be in “good shape” if security in the spending bill as long as it doesn’t go to
he gets funding for border security in the spending bill construction of a wall or the “deportation force” Trump
that’s not specifically for a wall. mentioned during the campaign. The Democrats could
theoretically agree to funds for more surveillance
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also pushed for interpreting technology on the border, or to hire and train more border
“border wall” as border security in general. “I know it’s patrol agents. But it’s harder to imagine them supporting
being generally referred to as a border wall, but I think it’s an increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement
the efforts to make sure that Border Patrol can have (ICE) agents, since they enforce immigration laws
adequate funding for the people, technology and internally in the United States and not at the borders.
infrastructure they think they need to secure [the border],”
Tillis said. Meanwhile, one of the president’s staunchest defenders in
Congress defended the delay of the president’s campaign
“I think we can be less prescriptive about promise, urging Americans to be patient.
exactly what the structure looks like and
more focused on the fact that we need to “He said we would build a wall and Mexico
secure the border.” would pay for it, … but he never said
when,” Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, said
Both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Monday night on Fox Business. “Some
Schumer have signaled openness to funding border things just take time and don’t occur real
quick. I think that’s the way with the wall.”

115
 Dan Savage Raises 100K With
‘Impeach The Mother F**Ker Already’ Gear
By Sarah Stites
April 25, 2017 | 11:45 AM EDT

Dan Savage and his liberal followers want to impeach the

president, but they’re not putting it that nicely.

The groups he’s supporting should come as no surprise.

“This morning I had the distinct pleasure of

mailing off checks to Planned Parenthood
In an April 18 Instagram post, the gay speaker/activist ($33,333.34), the ACLU ($33,333.33) and
the International Refugee Assistance
enthused about his recent project—selling hats, coffee
mugs, pins and other gear emblazoned with the acronym Project ($33,333.33),” Savage wrote. And
ITMFA (“Impeach The Mother F**ker Already”). although he met his $100,000 goal, he’s
going to strive to raise just as much in a
new wave of sales.
Although he first began the initiative under the presidency
of George W. Bush, Savage resurrected the project to
Besides supporting progressive causes, the activist
support
enthused over the “best part” of wearing the swag —
“critically important and hugely effective
“when people are going to ask you what
organizations fighting Donald Trump.”
ITMFA stands for and YOU GET TO TELL
“We’re in for a long and ugly four years, THEM it stands for 'Impeach The Mother
readers,” he wrote in a January 25 blog F**ker Already!’”
post. “Let’s raise some money for groups
fighting Trump, let’s bring ITMFA back into But if kids are around, he conceded, you could replace the
our everyday vocabulary, and let’s “MF” with "Malicious Fascist," "Malodorous Fart" or
remember that we ― people who voted "Malignant Fraud."
against Trump, people who want to see
him out of office as quickly as possible...
Not like Savage really cares about polluting kids’ minds.
are the majority.”
As the creator of the ABC comedy The Real O’Neals,
Savage has not shied away from the use of offensive
language, anti-Catholic content and flagrant sexual and
LGBT content.

116
 The Madder Trump Gets,
The More Seriously The World Takes Him
By Robert Fisk
April 25, 2017

The more dangerous America’s crackpot President Secretary James “Mad Dog” Mattis is now encouraging
becomes, the saner the world believes him to be. Just look the head-chopping Saudis to bomb Yemen – adding even
back at the initial half of his first 100 days: the crazed more American intelligence “assets” to this criminal
tweeting, the lies, the fantasies and self-regard of this enterprise — and encouraging the Gulf Arabs’ delusional
misogynist leader of the Western world appalled all of us. idea that Iran wants to conquer the Arab
But the moment he went to war in Yemen, fired missiles at world. “Everywhere you look,” Mattis told his Saudi hosts
Syria and bombed Afghanistan, even the US media Trump this month, “if there’s trouble in the region, you find Iran.”
had so ferociously condemned began to treat him with
respect. And so did the rest of the world. Is that the case with Egypt, then, now under Isis attack as
its President “disappears” thousands of his own people? Is
It’s one thing to have a lunatic in the White House who that the case in Turkey whose even more crazed President
watches late night television and tweets all day. But when has now locked up tens of thousands of his own people
the same lunatic goes to war, it now emerges, he’s a safer while turning himself into a dictator-by-law?
bet for democracy, a strong President who stands up to
tyrants (unless they happen to be Saudis, Turks or Let’s just briefly take a look at Trump’s reaction to Recep
Egyptians) and who acts out of human emotion rather than Tayyip Erdogan’s dodgy referendum, which has given him
cynicism. a Caliph’s power over Turkey. A round-up of the latest
figures from Turkey by the French newspaper
How else can one account for the extraordinary report Liberation show that there have been 47,000 arrests since
in The New York Times which recorded how Trump’s last year’s attempted coup, 140,000 passports revoked,
“anguish” at the film of dying Syrian babies had led him to 120,000 men and women fired from their jobs (including
abandon “isolationism”? 8,000 military officers, 5,000 academics, 4,000 judges and
lawyers, 65 mayors and 2,000 journalists). One thousand
Americans like action, but have typically confused two hundred schools and 15 universities have been closed
Trump’s infantile trigger finger with mature decision- down, 170 newspapers, television and radio stations shut.
making. What else is there to think when a normally sane
US columnist like David Ignatius suddenly compares And after the referendum which gave Erdogan a narrow (if
Trump to Harry Truman and praises his demented very dubious) majority to legitimise these outrages, Trump
President for his “flexibility” and “pragmatism”? called the Turkish President to congratulate him on his
victory. Just as he continues to congratulate Egyptian
This is preposterous. A madman who goofs off at President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in his “battle” against
something he doesn’t like on CNN is just plain wacky. A “terror”, a war which al-Sisi – whose coup d’etat against
man of unsound mind who attacks three Muslim countries Egypt’s first elected president originally brought him to
– two of which were included in his seven Muslim nation power – appears to be losing. Al-Sisi, Trump enthused,
refugee ban – is a danger to the world. Yet the moment he would be someone “very close to him”.
fires 59 missiles at Syria after more than 60 civilians die in
an apparent chemical attack which he blames on Assad – We know that the US Special Forces raid on Yemen, in
but none after far more are massacred by a Syrian suicide which Navy Seal William Owens died, killed more
bomber – even Angela Merkel takes leave of her senses civilians than al-Qaeda members. We don’t know (or, I
and praises Trump, along with the Matron of Downing suspect, care) very much what the “mother of all bombs”
Street, Signora Mogherini and sundry other potentates. did in the Nangahar province of Afghanistan. First it killed
Hasn’t someone cottoned on to the fact that Trump is now 60 Isis fighters. Then it killed 100 Isis fighters and not a
taking America into a shooting war? single civilian – surely a first in US military history? But
then, weirdly, nobody has been allowed to go to the site of
Handing more power to the Pentagon – about the most this monster bomb’s explosion. Because civilians were
perilous act of any US President – means that Defence indeed killed? Or because – and this is a fact – Isis

117
survivors went on fighting American ground troops after Times slowly – far too slowly – realised it had itself started
the bombing? to fall in love with its shooting-from-the-hip President.

Now Trump is sending a naval battle group to threaten Now we await the battle for Korea, forgetting that earlier
North Korea, a past master at childish threats itself. Ye war which drowned the peninsula in blood, American and
gods! And this is a man who is now “flexible” and British as well as Korean and Chinese. Maybe Trump, in
“pragmatic”? It’s instructive to note that after its first his vague, frightening way, has decided that Southeast
edition, The New York Times changed its headline about Asia will be his real war. And there, of course, the
Trump’s Syrian “anguish” to “Trump Upends His Own comparison with Truman gets rather too close to home.
Foreign Policy”, still gifting him with a “foreign For Truman only came in at the end of the Second World
policy” (which doesn’t exist) while cutting out the War, after Roosevelt’s death, and his crowning wartime
“anguish”. I am told the first original edition headline read: achievement was also in Southeast Asia: the atom-
“On Syria Attack, Trump’s Heart Came First”. Intriguing. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
If that is correct, you can see how The New York
Heaven spare us the next 100 days.

118
 Matthews Strongly Defends, Re-Ups Comparing Trump
Family To Romanovs, Saddam’s Children
By Curtis Houck
April 25, 2017 | 9:41 PM EDT

Showing that he’s somewhat incapable of shame, royal family taking its place at the table
MSNBC’s Hardball host Chris Matthews re-upped and of power” and thus both “un-American”
defended on Tuesday night his near-endless comparisons and “untraditional.”
of the Trump family to the ultimately-slaughtered
Romanovs and Saddam Hussein’s murderous sons Uday In a brief aside, one has to wonder: What was the entire
and Qusay. Clinton family then?

Matthews was discussing First Daughter/Assistant to the After Wallace expressed her dismay at the arrangement but
President Ivanka Trump’s visit to Germany with NBC clarified that this shouldn’t be everyone’s top concern
News political analyst Nicolle Wallace and Salon’s Joan when it comes to the Trump administration.
Walsh when he briefly suggested that Ivanka was only 27
years old getting prime seating at events like dinner with Matthews returned, turning to Walsh and seemingly
the Chinese president. changing his tune from April 11 when he stirred the pot,
quipping about how

“we know what happened to the

Romanovs”

in the end after their family lost power. Here he was:

MATTHEWS: Well, neither me, but I'm

fascinated by the Romanovs. Last word, do
you like the Romanovs? Do you like that
image? I'm not talking about what
happened to them ultimately —
For the record, Ivanka is 35 and will turn 36 in October, JOAN WALSH: No, no, no.
but keep trying! MATTHEWS: — but I’m talking the power
they have over their country because of
“There's a young person who’s never their birth.
worked in the government sitting next to
the President of China at a major event. The far-left blogger agreed, stating that
Sitting next to the President of China.
Another time she's sitting next to — “it fits...but I also think it means this
what's her name — to the chancellor of man does not have that many people
Germany. These people must look over around him outside of his family that he
and say, what is she doing here except trusts, that he's developed a
she's the President's daughter,” relationship of trust with and that
Matthews whined. bothers me also.”

Mirroring his litany of previous Romanov references, Matthews seemed to be stepping back from the ledge of
Matthews used this 13th reference in 2017 to remind his incivility but quickly ran back as he resurrected the Uday
audience that he’s used this label and Qusay Hussein comparison to Ivanka and husband
Jared Kushner (previous used here and here):
“because there's something about the
President who presumes that this is a

119
 Who wants to take on Jared Kushner in a when it comes to their politics, were so comfortable dealing with
meeting on the Middle East? Have that an American political family.
conversation. Scared to death. Everybody
— oh my gosh, they don't want to say MATTHEWS: Yeah sure. Of course they are. But they're not a
nothing. Anyway, little bit like Uday and democratic country.
Qusay. Not that bad. Nicolle Wallace, thank
you, Joan Walsh, thank you. I shouldn’t be
WALLACE: But yeah and your question is it American? I mean,
that tough but I am.
there is no real precedent for this. I think it's weird too. I just have
to say, though, for all of the temperamental concerns that I have
Here’s the relevant portion of the transcript from about Donald Trump, for me, Ivanka being in an official capacity
MSNBC’s Hardball on April 25: in the White House is not one of the many, many, many things
that keeps me up at night.
MSNBC’s Hardball
April 25, 2017 MATTHEWS: Yeah, I know. Well, either me, but I'm fascinated
7:24 p.m. Eastern by the Romanovs. Last word, do you like the Romanovs? Do you
like that image? I'm not talking about what happened to them
ultimately —

JOAN WALSH: No, no, no.

MATTHEWS: — but I’m talking the power they have over their
country because of their birth.

WALSH: Right, I think it fits, Chris, but I also think it means this
man does not have that many people around him outside of his
family that he trusts, that he's developed a relationship of trust
with and that bothers me also.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, let's get to the role that she plays
because of her father. I don't know about you, Nicole, but I know
your sense about the status like we all are, we watch status
statements that you don't want to be seated below the salt at a
meeting. You don’t want to be at the end of the table. Look at the
seating this person has gotten. At the age, what is she? 27? I
don’t know how old she is. There's a young person who’s never
worked in the government sitting next to the President of China at
a major event. Sitting next to the President of China. Another
time she's sitting next to — what's her name — to the chancellor
of Germany. These people must look over and say, what is she
doing here except she's the President's daughter. I've said the
Romanovs because there's something about the President who
presumes that this is a royal family taking its place at the table of MATTHEWS: I agree.
power. It is un-American. It is untraditional. It's somewhat weird,
although I know it must be comforting to have your kids around WALSH: So, you know, like Nicole, I'm — I’m in some ways glad
and I understand your son-in-law. I get the comfort factor. But is it she's there because I don't want bad things to happen. But it's
American? Your thoughts first, Nicolle. also — it's wrong. It's just wrong.

NICOLLE WALLACE: I'm going to quote John Oliver in The New MATTHEWS: Who wants to take on Jared Kushner in a meeting
York Times in that order. John Oliver who was riffing on this over on the Middle East? Have that conversation. Scared to death.
the weekend said, you know, they're like our — our royal couple Everybody — oh my gosh, they don't want to say nothing.
except they're both very attractive, and then in The New York Anyway, little bit like Uday and Qusay. Not that bad. Nicolle
Times leading up to the China meeting, there was a whole article Wallace, thank you, Joan Walsh, thank you. I shouldn’t be that
about how the Chinese, who deal in the family dynasty business tough but I am.
.

120
 President Trump’s First
100 Days In Office: Major Accomplishments
President Fulfills Long List Of Campaign Promises
Roger Stone | Infowars.Com
April 25, 2017

 Instituted tough immigration policies that have driven

illegal border crossings to a 17-year low;
 Removed more job-killing regulations through
legislation than any president in U.S. history;
 Estimated savings: $18 billion annually;
 Economic optimism has been renewed, with consumer
confidence reaching its highest level in 16 years; and
 Ordered the toughest new rules to stop the revolving
door between Washington lobbyists and government
officials in history.

Already, the Trump administration can point to

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Noting that this accomplishments that fulfill campaign promises.
coming Saturday, April 30, 2017, marks
President Trump’s 100th day as
The Associated Press reported on March 3, 2017 that
president, the White House has begun
according to the U.S. Department of Labor, unemployment
listing accomplishments.
claims dropped by 19,000 from 242,000 the previous week
“In his First 100 Days President Trump has to the lowest level in 44 years, since March 1973, when
taken dramatic steps to undo burdensome Richard Nixon was president.
regulations, restore law and order, bolster
our military, revive the American dream, The Labor Department further reported that 2.07 million
change Washington by holding it Americans are collecting unemployment insurance, down
accountable, put the American worker first more than 7 percent from a year ago.
and confirm Supreme Court Justice Neil
Gorsuch,” the White House press office
The Labor Department considers the U.S. job market to be
said in a statement published Monday.
solid, with employers adding a healthy 227,000 jobs in
“The people who put him in office can see January, pushing the unemployment rate to 4.8 percent,
and feel the promises he is delivering on. close to what economists consider full employment.
According to a new ABC News/Washington
Post poll, an incredible 96% of those who On Feb. 28, 2017, Fox News reported there was a
supported the President in November say significant drop in illegal immigration across the southwest
they’d do it again today,” the White House border during President Trump’s first month in office
statement continued. compared to that of the last three months of the Obama
presidency, according to U.S. Customs and Border
The White House also summed up President Trump’s first Protection (CPB).
100 days in office “by the numbers, noting the following:
In January 2017, 31,575 individuals were taken into
 Enacted more legislation and signed more executive custody between ports of entry on the southwest border,
orders in the First 100 days than any president in a half compared with an average of more than 45,000 for each of
century; the previous three months, according to the CPB.
 Enacted 28 pieces of legislation, more than any other
president since Truman; In an effort to detail President Trump’s major
 Signed 25 executive orders, the most of any 100 days accomplishments, Infowars.com surveyed the White
in over 50 years (will be over 30 by day 100); House press releases since the Inauguration on Jan. 20,
 Achieved first Supreme Court Confirmation in 100 days 2017, coming up with a detailed list, focusing on
since 1881;
121
Executive Orders and legislation signed since President
Trump became president.

 Estimated savings: $18 billion annually;

 Economic optimism has been renewed, with consumer
confidence reaching its highest level in 16 years; and
 Ordered the toughest new rules to stop the revolving
door between Washington lobbyists and government
officials in history.

Already, the Trump administration can point to

accomplishments that fulfill campaign promises.

The Associated Press reported on March 3, 2017 that

according to the U.S. Department of Labor, unemployment
claims dropped by 19,000 from 242,000 the previous week
to the lowest level in 44 years, since March 1973, when
Richard Nixon was president.

The Labor Department further reported that 2.07 million

Americans are collecting unemployment insurance, down
more than 7 percent from a year ago.

The Labor Department considers the U.S. job market to be

solid, with employers adding a healthy 227,000 jobs in
January, pushing the unemployment rate to 4.8 percent,
close to what economists consider full employment.

On Feb. 28, 2017, Fox News reported there was a

significant drop in illegal immigration across the southwest
border during President Trump’s first month in office
compared to that of the last three months of the Obama
presidency, according to U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CPB).

In January 2017, 31,575 individuals were taken into

custody between ports of entry on the southwest border,
compared with an average of more than 45,000 for each of
the previous three months, according to the CPB.

In an effort to detail President Trump’s major

accomplishments, Infowars.com surveyed the White House
press releases since the Inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017,
coming up with a detailed list, focusing on Executive
Orders and legislation signed since President Trump
became president.

122
123
.

124
 Trump Taps Ex-Cheney
Middle East Advisor For Senior Pentagon Post
© AP Photo/ Andrew Harnik - US
03:29 25.04.2017

“President Donald J Trump today

announced his intent to nominate… Robert
Story Karem of Washington District
of Columbia to be an Assistant Secretary
of Defense, International Security Affairs,”
the release stated on Monday. “Karem has
previously served in the White House as a
Middle East policy advisor to Vice
President Richard B. Cheney.”

Karem has also served as a foreign advisor to Cheney

at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC,
US President Donald Trump will the release stated.
nominate a former Middle East policy
advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney Additionally, Karem had roles in the US Senate as a
to a senior position in the Department of Legislative Assistant to Majority Leader Mitch
Defense’s bureau on global security, the McConnell, and in the US House of Representatives as the
White House said in a press release. national security advisor to Majority Leaders Eric Cantor
and Kevin McCarthy, according to the release.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The White House
announced Trump will nominate Robert Story Karem
for the post an Assistant Secretary of Defense,
International Security Affairs.

125
 CNN's Camerota Jokes About
Whether Guest Called Trump 'Maniac,' 'Insane'
By Brad Wilmouth
April 25, 2017 | 3:09 PM EDT

On Tuesday's New Day on CNN, during a pre-recorded SCOTT MCCOMMONS, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: I'm
segment in which CNN's Alisyn Camerota was seen not because, you know what, if these panelists believe --
speaking with six Donald Trump voters about how they some of the panelists believe that he gets the wrong
view the President's performance, the New Day host information and goes into North Korea and does something
cracked a joke about whether one panel member was stupid, it could be detrimental to this country. It really could.
calling President Trump a "maniac" and "insane," or North
Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. CAMEROTA: Are you comfortable with the tough talk against
North Korea?
After Camerota brought up the issue of North Korea, two
panel members -- one of whom regrets voting for Trump -- MCCOMMONS: You know what, I'll take any tough talk from
debated what should be done about North Korea's missile President Trump if he's going to back it up, but he's not
program. The piece then switched to a clip of recurring backing it up.
panel member and former New Hampshire State Rep. Paul
Johnson, who injected: KRAIG MOSS, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: What can we
do, though? What we've got a leader of a country that has
"Of course you have to talk and try to come been flaunting the fact that he has these missiles, and he
to a resolution. I mean, the guy is a sends them up. Do we have to wait until one of them is
maniac. He's insane. But --" nuclear-tipped and takes out one of our allies?

MCCOMMONS: Absolutely not. I'm not saying --

MOSS: Then I have to agree that, you know, we as a country

need to say, you know, "We're not going to turn our head
anymore." You know, this is something that I'm very
passionate about.

MCCOMMONS: You think tough talk will take care of that?

MOSS: I don't know about the tough talk, okay.

A clip of Camerota was then seen smiling as she quipped:
FORMER STATE REP. PAULA JOHNSON (R-NH): Of
course you have to talk and try to come to a resolution. I
"I know you're talking about Kim Jong-Un." mean, the guy is a maniac. He's insane. But --

As the panelists laughed, and one male voice could be CAMEROTA (smiling): I know you're talking about Kim Jong-
heard proclaiming, Un.

"Not Trump," Johnson smiled and (Everyone laughs.)

responded: "I'm glad you clarified that."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE: Not Trump.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the
Tuesday, April 25, New Day on CNN:
JOHNSON: I'm glad you clarified that.
ALISYN CAMEROTA: Are you comfortable with where the
administration is today on North Korea?

126
 73% of Americans Want Independent
Probe of Russia's Alleged Election Meddling
© Sputnik/ Anton Denisov - US
06:45 25.04.2017(updated 07:30 25.04.2017)

and the Trump campaign, which is nearly unchanged

from the same poll in February.

The poll found that only 39 percent had "some" or a "great

deal" of confidence in Congress' ability to run a fair and
impartial investigation.

The poll had a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.

On March 20, the FBI and NSA heads testified in front

of the House Intelligence Committee during the first public
A majority of Americans want an hearing on the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016
independent investigation into Russia's election. During the hearing, both Comey and Rogers
alleged involvement in the 2016 US repeated the conclusions writted in the US intelligence
election, a new NBC News/Wall Street report released in January, which was mostly based
Journal poll revealed on Monday. on media publications and social media. They also
confirmed that Russia in any way did not affect the vote
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — An independent tallies in the US.
investigation is favored by 73 percent of those surveyed;
just 16 percent wanted Congress to investigate. Moscow rejected having any secret ties to Trump and
repeatedly refuted allegations of interference in the US
A majority of Americans, 54 percent, still think that elections. Trump has also rejected claims of undercover
Congress should look into possible contact between Russia dealings with Russia.

127
 New York Times Correspondent
Praises Trump’s Handling Of The Media
By Randy Hall
April 25, 2017 | 6:01 PM EDT

going to win. You know, winning the

Electoral College is, for a Republican, is
close to impossible, and I won it quite
easily.

And I think they are still recovering from that.

The topic then changed to Susan Rice, President Barack

Obama’s national security adviser, and her mishandling of
surveillance.

“It’s a bigger story than you know,” the

president stated. “Take a look at what’s
It’s no secret that many members of the press have been
happening. I mean, first of all, her
unhappy with the way President Donald Trump has usually
performance was horrible yesterday on
dealt with the “mainstream media.” However, on Monday,
television even though she was interviewed
April 24, New York Times White House Correspondent
by Hillary Clinton’s P.R. person, Andrea
Glenn Thrush actually praised the way the administration
Mitchell [the NBC News journalist].”
has handled its daily press conferences.
“What other people do you think will get
“When Obama had press conferences, he ensnared in this?” Thrush asked. “Can you
had a single piece of white paper and he give us a sense? How far this might extend
had six or seven organizations that he had -- ?”
pre-selected to call upon, and a lot of them “I think from the previous administration,”
were favorable to him,” Thrush stated. Trump noted before Thrush asked: “How
“Trump’s free-ranging press conferences, I far up do you think this goes? Chief of
think, are a lot more democratic than the staff? The president?”
way Obama conducted them.”
“I don’t want to say, but you know who,”
the president replied. “You know what was
The reporter’s statement comes after a wide-ranging going on. You probably know better than
interview on April 5 with Trump by several people at the anybody.”
Times, including Thrush and thus perhaps a reason why
Thrush offered praise for this aspect of the Trump
Trump then downplayed the suggestion that Russia
administration, but more on that later.
actually interfered in the nation's 2016 presidential
election, calling the concept
The reporter’s first question dealt with the nomination of
Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court:
“a total hoax. There has been absolutely
nothing coming out of that.”
“Why do you think Democrats feel the need
to oppose Gorsuch? What do you think the
When Thrush changed the topic to the use of chemical
politics is?”
weapons by Syria’s leader against his own people, Trump
said:
Trump replied:
“I think it’s a disgrace. I think it’s an affront
Well, I think that some of it had to do with to humanity. Inconceivable that somebody
the election. They thought they were

128
 could do that. Those kids were so “I never talk about what I do militarily,” he
beautiful.” continued. “I’ve been complaining about
that for years.”
“What do you think it says about the role of
Russia in Syria?” the correspondent asked.
After praising the Trump administration’s handling of the
“I think it’s a very sad day for Russia press and taking part in a lengthy interview with the
because they’re aligned, and in this case, president, could Thrush be looking for future
all information points to Syria that they did opportunities to speak with Trump or anyone on his staff?
this,” Trump responded before noting that Only time will tell.
the action was “very disappointing.”
.

129
 Trump Is Advised By Liars,
Like Bush Was
By Eric Zuesse
Global Research, April 25, 2017

Here will be documented that Donald Trump is now

clearly following in George W. Bush’s (and Barack
Obama’s) footsteps, being advised by liars, who deceive
the public into invading, on false pretexts — the chief
crime for which the Nazi military leaders at Nuremberg
were tried and executed. Now it’s America’s leaders, who
should be in the docks. This is an ugly reality, in which
America’s press is complicit by refusing to report it.
Indeed, America’s press is essential to the success of the
government’s fraud, which certainly succeeded against
Saddam Hussein in 2003, and which is again succeeding
As will be shown here, the U.S. federal against Bashar al-Assad now.
government, under President Donald
Trump, is repeating the very same
deception of the public, in regard to Syria’s
Bashar al-Assad, that it had perpetrated
back in 2002, against Iraq’s Saddam
Hussein, under U.S. President George
W. Bush. (By contrast, and for secret
reasons, the U.S. federal government does
everything possible to downplay the
barbarisms, such as are occurring in
Yemen, that are perpetrated by the
fundamentalist Sunni Kings of Saudi
Arabia, and Emirs of Qatar, even while
exaggerating the barbarisms by the
fundamentalist Shiite clerics who control There is a debate as to whether George W. Bush himself
Iran — a key ally of the secular and non- was a liar (which he certainly was), but there is no debate
fundamentalist Shiite leader of Syria. about whether his advisors were liars (which they also
were). For example, regarding “Saddam’s WMDs,” Bush’s
The U.S. ‘news’ media display no curiosity, Vice-President Dick Cheney said, on Aug. 26, 2002:
at all, to understand, much less to explain
to their public, why that partiality of the U.S.
“Simply stated, there’s no doubt that
government, in favor of fundamentalist
Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass
Sunni governments, against any Shiite
destruction.”
governments, exists; but, all of the 9/11
jihadists were fundamentalist Sunnis, and There certainly WAS “doubt” (and there
Al Qaeda itself is a fundamentalist Sunni was, in fact, no evidence at all that any
operation, as is ISIS; and these facts have active WMD program still existed in Iraq at
something to do with that ‘mystery’, of why the time when the United States invaded in
the U.S. ‘news’ media and government are 2003 and destroyed Iraq by our invasion).
so partial in favor of fundamentalist Sunnis, Dick Cheney was, quite simply, lying, there.
against Shiites. America’s soldiers are People who deny it are of only two types:
actually fighting foreign wars for foreign arrogant in their ignorance of the facts, or
powers who are claimed to be ‘allies’, but else outright liars themselves.
who are actually the ones that invade
America and slaughter Americans.) (Indeed, the infamous neoconservative Bill Kristol, and
other neocons at that time, were citing Cheney’s allegation
130
prominently as providing ‘a compelling case’ that we On Friday April 21st, Mattis said at a press conference,
should invade. It was no such thing, and the fascist —
euphemistically called “neoconservative” — Kristol “There can be no doubt in the international
subsequently campaigned to get James Mattis elected as community’s mind that Syria has retained
the next President after Barack Obama, but succeeded chemical weapons in violation of its
ultimately only in getting President-elect Donald Trump to agreement and its statement that it had
appoint Mattis to run U.S. foreign policy instead, from the removed them all. There is no longer any
post of Mattis’s being Trump’s Pentagon chief and actual doubt,” just as there wasn’t any doubt
top foreign-affairs advisor.) In today’s America, such according to Cheney back in 2002 — “no
fascists aren’t embarrassed and shunned (much less doubt that Saddam Hussein has weapons
executed, or otherwise dealt with as war-criminals) — they of mass destruction.”
remain influential and powerful, in today’s Amerika.
But, just as Cheney lied then about Saddam Hussein, in
Cheney was declared by the ‘news’media to have been the order to invade, Mattis lies now about Bashar al-Assad, in
nation’s “Chief Operating Officer” in G.W. Bush’s order to invade. (And here was that very same authority
Presidency, but that appellation was valid primarily for disproving the allegation against Assad, back on 14
Bush’s foreign policies (including all military matters). So, January 2014: disproving then Barack Obama’s
that’s what we’re talking about here, the policies that have Administration’s continuing lies alleging at that time, that
international significance, these being the policies Assad instead of the U.S. and its allies were behind the
regarding which any nation’s aristocracy tends to be the 2013 “red line” sarin gas attack in Syria — and Seymour
most unified, and are therefore the most important to Hersh’s similar finding, in confirmation of that Obama-lie,
America’s oligarchs — though often ignored by the via Britain’s MI6.)
general public, and left by them simply to trust the
President on, and so we invade, again. And again. Very So, just like with George W. Bush, U.S. President Donald
profitable, for the chief stockholders in the weapons- Trump is relying upon not only the advice, but also the
making firms. military judgment, of clear-cut liars. They lie their way
into invasions, just like Hitler did. And, just like happened
The reliance that Bush had placed upon his Vice President, with President George W. Bush, the debate among
big Dick Cheney, to make determinations about whether or historians will be as to whether President Donald Trump is
not to invade, is now the reliance that Trump places merely a fool who demands to be encircled by yes-men, or
upon his Secretary of ‘Defense’, today’s equally soft- is, himself, instead, a knowing liar, who can be
spoken big stick, James Mattis, to decide whether or not to distinguished from President Barack Obama solely by the
invade. Although Mattis is unlike Cheney in regards to latter’s having been a far slicker liar than Bush or Trump
torture, both of these two key Presidential advisors, (such as Obama displayed himself to be, here, and here).
Cheney and Mattis, share a lot in common, and Trump’s
placing military decisions in Mattis’s hands is, as Kristol Meanwhile, Trump helps his new-found friends, the
knew, very much like a second G.W. Bush Presidency, just fundamentalist-Sunni royal owners of Saudi Arabia, to
combined with a bit of the more ‘proper’ neoconservatism create a famine and slaughter Shiites in their neighboring
of Barack Obama’s Presidency. (Obama was actually even country of Yemen, after the U.S. had sold $130 billion in
worse than Bush was in some important respects — but a weapons to those Saudi royals and their fellow
much more skillful liar than Bush was.) fundamentalist-Sunni royals (and other Sunnis) assisting in
this slaughter of Yemenis.

Instead of Trump’s doing war against “radical Islamic

terrorists”, they turn out to be his friends.

131
 Donald Trump’s Failing Presidency
By Robert Parry
April 25, 2017

The 100-day mark may be an artificial measuring stick for dogma. He also licks the hand of Israel and Saudi Arabia
a U.S. president. Obviously much can happen in the as he and his team keep repeating the favorite Israeli-Saudi
remaining 1,361 days of a four-year term. But Donald mantra that “Iran is the principal sponsor of terrorism.”
Trump’s decisions in his first three months in office have
put him on an almost irreversible path to failure. His administration also blames Iran – not Israel, Saudi
Arabia and indeed the United States – for Middle Eastern
instability. But it was President George W. Bush and his
neocon advisers who devised the disastrous invasion of
Iraq with Israeli backing; it was President Barack Obama
and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who pushed for
“regime change” in Libya and Syria, another Israeli-Saudi
priority; it was Saudi Arabia and its Gulf State allies that
have armed Al Qaeda, Islamic State and other Sunni
terrorist groups; it is Israel that has persecuted the
indigenous Palestinian population for generations and
invaded Lebanon among other neighbors.
President Donald Trump being sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017.
(Screen shot from Whitehouse.gov)
For all its faults, Iran has mostly opposed these operations
and is now contributing military forces to fight Islamic
He now appears to be little more than a traditional
State and Al Qaeda militants in Iraq and Syria. Yet, Trump
Republican with more than a little dash of Kardashian
has now conformed to the upside-down view of the Middle
sleaze in him, a boorish reality-TV star reading from a
East that all the “important people” of Official Washington
neocon script that could have been written for many of his
know to be true, that it’s all Iran’s fault, except – of course
GOP rivals, except he delivers his lines with worse
– what can be pinned on Russia.
grammar and a limited vocabulary, favoring imprecise
words such as “beautiful” and “sad.”
Trump as Sociopath
Trump also has the look of a conman. He sold himself as a
populist who would fight for the forgotten Americans, but Under intense pressure from the Democratic and
is following domestic policies aimed at comforting his Republican establishments – and facing an intelligence-
super-rich friends while afflicting his most loyal blue- community-driven hysteria over vague links between some
collar supporters. of his advisers and Moscow – Trump has further buckled
on his pledge to improve relations with Russia, instead
ratcheting up rhetoric and threats.
He promises a tax package that will give huge breaks to
the already well-to-do; he backed a Republican health-care
plan that would have left 24 million Americans without
insurance but saved billions for billionaires; he shows no
sign of delivering on his trillion-dollar infrastructure plan
although he keeps pushing his “beautiful” wall across the
entire border with Mexico; and his hectoring of U.S.
companies to stop exporting jobs has been more show than
substance.
President Donald Trump welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to a
state dinner during their summit at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on April 6,
On the foreign policy front, Trump has broken his vow to 2017. (Screen shot from whitehouse.gov)
move away from endless war and needless confrontation –
and avoid their extraordinary costs in blood and treasure. Trump earned Official Washington’s pat on the head for
After months of getting newspaper-slapped by the firing 59 Tomahawk missiles at Syria on April 6 before
mainstream media over Russia-gate, Trump has put his tail any careful evaluation of a chemical-weapons incident in
between his legs and become a housebroken dog to neocon northern Syria could be conducted, an action that Hillary
132
Clinton and the neocon-dominated commentator class of thing at least, that Trump’s fragile ego puts the future of
Official Washington just loved. mankind at risk given his control of the U.S. nuclear
arsenal.
Trump regaled Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo
with the tale of how he disclosed the missile strike to Further enhancing that danger is that Trump apparently
Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to thinks his erratic behavior is a plus, not realizing that there
Trump’s estate at Mar-a-Lago, giving the impression that are limits to what a madman can get away with even if he
he might be similarly reckless in attacking North Korea. has his twitchy finger on the nuclear button. At some
Trump said he delivered the news over “the most beautiful point, one of Trump’s crazed bluffs will be called and then
piece of chocolate cake that you’ve ever seen,” allowing he will have little choice but to prove that he is, indeed, a
him to gauge the shock on Xi’s face. madman.

“I said, ‘Mr. President, let me explain Lost Hope

something to you’ — this was during
dessert — ‘we’ve just fired 59 missiles’ — Not that these criticisms come as much surprise, but there
all of which hit, by the way, unbelievable, was hope – after his surprise election – that this irascible
from, you know, hundreds of miles away, and arrogant figure might at least have the backbone to
all of which hit, amazing,” Trump said. stand up against Official Washington’s neoconservative
“And he [Xi] was eating his cake. And he foreign policy orthodoxies and challenge the Israeli-Saudi
was silent,” Trump continued, adding that dominance of U.S. policies in the Middle East.
the Chinese president paused for 10
seconds before asking his interpreter to
repeat what Trump had said. Trump clearly
was relishing the moment, although it
appears that a number of the Tomahawk
missiles missed the targeted Syrian airbase
with some striking a nearby village, killing
nine civilians including four children, Syrian
media reported.

Though Trump insisted that Xi approved of the attack,

Trump’s sociopathic behavior most likely confirmed to Xi President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu at joint press conference on Feb. 15. 2017. (Screen shot
that Trump really is as mindlessly dangerous as many from Whitehouse.gov)
critics have warned.
The thinking went that Trump was a self-centered
Trump seems to enjoy watching shocked looks on people’s sonuvabitch but that personality might help him resist the
faces. I’m told that he explained to an associate that one of pressures from the Washington establishment and thus
his joys in grabbing women by “the pussy” is to see their avert a new, dangerous and expensive Cold War with
stunned reaction, fitting with his boast to Billy Bush of Russia. Cooperation with Russia also held out prospects
“Access Hollywood” that women are powerless to object for finally ending the endless wars of his immediate
given his status as a star. predecessors.

“When you’re a star, … you can do Some Trump supporters told me that perhaps someone like
anything,” Trump said. “Grab ’em by the Trump was the only hope to shatter the orthodoxies that
pussy. You can do anything.” had come to encase Official Washington’s thinking in
concrete. These hopeful supporters saw him as an uncouth
Trump is more respectful — and obedient — toward men buffoon, yes, but maybe someone who wouldn’t care what
with real money. His head was surely turned when was said about him on CNN or in The New York Times or
Sheldon Adelson, one of Israel’s most devoted advocates at a Brookings Institution conference, someone who was
who has publicly suggested dropping a nuclear bomb unorthodox enough to sledgehammer cracks in the official
inside Iran to coerce its government to do what Israel group thinks, allowing some necessary light of fresh
wants, donated a record $5 million to Trump’s inaugural thinking to finally pour through.
festivities.
But even if that were the case – if Trump were that person
Indeed, what we have learned about Trump in the first 100 – he faced very difficult obstacles, including the reality
days is that he is a thin-skinned, insecure narcissist who that neocon groupthink had solidified deeply into the
obsesses over slights and relishes tangible signs of praise foundation of the U.S. establishment, expanding from its
and approval. The Clinton campaign was right about one initial base in the Republican Party to effective control of
133
the national Democrats as well, although Democrats prefer Obama administration had kept the American people in the
different labels such as liberal or humanitarian dark, such as the Syria-sarin case on Aug. 21, 2013, which
interventionist to neoconservative (more a semantic was pinned on the Syrian government though evidence
difference than substantial). pointed toward anti-government rebels, and the Malaysia
Airlines Flight 17 shoot-down over eastern Ukraine on
For Trump, Official Washington’s foreign-policy July 17, 2014, which was blamed on Russia while key U.S.
consensus meant there were few credentialed individuals intelligence evidence was kept hidden. [See here and here.]
who could help him break the mold – and win Senate
confirmation. Trump would have to look for people Trump also needed to show that he would not be the patsy
outside the traditional establishment and such people of either Israel or the Saudi royal family. That would have
would find themselves under an aggressive review process required telling some unpleasant truths, such as the well-
looking for any misstep to disqualify them. And the few known fact inside the U.S. intelligence community that
who might survive that ordeal would find themselves in Saudi Arabia and its Gulf State allies have been state
largely hostile bureaucracies – at the State Department, the sponsors of terrorism for decades, making the fanatical
Pentagon, the intelligence agencies, or the National killers from Al Qaeda and Islamic State possible, and that
Security Council – that would be determined to either Israel has bent U.S. foreign policy in the region for
bring the outsider to heel or destroy him or her with leaks generations.
and obstructions.
If Trump really had the guts that he likes people to think
The ‘Deep State’ he has, he could have frozen or seized Saudi assets as
punishment for the kingdom’s state sponsorship of
Despite denials from mainstream commentators about terrorism and for using Sunni extremists as a paramilitary
America having a “deep state,” one does exist in force in its sectarian rivalry with Shiite-ruled countries like
Washington, as should be obvious watching the cable news Iran. Or if he wanted to demonstrate his defiance of the
shows or reading the major newspapers. Indeed, there is hyped-up Russia-gate allegations, he could have
arguably less diversity allowed in the vaunted “free press” immediately announced a summit with Russian President
of America than in some supposedly authoritarian states. Vladimir Putin on how to bring the “war on terror” to a
conclusion, rather than play a timid defense.

At the outset of his presidency, Trump could have really

shaken things up. But instead he wasted his first days
proving that he was the pumped-up fool that his detractors
said he was. Rather than show some grace toward the
defeated Democrats, he insisted absurdly that his inaugural
crowd was bigger than President Obama’s (which it
wasn’t). He failed to appreciate or defuse the anger from
the Women’s March, which filled the streets of dozens of
cities the day after his Inauguration (with women wearing
pink pussy hats to chide Trump for his boasts about
grabbing women in the crotch).
President Donald Trump announces the selection of Gen. H.R.
McMaster as his new National Security Adviser on Feb. 20, 2017. Trump also could have acknowledged that he lost the
(Screen shot from Whitehouse.gov)
popular vote but note that he had won under the rules of
the Constitution and intended to be President for all the
For instance, even people with solid professional people. Instead he put forth the absurd notion that he had
credentials who disagree with the U.S. government’s won the popular vote, which he lost by almost three
interpretation of the evidence on the April 4 chemical million ballots (and, no, there is no evidence of five
incident in Syria are excluded from participation in the million illegal votes for Clinton).
public debate. The major U.S. media even takes pride in
that exclusion because these people are deemed “fringe” or
Phony Tough Guy
responsible for “propaganda” or guilty of “fake news.” The
tendency toward careerist “groupthink” is very powerful in
Washington and the national media. Over those crucial early days, Trump continued to tweet
out silly comments, replete with bad spelling and sloppy
grammar. His aides then had to defend his “alternative
So, Trump faced daunting challenges when he entered the
facts,” which played into the theme that Trump was a
presidency, requiring him to move quickly and decisively
pathetic know-nothing who acted like a pompous know-it-
if he hoped to change the direction of the neocon endless-
all. All of that might have fit his image as a cad who cared
war bandwagon. He needed to put the establishment forces
nothing for what the powers-that-be thought about him, but
on the defensive by telling the truth about events where the
134
it turned out that Trump was essentially a phony tough guy did. With Trump’s goal to work more cooperatively with
who could be brought to his knees if pounded sufficiently Russia smashed by Russia-gate, he is now cementing a
by the opinion leaders. foreign policy that is almost indistinguishable from what
Trump’s vanquished Republican rivals, such as neocon
Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, or Lindsey Graham of
South Carolina, would have espoused. Or, for that matter,
Hillary Clinton.

As The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday,

“The Trump administration’s still-emerging

foreign policy has come into sharper focus
as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis continues
a whistle-stop tour through the Middle East,
quietly placing building blocks for resetting
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis welcomes Saudi Deputy Crown Prince
and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman to the Pentagon,
ties that had been strained under the
March 16, 2017. (DoD photo by Sgt. Amber I. Smith) Obama White House.
“Over the past week, Mr. Mattis visited
Under the daily barrage of Russia-gate headlines, Trump leaders in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel
tossed aside his first national security adviser, retired Gen. bearing the message that the Trump
Michael Flynn, (essentially for not remembering every administration wants to realign with those
detail of a phone conversation with Russian Ambassador nations and stressing that Washington and
Sergey Kisylak). Trump then had his foreign-policy team capitals in the region have shared interests,
join in bashing Russia (to prove he wasn’t Putin’s such as fighting terrorism. An animating
“puppet,” as Hillary Clinton had called him). feature of Mr. Mattis’s effort is to counter
what he repeatedly has described as the
Trump’s policies toward Ukraine and Crimea became malign influence of Iran.”
indistinguishable from those of President Obama’s. Trump
also showed no curiosity regarding how the Obama In other words, Trump is signaling that he is now in thrall
administration had stoked the Ukraine crisis and, in 2014, to the influential Israeli-Saudi tandem and that means he
had facilitated the violent putsch that overthrew elected will continue to deform U.S. foreign policy to meet Israeli-
President Viktor Yanukovych and provoked Crimea’s Saudi regional desires, which include a new bid for
secession from Ukraine and the Ukrainian civil war. “regime change” in Syria and a heightened confrontation
with Iran and Russia.
In early April, after weeks of ignominious retreat under
media fire, Trump hoisted his white flag of capitulation. This strategy surrenders to the same falsehoods that
He pleased the neocons and the liberal hawks with a rush brought George W. Bush’s presidency to disaster. It means
to judgment on a mysterious chemical incident in an Al the Saudis, the Qataris and other Sunni sheikdoms will
Qaeda-controlled area of northern Syria. Quickly blaming again have a free hand to quietly slip U.S.-manufactured
the Syrian government, Trump ordered the firing of 59 weaponry to Al Qaeda and its cohorts. It means the U.S.
Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase on April 6. He also government will have to pile on evermore lies to conceal
suggested that the Russians shared in the Syrian the sickening reality of a de facto U.S./Al Qaeda alliance
government’s guilt. from the American people.

And, just like Obama, Trump hid whatever evidence he The attendant tensions with Russia – and eventually with
had from the American people, insisting that they accept China – also could provoke a nuclear confrontation that
his “high confidence” in his White House assessment. Trump is psychologically unfit to manage. Playing
Under Trump, Americans were still being treated like the madman – and counting on President Putin or President Xi
proverbial mushrooms except Trump’s crude declarations to play the adult – is not as clever as it may sound. Putin
had replaced Obama’s smooth disingenuousness. Indeed, and Xi have their own internal political pressures to
except for Trump’s Kardashian personality and his limited consider – and they may feel compelled to call one of
vocabulary, Trump’s foreign policy reflects more Trump’s bluffs.
continuity with Obama – and with Hillary Clinton’s
hawkishness – than any genuine differences. Thus, Trump now appears on course to become a failed
U.S. president, maybe one of the worst. But let’s all hope
If anything, Trump is now shifting U.S. foreign policy he is not the last.
more into line with what the neocons demand than Obama
.
135
 Trump Talks
Tough On North Korea
By Stephen Lendman
4-26-2017

On Monday, he called on Security Council members to

impose “stronger sanctions” on North Korea, heightening “(w)e hope that all parties, including Japan,
tensions by claiming the DPRK “is a real threat to the can work with China to promote an early
world…and it’s a problem that we have to finally solve.” peaceful resolution of the issue…”

Pyongyang called the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group Knowfar Institute for Strategic and Defense Studies Zhou
deployed off the Korean peninsula Chenming believes Pyongyang will delay another nuclear
test at least until after South Korea’s May 9 presidential
“an extremely dangerous act by those who election, hoping to discourage voters from choosing a
plan a nuclear war to invade.” hardline leader.

China’s President Xi Jinping called for all sides to show In a US show of force, the guided-missile nuclear
submarine USS Michigan arrived in Busan, South Korea -
]“restraint, and avoid doing anything to the same day Pyongyang’s People’s Army celebrated its
worsen the tense situation on the 85th anniversary.
peninsula.”
On Tuesday, China’s Global Times, representing Beijing’s
On Wednesday afternoon, Trump will hold a briefing for position, stressed
all 100 senators on North Korea. Reportedly a similar
session is planned for House members - both meetings to “(s)ticks alone are not enough to prompt
be held in a “sensitive compartmented information North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile
facility” in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. activities. The international community
should acknowledge the importance of the
Secretary of Defense Mattis, Joint Chiefs Chairman carrot.”
Dunford, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coates,
and Secretary of State Tillerson will conduct the briefing. Pyongyang understands

On April 25, marking the anniversary of the founding of its “the consequences if it continues to act
army, North Korea held live-fire drills, involving hundreds recklessly. What it is uncertain about,
of artillery pieces - instead of a sixth nuclear test some though, is what benefit it will get if it stops
observers expected. nuclear and missile activities.”

According to China Foundation for International and Washington broke earlier promises to its government,
Strategic Studies Foreign Policy director Zhang Tuosheng, undermining trust, making resolution of the current crisis
pressure from China, Washington, South Korea and Japan much harder.
got Pyongyang to show restraint - whether short or longer-
term remains to be seen. Pyongyang justifiably believes America wants its
government toppled, knowing it’s vulnerable if it abandons
“Beijing sent a clear message to Kim Jong- its nuclear and ballistic missile deterrents.
un that a nuclear test would lead to an
impasse,” Tuosheng explained. Trump’s rage for war heightens concerns. Waging it on the
Korean peninsula risks possible nuclear confrontation -
Its Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said what all regional nations want avoided above all else.
.

136
 The Satanists Who Destroyed
The Middle East Are Back In Washington
By Jonas E. Alexis
April 26, 2017

This is widely known among CIA and FBI agents and U.S.
officials for years.[6] One former U.S. intelligence official
declared,

“There is a huge, aggressive, ongoing

set of Israeli activities directed against
the United States. Anybody who worked
in counterintelligence in a professional
capacity will tell you the Israelis are
among the most aggressive and active
Satanist Paul Wolfowitz countries targeting the United States.
They undertake a wide range of
The Satanists who literally created technical operations and human
chaos in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya operations. People here as liaisons…
are back in the White House. They are aggressively pursue classified
currently chilling with the Trump intelligence from people. The denials
administration. One of those Satanists are laughable.”[7]
is none other than Paul Wolfowitz. A
little background of this dude.
In 1991, the Israeli tried to recruit a former U.S.
intelligence official, but he declined. “I had an Israeli
When he was told by deputy national security advisor intelligence officer pitch me in Washington at the time of
Stephen Hadley that there was no link between Al Qaeda the first Gulf War. I said,
and Saddam Hussein, Wolfowitz responded with certainty,
‘No, go away,’ and reported it to
“We’ll find it. It’s got to be there,”[1] counterintelligence.”[8]

which is another way of saying that if it does not exist, Covert operations were done by the Israelis in
they would make it up.
“a 1997 case in which the National Security
Both Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith were under Agency bugged two Israeli intelligence
investigation for passing classified documents to Israel.[2] officials in Washington discussing efforts to
In other words, these people were and obviously still are obtain a sensitive U.S. diplomatic
agents of the Israeli regime. It must be stated in passing document. Israel denied wrongdoing in that
that the FBI has numerous documents tracing Israel’s case and all others, and no one has been
espionage in the U.S.,[3] but no one has come forward and prosecuted.”[9]
declared it explicitly in the media because most value their
careers and lives.

For example, when two top AIPAC officials—Steven

Rosen and Keith Weissman—were caught passing
classified documents from the Pentagon to Israel, Gabriel
Schoenfeld defended them.[4] In the annual FBI report
called “Foreign Economic Collection and Industrial
Espionage,” Israel is a major country that pops up quite
often.[5]

137
“Why not helping Israel and the Neocons?” Wolfowitz actually sees the Trump administration as a
puppet which needs to be manipulated.
Yet this has rarely seen the light of day in the popular
media. Pointing these facts out, according to the reasoning “I think there is a fantastic opportunity
of Omri Ceren of Commentary, is tantamount to anti- here,” he diabolically declared. “It’s only a
Semitism.[10] And since criticism of Israel and Jewish first step, it’s only an opportunity.”[13]
behavior is anti-Semitism, then Satanists like Paul
Wolfowitz can walk on the political platform as they so Opportunity to do what? To con the American people
choose because no one can touch them. again? To send a six-trillion dollar bill to decent
Americans who cannot even afford to feed their families?
Wolfowitz has obviously seen that Iraq To loot pension funds for perpetual wars?
is not paradise, but he still wants to
bludgeon America in the region— Keep in mind that Wolfowitz completely disavowed
presumably for Israel. “The alternative Trump during his election precisely because Trump kept
is to let a very important, critical part of talking about “America First,” an idea which is antithetical
the world go to hell literally and lose to perpetual wars in the Middle East. Now Satanists like
American influence,” he declares. “We Wolfowitz are all over the Trump administration because
may not like to talk about oil, but this is Trump has already prostrated before them.
the engine of the world economy and if
it’s dominated by the wrong people, the
consequences here in the United States
are very serious.”[11]

Wolfowitz was elated when he heard that Trump attacked

Syria, and he has had private email conversation with

“Trump Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and

national security advisor H.R. McMaster,
both longtime contacts since his Bush
days.” He hopes that the Trump
administration “will pursue a U.S. strategy
of stepped-up engagement in the Middle
East.”[12]
.

[1] Thomas E. Ricks, “Fear Factor,” NY Times, October 5, 2012.

[2] Philip Giraldi, “The Spy Who Loves Us,” American Conservative, June 2, 2008.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Justin Raimondo, “Trotskyites for Romney,” Antiwar.com, October 19, 2012.
[5] Giraldi, “The Spy Who Loves Us,” American Conservative.
[6] See “France, Israel Cited in CIA Espionage Study,” LA Times, August 15, 1996; Bob Drogin and Greg Miller, “Israel Has Long
Spied on U.S., Say Officials,” LA Times, September 3, 2004 389. Bob Drogin and Greg Miller, “Israel Has Long Spied on U.S., Say
Officials,” LA Times, September 3, 2004.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Omri Ceren, “The Times’s Spectacular Bias Against Israel,” Commentary, September 8, 2012.
[11] Quoted in Susan B. Glasser, “Why Paul Wolfowitz Is Optimistic About Trump,” Politico, April 24, 2017.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.

138
 Trump Goes Off The Rails
In Fervent Support Of False Jewish Narrative
By Carolyn Yeager
Wed, 2017-04-26 15:23

your favorite book. And why do most of these threats

come from Jews themselves, as you have previously noted
- and is the case for this year's 100+ highly publicized
telephone crimes. Your own FBI broke the case.)

This is my pledge to you. We - will -

confront - anti-semitism!
We will stamp out prejudice, we will
condemn hatred, we will bear witness and
we will act. As president of the United
States, I will always stand with the Jewish
people, and I will always stand with our
great friend and partner, the state of Israel.
The US Capitol Rotunda was filled with 'the Jewish people' on
Tuesday to commemorate the Six Million, parade flags, light candles,
and listen to a speech by the President of the United States. (Sounds treasonous to me. Has there ever been a national
referendum on this question? I think there needs to be.)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SPOKE FOR A
FULL 15 MINUTES at the annual Yom Ha'Shoah So today we remember the six million
remembrance ceremony at the US Capitol Rotunda on Jewish men, women and children whose
Tuesday, and then sat down and applauded 'holocaust lives and dreams were stolen from this
survivors' who lighted candles, and Hebrew singers until earth. We remember the millions of other
the boring tribute to Jews - and only to Jews - was over innocent victims the Nazis so brutally
and he was allowed to leave. That signalled the end of the targeted and so brutally killed. We
televised event. Trump's speech included these shocking remember the survivors who bore more
words: than we can imagine. We remember the
hatred and evil that sought to extinguish
“Those who deny the Holocaust are an human life, dignity and freedom.
accomplice to this horrible evil and we'll
never be silent - we just won't - we will
never, ever be silent in the face of evil I am truly offended by these words, I can tell you. And I
again." (applause) would like to point out that we do not every year honor the
European and American dead of WWI and WWII (wars
Denying the holocaust is only one of many instigated by the Jews, by the way, not the Germans), or
forms of dangerous anti-semitism that even our Civil War dead, but every year our American
continues all around the world. We've seen president goes through this ritual of honoring the “six
antisemitism on university campuses, in the million” Jews who supposedly perished in the “Holocaust”
public square, and in threats against in Europe.
Jewish citizens Even worse, it's been on
display in the most sinister manner when My answer to President Trump:
terrorists attack Jewish communities. And
when aggressors threaten Israel with total
and complete destruction. Sorry Mr. President (not 'my' president any longer), but we
do have a right to deny the holocaust of 'six million' and
that there was a plan to exterminate 'every Jew in Europe'
(Have you ever read the first five books of the Old and you have nothing to say about it.
Testament, Donald? During the campaign you said it was
139
Are you willing to destroy our American First Amendment May I ask why the Jews of the USHMM are allowed to use
free speech rights just to curry favor with the Jews? (Many (take over) a large hall of Congress, at the expense of
Jews are willing to do that, which tell us everything we need Congress, to hold a holocaust memorial ceremony that
to know.) could be held at their own building nearby? Is it antisemitic
to ask that question? Donald Trump has never spoken as
Who are you to call any law-abiding American evil?' highly of the American Christian people as he does of the
Jewish people. Nor does our Vice-President or any of our
politicians. It's a scandal because the Jews are not a great
I am a proud (and knowledgeable, which you are not)
light-giving people, but are a race of robbers and thieves,
holocaust denier and I know exactly what I'm denying. I
and sophisticated con-men. They are not victims, but
know how deniable it is. You are a partaker of fake news
perpetrators. Of those who died during WWII (not 6 million!)
and fake history. You know zilch about what really happened
many were illegal partisan fighters and saboteurs against
during the 5 years right before you were born – 1940-45.
the legal German army on both fronts, not in uniform, who
You would not be able to discuss it intelligently in your own
committed atrocious, unspeakable barbarities on German
words. The speech you monotonously read on Tuesday was
soldiers they captured. These thousands of bandits and
written for you, probably by Stephen Miller, and probably
vicious murderers are now being praised and mourned as
with the assistance of Jared Kushner – and very possibly
“victims” of evil Nazis. No! What is related at this ceremony
Ronald Lauder had a hand in it. The words are clearly not
is only the Jewish narrative – not the true history of the war.
your own, but I can tell you that when I speak on the subject
I can use my own words because I know something.
It is a deep, deep shame for our President to stand in our
nation's capitol building (as though a captive prisoner
Logically speaking, holocaust denial (or skepticism,
himself) and speak these false words. I am so very ashamed
reasonable doubt or disbelief about an accepted national
of him that he chose to read them, and identify himself with
narrative) is not antisemitism. That is a canard that has been
them. I am a German-American and will always stand with
introduced by the Jewish holocaust lobby in collaboration
my people – the real Germans, not the many traitors of
with the Jewish media. Now the organized World
today. I have every right to do so and cannot be called 'evil'
Jewry/Israel nexus are combining holocaust denial with
for it. I am not evil, but a truth-seeker, and will continue to
antisemitism at every opportunity. They have put these
speak the truth as I know it. I am an American and even the
words into your speech.
President of the United States cannot push me around. At
least, that's the story we're given. Is it true?
.

140
 Senators Describe 'Long And Detailed'
White House Briefing On North Korea
By Alexander Mallin & Meghan Keneally
Apr 26, 2017, 5:53 PM ET

talk about this and make sure North Korea

knows they won't get away with this."

Separately, a senior administration official told ABC News

that part of the current concern about North Korea comes
from China's view of North Korea as a threat.

US Senate receives a rare classified briefing on North Korea and its

nuclear threat

Several Senate Republicans described the full Senate

briefing on North Korea at the White House Wednesday as
a thorough accounting of the administration's diplomatic
and military options when it comes to dealing with Kim
Jong Un.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called it "a long and detailed

briefing."
KCNA via EPA - A photograph released by the Korean Central News
Agency April 26, 2017 shows the combined fire demonstration of the
"The military is obviously planning for a services of the Korean People's Army in celebration of its 85th
number of options, as they should -- founding, at an undisclosed location in North Korea.
minimal military action to more significant
"I think what's different about how China is
action," Cruz said. "It's of course the hope
viewing the problem in North Korea today
of the administration and Congress that
is that China is viewing that problem as the
military action isn't necessary. If there's a
threat not only to U.S. interests and
clear and imminent threat to the U.S., our
security or South Korean or Japanese
military needs to be prepared to act and I
interests and security, but also a threat to
believe they are prepared to act to keep
Chinese interests and security and so I
our country safe."
think that is a big shift in and of itself," the
senior administration official told ABC
The senators were invited at the personal invitation of News.
President Donald Trump after Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, requested a briefing. The
White House officials say the South Auditorium would be
president stopped by the briefing at the Eisenhower
turned into a Sensitive Compartmented Information
Executive Office Building on the White House grounds.
Facility, or "SCIF," and the briefing will be led by
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, said that one takeaway James Mattis, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph
from the meeting was that "we are a long ways away from Dunford, and Director of National Intelligence Daniel
exercising all of our options on the diplomatic side." Coats.

"There were great questions within the When asked about the bus ride to the
briefing from both sides of the aisles," White House ground for the meeting,
Gardner said. "It shows how important this
issue is, to have that team assembled to
141
 Gardner said it was "a unique approach to Using the White House grounds for a full briefing with the
a classified briefing." Senate is a rare move, but administration officials told
ABC News that too much shouldn't be read into the choice
of location.

Officials said that after hearing of McConnell's request, the

president suggested nonchalantly that the senators should
come to the White House because he's a "gracious host."
Trump has cultivated a reputation in his meetings at the
White House for relishing the opportunity to show off his
historic digs.

ABC News' Ali Rogin and Katherine Faulders contributed

to this report.

KCNA via AFP/Getty Images - This undated picture released by

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on April 26,
2017 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un attending a combined
fire demonstration of the services of the Korean People's Army.
.

142
 Senators: Little Learned During
Rare All-Hands North Korea Briefing
By Kevin Liptak, Sunlen Serfaty And Ted Barrett, CNN
Updated 10:11 PM ET, Wed April 26, 2017

"It was an OK briefing," said Sen. Bob

Corker, the Republican chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Oregon Democrat, said on CNN's

"Erin Burnett OutFront" that they learned nothing new
in terms of details on the administration's thinking on
North Korea and any potential actions the US could take in
response to another nuclear test. He said he believed the
White House's decision to have the meeting was for
"optics."

"We learned nothing you couldn't read in

(CNN)Nearly every US senator attended an unusual all- the newspaper," Merkley said.
hands meeting on North Korea at the White House
Wednesday, though afterward few said any new Likewise, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat,
information emerged about the increasingly tense US said on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" that she did not
standoff with Pyongyang. see new information in the White House briefing "at all."

Nonetheless, members of both parties said they were "It felt more like a dog and pony show to
reassured by the hour-long administration update, which me than anything else," Duckworth said. "I
President Donald Trump appeared at only briefly before guess it has something to with this 100
handing the session off to his top national security aides. days in office."

"It was a sobering briefing, and an

important opportunity for the entire Senate
to hear the emerging plans of the Trump
administration to confront what is a very
real threat to our security," said Sen. Chris
Coons, a Democrat from Delaware.

The varied responses came after some grumbling from

lawmakers about the highly unusual nature of convening
the session on White House grounds instead of on Capitol
Hill. Administration officials said it was merely a logistical
Other lawmakers said they learned little during the session, choice rather than an attempt to convey any particular
which was held in a large auditorium in a building adjacent message.
to the West Wing.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Director of National
Intelligence Dan Coats, Defense Secretary James Mattis

143
and Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, led Wednesday's session.

Lawmakers traveled together in a fleet of buses from

across town to attend the hour-long mid-afternoon
briefing. Returning to Capitol Hill, none said they heard
any new revelations from the administration officials.

"I didn't hear anything new because I have

been heavily briefed before," said Sen.
John McCain, the chairman of the Senate
Armed Services Committee. "It's a very US submarine arrives in South Korea 00:40
serious situation, just as I had (thought)
before I went there." Speaking to reporters, Coons said the decision to brief
every US senator sent a positive signal about the
Expectations for the session had varied among lawmakers, administration's seriousness in addressing threats from
who are usually briefed on national security matters on North Korea.
Capitol Hill.
Some said they looked forward to hearing directly from "I'm fine coming here," he said. "Frankly if
Trump about his strategy moving forward. Others the President and his entire national
questioned why the session was occurring at the White security leadership team wants to provide a
House at all, suggesting the gathering could amount to a thorough, detailed consultation with the
substance-free -- and inconvenient -- photo-op. Senate, I think that's constructive."

A spokesman for McConnell said Tuesday that Trump

himself offered the White House as a venue for the
briefing after McConnell requested an administration
update on North Korea.

"The President offered to host the meeting

and the Majority Leader agreed," said
McConnell's spokesman, David Popp.

The auditorium on the White House grounds is not

typically used for large-scale national security briefings,
N. Korea holds large-scale artillery drill amid tensions 03:54 but can be outfitted to accommodate classified discussions
among the lawmakers and officials, a White House official
Trump administration officials, however, downplayed any said.
suggestion that holding the meeting on the White House
campus was meant to convey any particular message. Senators are regularly briefed by the administration on
Instead, they characterized it as a logistical arrangement national security issues, particularly those lawmakers who
between Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch sit on committees with oversight of intelligence and
McConnell. national security agencies. But typically those briefings
occur on Capitol Hill, where rooms are specially designed
"That meeting is a Senate meeting led by for that type of sensitive discussion.
Leader McConnell, just utilizing our space,"
White House press secretary Sean Spicer Following Wednesday's White House gathering, many of
said. "So that is their meeting. So we're not the administration officials who conducted the meeting
there to talk strategy." traveled to Capitol Hill to brief members of the House.

"I, frankly, don't understand why it's not

easier to bring four people here than it is to
take 100 there," said Sen. Angus King, a
Maine independent who caucuses with
Democrats, on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

At Tuesday's weekly Democratic caucus lunch, there was

"grumbling" about the optics of senators being summoned
to the White House, according to a person in the room.

144
 "Is this a real briefing or is this another
Trump dog-and-pony show? This feels very Popp, McConnell's spokesman, downplayed the notion that
much that this is just a Trump request to the setting is unusual and waved off some Democratic
hold a photo-op, it is totally outside the concerns over what they see as theatrics playing into the
normal boundaries," said a Democratic briefing.
congressional aide, who also questioned
the security of the White House auditorium. "This is just like any other all-senators
briefing. Just a different location," Popp
"A (secure facility) exists (on Capitol Hill) said.
for a reason," the aide said. "Will he be
treating this as a stunt, is that the approach CNN's Elizabeth Landers and Ashley Killough contributed
that he is bringing the briefing or will this be to this report.
a serious conversation about North
Korea?"
.

145
 The Quantified Presidency
In Counting Trump’s “Historic Accomplishments” The Administration
Shows It Values Size Over Substance.
Elaine Godfrey
Apr 26, 2017

Truman signed more than twice that many executive

orders.

Accuracy aside, it’s revealing that the Trump

administration is boasting about the number of executive
orders and laws the president has signed, rather than
highlighting the impact of those laws. The release says,
correctly, that Trump has signed 28 laws in his first 100
days—more than any president since Harry Truman. That
tally includes a recent law funding NASA and another
authorizing the National Science Foundation to promote
entrepreneurial programs for women.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP But it also includes a dozen pieces of legislation rolling
back regulations issued by President Obama, and three
First, it was crowd size. Then, it was health-care bill size. joint resolutions appointing men to the Board of Regents
On Tuesday, the Trump administration continued its habit of the Smithsonian Institution. In March, Trump signed
of conflating quantity with quality by releasing a list H.R. 609, dubbing the Veterans Affairs health-care center
detailing President Donald Trump’s “historic in Butler County, Pennsylvania, the “Abie Abraham VA
accomplishments” from his first 100 days in office, a Clinic.” Another act declares an outpatient clinic in
milestone he will officially reach on Saturday. The list American Samoa the “Faleomavaega Eni Fa’aua’a Hunkin
boasts of the number of Trump’s Congressional Review VA Clinic.”
Act resolutions, his executive actions, and laws he’s signed
since his inauguration. In other words, not all laws have equal impact. In his first
100 days as president, Bill Clinton had signed the Family
A few of these figures appear to be wrong. But what and Medical Leave Act. By March 2009, President Barack
matters more is that the administration is bothering to Obama had signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into
count them in the first place. law, and later, employed the economic stimulus package
intended to end the recession.
Tuesday’s press release predicts that Trump will have
signed 30 executive orders by his 100th day in office, a But counting, rather than evaluating, has become a
feat the administration says is greater than that of any other trademark of an administration focused on ratings. During
president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom it credits a press briefing in March, White House Press Secretary
with signing only nine executive orders. Roosevelt actually Sean Spicer illustrated the difference between the House
signed 99 executive orders by June 12th, his 100th day in Republicans’ new health-care proposal and the Affordable
office. Care Act by setting them side by side on the dais in the
West Wing.
On Twitter, historian Peter Schulman offered a plausible
theory for how the press release might have gotten it “This is the Democrats’,” Spicer said, gesturing to the
wrong: Perhaps it was citing the numbers from the taller stack of papers. Then he pointed to the smaller stack.
American Presidency Project, which appears to list only “This is us,” he said, adding, “I think the greatest
the most consequential executive orders from past illustration of the differences in the approaches is that
presidents. Schulman also pointed out that while the press size.” But being shorter in length doesn’t make legislation
release is correct in saying that President Truman signed inherently better: The GOP proposal failed despite its
25 executive orders within the first 100 days of his 1949 lower page count, because House Republicans couldn’t
inauguration, Truman’s first 100 days actually took place agree on its contents.
after he took over for Roosevelt in 1945. In that year,
146
In Friday’s interview with the Associated Press, Trump critique this latest release from the White House appears to
complained that the first-100-days threshold is an bolster.
“artificial barrier” that is “not very meaningful.” It’s a
.

147
 Trump Picks Retired General
To Lead Secret Service
Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:44AM

commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. He also

oversaw the agency's air and marine division.

Key members of Congress have welcomed Trump’s

appointment which does not need Senate confirmation.

"Appointing a director from the outside

adds a necessary new perspective and
fresh approach to their zero-fail mission,"
House Oversight Committee Chairman
Jason Chaffetz said in a statement. "I look
Retired Marine Corps general Randolph "Tex" Alles (file photo) forward to working with General Alles in
President Donald Trump has named a continuing to implement recommendations
new director for the US Secret Service, put forth in our bipartisan Committee
the beleaguered agency tasked with report."
protecting the president and his family.

Trump chose retired Marine Corps general Randolph

"Tex" Alles to oversee the agency that has been beset with
a series of high-profile controversies.

Alles, who is the first Secret Service director not chosen

from within the ranks in recent history, is replacing Joseph
Clancy who joined the service in 1984.

Clancy became the leader of former President Barack

Obama’s security detail in 2009, before initially retiring in Secret Service members secure the perimeter as Trump (3rd R)
2011 from that post. boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, April
6, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Alles will lead an agency that has dealt with a series of

security breaches and incidents of its agents engaging in
misconduct.

Last month, a man jumped the White House fence and

roamed the grounds for more than fifteen minutes before
he was arrested.

He managed to climb a five-foot fence as well as an eight-

foot gate and jump over another fence near the southeast
This AFP file photo taken on March 15, 2016 shows Clancy as he corner of the White House's East Wing before he was
testifies during a House Appropriations Homeland Security captured.
Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
This was not the first time that a person entered the White
Alles, on the other hand, served in the Marine Corps for 35 House grounds. In September 2014, an Army veteran
years, but has recently been working as the acting deputy carrying a knife, climbed the fence and made it through the

148
north portico doors, while the first family was not at the clearance after a female agent had accused him of sexually
White House. assaulting her.

Also in April 2015, the Secret Service placed a supervisor Xavier Morales, a senior supervisor of the security
on administrative leave and suspended his security clearance division, allegedly made the advance on a female
subordinate on the night of March 31, the same year.
.

149
 Michael Flynn Under Pentagon Investigation. AP Says He
Was Warned “Not To Accept Foreign
Government Payments”
Alex Christoforou
April 27, 2017

after he was warned explicitly by the

Pentagon,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, the
top Democrat on the House oversight
committee, in a statement. “Our next step
is to get the documents we are seeking
from the White House so we can complete
our investigation. I thank the Department of
Defense for providing us with unclassified
versions of these documents.”

Zerohedge reports…

This follows a report from earlier this week

according to which the House overnight
As the Russiagate fake news driven by mainstream media
Committe said there was no evidence
for nearly 9 months fizzles into oblivion due to lack of an
Flynn properly disclosed payments for his
iota of evidence, it look as if Michael Flynn will serve as
foreign lobbying connected to Turkey and
the sacrificial scalp for Hillary’s “Russia hacked my
Russia, and noted that Flynn likely broke
server” campaign story that set off the entire Russia
the law on overseas payments.
hacking red-baiting.
As The Washington Post reported, Jason Chaffetz (R-
There always has to be some sort of fall guy in these types Utah) and ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said
of witch-hunts, and Flynn is set to be that fall guy.
they believe Flynn neither received permission nor fully
disclosed income he earned for a speaking engagement in
News is breaking that the Pentagon Inspector General has Russia and lobbying activities on behalf of Turkey when
launched an investigation of Michael Flynn. he applied to reinstate his security clearance, after viewing
two classified memos and Flynn’s disclosure form in a
Moments ago the AP reported… private briefing Tuesday morning.

“Personally I see no evidence or no data to

support the notion that General Flynn
complied with the law,” Chaffetz told
reporters following the briefing. “He was
supposed to get permission, he was
supposed to report it, and he didn’t,”
Cummings said.

Chaffetz confirmed that Flynn had failed to reveal the

more than $45,000 he was paid to speak at a 2015 gala for
CNN reports that former national security was warned by
RT, the Kremlin-run TV network, as well as the money he
the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 against accepting was paid by an air freight company and a cybersecurity
foreign payments as he entered retirement. firm with direct connections to Russia. Chaffetz added that
the White House had refused to provide his committee
“These documents raise grave questions with information and documents related to Flynn’s security
about why General Flynn concealed the clearance and payments from organizations tied to the
payments he received from foreign sources
150
Russian and Turkish governments. The committee made
six requests, and the White House cited reasons it could
not comply with each of them, Cummings said.

Flynn’s life got even more complicated

when Cummings also revealed that the
inspector general of the Department of
Defense opened an investigation of
Flynn earlier this month, according to
an April 11 letter released by the
oversight committee Thursday.

Flynn’s lawyer, Robert Kelner, had previously said that

Flynn briefed the DIA on his speech to RT and the
payments, but Cummings said Thursday that another
document that was declassified this week shows no
evidence to support that statement. CNN has reached out
to Flynn’s attorney Thursday and have yet to receive a
response.

As Cummings said,

“These documents raise grave questions

about why General Flynn concealed the
payments he received from foreign sources
after he was warned explicitly by the
Pentagon. Our next step is to get the
documents we are seeking from the White
House so we can complete our
investigation. I thank the Department of
Defense for providing us with unclassified
versions of these documents.”

You can read the full statement issued by Cummins here.

151
 Sorry MSM: Leftists Confirm
That Protesters Are Paid
By P.J. Gladnick
April 27, 2017 | 3:07 PM EDT

Have you noticed how the mainstream media has Activists have since denied Trump’s
recently mocked the notion that leftwing protesters are claims that protesters were paid, which,
being paid? The idea is ridiculous they claim and only if true, would probably mean millions of
Trump and his supporters are making that silly charge. dollars had been paid to the thousands
Well, guess what? A pair of leftwingers have confirmed in of protesters around the country.
the April 26 Washington Post that protesters are indeed
“We're like your taxes. Unpaid,” New York
paid.
political activist Nick Jack Pappas tweeted
in response to the president’s message.

The next example of MSM pooh-poohing the charge of

paid protesters comes from Daniella Silva NBC News on
the same day as Politico mocking that idea:

The president then followed up by

repeating an unsubstantiated claim he's
made before that some of the protesters
against him were "paid," an allegation
that became popular in some right-wing
circles in the build up to the 2016
presidential election, before noting that
the election was "over."

Before we get to that confirmation let us first review a

couple examples of MSM mockery of the charge of paid
protesters starting with the April 16 Politico in which
Rebecca Morin discounts that this could possibly happen
in Trump claims tax return protesters were paid:

President Donald Trump claimed Sunday

that protesters were paid to hold rallies
protesting the president for not releasing
his tax returns.
"I did what was an almost an impossible
thing to do for a Republican-easily won the
Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are Unfortunately for the MSM ridicule of the charge of paid
brought up again?" the president tweeted. protesters, we now have substantiation that this is indeed
"Someone should look into who paid for the the case from a couple of bonafide leftwingers. Leo
small organized rallies yesterday. The Gertner and Moshe Marvit write in a Washington Post
election is over!" guest column, So what if protesters are paid?

...The president has also in the past claimed that protesters ...the allegations that even one participant
who have attended his rallies — and, more recently, those is paid immediately calls into question the
who have attended town halls for GOP congressional legitimacy of a cause. Behind these
members — were paid to do so. accusation is the idea that social
movements should be entirely
spontaneous, volunteer-driven, and

152
 untarnished by the exchange of money. ... Political and grass-roots organizing and
Anything else would betray a lack of moral paid work are not inherently contradictory,
purity and reveal ulterior motives. And as some would have us believe. One
although successful protest movements cannot only do deeply committed political
rarely if ever succeed without an work and be paid; it is often necessary for
investment of resources, we create the long slog that campaigns require.
simplified mythologies that perpetuate Separating these ideas and acting as if one
these ideas of monetarily immaculate infects the other fundamentally prevents us
conception. from valuing the work of individuals who
need wages but also have principles,
In reality, organizations often do sponsor or support rallies something that could probably be said for
and send paid staff to help organize them, although unpaid most of us.
protesters typically outnumber organizers. Nonetheless,
history suggests that strong movements do well with both And among those perpetrating the idea of "monetarily
paid and unpaid agents agitating for change. immaculate conception" about leftist protesters is only
almost the entire MSM.

153
 Trump Is Puppet Of US
‘Deep State,’ Has No ‘Own’ Foreign Policy – Assad
Published Time: 27 Apr, 2017 21:48

"This is what characterizes American

politicians: they lie on a daily basis... That’s
why we shouldn’t believe what the
Pentagon or any other American institution
says because they say things which serve
their policies, not things which reflect reality
and the facts on the ground,” Assad told
TeleSUR.
He went on to say that the US continues to pursue its age-
long policy aimed at establishing and maintaining a global
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (L) and US President Donald hegemony by turning all countries that oppose it into war
Trump © Reuters zones.
US president Donald Trump is not a truly independent "The United States always seeks to control
political leader but merely a puppet of US corporations, all the states of the world without
military and intelligence, and who serves their interests, exception. It does not accept allies,
Syrian President Bashar Assad has told the Latin American regardless of whether they are developed
TeleSUR TV network. states as those in the Western bloc or other
states of the world," the Syrian leader
explained.
Trump pursues “no own policies” but only executes the
He also added that
decisions made by the “intelligence agencies, the
Pentagon, the big arms manufacturers, oil companies, and “what is happening to Syria, to Korea, to
financial institutions,” the Syrian leader said in an Iran, to Russia, and maybe to Venezuela
exclusive interview with TeleSUR. now, aims at re-imposing American
hegemony on the world because they
"As we have seen in the past few weeks,
believe that this hegemony is under threat
he changed his rhetoric completely and
now, which consequently threatens the
subjected himself to the terms of the deep
interests of American economic and
American state, or the deep American
political elites.”
regime," Assad added.
Assad expressed similar views in an interview with
He referred to the fact that Trump came to power on a
Russia’s Sputnik news agency about a week ago.
political platform promising a departure from the
interventionist policy of the previous US president, Barack “The regime in the United States hasn't
Obama, but soon forgot his promises and ordered a missile changed,” he said, adding, “since the
strike against the Syrian air base following a chemical collapse of the Soviet Union, the United
weapons incident in Syria’s Idlib province. States has been attacking different
countries in different ways without taking
The Syrian president also said that it is
into consideration the Security Council or
“a complete waste of time to make an the United Nations.”
assessment of the American president’s
He also said that for the US,
foreign policy” as “he might say something”
but what he really does depends on “what “the end justifies the means, no values, no
these [US military and business] institutions morals at all, anything could happen.”
dictate to him.”
Despite his criticism, Assad once again confirmed the
He also added that it “is not new” and “has been ongoing readiness of the Syrian government to cooperate with the
American policy for decades.” US if it could change its attitude towards respecting other
countries’ sovereignty and that of Syria in particular.
.

154
 The First 100 Days…
A Tale Of Two Trumps
By Dr. Patricia Doyle Phd
4-27-2017

Hello Jeff...
So said Mr. Trump 1...before the election and before he
I find that the first hundred days of the Trump Presidency took the oath of office.
has been and continues to be a truly giant disappointment.
Maybe it should be called A Tale of Two Trumps. We now introduce Trump 2...

First, we had Trump I who drew those huge crowds and Trump 2 came alive after the oath of office was
presented them with an endless stream of messages and administered and immediately after his first day in office.
promises that resonated brilliantly with most middle class
Americans. During the year and a half campaign, rigged The Tale of Two Trumps has Trump 1 making all the
debates against him and all, he continued to make promise promises and a contract with America. Americans
after promise to an ever-growing constituency. believed in Trump 1 and supported him and Americans
elected him to follow through on those nation-saving
Chief among those pledges was his vow to deal with the promises.
flood of America-hating, Christian-hating unknown,
unvetted, diseased muslim debris that was and is being Trump 2 is the Disaster Trump or as some now call him,
injected into the heart of America under a shady, globalist Devil Trump. Trump 2 has broken just about every single
UN 'refugee' agenda. He swore to stop all 'refugee' promise that Trump 1 made. There is no arguing, no
Muslims coming into the US until, as he put it, 'We can disputing it, Trump 2 has totally betrayed America and has
figure out what the hell is going on!' lost much - if not most - of his support base.

Trump 1 also gave us his word of honor that he would The first enormous disappointment of Trump 2 was on
deport ALL immigrants here illegally, starting with those immigration. He hastily scribbled out an Executive Order
having a criminal history. halting the influx of people from 7 Countries deemed to be
supporters of terrorism and a threat to the US. Trump 2
And then there was his solemn promise to build a Wall to never intended for that EO to keep out Muslims from those
seal off our southern border from the hordes of primarily 7 countries. He KNEW the first Obama-appointed Federal
illegal hispanics who were surging in virtually unopposed. Judge to see an action brought against his EO would issue
a stay on it. A no-brainer.
He promised to end the colossal nightmare called
Obamacare. He promised to lower taxes for the middle IF he had really wanted to keep out the Muslim refugees,
class and pledged that all Americans earning less than and all illegals, he could have easily done so using the
$50,000 a year would pay ZERO income tax. Remember existing immigration laws on the books. He certainly
that one? could have also used Public Health laws that prevent those
with communicable diseases like Leprosy, TB, Chagas,,
He vowed that NATO was 'outdated' and that we would Leishmaniasis, HIV-Aids, Syphilis and all sorts of diseases
get out of it. He talked about stopping all American from getting in. And that includes mental health diseases
support of the rotten, NWO United Nations. He said we and issues as well.
would dump jobs-killing NAFTA and return to building
America's business infrastructure to create millions of new There are MANY illnesses and diseases that would bar
jobs. immigrants and refugees from entry to the US. No court
would be able to stop Trump from banning refugees and
His enormous foreign policy promise, echoing the words immigrants or migrants who have these diseases based on
of George Washington, was 'America First'…that America the LAWS already on the books. They would be sent
would no longer be embroiled in wars on foreign soil. He home to receive treatment in their country of origin. Once
vowed he would, as Commander-in-Chief, take us out of well, they could formally and properly apply for
Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. Trump 1 also promised a consideration to be allowed into our nation. Trump 2 has
close working relationship with Mr. Putin and not used ANY OF THESE LAWS to keep out ANY
Russia…and suggested that an era of great peace and migrants and refugees.
prosperity was just ahead.
155
Not only did Trump 2 FAIL stop the flow of muslim for billionaires and also planned to give corporation large
'refugees' from Third World countries like Somalia, Syria, breaks. Meanwhile, Trump 2 has asked for $58 billion
Sudan, etc, but Trump 2 has continued to bring in Muslim more for his Pentagon war machine. He does not seem to
and black Third World savages who hate America and have any serious restraint about using nuclear weapons in
literally want to kill us. It is said the flow is at least equal North Korea or in the Middle East. Trump 2 and his 'team'
to that of Obama. And now, Princess Ivanka has come out have no trouble threatening countries all over the planet.
totally in favor of muslim immigrants. This is beyond
belief. And now, he says he is going to 'renegotiate' NAFTA! Do
you recall how Trump 1 said over and over that NAFTA is
Trump 2 knew, and knows full well, that Europe has been a bad deal for America and that he was going to dump it?
overwhelmed by Somali, African and Mideast Muslims Well, the last time I looked 'renegotiate' does not mean
and that crime has soared out of sight there. Horrible, 'dump'.
endless rapes occur at the rate of one every 8 seconds.
Murder and robbery have skyrocketed and tourism to Yes, A Tale of Two Trumps. It is a tale of broken
European countries has now virtually stopped. promises, duplicity, deceit and betrayal. He has not kept
one significant promise, aside from the TPP, that he made
Trump 2 recently rubbed his betrayal further into our as Candidate Trump. 100 days is plenty long enough to
faces. Trump 1 promised not to honor the deal Obama see exactly where he is going.
made with Australia to take in thousands of their Muslim
and African refugees. So what happened when Pence This Tale of Two Trumps needs to end...and end now.
traveled to Australia last week? On behalf of Trump 2, he Trump 2 needs to be impeached. Trump 2 needs to be
promised the Australian PM that the US would be happy to removed from the Presidency for lying to the American
take in over 1,250 blacks and Muslims currently held in a people and general incompetence. This is going to be the
detention facility there. longest 4 years in the history of any Presidency. By 2020,
America, as we knew it, will cease to exist. Get ready for
IF, as we are being told, refugees are 'good' for America mass prayers in the streets, Sharia law, terror attacks and
and 'good' for Australia and Europe, etc, then WHY is the endless sexual mutilation of little girls. Welcome to
Australia insisting we take this garbage in? The answer is Trumpland.
these dregs are NOT good for ANY Western country.
They are a grievous drain on the First World and will be ISIS has made no secret of sending many of its terrorists
hooked up to welfare, medicaid, food stamps, free housing, disguised as refugees to the West. There are also Taliban
free education, cars, cash and long-term (for LIFE) Social fighters, Al Shabob Somali fighters and ISIS zealot
Security. Yes, these 'people' are set for LIFE while 95 killers. By 2020, it will be far too late to get all of these
million Americans remain jobless and destroyed. savage invaders out of America and the West. Australia
recognized the error of taking in Muslims and black
Let us also not forget that these Third Worlders multiply invaders and found a way out...force them on the US.
worse than rabbits. 1,250 Muslims will become 10,250 in How long before France and Germany will try to do the
a few short years. And each new birth brings a future same? The French know now that the Muslims are death
jihadi into our nation. for their country and economy. Next, Trump 2 will offer
to take European Muslims. Just watch.
Millions of Americans are light years beyond disappointed
in the Disaster President…Trump 2. It has been A Tale of The Tale of Two Trumps has been a nightmare already.
Two Trumps...Trump 1, the lying, deceiving campaigner Trump has turned on his support base, broken nearly every
and Trump 2, the betraying, back-stabbing Disaster solemn promise and vow he made during the campaign
President. and has now become a full-blown Neocon threat to middle
America.
Beside dropping the TPP, Trump 2 has broken virtually
every single promise made to the American people. The Trumpenstein monster.

Trump 1 had promised major tax relief for the middle class Dump Trump now and write finis to A Tale of Two
but he has now broken that promise as well. Trump 2 is Trumps.
giving major tax help to the 1%. He has planned tax relief
.

156
 Reports Uncover Jared Kushner's
Business Ties With One Of Israel's Richest Families
The Ties Between The Kushners And Raz Steinmetz Reportedly Include
High-Stake Real Estate Deals In Manhattan Worth More
Than $150 Million
Amir Tibon Apr 27, 2017 12:32 PM

Kushners said that indeed, the two sides have been

longstanding business partners.

In the report published by the New York Times, a few

hours after the report in Bloomberg appeared, a
spokesperson for the Kushners made sure to note that Raz
Steinmetz, who is 53 years old, is "the only Steinmetz" the
family is doing business with. This was important to note,
since Raz Steinmetz's uncle, Beny Steinmetz, is currently
under police investigation for allegedly bribing officials in
Guinea in order to advance his mining business. He was
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in the East Room of the White detained and investigated by the Israeli police half a year
House in Washington, U.S., March 17, 2017. ago.
JIM_BOURG/REUTERS
Beny Steinmetz's investigation has also spread into the
Two leading U.S. news outlets reported on Wednesday on United States, where it is overseen by the Justice
business ties totaling tens of millions of dollars between Department. The New York Times notes that this could
the family of Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law create complications for Kushner, especially since one of
and senior adviser, and the Steinmetz family, one of the his roles in the administration, according to past statements
richest families in Israel which made most of its fortune in by the president, is brokering Middle East peace. A White
the diamond industry in recent decades. House spokeswoman said that
According to reports published in Bloomberg and in the "Mr. Kushner continues to work with the
New York Times, the ties between the two families include Office of the White House Counsel and
high-stake real estate deals in Manhattan worth more than personal counsel to ensure he recuses
$150 million. Bloomberg says at least 15 different from any particular matter involving specific
buildings in downtown Manhattan are co-owned by Raz parties in which he has a business
Steinmetz, nephew of diamond dealer Beny Steinmetz, and relationship with a party to the matter."
by Kushner family's Kushner Companies. The two also
invested together in a project bearing President Trump's The New York Times report mentioned that Beny
name in New Jersey, according to the report. Steinmetz's attorney in the United States is Alan
Dershowitz, who said that his client had no business ties to
Steinmetz and Kushner worked on some of these joint the Kushners. Last month, Haaretz reported that
ventures through a company called Gaia, which according Dershowitz was asked by Trump to convey a message to
to Bloomberg was listed on the Kushner Companies' Prime Minister Netanyahu on the importance and
website as an investor in the past. A spokesperson for the possibility of reaching a peace deal with Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas.
.

157
 The Conservative Media Meets Trump
By Cal Thomas
April 27, 2017 | 7:29 PM EDT

President Trump did something Monday I have long but appreciates fairness. He allowed that conservative
advocated. He met with a small group of conservative journalists are likely to be fairer to him than those his
journalists, pundits and radio talk show hosts. I was among strategist, Steve Bannon, has called "the enemy" and
them. "opposition party." A side note: Bannon stood off to the
side at our meeting with the president, frequently smiling.
After ticking off a list of what he said were his
accomplishments leading up to the arbitrary 100-day Evidence that the major media tilt left is undeniable. The
marker of his presidency, we asked him questions. Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog
organization, has calculated that during the first 30 days of
What differed from the crowd of liberal journalists who his presidency "...the President and his team were the
ask questions during formal news conferences -- and those subject of 16 hours of coverage on just the Big Three
that toss questions at his spokesman, Sean Spicer, at the evening newscasts, or more than half (54 percent) of all of
daily press briefing -- is that our group asked questions the news coverage during this period. And while most new
with the intent of getting information, instead of the presidents enjoy a media honeymoon, the tone of Trump's
accusatory tone and "gotcha" questions that often coverage was nearly as hostile (88 percent negative) as we
characterize what has come to be known as the mainstream found during last year's presidential campaign (91 percent
media. negative)."

The session was supposed to be on "background," meaning The New York Times on Tuesday provided a useful service.
the president could not be quoted, but halfway through he It carried a story noting how differently conservative and
declared it on the record, which is how news broke of his liberal reporters and commentators have treated President
decision to impose a 20 percent tariff on Canadian lumber Trump and his administration. Reading these suggests not
entering the U.S. Trump said it is "unfair" for the Canadian just different perspectives, but different realities.
lumber industry to receive government subsidies.
Reciprocity, he called it, "a word I like." The mini news conference ended with a promise by a
White House staff member that there would be more of
The questions were substantive, including mine about these gatherings. They seem to be an outgrowth of Sean
North Korea ("Given your stated budding friendship with Spicer's strategy to broaden media access beyond the usual
China's President Xi Jinping and what do you say are his collection of liberal journalists and even beyond
efforts to dissuade North Korea's nuclear program, would Washington, as he does with occasional questions via
you say war is less likely, or about as likely?") The Skype from reporters and anchors in other cities. Most of
president said he doesn't discuss military matters in public, these have also been substantive and reflect issues and
but in his answer to my follow-up question he said he's not perspectives from outside the Washington Beltway.
sure some of the armaments recently paraded through the
streets of Pyongyang are real, "but we'll see." While some reporters have groused about this exercise in
ideological pluralism, the public is getting more
Conservatives should not be lapdogs for a Republican information and a different perspective than what they are
president. No one asked the types of softball questions the used to. That can only be good for the country, for
media usually toss at a Democratic president. The conservative journalists who are often ignored by the
president told us he doesn't expect to be free of criticism, major media and for the president.

158
 Trump Fails To Force
Health Care Vote In First 100 Days
By Phil Mattingly, Deirdre Walsh, Ted Barrett And Lauren Fox, CNN
Updated 1:30 AM ET, Fri April 28, 2017

The failure to collect the 216 votes needed to pass the bill
marks yet another setback on the House -- and White
House -- efforts to see the central GOP campaign promise
of the last seven years even reach the House floor.

Despite robust conservative support for the proposal,

Republican leaders found themselves bleeding support
from the conference's more centrist members, many of
whom voiced concern over whether it would undercut the
existing ban on pre-existing conditions.
Washington (CNN)House GOP leaders, despite a furious
push Thursday, were unable to wrangle the votes necessary
A CNN count of where members stood had 16 solid "no"
to move forward on their latest effort to repeal and replace
votes on the bill and another 11 members undecided.
the Affordable Care Act.

The development short-circuits, yet again, the House effort Still, a GOP leadership aide said the proposal, which
to repeal the cornerstone domestic achievement of brought Republicans closer to the requisite number of
votes needed to pass a bill than any of the previous
President Barack Obama.
iterations, was "100 percent" still alive.

"We're close, and moving in the right

direction, but not close enough to risk it,"
the aide told CNN. That indicates that GOP
leaders still see a window to move the bill,
possibly as soon as next week. But there is
unquestionably work to do.

"We're still educating members," McCarthy

said.
Whip count: Republicans who oppose new health care bill
Focus on GOP moderates
It guarantees President Donald Trump will be without a
cornerstone legislative achievement on his 100th day in Before the recess, all eyes were on the conservative House
office -- a symbolic moment that the White House has Freedom Caucus, whose coalition of more than 30
focused on intently in recent days as negotiations on a members had stood united against House leadership's
revised health care proposal accelerated. health care bill. Now, however, with a new amendment
that gives states broader ability to opt out of Obamacare
"There will be no vote tomorrow," House Majority Leader regulations and roll back protections for individuals with
Kevin McCarthy told reporters as he departed a nearly pre-existing conditions, moderates are the ones taking the
two-hour closed-door meeting of House leaders as they heat.
sought to plot a path forward on the bill. Asked if there
was any chance there would be a vote at any point this Rep. Charlie Dent, a moderate Republican from
weekend, McCarthy also said no. Pennsylvania, called it "an exercise in blame shifting."

"We've been making great progress," he The amendment was negotiated between Tuesday Group
said. "So when we have the votes we'll leader Rep. Tom MacArthur, a moderate Republican from
vote on it." New Jersey, and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark
Meadows, with consultation from the White House and
House leadership. It has caused a lot of heartburn among

159
moderates, with many arguing that they had explicitly or have had medical issues in the past. It would allow
asked their leadership not to negotiate with the Freedom insurers to charge them more for coverage, and also it
Caucus. would let insurers once again offer skimpy policies. That
would make it harder for the sick to find comprehensive
MacArthur defended his amendment to reporters policies that cover their treatments.
Wednesday.
Obamacare's protections for those with pre-existing
"The latest proposal I made was just trying conditions are among the law's most popular provisions.
to bridge this divide between people that
are holding two important views: people Likely no shutdown
that are saying 'we're not going to fix health
care unless we bring the cost down, which On a positive note for Republican leaders, the failure to
means we have to give the states some move health care this week does appear to clear the path
flexibility,' and people that are saying 'we for something else: keeping the government open through
can't pull the rug out from under people May 5.
that are vulnerable," MacArthur said.
House Democrats threatened to oppose a short-term
"And I agree with both of those. They are government funding bill headed to the House floor
both right positions, and my amendment tomorrow if Republicans insisted on also voting on their
was just meant to bridge the divide health care bill. That proposal, which would extend
between those two." Friday's government funding deadline for a week, is
designed to give House and Senate negotiators more time
What the GOP health care bill does to hammer out the final details of a longer term spending
package to fund the government through September.
The MacArthur amendment would allow states to seek
waivers to weaken several key Obamacare insurance The battle over a government shutdown appeared to be
reforms that protect those with pre-existing conditions, mostly over late Thursday, with the push for border wall
including the benefits insurers must cover in their policies funding sidelined and Democrats saying Trump's
and the ban on allowing carriers to charge more based on a administration will continue paying for subsidies for low-
person's health background. income Americans as part of Obamacare.

However, Americans who were continuously insured could The House is expected to vote Friday to keep the
not be charged higher premiums because of pre-existing government open through May 5 and give lawmakers more
conditions. Also, states that waived the ban would have to time to negotiate a longer-term funding package.
put in place protections to minimize cost increases for
those with pre-existing conditions, such as high risk pools. The border wall and the health care spending had been two
sticking points for congressional and White House
The amendment would also allow insurers to hike negotiators during the past several weeks of discussions to
premiums on older consumers in states that obtain waivers. avert a shutdown.
The original House GOP bill allowed insurers to charge
older consumers five times more than younger ones, but White House officials told Democrats on the Hill
states that request waivers could permit insurers to Wednesday that the Trump administration will continue
increase those premiums even more. making the cost-sharing payments created under
Obamacare, multiple sources tell CNN.
The waivers would be pretty easy to get, as long as the
state explains how it would reduce average premiums and As part of the Affordable Care Act, the federal government
increase enrollment. They'd be automatically approved pays health insurers to reduce the out-of-pocket costs for
within 60 days, unless the Health Secretary objects. And low-income people trying to pay for health care. These are
they'd last for 10 years. referred to cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments. The
payments are a major way Democrats ensured low-income
The amendment initially called for exempting members of people would be covered under the Affordable Care Act,
Congress from these waivers, however Republicans but with a new Republican administration, their future is
quickly filed another bill striking that provision. uncertain.

While MacArthur stressed that states would not be allowed CNN's Phil Mattingly, Manu Raju, Gloria Borger, Eli
to waive the Obamacare rule that requires insurers to cover Watkins, Jeff Zeleny and Tami Luhby contributed to this
those with pre-existing conditions, health policy experts report.
say the amendment would greatly affect those who are sick
.
160
 Trump Continues To Disappoint
By Joel Skousen
4-28-2017

This Is A Snip From Joel's Superb 'World Affairs Brief' Trump justified compromising on his signature campaign
Newsletter For A Complimentary Copy Just Write To promise by saying he was simply going to fund it in
Editor@worldaffairsbri September when the new fiscal year begins for federal
spending. But what makes Trump think it’s going to be
This week Trump made several important compromises any easier then? Somebody is feeding Trump a line that
that are disappointing for supporters who hoped for real any experienced politician in Washington would see as a
change in Washington. He allowed budget negotiations to lie.
push aside funding for his key campaign promise to “build
the wall,” agreed not to pull out of NAFTA, and now VP Democrats suckered Trump in by saying they would agree
Pence has agreed to honor Obama’s promise to take to some new money for border security as long as it was
refugees off the hands of the Australian PM who doesn’t not for a wall. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
want them in his country. Trump has failed to stop continues to push the line that smart technology like
refugees who continue to pour into the US in record drones is “a much more effective way to secure the
numbers without proper vetting. But the worst border.” This is completely wrong. Cameras and drones
compromises came in the budget bill where Trump agreed might tell agents miles away that someone is crossing the
to support maintaining Obamacare funding of subsidies in border, but by the time they get there, they are long gone
order to please Democrats. and must be hunted down and captured at the risk of a
violent confrontation. A physical wall keeps most of that
Democrats had tacitly agreed to back the budget if funding from happening.
for the physical wall was omitted, and then sensing they
could get more demanded the funding of Obamacare RINO Republican senator and globalist Lindsey Graham
subsidies. After two major compromises they are still vowed, “There will never be a 2,200-mile wall built,
refusing to back the bill wondering how much more they period.” Sadly, he may be right, seeing the ease at which
can extract from Trump. He’s turning out to be an easy Trump can be compromised. Sen. Rob Portman, a key
mark for compromise. So much for the “art of the deal.” Republican on the Senate appropriation committee is
Above all, the Democrats have delayed any agreement likewise talking down the wall saying “there could be a
until after his first 100 days passes so the budget deal can’t wall in some places and technology in other places,”
be added to his small “success list.” implying a willingness not to build the wall. (end of snip)

.
.

161
 Trump: "I'm A Nationalist
And A Globalist"
Chris Menahan - Informationliberation
Apr. 28, 2017

mainstream group that is comfortable with

the trend toward globalization.

That mainstream group has been actively sending

reassuring signals to business leaders in other countries,
even as they have been locked in internal battles in
Washington.

One senior Toronto bank executive said Gary Cohn and

Steven Mnuchin -- former Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
executives now serving as chairman of the White House
National Economic Council and as Treasury Secretary,
respectively -- have on a few occasions reached out to
senior Canadian business officials in recent weeks to
counsel them that despite the internal Trump
President Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday administration divides over trade policies, they expect no
he's "both" a "nationalist" and a "globalist". significant Nafta changes.

From the Wall Street Journal:

President Donald Trump was prepared to

end the North American Free Trade
Agreement deal, which had governed trade
relations for the past 23 years, with a
dramatic announcement Saturday at a
Pennsylvania political rally marking his
100th day in office.

As rumors spread of the possible action, Mexican

President Enrique Peña Nieto called the president urging
him not to pull out of the accord. "Let me think about it,"
Mr. Trump said. Within a half hour a call came in from "This is a disputatious White House and we have to understand this
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a similar is going to spill out into the public," the Canadian banker said.
request.
Atop the pyramid is Mr. Trump, who in his 1987 book,
After the talks, Mr. Trump was convinced "they're serious "The Art of the Deal," wrote that he values flexibility
about it and I will negotiate rather than terminate," the above all:
president said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal
on Thursday. "I never get too attached to one deal or one
approach," he said.
...Watching events play out, veterans of
past White Houses say Mr. Trump needs a Craig Fuller, who served eight years in former President
more consistent, unified message. Part of Ronald Reagan's White House, said in an interview:
the trouble may be that his White House is
split into factions: a nationalist wing "The trouble here is I don't see how you get
symbolized by chief strategist Steve a course correction when there isn't a
Bannon that is wary of multinational course. It's just erratic.
treaties and trade deals, and a more
162
 "He needs to go look at the two factions I'm pretty sure most people voted for a nationalist and not
inside the White House and get rid of one a globalist. That whole "America first" thing had real
of them. You can't operate that way in the appeal.
White House."

Mr. Trump dismissed talk about a split inside his White

House between aides with a nationalist or globalist
orientation.

"Hey, I'm a nationalist and a globalist," he

said. "I'm both. And I'm the only one who
makes the decision, believe me."

There was plenty of globalists like Jeb Bush and John

Kasich running in the election, they did terribly.

Hillary Clinton ran as an open borders, free-trade globalist.

She also lost.

The rust belt voted for you because of your anti-free trade
stance which was totally unique and separated you from
the rest of the pack.

Not one person who voted for you would have voted for
Gary "Globalist" Cohn and Steve Mnuchin.
.

163
 Trump’s Deplorable
First 100 Days
By Stephen Lendman
4-28-2017

Saturday, April 29, is his 100th day in office. He’s off to a

deplorable start, the worst likely ahead. Fact: Bilateral ties are solid, despite serious international
challenges and efforts by rogue US officials to disrupt
A White House press release (WHPR) turned truth on its them. Trump’s White House lied claiming otherwise.
head, praising what demands condemnation.
WHPR: He “(i)mposed sanctions on Syria for its use of
WHPR: Trump prioritized “putting America first (and) chemical weapons against innocent civilians.”
protecting national security…”
Fact: Illegal sanctions were unilaterally imposed based on
Fact: He’s consistently put America first for its wealthy, a Big Lie. No Syrian use of CWs occurred.
powerful and privileged exclusively - no one else.
WHPR: He “(i)mposed sanctions on Iran for violating an
Fact: National security needs no special protection at a international agreement that restricts its ballistic missile
time America’s only enemies are ones it invents - to program.”
destructively advance its imperium.
Fact: Iran’s ballistic missile program is entirely legitimate,
WHPR: Trump wants an additional $54 billion for so- violating no international or any other agreement.
called “defense.”
WHPR: He “(w)orked to isolate North Korea and
Fact: He wants it for warmaking, toppling independent repositioned military assets to confront the regime’s
governments, and enriching war-profiteers. provocative missile tests.”

WHPR: He “stood up to countries that have threatened our Fact: His Korean peninsula brinksmanship risks
national security after years of failed diplomacy.” unthinkable nuclear war, the ultimate nightmarish
scenario.
Fact: No countries anywhere threaten America.
Washington’s rogue agenda threatens humanity’s survival. The White House boasted about meeting with an array of
world leaders - including brutal Israeli, Saudi and Egyptian
WHPR: Trump “(s)ent a message to the world with his despots.
swift and decisive order to strike the Syrian air base that
launched a horrific chemical weapons attack on innocent Trump’s so-called border protection scheme is racist and
civilians.” illegitimate. His proposed southern border wall offends
Mexico, will cost billions of dollars if built, and will
Fact: Trump authorized naked aggression against a accomplish little.
sovereign state based on a Big Lie. At no time throughout
over six years of war, did Syria use CWs. No evidence His domestic policies aim to make America more of a
suggests otherwise. police state than already. He supports monied interests
exclusively. His foreign policy risks humanity-destroying
WHPR: Trump “(f)urther isolated Syria and Russia at the nuclear war.
United Nations through successful diplomacy with
President Xi Jinping of China.” His deplorable first 100 days suggests greater horrors
ahead. He’s a rogue actor, serving wealth, power and
Fact: Both countries have an enduring partnership. China’s privilege at the expense of most others at home and abroad
Xi Jinping calls it unbreakable. According to his chief of - at the same time, threatening world peace.
staff Li Zhanshu, “Chinese-Russian relations are going
through their best period in our history.”
.

164
 Every Promise President Trump
Has Broken That Candidate Trump Made
Kaitlan Collins -
White House Correspondent
11:09 AM 04/29/2017

Donald Trump has been in office for 100 days now. repeal Obamacare and replace it with
Though he has touted his nomination of Judge Neil M. health savings accounts. We can do that.”
Gorsuch to the Supreme Court as one of his biggest
accomplishments, the president has flip-flopped or not House Republicans pulled their proposed bill to repeal and
fulfilled several central promises he made to his replace the Affordable Care Act in March, just minutes
supporters throughout the campaign. after they were scheduled to vote on it, when it become
clear they didn’t have the votes to pass.
He has given various reasons for his one-eighties.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act? Terminating Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

“Nobody knew health care could be so On the campaign trail, Trump promised to “immediately
complicated.” China? “What am I going to terminate” DACA, which protects hundreds of thousands
do? Start a trade war with China?” NATO? of undocumented immigrants who came to the country as
“It’s no longer obsolete.” children from deportation, but he changed his tune in an
interview with the Associated Press in April when he said
As the clock ticked down to Trump’s first 100 days, he has the administration is “not after the dreamers.”
increasingly looked less like the man he ran as.
“We are after the criminals,” Trump said.
“That is our policy.”

Ending the H-1B visa program

Trump pledged to kill the H-1B visa program with “no

exceptions” because, he believes, it allows companies to
import foreign workers and replace American workers for
a lower cost. In mid-April, he signed an executive order
seeking to enforce the H-1B visa program so it “serves the
national interest” by awarding visas to the most-skilled and
highest-paid applicants without bypassing American
workers who are qualified for those jobs.

Eliminating the Export-Import bank

(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Trump reversed his position on the agency when he said he
Repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it no longer wants to eliminate it, but reshape it.
He recently called it “a very good thing” and announced
Trump said he would do this in his first 100 days. plans to nominate two board members.

“I will work with Congress to introduce the “Actually, it’s a very good thing,” Trump told
following broader legislative measures and the Wall Street Journal. “And it actually
fight for their passage within the first 100 makes money, it could make a lot of
days of my administration,” he said during money.”
a speech in Pennsylvania last fall. “The “It turns out that, first of all, lots of small
Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act. Fully companies are really helped, the vendor
companies. When other countries give it
165
 we lose a tremendous amount of When asked if this could be seen as softening his stance on
business.” China, Trump credited his newfound relationship with
Chinese President Xi Jinping and the looming nuclear
The relevance of NATO weapons problem in North Korea.
“I said it was obsolete,” Trump said. “It is
no longer obsolete.” “What am I going to do? Start a trade war
with China in the middle of him working on
a bigger problem, frankly, with North
Labeling China a currency manipulator
Korea? So, I’m dealing with China with
“They’re not currency manipulators,” Trump great respect. I have great respect of him.”
recently told the Wall Street Journal.
.

166
 Exclusive: Trump Says He Thought
Being President Would Be Easier Than His Old Life
By Stephen J. Adler, Jeff Mason And Steve Holland | WASHINGTON
Sat Apr 29, 2017

24-hour Secret Service protection and its accompanying

constraints.

"You're really into your own little cocoon,

because you have such massive protection
that you really can't go anywhere," he said.

When the president leaves the White House, it is usually in

a limousine or an SUV.
He misses driving, feels as if he is in a cocoon, and is
surprised how hard his new job is.
He said he missed being behind the wheel himself.
President Donald Trump on Thursday reflected on his first
"I like to drive," he said. "I can't drive any
100 days in office with a wistful look at his life before the
more."
White House.

Many things about Trump have not changed from the

"I loved my previous life. I had so many
wheeler-dealer executive and former celebrity reality show
things going," Trump told Reuters in an
host who ran his empire from the 26th floor of Trump
interview. "This is more work than in my
Tower in New York and worked the phones incessantly.
previous life. I thought it would be easier."
He frequently turns to outside friends and former business
A wealthy businessman from New York, Trump assumed
colleagues for advice and positive reinforcement. Senior
public office for the first time when he entered the White
aides say they are resigned to it.
House on Jan. 20 after he defeated former Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton in an upset.

More than five months after his victory and two days shy
of the 100-day mark of his presidency, the election is still
on Trump's mind. Midway through a discussion about
Chinese President Xi Jinping, the president paused to hand
out copies of what he said were the latest figures from the
2016 electoral map.

"Here, you can take that, that's the final

map of the numbers," the Republican
president said from his desk in the Oval
Office, handing out maps of the United The president has been at loggerheads with many news
States with areas he won marked in red. organizations since his election campaign and decided not
"It’s pretty good, right? The red is obviously to attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner in
us." Washington on Saturday because he felt he had been
treated unfairly by the media.
He had copies for each of the three Reuters reporters in the
room. "I would come next year, absolutely,"
Trump said when asked whether he would
Trump, who said he was accustomed to not having privacy attend in the future.
in his "old life," expressed surprise at how little he had
now. And he made clear he was still getting used to having

167
The dinner is organized by the White House (Writing by Jeff Mason; Editing by Kieran Murray and
Correspondents' Association. Reuters correspondent Jeff Howard Goller)
Mason is its president.

168
 CNN's Brian Stelter: Trump Remarks Mocking CNN And
MSNBC Are 'Insidious' And 'Poisonous'
By Tim Graham
April 29, 2017 | 11:26 PM EDT

In the minutes leading up to their live coverage of the to continue to hear the president taking
White House Correspondents Dinner, CNN turned to this tone.
media reporter Brian Stelter, who caused unintentional
laughter when he claimed that the journalists inside the Trump told his rally crowd in Harrisburg that CNN and
dinner had no political interests in their Trump coverage. MSNBC are fake news. Stelter suggested Trump was
insincere:
They're "just trying to do their best work."
He slammed the president's speech "Even if he doesn’t believe CNN is fake
Saturday night as "insidious" and
news, and I don’t think he does, some of
"poisonous," even as he admitted it was
his audience does, and that’s a problem."
nothing new. He's perpetually outraged.
Sen. Rick Santorum then said he would agree with Stelter
that Trump doesn’t believe that all of CNN’s news is fake
news,

“but he does believe, and I know his base

believes, that what you choose to cover,
and the tone with you cover it, is not
representing the reality of the situation. In
that sense, it’s fake, in their eyes."

Santorum said in his political career,

STELTER: [Jeffrey] Lord and I were just
debating how effective the presdient’s anti- “I’ve always felt I had to fight tooth and nail
media attacks are, and we’re in agreement, to get any kind of honest coverage out of
they are effective. But let’s recognize how the national media.”
poisonous they are as well. Every single
president disputes some news coverage of Stelter began the interview:
their presidency, but no president until now
gets up at a rally and calls news outlets "Everybody in the audience here [at the
fake. No president gets up at a podium and Correspondents Dinner] has this pin this
says the things we’ve heard from this First Amendment pin, that’s been handed
president tonight. out, and President Trump needs to wear
It’s nothing new from him, this was really a one as well."
copy-and-paste speech, as you all were
just talking about. But it is insidious, it is Isn't that ironic? From the people who refuse to ever wear
poisonous, and I think for the a U.S. flag pin on camera, even if that might represent a
journalists in this room – just trying to free press? We also can't imagine reporters like Stelter
do their best work – it is disappointing wearing a pin honoring the Second Amendment. They
cherry-pick the Bill of Rights for honors.
.

169
 Trump’s Deadly Legacy.
One Hundred Days And Counting.
And There’s More To Come…
By Michael T. Bucci - Global Research
April 29, 2017

January 20, 2017 (Friday):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/20
17/01/21/u-s-border-agents-turned-away-canadians-
– Trump signs first executive action
hoping-to-come-to-the-womens-march/
canceling Obama’s FHA mortgage rate
premium cuts
– Throughout weekend, Trump argues
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/20/t about size of his inaugural crowds
rumps-first-executive-action-cancel-obamas-mortgage- compared to those who attended Women’s
premium-cuts/96853446/ rally

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/315484-
– Trump signs executive order to roll-
trump-defends-size-of-his-inaugural-crowd
back Obamacare hours after taking
office
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/trump-
white-house-briefing-inauguration-crowd-size.html
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/trump-signs-
executive-order-on-obamacare/
January 23, 2017 (Monday):
– Trump writes memo temporarily
banning new federal government – Trump signs repeal of TPP.
regulations.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315654-
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/reince-priebus- trump-signs-orders-on-tpp-abortion-federal-hiring-freeze
regulations-memo/
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/us/politics/tpp-
January 21, 2017 (Saturday) trump-trade-nafta.html

– Massive Women’s march in U.S. and

world.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/21/world/w
omens-march-pictures.html

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/21/politics/trump-women-
march-on-washington/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/21/
womens-march-aims-start-movement-trump- – Trump freezes federal hiring (except
inauguration/96864158/ military).

– U.S. Customs asks Canadians entering https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-

for D.C. if “pro-Trump” or “anti-Trump”. freezes-hiring-of-federal-workers/2017/01/23/f14d8180-
Some anti-Trump barred from entering. e190-11e6-ba11-63c4b4fb5a63_story.html

170
 – Trump bans federal money to those https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/25/trump-
who counsel on abortions (incl slashes-federal-funding-sanctuary-
international groups). cities/CEXMyIvNZXEgtDTOOoyn3N/story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your- – Trump to direct federal resources

health/wp/2017/01/23/trump-reverses-abortion-related- toward building a border wall.
policy-to-ban-funding-to-international-health-groups/
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/24/politics/donald-trump-
– Trump blames voter fraud for loss of immigration-refugees/
popular vote.
– DOW hits 20,000
http://elections.ap.org/content/trump-wrongly-blames-
fraud-loss-popular-vote http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-
idUSKBN1591HP
January 24, 2017 (Tuesday)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2017/01/
– Executive Order to continue 25/dow-20000-news-story/95367276/
construction of Keystone XL and Dakota
Access pipelines. January 26, 2017 (Thursday)

https://www.theguardian.com/us- – Trump calls Chelsea Manning an

news/2017/jan/24/keystone-xl-dakota-access-pipelines- “ungrateful traitor.”
revived-trump-administration
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-manning-
234207

– Trump tells Republicans meeting in PA,

“now is the dawn of a new era.”

https://www.c-span.org/video/?422829-1/president-trump-
tells-congressional-republicans-now-deliver

– Mexico cancels meeting with Trump

citing disagreement over paying for wall.
– Trump orders EPA freeze and media
blackout, banning press releases, blog https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/world/mexicos-
updates or posts to the agency’s social president-cancels-meeting-with-trump-over-wall.html
media accounts. Also told Agricultural and
Interior Depts, if not also DHS. – Trump calls for 20% tax on Mexican
imports to pay for border wall.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-
environment/wp/2017/01/23/trump-administration-tells- http://www.businessinsider.com/sean-spicer-trump-
epa-to-freeze-all-grants-contracts/ considering-20-tax-on-mexican-imports-2017-1

January 25, 2017 (Wednesday)

– Trump sends directives to build a

2,000 mile wall at the US-Mexican border
and curtail immigration.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/us/politics/wall-
border-trump.html

– Trump vows to strip funding from

cities shielding illegal immigrants.

171
– Scientists move Doomsday Clock ahead 30 seconds, – U.S. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley warned U.S. allies
closest to midnight in 63 years, due to threats such as if they don’t support Washington, she is “taking names”
nuclear weapons, climate change and Donald Trump’s and will respond.
election
– Trump signs executive order that will limit
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-doomsdayclock- immigration and refugees from some Muslim-majority
idUSKBN15A2JJ countries for six months; suspends the United States’
Syrian refugees program indefinitely.
http://thebulletin.org/sites/default/files/Final%202017%20
Clock%20Statement.pdf – Trump signs executive action to begin military
buildup
– Bannon tells the NY Times the media is the “opposition
party” of the new administration and should “keep its http://www.defensenews.com/articles/report-draft-
mouth shut.” executive-order-would-give-pentagon-short-term-funding-
boost
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/steve-
bannon-donald-trump-war-media-transparency-liberal- – British PM Theresa May and Trump pledge allegiance
elite-interview-new-york-times-a7548406.html to special relationship. White House misspelled Theresa
“Teresa” three times. British press corp was locked outside
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/business/media/step the White House because their birthdates were submitted
hen-bannon-trump-news-media.html in UK format and Secret Service didn’t understand it.

– Trump signs first presidential proclamation declaring – Melania Trump wins first round in libel lawsuit
this week “National School Choice Week.” against MD blogger (Webster Tarpley) for citing she was
in escort service. Tarpley asked for dismissal of suit and
denied by judge.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/president-trump-proclaims-
national-school-195900813.html
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/melania-trump-
libel-suit-blogger-234263
– DHS has temporarily halted trips by staff to interview
refugees abroad

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-refugees-
idUSKBN15A2TD

– Trump pulls ad budget in the closing days of

HealthCare.gov. Former Obama officials call it
“sabotage”.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/27/news/economy/obamaca
re-ads-trump/
– Trump tells Mexican president Peña Nieto, “You have
a bunch of bad hombres down there. You aren’t doing
January 27, 2017 (Friday) enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our
military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take
care of it.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-
security/no-gday-mate-on-call-with-australian-pm-trump-
badgers-and-brags/2017/02/01/88a3bfb0-e8bf-11e6-80c2-
30e57e57e05d_story.html

January 28, 2017 (Saturday)

– Trump’s immigration ban causes chaos and

controversy

172
 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-
security/no-gday-mate-on-call-with-australian-pm-trump-
badgers-and-brags/2017/02/01/88a3bfb0-e8bf-11e6-80c2-
30e57e57e05d_story.html

– The federal court for the Eastern District of New York

issued an emergency stay halting President Donald
Trump’s executive order banning entry to the US from
seven majority-Muslim countries

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-
https://www.theguardian.com/us- issues/refugees-detained-at-us-airports-challenge-trumps-
news/2017/jan/28/airports-us-immigration-ban-muslim- executive-order/2017/01/28/e69501a2-e562-11e6-a547-
countries-trump 5fb9411d332c_story.html

– Trump and Putin discuss ‘mutually beneficial’ trade,

January 29, 2017 (Sunday)
security

(Leaked later – Feb. 9 – and reported by Reuters, Putin

raised possibility of extending START treaty. Trump
asked his aides what it was and then told Putin the treaty
was one of several bad deals negotiated by the Obama
administration, saying that New START favored Russia.
Trump also talked about his own popularity, the sources
said.)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-putin-
idUSKBN15O2A5
– Trump travel ban continues to sow chaos at airports,
– Trump signs executive order banning administration outrage at protests.
officials from ever lobbying the U.S. on behalf of a
foreign government and imposing a separate five-year https://www.theguardian.com/us-
ban on other lobbying. news/2017/jan/29/protest-trump-travel-ban-muslims-
airports
http://time.com/4652703/president-trump-lobbying-ban/
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/nyregion/trump-
– Trump signs memorandum giving military leaders 30 travel-ban-protests-briefing.html
days to construct and present a report outlining the U.S.
strategy for defeating ISIS. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-
protests-idUSKBN15D15H
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donal
d-trump-executive-order-isis-defeat-30-days- – Judges in Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington state
a7551521.html block federal authorities from enforcing Trump’s
executive order restricting immigration from seven
– Trump signs memorandum ordering a reorganization Muslim-majority countries
of the National Security Council, gives seat to Steve
Bannon. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-
conspiracy/wp/2017/01/29/four-federal-judges-issue-
https://www.theguardian.com/us- orders-blocking-parts-of-trumps-executive-order-on-
news/2017/jan/28/lobbying-ban-trump-executive-order- immigration/
isis-strategy
– Global backlash:
– Trump blasted Australian Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull over a refugee agreement and boasted about the
magnitude of his electoral college win.

173
 – Trump denies chaos at airports from immigration
ban but from computer glitch, demonstrators and “fake
tears” of Charles Schumer.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-31/trump-denies-
immigration-ban-to-blame-for-airport-chaos/8225196

German Chancellor Merkel: global fight against terrorism

“does not justify putting people of a specific
background or faith under general suspicion.”

British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson tweeted:

“Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of
nationality.” – Trump signs an executive action aimed at cutting
regulations for small businesses – a “one in, two out”
French President Hollande: defending democratic plan, requiring government agencies requesting a new
principles required compliance with “the principles on regulation to identify two others they will cut.
which it is founded, in particular the acceptance of
refugees”. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38800090

– Trump fires acting justice department head Sally

Yates for refusing to enforce immigration ban.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/30/justice-
department-trump-immigration-acting-attorney-general-
sally-yates

– State Department officials circulated a draft memo

criticizing Trump’s executive order on immigration.

UK PM Theresa May said she “did not agree” with the http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-
restrictions. cables-idUSKBN15E21X

Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands said his – Washington State sues Trump over immigration
country believes refugees “deserve a safe haven” … “we order.
reject this travel ban.”
http://www.businessinsider.com/washington-becomes-
– Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway said first-state-to-sue-trump-over-immigration-order-2017-1
television networks should be “cleaning house” of
“these people who said things that just weren’t true [about – Trump replaces acting Immigration Enforcement
Donald Trump] … The election was three months ago. head.
None of them have been let go.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/317025-
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-trump- trump-boots-acting-ice-head-report
seeks-to-quash-dissent-inside-the-
government/2017/02/01/788bdefa-e7ed-11e6-b82f-
January 31, 2017 (Tuesday)
687d6e6a3e7c_story.html
– Democrats stall confirmation hearings of Steven
January 30, 2017 (Monday)
Mnuchin (Treasury) and Tom Price (DHHS).

– Mass protests continue over Trump immigration ban.

– More State Dept protests on their dissent channel
drawing 1,000 signatures.

174
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/31/world/americas/state apparent “price-fixing” by Medicare, rather than
-dept-dissent-cable-trump-immigration-order.html working to stymie the industry’s grip on drug prices.

– New York, Massachusetts and Virginia join http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donal

Washington state sue Trump over immigration ban. d-trump-big-pharma-prescription-drug-prices-lobbyists-
medicare-negotiations-a7557726.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/31/trump-
travel-ban-state-lawsuits – Senate confirms Rex Tillerson as secretary of state,
sworn in.
– Trump nominates Neil Gorsuch to be associate justice
of the Supreme Court. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/us/politics/rex-
tillerson-secretary-of-state-confirmed.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-trump-
idUSKBN15F1OW February 2, 2017 (Thursday)

– European Commission President Donald Tusk lists US – The European parliament’s main political parties are
administration as one of EU’s ‘external threats’. making an unprecedented attempt to block Trump’s likely
choice as ambassador to the European Union from EU
http://www.dw.com/en/ec-president-tusk-lists-us- buildings, describing Ted Malloch as hostile and
administration-as-one-of-eus-external-threats/a-37360291 malevolent.

February 1, 2017 (Wednesday) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/02/european

-union-trump-ambassador-ted-malloch-parliament
– Senate Republicans suspend the rules to approve two
Trump nominees, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) for secretary
of health and human services and Steve Mnuchin to lead
the Treasury. Republicans also advanced the nomination
of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general, and
they finalized confirmation of former ExxonMobil chief
executive Rex Tillerson for secretary of state by a vote of
56 to 43. Trump urged Senate Republican leaders
Wednesday to be prepared to tear up the rules of the
Senate and “go nuclear” if Democrats try to block
Supreme Court nominee Gorsuch — that is, change
long-standing Senate rules to permit the confirmation of a
Supreme Court nominee with a simple majority vote.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/republicans- – Defense Sec. Mattis warns North Korea of “effective

ram-through-committee-approval-of-trump-cabinet- and overwhelming” retaliation if country attacks U.S.
nominees/2017/02/01/aa2b5458-e87f-11e6-b82f- ally.
687d6e6a3e7c_story.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-usa-mattis-
– Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn idUSKBN15I060
delivered a tight-lipped warning to Iran over its most
recent ballistic missile test, “As of today, we are officially February 3, 2017 (Friday)
putting Iran on notice.”
– Trump signed a pair of executive orders aimed at
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national- lightening the regulatory load on financial institutions,
security/with-flynn-putting-iran-on-notice-the-first-days- setting the stage for a broader push to scale back the
of-president-trumps-foreign-policy-set-a-combative- Dodd-Frank financial reform law.
tone/2017/02/01/0645f248-e709-11e6-b82f-
687d6e6a3e7c_story.html
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/317799-trump-signs-
executive-orders-to-loosen-wall-street-regs
– Trump reverses campaign pledge to let Medicare
negotiate for lower prescription drug promises. After
– The Trump administration slapped new sanctions on
meeting with Big Pharma lobbyists, he would oppose
Iran after the administration signaled it wanted to punish

175
Tehran for its latest ballistic missile test. The Treasury http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/317942-
Department announced that 13 people and 12 companies hundreds-of-anti-trump-protesters-march-on-mar-a-lago-
face new restrictions resort

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/iran-sanctions- – Trump stands by voter fraud claim in Fox News

234604 interview.

– A U.S. judge imposed a nationwide hold on Trump’s http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/317946-

ban on travelers and immigrants from seven trump-defends-claims-of-widespread-voter-fraud
predominantly Muslim countries.
– Iran would use its missiles if its security is under
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/02/03/report- threat after Trump imposed sanctions on entities linked to
federal-judge-refuses-block-trump-immigration- the Revolutionary Guards. Flynn said it put the country
ban/97466178/ “on notice” after it test-fired ballistic missiles.

Trump Cries ‘Witch Hunt’ as Russia Questions Pile http://in.reuters.com/article/iran-usa-military-missiles-

Up. idINKBN15J0DX

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/trump-cries- February 5, 2017 (Sunday)

witch-hunt-russia-questions-pile-n728611
– A federal appeals court denied an initial bid by the
February 4, 2017 (Saturday) Trump administration to restore its controversial
immigration order.
– Trump administration filed notice of appeal to
suspension of immigration ban. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/
ct-trump-travel-ban-20170205-story.html
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/trump-
administration-appeals-seattle-judges-halt-of-refugee- – Trump attacks judge and court system. Trump said
travel-ban/ Americans should blame U.S. District Judge James Robart
and the court system if anything happened.
– “So-called” judge in immigration hold decried by
Trump. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-
idUSKBN15K0AF
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-
fix/wp/2017/02/04/trump-lashes-out-at-federal-judge-who- – Trump said he would put Vice President Mike Pence
temporarily-blocked-travel-ban/ in charge of a commission to probe what he believes
was voter fraud in last November’s election.
– Tens of thousands join marches across UK against
Trump’s travel ban. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-voterfraud-
idUSKBN15K0TS
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/04/tens-
of-thousands-in-new-march-against-trumps-travel-ban February 6, 2017 (Monday)

– Thousands swarm New York’s Stonewall Inn to – Corporate titans among 100 companies joining brief
protest Trump. against Trump travel ban. “The order inflicts significant
harm on American business, innovation, and growth as a
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Hundreds-Push- result. Immigrants or their children founded more than 200
Back-Against-Executive-Orders-at-Stonewall-Inn- of the companies on the Fortune 500 list.”
LGBTQ-Rally-412783683.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-
– Hundreds of anti-Trump protesters marched on news/2017/feb/06/amicus-brief-trump-travel-ban
Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.
Other protests at White House, Supreme Court and Paul – Trump reaffirmed his support for NATO before
Ryan’s hometown office. military leaders and troops at U.S. Central Command, and
laced his speech with references to homeland security.

176
http://www.voanews.com/a/trump-to-visit- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/us/politics/jeff-
centcom/3707656.html sessions-attorney-general-confirmation.html

– New York Assembly passes bill to make New York – Trump bashes Nordstrom after it drops Ivanka’s line.
State a “sanctuary state” in response to Trump’s
promised crackdown on sanctuary cities. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-
way/2017/02/08/514203791/trump-slams-nordstrom-for-
http://www.politico.com/states/new- dropping-ivanka-s-clothing-line
york/albany/story/2017/02/assembly-passes-sanctuary-
state-bill-as-trump-response-109389 – Supreme court nominee Neil Gorsuch calls Trump
judge attacks ‘demoralizing’ and ‘disheartening.
February 7, 2017 (Tuesday)
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/21/politics/neil-gorsuch-
– Betsy DeVos is confirmed Education Secretary. trump-criticism-disheartening/
Senate voted 50-50 with V.P. Pence casting decisive vote.
– Trump went after a panel of federal judges weighing
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/02/07/b whether a court order blocking his travel ban should be
etty-devos-education-secretary-confirmation/97589282/ lifted. Trump argued the law gives him broad powers to
control who enters and leaves the U.S.
– Author Webster Tarpley settles defamatory lawsuit
filed by Melania Trump paying her a “substantial sum”. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/318451-
He had repeated rumors in his blog that Melania Trump trump-attacks-judges-weighing-travel-ban
had worked as a “high-end escort”. Her lawyers claimed
she suffered “multiple millions of dollars” in economic – ACLU vows to sue Sessions if he violates Constitution
damages because of the lost value to her brand. as AG.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/zoetillman/melania-trump- http://www.businessinsider.com/aclu-warns-jeff-sessions-
settles-her-defamation-lawsuit-against-a-blogg attorney-general-trump-civil-rights-2017-2

– Sen. Elizabeth Warren was stopped by Republicans – New York Post reporter sues after being fired for
from reading a nine-page letter written by the late critical Trump tweet. He Bart Hubbuch called Trump’s
Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King’s widow. In the election a “national tragedy,” and compared his victory to
1986 letter, addressed to Strom Thurmond, then the Senate the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 terrorist
Judiciary committee chairman, King expressed her attacks.
opposition to Sessions, who had been nominated for a
federal judgeship in Alabama. She was accused of http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/writer-sues-new-
‘impugning’ Jeff Sessions.
york-post-firing-anti-trump-tweet-article-1.2967303

http://time.com/4663497/coretta-scott-king-letter-warren-
February 9, 2017 (Thursday)
senate-sessions/
– British PM Theresa May says Trump’s travel ban is
wrong and Britain does not plan to adopt a similar policy.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/02/01/b
ritish-leader-theresa-may-trumps-travel-ban-divisive-and-
wrong/97330620/

February 8, 2017 (Wednesday)

– Jeff Sessions confirmed as Attorney General.

177
 February 10, 2017 (Friday)

– NY Times and Washington Post report Michael

Flynn, National security adviser, discussed sanctions
with Russian ambassador during the month before – Trump meets with Japan’s President Shinzo Abe but
Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump only takes questions from Murdoch owned media reporters
officials, current and former U.S. officials said. from the New York Post and Fox Business Network.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national- http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/318971-
security/national-security-adviser-flynn-discussed- rupert-murdoch-owned-outlets-get-only-us-questions-at-
sanctions-with-russian-ambassador-despite-denials- trump-japan
officials-say/2017/02/09/f85b29d6-ee11-11e6-b4ff-
ac2cf509efe5_story.html – Trump hints at new travel order coming next week.

– Trump signs three executive orders to combat crime, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-hints-at-

further his “law and order” agenda, crack down on new-travel-order-coming-next-week/ar-AAmOqxG
international crime and crimes against law enforcement.
– Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was greeted with
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/09/us/politics/trump- protesters when she tried to enter a Washington middle
law-enforcement-drug-cartels-order.html school.

– In call with Putin, Trump denounced Obama-era https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/protester

nuclear arms treaty. s-rally-at-dc-school-ahead-of-visit-by-education-secretary-
betsy-devos/2017/02/10/faad4962-ef06-11e6-b4ff-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-putin- ac2cf509efe5_story.html
idUSKBN15O2A5
– British government drops plan to allow Trump to
– Federal appeals court rules 3 to 0 against Trump on address joint houses of Parliament. Officials are trying
travel ban, a sweeping rebuke of the administration’s to ensure that Trump is not in London at a time when
claim that the courts have no role as a check on the parliament is sitting, in order to avoid a formal snub.
president.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/10/british-
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/09/us/politics/appeals- officials-drop-plans-donald-trump-address-parliament-
court-trump-travel-ban.html queen-elizabeth

– Trump calls the appeals court ruling “a political – Obamacare opponent Tom Price sworn in as Health
decision.” “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF Secretary.
OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/10/us/politics/tom-
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/318838- price-health-secretary-senate.html
trump-responds-to-ruling-see-you-in-court
– The Central Intelligence Agency has denied elite
– Trump promises Chinese president Xi Jinping he’ll security clearance for Michael Flynn’s top National
honor ‘One China’ policy. Security Council deputy Africa Robin Townley.

http://fortune.com/2017/02/09/trump-one-china-xi-jinping/ http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/319073-top-
flynn-aide-rejected-for-key-security-clearance-report
178
– Democrats call for Michael Flynn’s dismissal after – Senate confirms Steven Mnuchin as treasury
reported Russia talks, a potential violation of the Logan secretary.
Act, which prohibits private citizens from negotiating with
foreign governments in disputes involving the American https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/
government. 13/senate-confirms-mnuchin-as-treasury-secretary/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national- – Justin Trudeau meets with Trump at W.H.

security/flynn-holds-call-with-pence-amid-calls-for-
probes-of-contacts-with-russian-
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-
ambassador/2017/02/10/f8fb83a0-efe1-11e6-9973-
politics/trudeau-trump
c5efb7ccfb0d_story.html
February 14, 2017 (Tuesday)
– Undocumented Immigrants Arrested Nationwide,
Stoking Fears Of Trump’s ‘Deportation Force’.
– Trump national security aide Flynn resigns over
Russian contacts.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-immigration-
raids-
deportation_us_589e1eb0e4b094a129eb03b0?2t8f9pbl78u http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-flynn-
22ihpvi idUSKBN15S0BR

February 11, 2017 (Saturday) https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-

security/michael-flynn-resigns-as-national-security-
adviser/2017/02/13/0007c0a8-f26e-11e6-8d72-
– Anti-abortion protesters rallied at scores of Planned
263470bf0401_story.html
Parenthood clinics to urge Congress and President Trump
to strip the health services provider of federal funding,
while supporters of the organization staged counter- – Secret Service director to step down.
demonstrations around the United States. All told, rallies
and marches were called in 45 states in cities large and http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-secretservice-
small. idUSKBN15T2J0

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-abortion- – Intel leaks reveal Trump aides were in constant touch

idUSKBN15Q0AS with senior Russian officials during campaign.

– Army veterans return to Standing Rock to form a http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/14/politics/donald-trump-

human shield against police. aides-russians-campaign/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/us- – Trump signs repeal of transparency rule for oil

news/2017/feb/11/standing-rock-army-veterans-camp companies, to scrap Dodd-Frank rule on oil extraction.

– Trump claimed that his daughter Ivanka had been https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/02/14/trump

“abused” by news media following renewed scrutiny -scraps-dodd-frank-rule-resource-extraction-
over the family’s potential conflicts of interest. disclosure/97912600/

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-media- February 15, 2017 (Wednesday)

abused-ivanka-234933
– NY Times and Washington Post cast doubt on claims
February 12, 2017 (Sunday) made by Trump’s team that there had been no contact
with Russian officials; report intel knows of contacts
NO ENTRIES between Trump campaign figures and Russia. “Phone
records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald
J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump
February 13, 2017 (Monday) associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian
intelligence officials in the year before the election.”
– GOP says it will not investigate Trump’s tax returns.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-tax-returns- daily-202/2017/02/15/daily-202-it-s-bigger-than-flynn-
idUSKBN15S2GZ

179
new-russia-revelations-widen-trump-s-credibility- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-usa-
gap/58a3c5b9e9b69b1406c75cb4/ idUSKBN15W1J2

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/politics/russia- – Trump considered using national guard to round up

intelligence-communications-trump.html immigrants, memo suggests.

– Andy Puzder withdraws nomination for labor https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/17/trump-

secretary after he admitted employing an illegal immigration-roundup-national-guard
immigrant as a former housekeeper.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TRUMP_NAT
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/15/politics/top-senate- IONAL_GUARD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMP
republicans-urge-white-house-to-withdraw-puzder- LATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-02-17-15-07-35
nomination/
– Trump Calls the News Media the ‘Enemy of the
– Trump blasts ‘criminal’ leaks by intelligence American People’.
agencies, calls Flynn ‘wonderful’.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/business/trump-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-flynn- calls-the-news-media-the-enemy-of-the-people.html
idUSKBN15U2C1

February 16, 2017 (Thursday)

– Trump gives 76 minute press conference and berates

media.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-media-out-of-
control_us_58a5ea16e4b07602ad529bb7

– Mick Mulvaney, staunchly conservative tea-party,

confirmed by Senate to run Trump’s OMB.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo- – Senate Intelligence Committee meets behind closed-

way/2017/02/16/515578360/senate-narrowly-confirms- doors, summoning Comey, to discuss Trump-Russian
mulvaney-as-trumps-nominee-for-omb-director ties.

– Six Donald Trump staffers fired today, escorted out http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/320161-comey-

of White House, after flagged by FBI. meets-with-intel-senators-amidst-russia-uproar

http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/donald-trump- – Senate Intelligence Committee asked more than a

forced-fire-six-white-house-staffers-fail-fbi-background- dozen agencies, organizations and individuals to
checks/1564/ preserve communications related to the panel’s
investigation into Russian interference in the 2016
February 17, 2017 (Friday) election. (This wasn’t reported until days later.)

– Senate confirms climate-denier Scott Pruitt to head http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/19/politics/senate-

EPA. intelligence-committee-russia-materials/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy- February 18, 2017 (Saturday)

environment/wp/2017/02/17/scott-pruitt-long-time-
adversary-of-epa-confirmed-to-lead-the-agency/ – (story) Eight people flee U.S. border patrol to seek
asylum in Canada.
– John McCain broke with the reassuring message that
U.S. officials visiting Germany have sought to convey http://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-refugees-
saying that the administration of President Donald idUSKBN15W2GN
Trump was in “disarray”.

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– Trump holds rally in Orlando complete with promises – Trump named Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond
to repeal the health care law, insults for the news media McMaster as his new national security adviser, again
and a playlist highlighted by the Rolling Stones. turning to the U.S. military to play a central role on his
foreign policy team.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-
news/2017/feb/18/donald-trump-attacks-press-dishonest- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-
media-florida-rally idUSKBN15Z1Z0

– At Orlando rally Trump states that a terrorist attack – Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, died
had occurred in Sweden, which has admitted tens of suddenly in New York after being taken ill at work, the
thousands of refugees in recent years. He based it on a Fox Russian Foreign Ministry said.
News report. (No such attack took place.)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/russia
https://www.theguardian.com/us- n-ambassador-un-vitaly-churkin-dead-diplomat-dies-
news/2017/feb/19/sweden-trump-cites-non-existent-terror- suddenly-new-york-puton-a7590366.html
attack
– Norway pledges $10 million to counter Trump’s
– Memos signed by DHS secretary describe sweeping global anti-abortion move.
new guidelines for deporting illegal immigrants.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-norway-
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/memos-signed- abortion-idUSKBN15Z1KL
by-dhs-secretary-describe-sweeping-new-guidelines-for-
deporting-illegal-immigrants/2017/02/18/7538c072-f62c- – Protests take place across the US for “Not My
11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html President’s Day”.

– U.S. inquiries into Russian election hacking include http://www.usatoday.com/picture-

three FBI probes. gallery/news/nation/2017/02/20/not-my-presidents-day-
protests-across-the-usa/98164442/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-cyber-
idUSKBN15X0OE – The Senate Intelligence Committee has now informed
more than a dozen government agencies that they must
February 19, 2017 (Sunday) secure documents relating to the Trump-Russia
investigation and are not allowed to destroy them.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-
russia-scandal-takes-unexpected-turn

– More than 100 headstones at the Chesed Shel Emeth

cemetery in St Louis were damaged or knocked. More
than 50 bomb threats had been made against Jewish
organisations in the US since January, including 11 today.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/21/vandals-
damage-dozens-of-headstones-in-jewish-cemetery-in-
missouri
– NY Times reveals a back-channel plan for Ukraine and
February 21, 2017 (Tuesday)
Russia was circulated with aims to unseat President
Poroshenko, install a pro-Russian president, lift sanctions,
“lease” Crimea to Ukraine. – Millions of people living in the United States illegally
could be targeted for deportation – including people
simply arrested for traffic violations – under a sweeping
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/us/politics/donald-
rewrite of immigration enforcement policies announced
trump-ukraine-russia.html
Tuesday by the Trump administration. The broad scope of
the president’s ambitions are: to publicize crimes by
February 20, 2017 (Monday) immigrants; enlist local police officers as enforcers; strip
immigrants of privacy rights; erect new detention facilities;

181
discourage asylum seekers; and, ultimately, speed up https://www.yahoo.com/tv/conservative-activist-james-
deportations. okeefe-release-cnn-tapes-115023325.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/21/us/politics/dhs- – At CPAC, Bannon states Trump administration is

immigration-trump.html locked in an unending battle against the media and
other globalist forces to “deconstruct” an outdated system
February 22, 2017 (Wednesday) of governance. “If you think they are giving you your
country back without a fight, you are sadly mistaken.”
– Mexico fumes over Trump deportations to Mexico.
DHS unveiled plans on Tuesday to consider almost all https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/201
illegal immigrants subject to deportation, and will seek 7/02/23/bannon-trump-administration-is-in-unending-
to send many of them to Mexico if they entered the United battle-for-deconstruction-of-the-administrative-state/
States from there, regardless of their nationality.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/23/1637159/-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mexico- President-Bannon-threatens-media-We-re-going-to-make-
idUSKBN16127O it-worse-every-day-for-you

– Police surrounded the Standing Rock camps to evict – Trump says efforts to remove undocumented
the remaining Native American activists fighting the immigrants is a “military operation.”
Dakota Access pipeline.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-
https://www.theguardian.com/us- administration/2017/02/trump-undocumented-immigrants-
news/2017/feb/22/dakota-access-pipeline-standing-rock- military-operation-235308
evacuation-police
– At CPAC, Ted Cruz suggested that another seat on
– DoJ moves to prevent CIA official from detailing role the U.S. Supreme Court will open up this summer (with
in Bush-era torture. no explanation).

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/22/cia- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/201
torture-gina-haspel-court-deposition-trump 7/02/23/ted-cruz-predicts-second-supreme-court-vacancy-
this-year-but-doesnt-explain-why/
– Trump Administration Rescinds Rules on Bathrooms
for Transgender Students. – Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) on Thursday invoked
the 2011 shooting of former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/learning/questions- Ariz.) at a constituent event as a reason not to hold a public
for-trump-rescinds-rules-on-bathrooms-for-transgender- town hall. “At this time there are groups from the more
students.html violent strains of the leftist ideology, some even being
paid, who are preying on public town halls to wreak havoc
and threaten public safety,” Gohmert said in a statement.
February 23, 2017 (Thursday)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/23/1636854/-
– Alt-right leader Richard Spenser expelled from Louie-Gohmert-invokes-Giffords-shooting-as-reason-not-
CPAC after organizer denounces ‘sinister organization’. to-hold-town-hall
Dan Schneider, the executive director of the American
Conservative Union labeled the alt-right leftist: “We must
not be deceived by [a] hateful, left-wing fascist group,” a – White House chief of staff Reince Priebus asked a top
reference to National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg’s FBI official to dispute media reports that Trump’s
“Liberal Fascism”. campaign advisers were frequently in touch with
Russian intelligence agents during the election.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/201
7/02/23/cpac-organizer-denounces-alt-right-as-left-wing- http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/politics/fbi-refused-
fascist-group/ white-house-request-to-knock-down-recent-trump-russia-
stories/index.html
– Conservative activist O’Keefe posts tapes targeting
CNN.

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 https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-
office/2017/02/24/presidential-executive-order-enforcing-
regulatory-reform-agenda

– Media outlets were denied entry to later press

briefing by Spicer: Guardian, the New York Times,
Politico, CNN, BBC, LA Times, The Hill, NY Daily
News, Huffington Post, Daily Mail, BuzzFeed and others.
AP, USA Today and Time were invited but boycotted the
briefing to show solidarity with fellow news outlets. The
White House Correspondents Association condemned the
White House’s move
– Trump tells Reuters he wants to expand nuclear
arsenal, make US ‘top of the pack’. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/24/media-
blocked-white-house-briefing-sean-spicer
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/23/trump-tells-reuters-he-
wants-to-expand-nuclear-arsenal-make-us-top-of-the- http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-media-
pack.html makes-up-sources-235345

February 24, 2017 Friday – State legislators take steps to criminalize protests.

– Trump addresses CPAC: calls for an arms-race, vows http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/321018-state-

military build-up, hammers nationalist themes; reiterates legislators-take-steps-to-criminalize-protests
that media is “enemy of the people”. He vowed to “do
something about it [the press].”
– The White House acknowledged its chief of staff
Reince Priebus asked the FBI’s deputy director to
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump- dispute a New York Times article alleging Moscow
idUSKBN1630HH links.

– Trump blasted the FBI for being “totally unable to http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39080673

stop the national security ‘leakers’ that have permeated
our government for a long time.”
– Trump puts regulation monitors in U.S. agencies.
Trump signed the executive order in the Oval Office with
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/fbi/320954- chief executives of major U.S. corporations standing
trump-fbi-totally-unable-to-stop-leaks behind him including Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed
Martin Corp. and U.S. Steel Corp.
– Trump promises border wall ‘soon, way ahead of
schedule’. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-regulations-
idUSKBN1631NV
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39080356
– Hate crime is feared as 2 Indian engineers are shot in
Kansas. It raised new alarms about a climate of hostility
toward foreigners in the United States, where Trump has
made clamping down on immigration a central plank of his
“America first” agenda.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/world/asia/kansas-
attack-possible-hate-crime-srinivas-kuchibhotla.html

– John Dean Accuses The White House Of A Russia

Cover-Up.
– Trump issues executive order requiring federal
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/02/24/john-dean-trump-
agencies to create “deregulatory” task forces
responsible for eliminating outdated and unnecessary rules. white-house-covering-russia-scandal.html

February 25, 2017 Saturday

183
– Wary of Trump unpredictability, China ramps up naval https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-
abilities. intelligence-chairman-denies-evidence-of-trump-teams-
ties-to-russia/2017/02/27/66495ce8-fcfd-11e6-99b4-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-defence-navy- 9e613afeb09f_story.html
idUSKBN16500P

– Trump decides to skip White House press dinner.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that
he would not attend the annual White House
Correspondents’ Association dinner, a high-profile event
that draws celebrities, politicians and journalists.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-press-
idUSKBN1640TF

– Former Secretary of Labor Tom Perez was elected

DNC Chair in a close election, and in his first move as
Chair, he created the new position of DNC Deputy Chair
for his opponent Keith Ellison. The Democratic Party is
– Trump will propose a federal budget that
now led by a Hispanic son of immigrants and a Muslim.
dramatically increases defense-related spending by $54
billion while cutting virtually all other federal agencies
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/25/us/politics/dnc- by the same amount.
perez-ellison-chairman-election.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-to-
February 26, 2017 Sunday propose-10-percent-spike-in-defense-spending-massive-
cuts-to-other-agencies/2017/02/27/867f9690-fcf2-11e6-
– Trump’s first budget proposal will spare big social 99b4-9e613afeb09f_story.html
welfare programs such as Social Security and Medicare
from any cuts, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in – Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., a former banker and investor who
an interview. (Entitlements will be cut, says a NYT report. earned billions during decades of buying and selling
industries, dubbed the “king of bankruptcy”, was
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-economy- confirmed as secretary of commerce by the Senate in a
idUSKBN1650LL 72-to-27 vote.

– Spicer cracking down on leaks coming out of the https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/

West Wing, with increased security measures that include 27/billionaire-investor-wilbur-ross-confirmed-as-trumps-
random phone checks of White House staffers, overseen secretary-of-commerce
by White House attorneys.
– Trump administration will formally end opposition
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/sean-spicer- to Texas voter ID law. Justice department says
targets-own-staff-in-leak-crackdown-235413 administration won’t challenge the strict law, in a shift
from Obama-era opposition to such discriminatory laws.
– Sixty to one-hundred Jewish headstones vandalized in
Philadelphia. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/27/texas-
voter-id-law-trump-administration-no-challenge
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/26/us/jewish-cemetery-
vandalism-philadelphia/ – Jewish community centers in Cherry Hill, NJ, North
Jersey, Wilmington, Delaware, and York, Pennsylvania,
February 27, 2017 Monday were among those evacuated, targeted in wave of bomb
threats. NBC News lists at least 20 bomb threats to Jewish
– House Intelligence chairman Nunes denies evidence of Community Centers and day schools in 13 states.
Trump team’s ties to Russia. Nunes contended there was
no need at this time for a special prosecutor. Instead, the http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-
“major crimes” that have been committed are leaking to jersey/2017/02/27/cherry-hill-jewish-community-center-
the news media on the subject of Russia. evacuated/98476938/

184
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/321338- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-
new-wave-of-bomb-threats-against-jewish-community- politics/donald-trump-guns-bill-mentally-ill-background-
centers checks-nra-a7604876.html

– A federal appeals court rejected a Justice – House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines
Department request to place on hold an appeal over not to investigate the Trump-Russia scandal.
President Donald Trump’s travel ban on people from
seven majority-Muslim countries. https://thinkprogress.org/house-republicans-government-
information-trump-russia-852121abe2d6
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-court-
idUSKBN16627W March 1, 2017 Wednesday

– House Republicans beat back a Democratic attempt – Senate confirms Ryan Zinke to head Interior
to smoke out President Donald Trump’s tax returns, Department.
after the issue was forced on the floor.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-
https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-gop-thwarts- environment/wp/2017/03/01/senate-confirms-ryan-zinke-
democrats-pursuit-of-donald-trumps-tax-returns- as-interior-secretary/
1488251818
– Justice Department admits Sessions had contacts with
– Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Russians, though he had denied it earlier. Adam B. Schiff,
Mike Lee (R-Utah) argue they want full repeal of the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence
Obamacare. Committee, said in a statement that if the reports about Mr.
Sessions were accurate, “it is essential that he recuse
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/321489-cruz-lee-paul- himself from any role in the investigation of Trump
demand-full-repeal-of-obamacare campaign ties to the Russians.” Mr. Schiff added, “This is
not even a close call; it is a must.” Nancy Pelosi, the
February 28, 2017 Tuesday Democratic leader of the House, called on Mr. Sessions to
resign, saying on Twitter that “he is not fit to serve as the
top law enforcement officer of our country.”
– Washington Post reports FBI once planned to pay
MI6 agent Christopher Steele. An agreement with the
FBI was reached a few weeks before the election for the https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/politics/obama-
bureau to pay him to continue his work.The agreement fell trump-russia-election-hacking.html
apart once Steele’s dossier was published and reported.
– House Intelligence Committee has agreed an
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fbi-once- investigation into Russia’s alleged interference in the
planned-to-pay-former-british-spy-who-authored- 2016 US elections.
controversial-trump-dossier/2017/02/28/896ab470-facc-
11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/83382

– White House lawyers instructed Trump’s staff to http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/321924-house-

preserve materials that could be connected to Russian intelligence-sets-goals-for-russia-investigation
interference in November’s election.
– Trump Delays New Travel Ban After Speech to
https://apnews.com/23cca28e11b74f0cb369fda6fac64d67 Congress Gets High Marks. “We want the [executive
order] to have its own ‘moment,’” a White House official
– Trump gives address to Congress heralding a “new told CNN.
chapter of American greatness,” overhauling the health
care system, boosting military spending, spending $1 http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/28/politics/trump-travel-ban-
trillion to upgrade infrastructure, tax relief for middle-class visa-holders/
and reduction in corporate tax rates, promotes new
immigration crime office. Trump invited relatives of those March 2, 2017 Thursday
killed by undocumented people to Capitol Hill.
– Ben Carson confirmed to head HUD.
– Donald Trump signs bill allowing mentally ill people
to buy guns.

185
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/politics/ben- – ‘The fuse is lit’: Dan Rather says Trump-Russia
carson-housing-urban-development.html scandal is about to go off like a bomb.

– Trump stands by Session in Russia controversy. http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/the-fuse-is-lit-dan-

rather-says-trump-russia-scandal-is-about-to-go-off-like-a-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia- bomb/
sessions-idUSKBN16908L
March 3, 2017 Friday
– Euro lawmakers press EU to impose visas on U.S.
citizens. (File under Western nationalism.) – Women and children crossing together illegally into
the United States could be separated by U.S. authorities
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-usa-visa- under a proposal being considered by the Department of
idUSKBN1691Q9 Homeland Security.

– Senate confirms Rick Perry as Energy Secretary. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-

children-idUSKBN16A2ES
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/rick-perry-
confirmed-energy-secretary-235617 – Vice President Pence said there was “no comparison
whatsoever” between his use of a private email account
for state business while he was governor of Indiana and
– Sessions recuses himself on all current and future
the email woes of former Secretary of State Hillary
investigations into Russia ties with the Trump
campaign. Clinton.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/03/politics/mike-pence-
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/top-gop-
personal-email-
lawmaker-calls-on-sessions-to-recuse-himself-from-russia-
investigation/2017/03/02/148c07ac-ff46-11e6-8ebe- address/http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/03/politics/mike-
6e0dbe4f2bca_story.html pence-personal-email-address/

– Trump administration is seeking a 17 percent cut to

– White House EPA budget proposal cuts climate
the budget of the government’s meteorological agency
protection program 70 percent to $29 million, targets
climate, clean water programs. An EPA climate protection that monitors the climate and issues daily weather
forecasts. Proposed reductions in NOAA would affect
program on cutting emissions of greenhouse gases like
research and satellite programs and eliminate funding for
methane that contribute to global warming would be cut 70
some smaller programs.
percent to $29 million.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-epa-budget- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-
environment/wp/2017/03/03/white-house-proposes-steep-
idUSKBN1692XA
budget-cut-to-leading-climate-science-agency/
– Adam Schiff, leading Democrat on the House
Intelligence Committee, claims FBI holding back – Current and former officials said that in a departure
information on Russia probes. “At this point we know from past practice, access to a classified computer
system at the White House has been tightened by
less than a fraction of what the FBI knows.”
political appointees to prevent professional staffers from
seeing memos being prepared for the new president.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/fbi-not-answering-congress- And at the Department of Homeland Security, some
questions-russia-probe-democrat-190000262.html officials told Reuters they fear a witch hunt is under way
for the leaker of a draft intelligence report which found
– Vice President Mike Pence used a private email little evidence that citizens of seven Muslim-majority
account to conduct public business when he was countries covered by Trump’s now-suspended travel ban
governor of Indiana, a practice that was legal but raised pose a threat to the United States.
questions about the security of the communications, some
of which addressed sensitive topics. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-secrecy-
exclusive-idUSKBN16A0GD
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/mike-pence-
used-private-email-as-governor-news-report-says.html – The Transportation Security Administration has
started using a new and more rigorous pat-down at

186
airports, which one passenger this week likened to “groin http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mexico-
scrutiny.” immigration-idUSKBN16B0PL

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation- – Supporters of Trump held a second day of small

now/2017/03/03/tsa-rolls-out-new-more-intimate-airport- rallies in communities around the country, a counterpoint
pat-downs/98713844/ to a wave of protests that have taken place since his
election in November.
– European Parliament votes to end visa-free travel for
Americans. The passing of the non-binding resolution http://www.newsweek.com/trump-backers-series-small-
comes after the US failed to agree visa-free travel for rallies-support-president-563923
citizens of five EU countries.
– The U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news- Services will temporarily suspend expedited processing
ians/european-parliament-ends-visa-free-travel-for- of H-1B visas, halting the option for American companies
americans-117030301077_1.html to quickly bring skilled immigrants to the United States for
employment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/world/europe/eu-
visas-parliament-united-states.html http://time.com/money/4691238/us-suspends-expedited-
processing-h1b-visas/
– Trump leaves White House furious that Sessions
recused himself. – Before heading to his so-called winter White House in
Palm Beach, Florida, Trump summoned some of his
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/322363- senior staffers to the Oval Office and went “ballistic,” a
reports-trump-told-aides-sessions-shouldnt-have-recused- senior White House source told ABC News. Trump furious
himself that Sessions recused himself. Washington Post reporter
Robert Costa tweeted Saturday morning that Trump left
– Carter Page, Adviser Once Linked to Trump Campaign, the White House “in a fury” on Friday, “fuming about
[Jeff] Sessions’s recusal and telling aides that Sessions
Met With Russian Ambassador.
shouldn’t have recused himself,” also calling the reports of
his meeting “bull.”
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/carter-
page-adviser-once-linked-trump-campaign-met-russian-
ambassador-n728511 http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/322363-
reports-trump-told-aides-sessions-shouldnt-have-recused-
himself
March 4, 2017 Saturday
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-flashes-anger-
– Trump suggested Obama had improperly tapped his sessions-recusal-russia-stories-tense/story
phones, without citing evidence, in a series of tweets on
Saturday morning. “No president can order a wiretap.
Those restrictions were put in place to protect citizens March 5, 2017 Sunday
from people like you,” Ben Rhodes wrote on Twitter.
– White House asks Congress to probe Trump’s
accusation of Obama wiretap.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-obama-
idUSKBN16B0CC
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-
– The White House budget director Mulvaney idUSKBN16C0MG
confirmed that the Trump administration will propose
“fairly dramatic reductions” in the U.S. foreign aid – Former DNI James Clapper tells “Meet the Press”
budget later this month. “There was no such wiretap activity mounted against
the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-budget- his campaign.”
idUSKBN16B0NC
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-
idUSKBN16C0MG
– Mexico opened legal aid centers at its 50 consulates
across the United States on Saturday to defend its
citizens, the Mexican government said, amid worries of a – James B. Comey, the director of the F.B.I., asked the
crackdown on illegal immigration under U.S. President Justice Department to publicly reject President
Donald Trump.
187
Trump’s claim that former President Barack Obama https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/new-details-
ordered his phones to be tapped. It has not. emerge-on-gop-plans-to-repeal-and-replace-
obamacare/2017/03/06/04751e3e-028f-11e7-ad5b-
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/trump- d22680e18d10_story.html
seeks-inquiry-into-allegations-that-obama-tapped-his-
phones.html – Senate votes to repeal labor protection laws that
safeguarded poultry workers.
– In a Mere 6 Weeks, Trump Alters More Than 90
Regulations. The Trump administration has pushed a https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/06/labor-
flurry of deregulations, giving more freedoms to gun protection-laws-repeal-poultry-industry-workers
sellers, bankers and miners, and corporate lobbyists are
clamoring for more. – Ben Carson compared slaves to immigrants seeking a
better life in his first official address Monday as HUD
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/trump- secretary.
deregulation-guns-wall-st-climate.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/
– Priebus and Bannon didn’t fly with Trump to 06/carson-compares-slaves-to-immigrants-coming-to-a-
Florida. Various interpretations allege Trump punished land-of-dreams-and-opportunity/
them.
– Gold Star father of American soldier killed in Iraq
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4284566/Video- who criticized Trump says travel rights reviewed. Khizr
emerges-Trump-s-Oval-Office-row-Bannon.html Khan had planned to speak at a luncheon in Toronto on
Tuesday in a discussion about President Trump’s
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/04/politics/donald-trump- administration.
jeff-sessions-reince-priebus/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-khan-
March 6, 2017 Monday idUSKBN16D2MI

– Trump signed a revised executive order for a U.S. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/khizr-khan-

travel ban, leaving Iraq off the list of targeted countries. toronto-talk-cancelled-1.4012696

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration- – The US has temporarily suspended the fast-track

exclusive-idUSKBN16D154 processing of H1B visas, leaving many foreign workers
in limbo. H1B visas allow skilled workers to come to the
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national- US temporarily. They are in high demand, particularly in
security/new-executive-order-bans-travelers-from-six- Silicon Valley and the medical sector, and are allocated by
lottery.
muslim-majority-countries-applying-for-
visas/2017/03/06/3012a42a-0277-11e7-ad5b-
d22680e18d10_story.html https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/06/us-
h1b-visa-program-suspended-trump-silicon-valley
– Senators push Trump to release White House, Mar-a-
Lago visitor logs. – The Homeland Security Department is considering
separating children from parents caught crossing the
Mexican border illegally, Secretary John Kelly said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-visitors-
idUSKBN16D2AG
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-
mix/wp/2017/03/07/dhs-is-considering-separating-
– House Republicans reveal bill to repeal and replace
mothers-and-children-who-cross-the-border-illegally/
Obama’s healthcare law. American Health Care Act
would shrink government role in healthcare and could
leave more people without insurance despite Trump – The Supreme Court is leaving the issue of
administration promises. Replaces subsidies with tax transgender rights in schools to lower courts for now
credits. after backing out of a high-profile case.

https://www.theguardian.com/us- http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8cb7fb31f1214e63851028bd7
news/2017/mar/06/house-republicans-healthcare-law-bill- 31bc332
obamacare-repeal

188
– Top member ff House Intel Committee, Rep. Adam – Trump’s nominee for deputy attorney general, Rod
Schiff, questions Trump’s mental state on MSNBC. Rosenstein, declined Tuesday to endorse the
appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate ties
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/03/06/top-member- between the Trump campaign and Russian officials,
house-intel-committee-questions-trumps-mental-state- bucking pressure from Democrats.
msnbc.html
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/322772-doj-
March 7, 2017 Tuesday nominee-declines-to-back-special-prosecutor-on-russia

– House intelligence chief has seen no evidence to back March 8, 2017 Wednesday
Trump’s wiretap charge.
– Trump’s administration is weighing a deployment of up
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia- to 1,000 American soldiers to Kuwait to serve as a reserve
hearing-idUSKBN16E2RS force in the fight against Islamic State as U.S.-backed
fighters accelerate the offensive in Syria and Iraq, U.S.
officials told Reuters.
– House schedules first hearing in Trump-Russia
investigation.
– Mexico has canceled existing sugar export permits to the
United States. The letter sent by Mexico’s sugar chamber
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/house-trump-
to mills on Monday partly blamed the situation on unfilled
russia-investigation-hearing-235789
positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce, which it
said has led to a “legalistic” interpretation of rules with no
– Conservatives rebel against Trump-backed U.S. counterparts in place in Washington for Mexican
Republican healthcare plan. Republican Senator Rand officials to negotiate with.
Paul of Kentucky decried it as “Obamacare Lite.”
Conservative groups including Heritage Action for
– China has granted preliminary approval for at least 35
America, the Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity
and Freedom Partners, backed by the billionaire trademarks linked to Donald Trump, documents on
China’s state trademark office show, giving the U.S.
Republican donor Koch brothers, urged its defeat for
President and his family protection were they to develop
different reasons.
the “Trump” brand in the market.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obamacare-
idUSKBN16D2RC – Pivotal industry and consumer groups mounted
intensifying opposition to the Republican health care bill.
The American Medical Association, the American
– Bomb threats against Jewish centers continue: The Hospital Association and AARP, the nation’s largest
threats Tuesday targeted facilities in at least eight states, advocacy group for older people, were arrayed against the
Washington, D.C., and Toronto, officials said. “Four ADL GOP measure.
offices in Atlanta, Boston, New York and Washington
D.C. received bomb threats. Before Tuesday, the ADL had
– Many American women stayed home from work, joined
reported 121 bomb threats made across the United States
rallies or wore red Wednesday to demonstrate how vital
and Canada.
they are to the U.S. economy, as International Women’s
Day was observed with a multitude of events around the
– A vast portion of the CIA’s computer hacking arsenal world.
appeared to have been exposed by the anti-secrecy
organization WikiLeaks, which posted thousands of files
– The Trump administration has considered more than $6
revealing secret cyber-tools used by the agency to convert
billion in cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban
cellphones, televisions and other ordinary devices into
implements of espionage. Development, according to preliminary budget documents
obtained by The Washington Post. The plan would squeeze
public housing support and end most federally funded
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national- community development grants. HUD’s budget would
security/wikileaks-says-it-has-obtained-trove-of-cia- shrink by about 14 percent to $40.5 billion in fiscal 2018,
hacking-tools/2017/03/07/c8c50c5c-0345-11e7-b1e9- which begins in October. While suggesting significant
a05d3c21f7cf_story.html cuts, the preliminary budget maintains the same level of
funding to rental assistance programs and avoids
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post- reductions that could directly put families on the streets.
nation/wp/2017/03/07/as-more-jewish-facilities-get- Budgets for public housing authorities — city and state
threats-senators-ask-trump-administration-for-swift-action/ agencies that provide subsidized housing and vouchers to
local residents — would be among the hardest hit. Under
189
the preliminary budget, those operational funds would be http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/bill-clinton-
reduced by $600 million, or 13 percent. Under the nationalism-235894
proposal, direct rental assistance payments — including
Section 8 Housing and housing vouchers for homeless – U.S. Is Sending About 400 Marines To Syria.
veterans — would be cut by at least $300 million, to $19.3
billion. Additionally, housing for the elderly — known as
March 10, 2017 Friday
the Section 202 program — would be cut by $42 million,
nearly 10 percent.
– Trump’s administration is asking for resignation letters
from all 46 remaining U.S. attorneys appointed by
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-
President Barack Obama.
administration-considers-6-billion-cut-to-hud-
budget/2017/03/08/1757e8e8-03ab-11e7-b1e9-
a05d3c21f7cf_story.html – More States Join Legal Challenge to Trump Travel Ban:
Massachusetts, Minnesota New York and Oregon.
– Hawaii Mounts Legal Challenge To President’s Revised
Travel Ban. http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/more-states-join-
legal-challenge-to-travel-ban
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-
way/2017/03/08/519263084/hawaii-will-mount-legal- – Maryland joins states suing over Trump’s travel ban.
challenge-to-presidents-revised-travel-ban
– State Dept asked NYC Medical Examiner not to disclose
– Turkish client paid $530,000 to Michael Flynn’s cause of death of Russian UN ambassador who died last
consulting firm. Flynn, fired last month from his White month.
House post, formally registered as a foreign agent this
week with the Justice Department and disclosed the details – Seattle synagogue targeted by anti-Semitic vandalism.
of his work for Inovo BV, a Dutch consulting firm owned “Holocaust is fake history” was spray-painted across a
by a Turkish businessman with ties to Turkey’s President wall of Temple de Hirsch Sinai, with each instance of the
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. letter “S” replaced with dollar signs.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/08/ http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/323545-seattle-
michael-flynn-received-530000-from-turkish-client- synagogue-targeted-by-anti-semitic-vandalism-report
during-trump-campaign/98917184/
– Trump’s revised travel ban dealt first court setback. A
March 9, 2017 Thursday federal judge in Wisconsin dealt the first legal blow to
President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban on Friday,
– Two House of Representatives committees approved the barring enforcement of the policy to deny U.S. entry to the
legislation that would undo much of the 2010 Affordable wife and child of a Syrian refugee already granted asylum
Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, moving it in the United States.
closer to a vote before the full House.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-court-
– Three states suing to block Trump’s new travel ban: idUSKBN16I02F
Hawaii, NY and Oregon.
March 11, 2017 Saturday
http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/323226-three-
states-sue-to-stop-trumps-new-travel-ban – Defiant U.S. prosecutor fired by Trump. A prominent
Obama appointed U.S. prosecutor said the Trump
– EPA head Scott Pruitt denies that carbon dioxide causes administration fired him on Saturday after he refused to
global warming. step down, adding a discordant note to what is normally a
routine changing of top attorneys when a new president
takes office.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/09/e
pa-scott-pruitt-carbon-dioxide-global-warming-climate-
change http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-justice-
idUSKBN16I0PZ
– Bill Clinton, “Resurgent nationalism ‘taking us to the
edge of our destruction’” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-
politics/attorney-preet-bharara-donald-trump-lawyer-
manhattan-us-barack-obama-a7625081.html

190
– Man faces 10-year sentence after scaling White House http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obamacare-
fence today. idUSKBN16J0XH

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-intruder- – Mayors of Santa Fe and Philadelphia said in a SXSW

idUSKBN16I0KU panel that the president’s orders and immigration policies
represent a threat to the safety and prosperity of US cities.
– A federal court has dealt Texas another loss over voting ‘We cannot submit to a bully’.
rights, finding that Republicans racially gerrymandered
some congressional districts to weaken the electoral https://www.theguardian.com/us-
influence of the state’s booming minority population. A news/2017/mar/12/trump-immigration-sxsw-sanctuary-
federal three-judge panel in San Antonio invalidated three cities-philadelphia-santa-fe
Texas congressional districts for violating the Voting
Rights Act or the Constitution in a decision late Friday – A Jewish community center in Rochester, New York,
night. closed temporarily on Sunday after receiving its second
bomb threat in less than a week.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/texas-redistricting-
racial-lines-235956 http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/12/us/jcc-rochester-ny-
bomb-threat/index.html
https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/invalidated-texas-
congressional-districts – Kellyanne Conway suggests Obama could have spied
on Trump through a microwave.
– 134 foreign policy experts condemn Trump travel ban
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/12/
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/323559- kellyanne-conway-surveillance-trump-campaign-
134-foreign-policy-experts-condemn-trump-travel-ban wider/99109170/

– Sanders: US facing ‘very scary times’. “We have a – Trump budget expected to seek historic contraction of
president who is a pathological liar. Trump lies all of the federal workforce.
time. He lies in order to undermine the foundations of
American democracy.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/throu
gh-his-budget-a-bottom-line-look-at-trumps-new-
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/323550- washington/2017/03/12/29739206-05be-11e7-b9fa-
sanders-very-scary-times-but-we-must-fight-back ed727b644a0b_story.html

– ACLU To Hold ‘Resistance Training’ So Americans Can March 13, 2017 Monday
Fight Trump’s Dangerous Policies.
– CBO: 14 million would lose coverage in 2018 under
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/03/11/aclu-host- GOP Obamacare repeal.
resistance-training-americans-fight-trumps-dangerous-
policies.html http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/cbo-gop-
obamacare-repeal-plan-236007
– Preet Bharara was investigating Fox News when Sean
Hannity urged Donald Trump to fire him. – Trump gives CIA authority to conduct drone strikes.
The move would be a change from the policy of former
http://www.palmerreport.com/politics/preet-bharara-was- President Barack Obama’s administration of limiting the
investigating-fox-news-when-sean-hannity-urged-donald- CIA’s paramilitary role.
trump-to-fire-him/1887/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-cia-drones-
March 12, 2017 Sunday idUSKBN16K2SE

– Aides to Trump attacked the credibility of The – White House Seeks to Cut Billions in Funding for
Congressional Budget Office that will analyze the costs United Nations. U.S. retreat from U.N. could mark a
of a replacement for Obamacare, as the White House “breakdown of the international humanitarian system as
sought to quell opposition from many conservative we know it.”
Republicans.

191
http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/13/white-house-seeks-to- – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned
cut-billions-in-funding-for-united-nations/ Republicans on Tuesday that they’d risk a government
shutdown if they try to attach money for Trump’s U.S.-
– The chief federal prosecutors in Connecticut and Mexico border wall to a must-pass bill to keep the
northern New York have won short-term reprieves from government open. The same applies to any attempt to
Trump’s abrupt action Friday demanding immediate defund Planned Parenthood, Schumer said.
resignations from several dozen U.S. attorneys
appointed by President Barack Obama. – Trump set to completely scrap US consumer protection
agency.
– Trump signs Executive Order on a Comprehensive
Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch. The order http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-
directs OMB Director Mick Mulvaney to “propose a plan politics/donald-trump-scrap-us-consumer-protection-
to reorganize governmental functions and eliminate agency-randy-neugebauer-cfpb-texan-congressman-
unnecessary agencies … components of agencies and finance-a7614731.html
agency programs.” The Executive Branch Is About to Be
‘Reorganized’ into Oblivion. Steve Bannon’s time has – Trump gives CIA power to carry out its own drone
come. strikes. New authority sparks fears about accountability as
until now all lethal remote strikes had to be launched by
http://www.esquire.com/news- military.
politics/politics/news/a53848/trump-executive-order-
reorganization/ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donal
d-trump-cia-power-drone-strikes-military-a7628561.html
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/13/trump-to-sign-
executive-order-aiming-to-see-where-money-is-being- – Trump’s administration is preparing to release a
wasted-in-government-spicer-says.html wide-ranging executive order to reduce the role that
climate change plays in policy decisions. The move could
March 14, 2017 Tuesday alter how U.S. agencies weigh regulations on a broad array
of industries, from drilling, coal mining and auto
– ‘Never Trump’ Republicans join call for select manufacturing to refining.
committee to investigate Russia and Trump. “Never
Trump” Republicans are planning to pressure GOP leaders http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-carbon-
to establish a bipartisan select committee to take over the idUSKBN16L2R4
inquiries and settle the matter once and for all.
– Kushners, Trump In-Laws, Weigh $400 Million Deal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh- in sale of NY skyscraper with Chinese Firm. The
rogin/wp/2017/03/14/never-trump-republicans-join-call- Kushner family, owners of the tower, would reap a
for-select-committee-to-investigate-russia-and-trump/ financial windfall courtesy of a Chinese company, even as
Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to Mr. Trump as well as
his son-in-law, helps oversee American foreign policy.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/nyregion/kushner-
companies-anbang-insurance-group.html

March 15, 2017 Wednesday

– Hawaii judge halts Trump’s new travel ban before it

can go into effect. A U.S. federal judge in Hawaii dealt
another legal blow to President Donald Trump on
Wednesday, issuing an emergency halt to his revised travel
ban just hours before it was set to go into effect early on
Thursday. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson put out an
– Secretary of State Tillerson told the U.N. advocates and
emergency stop on Trump’s executive order, which aimed
human rights groups that the U.S. “continues to evaluate
to temporarily bar entry to the United States of most
the effectiveness” of the Human Rights Council but is
refugees as well as travelers from six Muslim-majority
skeptical about being in a group with nations such as
countries.
China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which have poor human
rights records, Foreign Policy reported.

192
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-court- border wall. Massive cuts to the arts, science and the
idUSKBN16M17N poor.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social- https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump
issues/lawyers-face-off-on-trump-travel-ban-in-md-court- -federal-budget-2018-massive-cuts-to-the-arts-science-
wednesday-morning/2017/03/14/b2d24636-090c-11e7- and-the-poor/2017/03/15/0a0a0094-09a1-11e7-a15f-
93dc-00f9bdd74ed1_story.html a58d4a988474_story.html

– The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/us/politics/trump-

former Republican senator Dan Coats to be Trump’s budget.html
director of national intelligence and to approve Army
Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster’s transfer to become March 17, 2017 Friday
his national security adviser.
– The White House has apologized to the British
– The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence government after alleging that a UK intelligence agency
Committee, Devin Nunes, who has been one of the few spied on President Donald Trump at the behest of former
defenders of Trump’s claims, made clear Wednesday that President Barack Obama.
there is zero evidence to suggest Trump Tower was
wiretapped.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/17/politics/gchq-trump-
wiretap-denial/index.html
– US Federal Reserve raises interest rates to 1% in bid
to hold off inflation. Fed chair Janet Yellen says US – U.S. prepared to take military action against N. Korea, if
economy in strong health as she announces third rate rise necessary, Sec. of State Tillerson says.
since 2008 and the first of several expected this year
– Merkel Meets Trump, the Defender Versus the
– US charges two Russian spies and two hackers in
Disrupter.
Yahoo data breach.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/europe/angela
– Trump has begun the process of rolling back carbon
-merkel-donald-trump.html
pollution standards for vehicles following a meeting with
automakers in Detroit, Michigan. Trump has directed the
EPA to review fuel efficiency standards that were a key – Trump defiantly backs-away from apologies to Britain at
plank of Barack Obama’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas his news conference with Angela Merkel, making clear
emissions. The move is a victory for carmakers who have that the White House had nothing to retract or apologize
claimed the standards are too onerous and out of step with for because his spokesman had simply repeated an
Americans’ car buying habits. assertion made by a Fox News commentator. Fox itself
later disavowed the report.
– FBI Director James Comey briefed a group of top
senators Wednesday amid growing demands that he https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/europe/trump
clarify if the bureau is investigating any contacts -britain-obama-wiretap-gchq.html
between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
– Immigration judges headed to 12 U.S. cities to speed
March 16, 2017 Thursday deportations.

– The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-judges-

Intelligence Committee said on Thursday they saw no exclusive-idUSKBN16O2S6
evidence to support Trump’s claim that the Obama
administration tapped his phones during the 2016 – The U.S. government took the legal battle over President
presidential campaign. Donald Trump’s travel ban to a higher court on Friday,
saying it would appeal a federal judge’s decision that
– Trump vows to appeal against travel ban ruling to struck down parts of the ban on the day it was set to go
Supreme Court. into effect.

– Trump unveiled a $1.15 trillion budget, proposing a http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-appeal-

far-reaching overhaul of federal spending that would slash idUSKBN16O2MT
many domestic programs to finance a big increase for
the military and make a down payment on a U.S.-Mexico March 18, 2017 Saturday

193
– On the heels of a visibly awkward visit from the German – Sir Peter Westmacott, writing in the Guardian, has
chancellor, Angela Merkel, Donald Trump said that accused the White House of ‘peddling falsehoods’ by
Germany owed “vast sums of money” to Nato and the US, suggesting British intelligence spied on Trump Tower.
even though the alliance does not stipulate payments to
America. His remarks prompted a former US permanent – Intruder Arrested at White House After Saying He Has
representative to Nato to reply “that’s not how Nato ‘Bomb in the Trunk’.
works.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/19/us/politics/white-
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/18/trump- house-intruder-bomb.html
merkel-nato-germany-owe-money-tweet
– White House installs political aides at Cabinet agencies
– China has rebuffed Donald Trump’s latest Twitter attack to be Trump’s eyes and ears.
after the US president accused Beijing of doing little to
help force North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to abandon
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/white-house-
his nuclear ambitions. Speaking in Beijing alongside the
installs-political-aides-at-cabinet-agencies-to-be-trumps-
US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, the Chinese foreign
eyes-and-ears/2017/03/19/68419f0e-08da-11e7-93dc-
minister, Wang Yi, claimed a responsible China had
00f9bdd74ed1_story.html
“devoted a lot of energy and effort over the years” to
resolving the North Korean issue.
– Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes
told Fox News host Chris Wallace on-air that a current
– G20 Leaders Roll Back Free Trade Pledge After
person in the White House is under investigation and
Pushback From Trump Administration. At a meeting of
surveillance.
finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20
industrialized and emerging nations and the European
Union, Steven Mnuchin signaled that American policy http://shareblue.com/wait-what-house-intel-chair-says-no-
would follow the campaign promises made by President one-at-white-house-under-surveillance-but-one/
Trump to put “America first” and review existing trade
agreements to seek better deals for the United States. – The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee,
Adam Schiff, said Sunday there was “circumstantial
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/business/group-of- evidence” of collusion between the Trump campaign and
20-summit-us-trade.html Russian officials — and “direct evidence” of deception.

– Roger J. Stone Jr., an informal adviser to President http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/schiff-trump-

Trump, has been asked by the Senate Intelligence russia-democrats-investigation-236231
Committee to preserve any records he may have in
connection to a broader inquiry into Russian attempts to March 20, 2017 Monday
interfere with United States elections.
– Day 1 of Neil Gorsuch Senate Hearings.
– One person was in custody after a car drove up to a
White House checkpoint late Saturday and the driver – FBI: Trump campaign, Russia ties investigated, no
claimed to have a bomb in the vehicle, CNN reported. wiretap evidence found. In a hearing before the House
There wasn’t any immediate confirmation that a device Intelligence Committee, FBI Director James Comey said
was in the car, but the vehicle was being checked, CNN for the first time Monday that the bureau is investigating
reported citing law enforcement sources. The report whether there was any coordination between the Trump
followed another incident earlier Saturday when a man campaign and Moscow while Russia was interfering in the
was detained after jumping a pedestrian barrier near the presidential election. Comey also delivered an implicit
White House. rebuke to President Donald Trump, saying that he had “no
information” to support claims by the President that he was
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/324669- wiretapped on the orders of predecessor Barack Obama.
1-person-in-custody-after-driver-makes-bomb-claim-at- What made the moment even more extraordinary was
wh-report Trump’s tweeted commentary on – and misrepresenting of
– the hearing as it was happening. Trump’s spokesman
March 19, 2017 Sunday Sean Spicer said Trump would not apologize to Obama for
the accusations against him, adding that there were
questions still remaining about surveillance that may or
– Germany rejects Trump’s claim it owes NATO and U.S.
may not have taken place during the campaign.
‘vast sums’ for defense.

194
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/20/politics/comey-hearing- http://thehill.com/homenews/news/327525-trump-invited-
russia-wiretapping/index.html limbaugh-to-dine-at-the-white-house-report

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/20/fbi- March 24, 2017 Friday

director-comey-confirms-investigation-trump-russia
– New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling what
http://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-us-canada-39328507 police said was a racially-motivated murder of a black
Manhattan resident by a white man who traveled to the
– Donald Trump tweets lies during Russia hearings, but city from Baltimore an “act of domestic, racist terrorism.”
MSNBC corrects him in real time. And he believes that “a dynamic of hatred” is growing in
America that “is clearly related to the rhetoric of Donald
http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/donald-trump-live- Trump and even other candidates during the presidential
tweets-russia-hearings-but-msnbc-corrects-his-false- election.”
claims-in-real-time/1992/
http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-
hall/story/2017/03/de-blasio-dynamic-of-hatred-is-clearly-
http://www.palmerreport.com/politics/lie-james-comey-
donald-trump-russia-tweet/1994/ related-to-donald-trump-110677

– Republican Chairman Devin Nunes of the House

March 21, 2017 Tuesday
Intelligence Committee cancels next week’s open hearing
where Sally Yates, John Brennan and James Clapper were
– Day 2 of Neil Gorsuch Senate Hearings. to give public testimony. Democratic Co-Chair Schiff
strongly objected, calls it a “serious mistake”.
– Trump tells GOP critics of health-care bill: ‘I’m gonna
come after you’ http://www.newsweek.com/russia-election-probe-public-
session-canceled-house-intelligence-chair-573893
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-
arrives-on-capitol-hill-to-sell-house-gop-health-care- http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/3/24/1646841/-
package/2017/03/21/e8ede3d2-0e2b-11e7-9b0d- Breaking-Nunes-Cancels-Public-Intelligence-Committee-
d27c98455440_story.html Hearings

– Chair of House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/adam-schiff-slams-

received a phone call that caused him to bail on his Uber intel-chair-devin-nunes-for-caving-to-white-house-and-
ride and disappear from the staffer he was with. canceling-key-russia-hearing/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/03/24/devin- – The head of the House Intelligence Committee secretly

nunes-vanished-the-night-before-he-made-trump- went to the White House grounds to meet with a source,
surveillance-claims.html before he surprised his colleagues by briefing the president
— and the press — on information they hadn’t seen.
March 22, 2017 Wednesday
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-
– House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes – way/2017/03/27/521667814/head-of-house-intel-
without any notice to the committee’s Democrats – held a committee-went-to-white-house-grounds-to-meet-source
press conference and then briefed the White House on
what he called new evidence, provided to him by an – Democrats are plotting their next move after questioning
unnamed source, that members of the Trump transition House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes’
might have been improperly monitored by U.S. fitness to lead the panel’s investigation into Russia’s
intelligence agencies following the November election. involvement in the 2016 election.

March 23, 2017 Thursday – House repeal and replacement of ACA fails, is pulled
lacking enough votes. Ryan said he told President Trump
– Trump hosted conservative talk show host Rush the best thing to do was pull this bill and Trump agreed
Limbaugh for dinner at the White House. Limbaugh and with that decision. Trump blamed Democrats.
his wife had dinner with the president, Vice President
Pence and Pence’s wife Karen at the White House. http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/ryan-concedes-on-
health-care-says-house-will-move-on

195
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house- – Nunes said Monday that he did not coordinate his
leaders-prepare-to-vote-friday-on-health-care- allegations that President Donald Trump’s transition team
reform/2017/03/24/736f1cd6-1081-11e7-9d5a- was monitored by U.S. intelligence officials with the
a83e627dc120_story.html White House. CNN reported on Monday morning that
Nunes had gone to the White House grounds to view those
– FBI Director James Comey was at the White House on documents, which further raised the question of whether
Friday, days after he confirmed his bureau is investigating the Trump administration had given them to him and
ties between associates of President Trump and Russia. coordinated the story.
The White House said Comey visited to attend a “routine
interagency meeting,” but did not say with whom he met. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/devin-nunes-
No meeting with Comey was listed on the president’s trump-intelligence-wiretapping-236567
public schedule. Comey was spotted leaving the White
House less than an hour later after television cameras – The storm around intensified Monday after it was
showed him entering the West Wing. revealed that Nunes secretly visited the White House
grounds the day before announcing incidental surveillance
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/325670-fbi- of President Trump’s transition team. The visit raised
director-comey-visits-white-house questions about whether the White House itself was the
source of the mysterious intelligence that Nunes, but no
– NBC News Chief Andrea Mitchell has learned that one else on Capitol Hill, has seen. Nunes has vowed to
staffers in the Trump Administration are racing to “purge protect his source while offering contradictory descriptions
their cellphones” of relevant information as the threat of a of what the documents reveal.
subpoena by one of the three investigations into the Trump
team’s potentially treasonous collusion with the Russian http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/326036-storm-
Federation grows with each passing day. builds-around-intel-chair-after-secret-white-house-trip

http://occupydemocrats.com/2017/03/25/nbc-just-busted- – Pelosi, Schiff call on Nunes to recuse himself from

trump-team-purging-smartphones-hide-proof-russian- Russia probe. The calls are a stunning breakdown for a
treason/ committee that has traditionally operated in a bipartisan
manner.
March 25, 2017 Saturday
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/schiff-calls-on-
– New York Mayor De Blasio blames Trump for ‘dynamic nunes-to-recuse-himself-from-russia-probe-236565
of hatred’ in US.
– Trump is reportedly creating a new White House
http://thehill.com/homenews/325782-nyc-mayor-links- innovation office that will be led by his son-in-law and
race-related-murder-to-trump senior adviser, Jared Kushner. The new office, which is
described in the Post report as a “SWAT team” to fix the
– Fights erupt at pro-Donald Trump rally on California federal bureaucracy, is working with tech giants. It is
expected to pull ideas from the business world and may
beach.
consider privatizing some government functions. The team
will include former business executives, according to the
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/26/fights- report.
erupt-at-pro-donald-trump-rally-on-california-beach
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/325869-
– Trump aide Boris Epshteyn leaving White House, kushner-to-lead-white-house-innovation-office-report
officials say.
– Trump criticized former Secretary of State Hillary
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/25/politics/epshteyn-leaving- Clinton’s policies on Russia in a series of tweets Monday
white-house/ night, adding, the “Trump Russia story is a hoax.”

– Politico and London Times reveals Trump handed http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-clinton-

Angela Merkel a bill thought to be for more than £300 russia-236571
billion supposedly owed by Germany to NATO.
March 28, 2017 Tuesday
http://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-handed-
angela-merkel-outrageous-nato-bill-report/
– Trump administration sought to block Yates from
testifying to Congress on Russia.
March 27, 2017 Monday
196
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national- – House Republicans on Tuesday blocked more attempts
security/trump-administration-sought-to-block-sally-yates- by Democrats to obtain President Donald Trump’s tax
from-testifying-to-congress-on- returns from the IRS.
russia/2017/03/28/82b73e18-13b4-11e7-9e4f-
09aa75d3ec57_story.html http://www.wcax.com/story/35017580/house-gop-blocks-
effort-by-democrats-to-obtain-trumps-taxes
– Trump signs executive order to sweep away Obama-era
climate change regulations. The decree’s main target is – Trump asks police union officials (FOP) to find out
Obama’s Clean Power Plan that required states to slash which cops didn’t vote for him.
carbon emissions from power plants – a critical element in
helping the United States meet its commitments to a global
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/watch-police-union-
climate change accord reached by nearly 200 countries in
officials-laugh-uneasily-when-trump-asks-them-to-find-
Paris in 2015. The so-called “Energy Independence” order out-which-cops-didnt-vote-for-him/
also reverses a ban on coal leasing on federal lands, undoes
rules to curb methane emissions from oil and gas
production, and reduces the weight of climate change and – Dan Rather warns Americans of Trump’s ‘power to
carbon emissions in policy and infrastructure permitting decimate and destroy’.
decisions.
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/he-is-a-threat-dan-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-energy- rather-warns-americans-of-trumps-power-to-decimate-and-
idUSKBN16Z1L6 destroy/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health- https://www.facebook.com/theDanRather/posts/10158421
science/trump-moves-decisively-to-wipe-out-obamas- 087140716
climate-change-record/2017/03/27/411043d4-132c-11e7-
9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html – Trump Administration Omits LGBTQ People from 2020
Census.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-
world/national/article141773404.html http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2017/3/28/breaking-
trump-administration-removes-lgbtq-people-2020-census
– Europe poised to take baton from US as leader in global
efforts to fight climate change, with America’s March 29, 2017 Wednesday
commitment to Paris accords at risk.
– (incidentally) Britain’s PM May triggers Brexit. Britain
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/28/cl now has two years to negotiate the terms of the divorce
imate-change-eu-leader-trump-executive-order before it comes into effect in late March 2019.

– White House backs repeal of broadband privacy rules. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-39431428

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet- – Trump’s business network reached alleged Russian

idUSKBN16Z2JI mobsters (USA Today)

– Congress voted to kill rules meant to prevent internet http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/03/28/tr

service providers from selling users’ web browsing ump-business-past-ties-russian-mobsters-organized-
histories and app storage histories to advertisers. crime/98321252/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/28/pri – A judge in Hawaii has extended a broad block on

vacy-protection-sell-web-browsing-history-data Trump’s revised travel ban, turning aside pleas from the
federal government to narrow or drop an earlier order
– House of Representatives Republican leaders said on forbidding the president from implementing key parts of
Tuesday they still intended to repeal and replace his plan.
Obamacare after their White House-backed bill failed to
get enough support and collapsed last week. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-travel-ban-
order-hawaii-236675
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obamacare-
republicans-idUSKBN16Z23K – A supervisor at the Energy Department’s international
climate office told staff this week not to use the phrases
197
“climate change,” “emissions reduction” or “Paris Russia that he is willing to be interviewed in exchange
Agreement” in written memos, briefings or other written for a grant of immunity from prosecution.
communication, sources have told POLITICO.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/mike-flynn-offers-to-testify-
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/energy- in-exchange-for-immunity-1490912959
department-climate-change-phrases-banned-236655
https://www.theguardian.com/us-
– Seattle filed a lawsuit against the Trump news/2017/mar/30/michael-flynn-trump-russia-
administration Wednesday, charging that President Donald investigation-testify-immunity
Trump’s executive order threatening funding for
“sanctuary cities” is “unconstitutional and ambiguous,” March 31, 2017 Friday
and violates the 10th Amendment of the Constitution.
– Trump urged Mike Flynn, his former national security
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/seattle-trump- adviser, to strike an immunity deal because he’s facing “a
sanctuary-cities-236672 witch hunt.”

– Ivanka Trump will become a federal employee as part http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/michael-flynn-

of unpaid White House role. talks-congress-wary-prosecution-46484973

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/ivanka-trump- – Trump officials defend immigration arrests at

federal-employee-unpaid-236657 California courthouses. Sessions and Department of
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly gave no
March 30, 2017 Thursday indication that agents would stop the arrests.

– First day of Senate Intelligence Committee hearings http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-

on Trump-Russia probe. Clinton Watts informed the courthouses-idUSKBN1722T1
committee that Russia had been targeting Rubio, along
with other of Donald Trump’s Republican opponents, with – Come Monday, the Trump administration may quietly
propaganda or fake news stories during the primary. revoke the ability of hundreds of thousands of
immigrants — almost all women — from legally
– Pence broke a tie in a Senate vote to roll back federal working in the United States, forcing them to choose
funding for family planning and reproductive health between heading back to their kitchens or leaving the
(derail grants flowing to clinics that provide contraception country altogether.
and other health services to low-income women in states
that want to block the funding, e.g., Planned Parentood). In https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-may-
recent years states such as Texas have blocked some force-thousands-of-legal-immigrants-to-stop-working-or-
healthcare providers from receiving the grants. head-home/2017/03/30/27d2d8c6-1586-11e7-833c-
503e1f6394c9_story.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-abortion-
idUSKBN1712NY – Trump’s EPA has issued a new, more detailed plan for
laying off 25 percent of its employees and scrapping 56
– Nineteen U.S. states have introduced bills that would programs including pesticide safety, water runoff control,
curb freedom of expression and the right to protest and environmental cooperation with Mexico and Canada
since Donald Trump’s election as president, an “alarming under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
and undemocratic” trend, U.N. human rights investigators
said on Thursday. Maina Kiai and David Kaye, – Trump signs executive order aimed at identifying and
independent U.N. experts on freedom of peaceful assembly targeting foreign trade abuses and orders stricter and
and expression respectively, said in a statement that the more effective enforcement of US anti-dumping laws to
state bills were incompatible with international human prevent foreign manufacturers from undercutting US
rights law. companies by selling goods at an unfair price.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-rights-un- http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/31/politics/donald-trump-
idUSKBN1712SG executive-order-signing-walk-out/index.html

– Mike Flynn, President Trump’s former national security – The Trump administration released the financial
adviser, has told the FBI and congressional committees disclosure forms from members of the White House
investigating the Trump campaign’s potential ties to staff.
198
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/31/us/politics/white- – Democrats secure enough votes to block Gorsuch,
house-releases-staff-financial-disclosures.html setting stage for ‘nuclear option’. Senate Democrats
secured enough votes to filibuster the nomination of Judge
April 1, 2017 Saturday Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday,
increasing the likelihood that Republicans will change the
rules of the U.S. Senate to ensure his confirmation later
– A federal judge has rejected President Donald
this week.
Trump’s free speech defense against a lawsuit accusing
him of inciting violence against protesters at a campaign
rally. Trump’s lawyers sought to dismiss the lawsuit by https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-panel-
three protesters who say they were roughed up by his prepares-to-consider-gorsuch-as-threat-of-filibuster-
supporters at a March 1, 2016 rally in Louisville, looms/2017/04/03/129bcd8c-186a-11e7-bcc2-
Kentucky. 7d1a0973e7b2_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/judge-to-trump- – Trump signed a resolution approved by the U.S. House

no-protection-for-speech-inciting- and Senate to revoke a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
violence/2017/04/01/e9320d68-1737-11e7-bb16- rule banning most predator control on Alaska refuges.
269934184168_story.html
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-
– Wealthy White House staffers’ finances detailed in government/national-politics/article142522494.html
new disclosures.
– Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered Justice
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-disclosures- Department officials to review reform agreements with
idUSKBN173331 troubled police forces nationwide, saying it was
necessary to ensure these pacts do not work against the
Trump administration’s goals of promoting officer safety
– Fox, Bill O’Reilly settle claims with five women
and morale while fighting violent crime.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-twenty-firstfox-oreilly-
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-
idUSKBN1733W8
government/article142521054.html
April 2, 2017 Sunday
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-
security/sessions-orders-justice-department-to-review-all-
– EPA chief, Scott Pruitt, said the Paris climate change police-reform-agreements/2017/04/03/ba934058-18bd-
agreement is a “bad deal” for the country. He did not 11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html
confirm whether the United States would remain in the
global climate change pact, under which nearly all
countries agreed in 2015 to halt or curb their greenhouse – Blackwater founder, Erik Prince, held secret Seychelles
gas emissions, even as the world’s biggest emitter China meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel.
reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-
security/blackwater-founder-held-secret-seychelles-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-
paris-idUSKBN1740NP meeting-to-establish-trump-putin-back-
channel/2017/04/03/95908a08-1648-11e7-ada0-
1489b735b3a3_story.html
– Adam Schiff accused Trump of trying to divert
Congress from its investigations of Russia’s role in the
– California lawmakers gave initial approval to a
2016 U.S. election and any links between Moscow and the
Trump campaign. He said the Republican president and his measure that prevents law enforcement from
aides have instead attempted to throw the focus on the cooperating with federal immigration officials, a
measure that proponents said rebukes President Donald
possibility of illegal leaks of classified information and
Trump for his immigration crackdown. It makes California
whether Trump or his associates were caught up in
a statewide sanctuary for many people who are in the
incidental collection by surveillance that was targeting
country illegally.
foreigners.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-
government/national-politics/article142506584.html
idUSKBN1740OL

– The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Neil

April 3, 2017 Monday
Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court, the first

199
hurdle in a week heading towards a political showdown – Fox News hit with new Ailes harassment suit in wake
and a permanent change to Senate rules. of O’Reilly bombshell.

http://time.com/4723448/neil-gorsuch-confirmation-vote- http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/03/media/julie-roginsky-
senate lawsuit-fox-news-roger-ailes/index.html

– Top White House officials met moderate and – Eleven killed in suspected suicide bombing on Russian
conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of metro train.
Representatives on Monday in an effort to revive a plan
to repeal and replace Obamacare. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-blast-metro-
idUSKBN17519G
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obamacare-pence-
idUSKBN1752Q2 http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/03/europe/st-petersburg-
russia-explosion/index.html
– Ever since he seized power in a military takeover nearly
four years ago, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt has April 4, 2017 Tuesday
been barred from the White House. But Trump made clear
on Monday that the period of ostracism was over as he
– A chemical attack occurred in Syria and Trump
hosted Mr. Sisi and pledged unstinting support for the blamed the Syrian regime’s “heinous actions” on the
autocratic ruler.
Obama administration’s “weakness and irresolution.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/world/middleeast/- https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/activists-say-gas-
egypt-sisi-trump-white-house.html
attack-kills-civilians-in-syria-as-eu-leaders-discuss-
reconstruction/2017/04/04/16093d24-190a-11e7-8003-
– Ex-Trump adviser, Carter Page, gave energy industry f55b4c1cfae2_story.html
documents to Russian spy, court files show.
– Advertisers flee ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ amid sexual-
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/03/trump- harassment claims against host.
russia-carter-page-energy-industry-files-spy
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/advertisers
– Trump signed into law a resolution that repealed -flee-the-oreilly-factor-amid-sexual-harassment-claims-
protections requiring Internet service providers to get against-host/2017/04/04/38f63464-1959-11e7-855e-
your permission before collecting and sharing data. 4824bbb5d748_story.html
Democrats and privacy advocates have argued this
approach effectively hands over the customer’s personal – U.S. would slash EPA vehicle testing budget under
information to the highest bidder. Trump plan.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/03/technology/internet-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-autos-environment-
privacy-law-trump/index.html
idUSKBN1762R4

– Trump and his son hype misleading reports blaming

– Trump’s senior adviser Kushner meets Iraqi PM.
Susan Rice for alleged wiretap. Right-wing conspiracy
theorist Mike Cernovich claims Obama’s national security
adviser, Susan Rice, ordered the “unmasking” of Trump http://www.aljazeera.com/video/news/2017/04/trumps-
campaign associates ensnared in U.S. surveillance of senior-adviser-kushner-meets-iraqi-pm-
foreign agents. It was picked up by Bloomberg’s Eli Lake 170404083555815.html
and then amplified in other conservative media outlets —
as vindication of the president’s claims, which have been – Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro predicted Tuesday that
debunked by various lawmakers, intelligence officials and the investigations into Trump’s campaign’s ties to
federal investigators. Russia would lead to imprisonment for some of the key
players. “I wouldn’t be surprised after all of this is said and
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/trump-and-his-son- done that some people end up in jail.”
hype-misleading-reports-blaming-susan-rice-for-alleged-
wiretap/ http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/04/politics/joaquin-castro-
cnntv-jail/
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-04-03/top-
obama-adviser-sought-names-of-trump-associates-in-intel
200
– Republicans are set to use the “nuclear option” to get
Neil Gorsuch confirmed to the Supreme Court.

http://mindy-fischer-writer.com/2017/04/republicans-
using-nuclear-option-win-democratic-party-base/

– North Korea test-fires missile into sea ahead of Trump-

Xi summit.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-
idUSKBN1762XX
– Trump removed his chief strategist Steve Bannon
– Trump officials told the newspaper they are evaluating from the National Security Council on Wednesday,
whether to require foreign nationals who visit the U.S. reversing his controversial decision early this year to give
to divulge cellphone contacts and passwords for social a political adviser an unprecedented role in security
media; new rules could potentially force visitors to supply discussions. The New York Times reported Wednesday
their phones to authorities to check their contacts. Another evening that Bannon “resisted the move” and threatened to
method would require visitors to supply authorities with resign if the change was made. It took the intervention of
the passwords for online accounts so they may view both billionaire Rebekah Mercer to persuade him to stay after
public and private interactions. Foreigners entering U.S. he was ousted from the NSC saying that achieving their
could be forced to hand over phones, answer questions on shared nationalistic goals was a “long-term play” and that
ideology; changes could apply to allies like France and he needed to remain. The shifting roles also restored the
Germany. Joint Chiefs chairman and intelligence director roles as
“regular attendees” of the Principals Committee on the
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/327133- NSC.
administration-reviewing-extreme-vetting-policies-report
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-security-
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration- idUSKBN17724S
considers-far-reaching-steps-for-extreme-vetting-
1491303602 http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/327534-
bannon-threatened-to-quit-if-removed-from-national-
– Infowars host Alex Jones threatens Adam Schiff: “I’ll security-council
beat your goddamn ass”.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/bannon-
http://www.salon.com/2017/04/04/infowars-host-alex- threatens-to-quit-white-house
jones-threatens-adam-schiff-ill-beat-your-goddamn-ass/
– House GOP mulls emergency meeting to push
https://www.mediamatters.org/video/2017/04/04/trump- Obamacare repeal.
ally-alex-jones-threatens-beat-rep-adam-schiff-s-goddamn-
ass-anti-gay-tirade/215903 http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/obamacare-repeal-
republican-emergency-236941
– Politico.com reports Gorsuch plagiarized. Supreme
Court nominee Neil Gorsuch copied the structure and April 6, 2017 Thursday
language used by several authors and failed to cite source
material in his book and an academic article, according to
documents provided to POLITICO. – Senate Republicans on Thursday crushed a
Democratic blockade of Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court
nominee in a fierce partisan brawl, approving a rule
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/gorsuch-writings- change dubbed the “nuclear option” to allow for
supreme-court-236891 conservative judge Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation by
Friday. Trump had encouraged Republican Senate
April 5, 2017 Wednesday Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “go nuclear.” “In 20
or 30 or 40 years, we will sadly point to today as a turning
point in the history of the Senate and the Supreme Court, a
day when we irrevocably moved further away from the
principles our founders intended for these institutions:
principles of bipartisanship, moderation and consensus,”

201
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the https://www.yahoo.com/news/tillerson-steps-way-remove-
Senate floor. assad-power-syria-200018022.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-gorsuch- – The House Ethics Committee announced today that it is

idUSKBN17814Y investigating Nunes’ actions after “allegations of
unauthorized disclosures of classified information,” noting
that the investigation “does not itself indicate that any
violation has occurred.”

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-
government/congress/article143054719.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-devin-nunes-steps-
russia-probe/story?id=46620555

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/devin-nunes-
russia-probe

– Trump arrived in Florida to hold his first meeting with – House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told
Chinese President Xi Jinping, facing pressure to make Republicans as they departed Washington on Thursday
good on promises for trade concessions and prevent a that their recesses could be cut short if a deal is reached
spiraling crisis with North Korea. on legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china- http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/327616-gop-
idUSKBN17815O leader-suggests-house-could-be-called-back-from-recess-
to-vote
– Twitter Inc said in a lawsuit on Thursday that it had
received a demand from U.S. officials for records that – Trump launches military strike against Syria. US
could reveal the user behind an account opposed to warships launched between 50-60 Tomahawk cruise
Trump and that it was challenging the demand in court. missiles at a Syrian government airbase where the
warplanes that carried out the chemical attacks were based,
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-lawsuit- US officials said.
idUSKBN1782PH

https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/twitter-sues-feds-
over-attempt-to-reveal-identity-behind

– Devin Nunes steps aside from House intelligence

committee’s Russia inquiry. Nunes said he would
‘temporarily’ leave the inquiry into Trump’s connections
to Russia, saying that ‘leftwing activists’ had filed ethics
complaints against him.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/06/devin-
nunes-leaves-house-intelligence-committee-russia-inquiry-
ethics-inquiry
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/donald-trump-
– Trump weighing military options following chemical syria-military/index.html
weapons attack in Syria. When asked if Trump would be
organizing an international coalition to remove Assad, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-
Tillerson said, “Those steps are underway.” security/trump-weighing-military-options-following-
chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria/2017/04/06/0c59603a-
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national- 1ae8-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html
security/trump-weighing-military-options-following-
chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria/2017/04/06/0c59603a- – Canada Welcomes Tech Companies That Are
1ae8-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html Spooked by Trump.

202
http://time.com/4728289/canada-welcomes-tech- http://en.addiyar.com/article/1340877-pentagon-informed-
companies-spooked-trump/ several-countries-of-planned-targeted-missile-strikes-in-
syria
April 7, 2017 Friday
https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2017/04/269543.h
– The Republican-led Senate confirmed Neil Gorsuch to tm
the Supreme Court tilting it to the right for decades.
– The US had provided Russia with advance
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2017/apr/07/senate- information of its deadly missile strikes on Syria,
confirms-neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-trump Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

– Russia warns of “extremely serious consequences” https://sputniknews.com/world/201704071052397457-

from U.S. strike in Syria. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry russia-kremlin-syria-strike/
Medvedev charged that the U.S. strikes were one step
away from clashing with Russia’s military. April 9, 2017 Sunday

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria- – A joint command center made up of the forces of

idUSKBN1782S0 Russian, Iran and allied militia alliance supporting
Syrian President Bashar al Assad said the U.S. strike on a
– Russia is suspending a communications channel with Syrian air base crossed “red lines” and it would now
the United States set up to avoid midair incidents between respond to any new aggression.
Russian and U.S. pilots in the skies over the Syria.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/327751-russia-suspends- allies-idUSKBN17B0K7
communication-line-with-us-meant-to-avoid-collisions-in-
syria Asked at a press conference whether the U.S. would lead
an international coalition to oust the Syrian leader,
– Truck drives into crowd in Stockholm, killing four Tillerson replied that “those steps are underway.”
people. Suspect arrested over incident which police are
treating as act of terrorism. http://www.wfaa.com/news/world/tillerson-steps-are-
underway-to-oust-syrias-assad/429294858
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/07/truck-
crashes-in-central-stockholm-sweden – Palm Sunday bombings of Egyptian Coptic churches
kill 44.
– Syrian military officials appeared to anticipate
Thursday night’s raid on Syria’s Shayrat air base, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-violence-
evacuating personnel and moving equipment ahead of the idUSKBN17B06U
strike, according to an eyewitness.
– As the US navy deployed a strike group towards the
http://abcnews.go.com/International/eyewitness-syrian- western Pacific Ocean, to provide a presence near the
military-anticipated-us-raid/story Korean peninsula, the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson,
said China agreed with the Trump administration that
– Syrian strikes didn’t target runway as to not effect “action has to be taken” regarding North Korea.
Russians, says US military official, & Tomahawk type
used was precision, not cratering. This might offer some https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/09/us-navy-
reassurance to Assad that the air strikes were more a slap strike-group-north-korea-peninsula-syria-missile-strike
on the wrist than the beginning of a knockout blow.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/08/politics/navy-korean-
https://twitter.com/CarlaBabbVOA/status/8503582989184 peninsula/index.html
94209
– Third Trump ally KT McFarland removed from
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle- National Security Council. Her departure follows that of
East/2017/0407/US-strike-sends-message-to-Syria-what-it- Michael Flynn and Stephen Bannon.
didn-t-say
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/kt-
mcfarland-national-security-council-singapore-

203
ambassador-stephen-bannon-michael-flynn-donald- April 11, 2017 Tuesday
a7675361.html
– White House spokesman Sean Spicer triggered an
April 10, 2017 Monday uproar on Tuesday by saying Adolf Hitler did not use
chemical weapons.
– North Korea ‘ready for war’ after US navy strike team
redeploys. Pyongyang cites ‘reckless moves’ by US and http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-hitler-
says it will defend the country from invasion ‘by powerful idUSKBN17D2N9
force of arms’.
– North Korean state media warned on Tuesday of a
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/11/north- nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of
korea-ready-for-war-us-navy-redeploys American aggression, if provoked.

– White House warns of potential US ‘red line’ over http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-nuclear-

Syria barrel bomb attacks idUSKBN17D0A4

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/10/syria- – The FBI obtained a secret court order last summer to

top-of-agenda-as-g7-foreign-ministers-meet-in-italy monitor the communications of Carter Page saying
there was probable cause to believe Page was acting as an
– Neil Gorsuch is Sworn in as Supreme Court Justice, agent of a foreign power (Russia).
placing a devoted conservative in the seat once occupied
by Justice Antonin Scalia and handing President Trump a http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-
victory in his push to shape the court for decades to come. idUSKBN17E00G

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/us/politics/neil- – Trump’s message to bankers: Wall Street reform rules

gorsuch-supreme-court.html (Dodd-Frank) may be eliminated. Trump said major
banking rules put in place after the 2008 financial crisis
– Russia and Iran request an ‘unbiased investigation’ were planned to get a “major haircut”.
into Syrian chemical attack
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-business-
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/syria- idUSKBN17D1ZD
chemical-attack-russia-iran-joint-investigation-weapons-
donald-trump-sergey-lavrov-mohammad-a7676856.html April 12, 2017 Wednesday

– Russia and Iran warn US they will ‘respond with – Russian President Vladimir Putin said trust had eroded
force’ if red lines crossed in Syria again. between the United States and Russia as Moscow
delivered an unusually hostile reception to Secretary of
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle- State Rex Tillerson in a face-off over Syria.
east/russia-iran-us-america-syria-red-lines-respond-with-
force-aggressor-air-strikes-war-latest-a7675031.html http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-
idUSKBN17E1AF
– Don Benton, the controversial former state senator from
Vancouver who was an early Donald Trump supporter, – Trump administration moving quickly to build up
will be nominated to head the U.S. Selective Service nationwide deportation force.
System.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-
http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation- administration-moving-quickly-to-build-up-nationwide-
politics/after-tension-at-epa-ex-state-sen-don-benton-to- deportation-force/2017/04/12/7a7f59c2-1f87-11e7-be2a-
lead-selective-service/ 3a1fb24d4671_story.html

[Other] It’s not just Syria. Trump is ratcheting up wars – Trump on NATO: ‘I said it was obsolete. It’s no longer
across the world. obsolete.’

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/10/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-
not-just-syria-trump-ratcheting-up-wars-world politics/wp/2017/04/12/trump-on-nato-i-said-it-was-
obsolete-its-no-longer-obsolete/

204
April 13, 2017 Thursday – British intelligence passed Trump associates’
communications with Russians on to US counterparts.
– U.S. drops ‘mother of all bombs’ in Afghanistan. The
United States dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb (cost http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/politics/trump-russia-
$16M), also known as the “mother of all bombs,” in british-intelligence/index.html
eastern Afghanistan on Thursday against a series of caves
used by Islamic State militants, the military said. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-
news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-bomb- links-russia
idUSKBN17F27U
– Trump signs bill that guts Title X emboldening states
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/201 that try to block access to health care, particularly at
7/04/13/u-s-military-drops-22000-pound-bomb-on- Planned Parenthood health centers, which provides basic
islamic-state-forces-in-afghanistan/ health care, including family planning, to millions of
Americans every year.
http://www.deagel.com/Defensive-Weapons/GBU-
43B_a000978001.aspx http://shareblue.com/donald-trump-just-killed-family-
planning-for-millions-of-americans/
– China warns against force against North Korea. With
a U.S. aircraft carrier group steaming to the area and – The former head of the British Secret Intelligence
tension rising, China said military force cannot resolve Service went on the record saying Donald Trump owes
tension over North Korea. money to Russia, putting Trump in a compromised
position that “lingers” over him as president.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-event-
idUSKBN17E2CT http://shareblue.com/breaking-former-uk-spy-chief-says-
trump-likely-owes-money-to-russia/
– NATO deploys troops to Poland. Poland on Thursday
welcomed the first U.S. troops in a multi-national force – Trump administration issued a final rule that will
which is being posted across the Baltic region to counter shorten the Obamacare enrollment period and give
potential threats from Russia. insurers more of what they say they need, likely making it
harder for some consumers to purchase insurance. It could
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato-russia-poland- also raise out-of-pocket medical expenses, the experts
idUSKBN17F290 said, because it gives insurers more flexibility in
determining the value of their coverage.
– Improperly stored raw meat among violations found at
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Undercooled meat, potentially http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-rule-
dangerous raw fish and broken coolers were among 13 idUSKBN17F2RX
violations found by restaurant inspectors at Mar-a-Lago.
– Trump administration halts Obama-era rule aimed at
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-maralago- curbing toxic wastewater from coal plants.
idUSKBN17F23A
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-
– Trump signed a resolution that will allow U.S. states to environment/wp/2017/04/13/trump-administration-halts-
restrict how federal funds for contraception and obama-era-rule-aimed-at-curbing-toxic-wastewater-from-
reproductive health are spent, a move cheered by anti- coal-plants/
abortion campaigners.
– Trump’s administration has been quietly loosening
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-abortion- firearms restrictions in the United States after
idUSKBN17F2IH successfully seeking the support of gun owners on the
campaign trail.
– CIA director labels WikiLeaks a ‘hostile intelligence
service’. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-
government/white-house/article144436204.html
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/mike-pompeo-
wikileaks-hostile-intelligence-service-237206 April 14, 2017 Friday

205
– China fears North Korea-US conflict ‘at any moment’. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-arkansas-execution-stay-
China said tension over North Korea had to be stopped idUSKBN17G1L4
from reaching an “irreversible and unmanageable stage.”
– Former Afghan president calls decision to drop massive
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39600426 U.S. bomb ‘treason’.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-event- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-bomb-
idUSKBN17E2CT idUSKBN17F27U

– Trump will keep list of White House visitors secret. – North Korea displays apparently new missiles as U.S.
carrier group approaches. New missiles centre of huge
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post- parade as Kim Jong-un aide threatens ‘annihilating’
politics/wp/2017/04/14/trump-to-discontinue-obama- nuclear strike
policy-of-voluntarily-releasing-white-house-visitor-logs/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-
– EPA chief Scott Pruitt calls for an ‘exit’ from the Paris anniversary-idUSKBN17G0WU
climate agreement.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy- korea-nuclear-war-weapons-tests-launch-kim-jong-un-
environment/wp/2017/04/14/trumps-epa-chief-scott-pruitt- donald-trump-parade-missiles-day-of-the-sun-
calls-for-an-exit-to-the-paris-climate-agreement/ a7684776.html

– Trump’s lawyers in a federal court filing argued that he – Maxine Waters rallies Tax March crowd for Trump’s
cannot be sued for inciting his supporters to hurt impeachment.
protesters because, as the president, he is immune from
civil lawsuits. http://thehill.com/homenews/house/328979-waters-rallies-
tax-march-crowd-for-trumps-impeachment
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/trump-inciting-
violence-protest-rally-lawsuit-237249 – Man accused of assaulting woman at election rally
says Trump inspired him. Lawyers for veteran being
April 15, 2017 Saturday sued over an altercation at a Trump campaign rally in
Kentucky says he acted at the candidate’s urging.
– Thousands at U.S. rallies demand Trump release tax
returns. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/15/trump-
campaign-rally-lawsuit-assault-kentucky
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-taxes-
idUSKBN17H0FW – G.O.P. Bill Would Make Medical Malpractice Suits
Harder to Win.
– Right, left-wing protesters clash in Berkeley,
California park. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/15/us/politics/republica
ns-health-care-bill-medical-malpractice-suits.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-berkeley-protests-
idUSKBN17H0LU April 16, 2017 Sunday

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics- – EPA emerges as major target after Trump solicits

government/national-politics/article144817389.html policy advice from industry, dramatic steps that Trump
officials are likely to take in overhauling federal policies,
– U.S. judge puts hold on Arkansas plan for successive especially those designed to advance environmental
executions. Arkansas planned to begin the lethal injections protection and safeguard worker rights.
of at least six convicted murderers on Monday and
complete the executions before the end of April (totaling https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/epa-emerges-as-
8). Arkansas had scheduled the fast-paced series of major-target-after-trump-solicits-policy-advice-from-
executions in order to beat the expiration date on its industry/2017/04/16/87a8a55a-205d-11e7-ad74-
batch of one of the three drugs used in its lethal injection 3a742a6e93a7_story.html
cocktail.

206
– ICE immigration arrests of noncriminals double http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donal
under Trump. d-trump-obama-foreign-policy-failure-tweet-syria-
afghanistan-twitter-a7687331.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/immigration-
arrests-of-noncriminals-double-under- April 18, 2017 Tuesday
trump/2017/04/16/98a2f1e2-2096-11e7-be2a-
3a1fb24d4671_story.html – Trump ordered federal agencies to look at tightening a
visa program used to bring high-skilled foreign workers
– Trump reverses campaign pledge to label China to the United States, as he tries to carry out his campaign
‘currency manipulator’ in light of North Korea pledge to put “America First.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-visa-
politics/donald-trump-china-currency-manipulator- idUSKBN17K02U
treasury-department-report-manufacturers-xi-jinping-
meeting-a7686261.html – Asylum applications in Mexico surge after Trump
election win.
– Trump claimed that the tens of thousands of protesters
that want his tax returns made public were paid; http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-
demanding an investigation into who paid them. mexico-exclusive-idUSKBN17K2CE

http://www.politicususa.com/2017/04/16/trump-bonkers- – Congressional critics of the Department of Homeland

demands-investigation-protesters-tax-returns.html Security should “shut up’’ and assume the agency is
acting appropriately and following the law, the agency’s
– Mike Pence warns North Korea: ‘Era of strategic chief said in a combative public speech.
patience is over’; reiterates commitment to protect South
Korea during visit the heavily armed border with the https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-
North. security/dhs-secretary-kelly-says-congressional-critics-
should-shut-up-or-change-laws/2017/04/18/8a2a92b6-
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/17/mike- 2454-11e7-b503-9d616bd5a305_story.html
pence-north-korea-missile-nuclear-strategic-patience-is-
over – Trump just targeted a new opponent — Canada’s
dairy trade industry.
April 17, 2017 Monday
http://time.com/4745273/donald-trump-canada-dairy-
– Trump called Turkey’s Erdogan to congratulate him trade-industry/
on referendum win.
– World Leaders On Edge as Trump Weighs Pulling
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-election-usa- U.S. Out of Paris Climate Deal.
idUSKBN17J1M3
http://time.com/4723481/donald-trump-paris-agreement-
– Burying ‘Trumpomania,’ Kremlin TV says Trump withdraw/
scarier than North Korean leader.
– Pruitt allies explore hiring private lawyers to rewrite
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-trump-media- EPA rule to bypass the EPA employees who spent five
idUSKBN17J16D years writing the Waters of the U.S. regulation — the
kinds of career federal bureaucrats whom supporters of
– Trump’s travel policies hurting ‘U.S. brand’ and President Donald Trump often deride as the “deep state.”
discouraging tourists, experts say.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/pruitt-water-rules-
http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/17/news/economy/trump- private-lawyers-237339
travel-tourism/index.html
– U.S. carrier not near North Korea after all despite
– Trump says he has ‘exposed the total failure’ of what the president said.
Obama’s foreign policy.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/18/
donald-trump-carl-vinson-north-korea-armada/100611334/

207
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/despite-talk-of-a- – The White House is gearing up for a government
military-strike-trumps-armada-was-a-long-way-from- shutdown fight to secure money for a border wall, more
korea/2017/04/18/e8ef4237-e26a-4cfc-b5e9- immigration enforcement officers and a bigger military.
526c3a17bd41_story.html
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/19/donald-trump-
April 19, 2017 Wednesday border-security-shutdown-fight-237376

– U.S. House banking chairman unveils Dodd-Frank – [Other] Dan Rather: While we were distracted by
replacement. O’Reilly, Trump brought us closer to World War III.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-banks-doddfrank- http://resistancereport.com/politics/dan-rather-oreilly/
idUSKBN17L2VE
April 20, 2017 Thursday
– Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016
U.S. election to Trump and undermine voters’ faith in – White House Officials, Craving Progress, Push Revised
the American electoral system. Health Bill.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-election- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/us/politics/affordabl
exclusive-idUSKBN17L2N3 e-care-act-house-republicans-trump.html

– The EPA said it would begin the process of shrinking – Trump launches trade probe targeting Chinese steel.
its 15,000-employee workforce through buyouts, in the
wake of President Trump’s executive order last month
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-steel-
aimed at streamlining agencies throughout the federal
idUSKBN17M237
government.
– U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, the Republican
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-
chairman of the House oversight committee, said on
environment/wp/2017/04/19/epa-plans-to-offer-buyouts-
Thursday he has not ruled out leaving before his term
as-part-of-trump-push-to-shrink-workforce/
finishes.

– Berkeley cancels conservative firebrand Ann Coulter’s

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-chaffetz-
speech over fears of more violent protests.
idUSKBN17M29S

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post- – Rex Tillerson Warns Iran Over ‘Alarming’ Behavior in

nation/wp/2017/04/19/berkeley-cancels-ann-coulter- The Middle East.
speech-over-fears-of-more-violent-protests/
http://time.com/4747912/rex-tillerson-iran-middle-east-
– [Other] How Bill O’Reilly created Donald Trump.
nuclear-deal/

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/19/politics/bill-oreilly-fox-
– Exxon seeking U.S. permission to resume oil project in
news-ailes/index.html
Russia. With its old C.E.O. Rex Tillerson running the
State Department, this should be a piece of cake.
– [Other] Neurologist Diagnoses Trump With
‘Cognitive Failure’ – Mental Ability Limited. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/exxon-russia-
sanctions-rex-tillerson
http://bipartisanreport.com/2017/04/19/neurologist-
diagnoses-trump-with-cognitive-failure-mental-ability-
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/business/energy-
limited-details/ environment/exxon-mobil-russia-sanctions-waiver-oil.html

http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/donald-trumps-
– U.S. defense secretary James Mattis met with Saudi
mental-lapses-rapidly-worsen-as-he-keeps-calling-paul-
royals, American officials suggested that Washington
ryan-by-wrong-name/2352/
might provide additional military and intelligence
assistance to the kingdom’s fight in Yemen.
http://www.palmerreport.com/politics/brain-specialist-
doctor-believes-donald-trumps-frontal-lobe-is-
http://www.newsweek.com/yemen-civil-war-us-saudi-
failing/2354/
arabia-airstrikes-houthi-rebels-587018
208
– US could end visa-free travel for Europeans, Trump’s http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/20/donald-trump-
Secretary of Homeland Security says. protest-rallies-speech-237431

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us- – Palin invited Ted Nugent and Kid Rock to the White
politics/us-visa-waiver-ends-european-travel-donald- House because ‘Jesus was booked’.
trump-john-kelly-homeland-security-a7692861.html
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/20/trump-ted-
– Trump hosts man who called for death of Barack nugent-kid-rock-sarah-palin-237402
Obama and Hillary Clinton at White House.
– Jeff Sessions doesn’t think a judge in Hawaii — a.k.a.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us- ‘an island in the Pacific’ — should overrule Trump.
politics/donald-trump-ted-nugent-sarah-palin-white-house-
visit-kid-rock-photo-a7693361.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-
fix/wp/2017/04/20/jeff-sessions-doesnt-think-a-judge-in-
– Pentagon chief: US won’t reveal ‘mother of all bombs’ hawaii-a-k-a-an-island-in-the-pacific-should-overrule-
toll. trump/

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics- April 21, 2017 Friday

government/national-politics/article145732534.html
– Sanctuary Cities Face Aid Cuts as Justice Dept.
– A divided Supreme Court has rejected appeals that Tightens Screws. Trump administration sent letters Friday
would have put off the execution of Arkansas inmate to nine jurisdictions telling them they were obligated to
Ledell Lee. New justice Neil Gorsuch voted with the prove compliance.
majority of five to deny the stay of execution sought by
Lee and the other inmates. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/us/politics/sanctuary
-city-justice-department.html
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-
government/national-politics/article145719289.html http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-
sanctuary-idUSKBN17N2JA
– US prepares charges to seek arrest of WikiLeaks’
Julian Assange. – California cities ready to fight Trump’s call to punish
so-called ‘sanctuary cities’.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/politics/julian-assange-
wikileaks-us-charges/index.html http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-
world/national/article146093959.html
– UC Berkeley reverses course, re-books canceled Ann
Coulter speech. – [Other] Tech firms look to Canada in light of Trump
H1-B visa reform.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-coulter-
idUSKBN17M1W1 https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/tech-firms-look-
canada-light-trump-h1-b-visa-reform-122513990.html
– White House turns up heat on Congress to revise the
Affordable Care Act. – Arkansas execution flurry marks early test for new
Justice Gorsuch who casts death-penalty vote in one of
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/gop-leaders- his first Supreme Court cases. Gorsuch helped clear the
downplay-revisions-to-health-care-bill-offered-by-house- way for Arkansas to hold its first execution in 12 years, a
moderate/2017/04/20/3890a8f8-25d7-11e7-bb9d- sign of the challenges facing other inmates seeking to
8cd6118e1409_story.html block their executions next week.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/20/obamacare- https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/gors
repeal-republicans-new-deal-237397 uch-casts-death-penalty-vote-in-one-of-his-first-supreme-
court-cases/2017/04/21/2d9bc5dc-26a8-11e7-a1b3-
– Trump’s lawyers argued in a Thursday court filing that faff0034e2de_story.html
protesters “have no right” to “express dissenting
views” at Trump’s campaign rallies because such http://www.reuters.com/article/us-arkansas-execution-
protests infringed on his First Amendment rights. idUSKBN17N1IO

209
– Treasury Department will not grant exemptions to – Transcript of AP interview with Trump.
companies looking to drill in Russia, including Exxon
Mobil, in a move aimed at showing the United States https://apnews.com/c810d7de280a47e88848b0ac74690c83
would maintain a tough stance on sanctions against
Moscow.
April 22, 2017 Saturday

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-exxon-mobil-sanctions- – March for Science draws big crowds across U.S. The
russia-usa-idUSKBN17N2B5 marches were effectively protests against steep cuts that
Trump has proposed for federal science and research
– Trump: Marine Le Pen is ‘strongest candidate’ in budgets and his administration’s skepticism about
French election. Trump claims he did not ‘explicitly climate change and the need to slow global warming.
endorse’ when appearing to support the far-right leader ‘There is no Planet B’. More than 600 marches held
known for her Islamophobic and xenophobic platform. around the world, with organizers saying science ‘under
attack’ from a White House that dismisses the threat of
https://www.theguardian.com/us- climate change.
news/2017/apr/21/donald-trump-marine-le-pen-french-
presidential-election https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/22/m
arch-for-science-earth-day-climate-change-trump
– Trump ordered his Treasury Department to review
measures put in place by the Obama administration, setting https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-
the stage for a rollback of regulations that were science/big-turnout-expected-for-march-for-science-in-
intended to curtail corporate tax evasion and prevent dc/2017/04/21/67cf7f90-237f-11e7-bb9d-
another financial crisis. 8cd6118e1409_story.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/us/politics/trump- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-earth-day-usa-march-
order-takes-aim-at-tax-regulations-imposed-by- idUSKBN17O09F
obama.html
– Trump’s promised “big announcement” next week on
– U.S. states realign in legal battle over Trump’s travel overhauling the U.S. tax code will consist of “broad
ban which faces its second challenge at a U.S. appeals principles and priorities,” an administration official said.
court next month, and this time more Republican states are
backing the measure. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tax-trump-
idUSKBN17O0KY
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-legal-
idUSKBN17O00W
– Trump officials delay grant for Caltrain upgrade.
California officials, who had hoped the long-awaited
– Trump on US charging Julian Assange: ‘It’s OK with project would mesh nicely with Trump’s call for fresh
me’. spending on the nation’s aging infrastructure but an
otherwise popular initiative has become a GOP target,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us- seen as a pet project of the former president.
politics/donald-trump-julian-assange-wikileaks-response-
a7696326.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/though-shovels-
are-ready-trump-officials-delay-grant-for-caltrain-
– Trump has ‘dangerous mental illness’, say psychiatry upgrade/2017/04/22/013ee458-160c-11e7-ada0-
experts at Yale conference. Mental health experts say 1489b735b3a3_story.html
President is ‘paranoid and delusional’.
– Surgeon general is removed by Trump
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donal administration, replaced by deputy for now.
d-trump-dangerous-mental-illness-yale-psychiatrist-
conference-us-president-unfit-james-gartner- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-
a7694316.html health/wp/2017/04/22/surgeon-general-vivek-h-murthy-
removed-by-trump-administration-replaced-by-deputy-for-
– Indian techies, IT firms fret as Trump orders U.S. visa now/
review.
– Trump and his top aides have been calling on Congress
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-india- to take dramatic action in the coming week: vote on
immigration-idUSKBN17N1VA health care, take up tax reform and demand that
210
Democrats agree to a stopgap spending measure that https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-
includes funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico fix/wp/2017/04/24/trumps-bragging-boastful-ap-interview-
border. annotated/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/ryan- – U.S. college campuses have been the “hotbed of anti-

promises-to-keep-government-open–and-makes-no- Semitism,” according to researchers at Tel Aviv
promises-on-health-care/2017/04/22/2f9aeaea-2769-11e7- University. The Anti-Defamation League found that anti-
b503-9d616bd5a305_story.html Semitic incidents overall, which it says were driven by
the presidential election, skyrocketed last year and in
April 23, 2017 Sunday first months of 2017.

– (Other) North Korea says it is ready to strike U.S. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-

aircraft carrier. faith/wp/2017/04/24/the-hotbed-of-anti-semitism-isnt-a-
foreign-country-but-u-s-college-campuses-report-says/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-japan-
idUSKBN17P01Y – Trump calls for new U.N. sanctions on North Korea.

– Trump, Pence allies rake in millions as new http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-

Washington lobbyists. idUSKBN17Q06N

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/23/ – China urges ‘restraint’ amid North Korea threat to

trump-pence-allies-cash-lobbyists-swamp- sink a U.S. aircraft carrier. Xi Jinping Urges Trump to
president/100782332/ ‘Avoid Aggravating’ North Korea.

– Senior US officials hint that Donald Trump’s Mexican http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39695503

border wall could lead to government shutdown.
http://time.com/4753577/xi-jinping-donald-trump-north-
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mexic korea-restraint/
an-us-border-wall-funding-congress-donald-trump-veto-
shut-down-government-john-kelly-mick-a7697846.html – Entire U.S. Senate to go to White House for North
Korea briefing. All 100 senators have been asked to the
– Trump has worst poll approval rating at 100 days than White House for the briefing by Secretary of State Rex
any President since 1945. Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of
National Intelligence Dan Coats and General Joseph
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donal Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
d-trump-worst-approval-rating-since-1945-barack-obama-
higher-foreign-policy-jobs-hillary-a7697381.html http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-nuclear-usa-
senate-idUSKBN17Q1LR
April 24, 2017 Monday
– U.S. Senate confirmed former Georgia Governor Sonny
Perdue as secretary of agriculture.
– Trump pressed congressional Republicans to use the
threat of a government shutdown to win funding for a
wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-perdue-
idUSKBN17Q2BS
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/showdown-
looms-as-trump-demands-funding-for-wall-on-us-mexico- – U.S. State Department website published an article
border/2017/04/23/5e0a2840-276a-11e7-b503- this month about Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in
9d616bd5a305_story.html Florida, stoking criticism from prominent ethics experts.

– Trump’s boastful AP interview – Some of the claims http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-resort-ethics-

are truly remarkable, including that he may have given idUSKBN17Q2BC
the greatest speech in the history of the House chamber
and that a Democrat told him he’d be among the greatest – Students who invited conservative commentator Ann
presidents ever. Coulter to speak at the University of California at
Berkeley sued school officials saying their postponement
of her talk was discriminatory and violated free speech
rights.
211
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-coulter- – Republicans in Congress push for religious liberty
idUSKBN17Q22Y executive order asking Trump to scale back Obama-era
protections for gays and lesbians in order to make good on
– Trump to impose tariffs on Canadian softwood a campaign promise to protect religious liberty.
lumber.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/24/
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a- republicans-congress-push-religious-liberty-executive-
lobbying/330335-trump-to-impose-tariffs-on-canadian- order/100842590/
softwood-lumber
April 25, 2017 Tuesday
– AP uses the word “Unintelligible” sixteen times in its
interview transcript with Donald Trump. – German crowd boos Ivanka Trump for calling her
father a ‘champion’ for families.
http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/ap-uses-the-word-
unintelligible-sixteen-times-in-its-interview-transcript- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/
with-donald-trump/2432/ 25/ivanka-trump-wants-to-help-female-entrepreneurs-they-
say-her-dad-is-making-their-work-harder/
– Transcript of AP interview with Trump.
– Public pans Republicans’ latest approach to replacing
https://apnews.com/c810d7de280a47e88848b0ac74690c83 Affordable Care Act. American public disagrees with
the course that Trump and congressional Republicans
– US Supreme Court clears way for rare double are pursuing to replace the Affordable Care Act with
conservative policies, according to a new Washington
execution in Arkansas. Ruling came just minutes before
Post-ABC News poll.
another inmate was pronounced dead. Lethal injections
will be first double execution in more than 16 years.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-
https://www.theguardian.com/us- science/public-pans-republicans-latest-approach-to-
replacing-affordable-care-act/2017/04/25/25355eb0-26aa-
news/2017/apr/24/arkansas-double-executions-supreme-
11e7-bb9d-8cd6118e1409_story.html
court-jack-jones-marcel-williams

– Trump fumes about supposedly ‘fake’ polls giving him – Trump signals delay on border wall funding to avoid
government shutdown; tells conservative media his
a dismal approval rating.
$1.4bn demand could be pushed to September, avoiding a
spending freeze on his 100th day in office.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-fumes-supposedly-
fake-polls-giving-dismal-approval-rating-131804187.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/25/trump-
signals-delay-on-border-wall-funding-to-avoid-
– Trump seeks 15 percent corporate tax rate, even if it government-shutdown
swells the national debt. Trump has instructed advisers to
propose cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to
15 percent, according to White House officials. – Michael Flynn’s Russia payment likely broke
disclosure laws, the leading Republican and Democrat on
the House oversight committee said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump
-seeks-15-percent-corporate-tax-rate-even-if-it-swells-the-
https://www.theguardian.com/us-
national-debt/2017/04/24/0c78a35c-2923-11e7-be51-
b3fc6ff7faee_story.html news/2017/apr/25/michael-flynn-russia-payment-house-
panel-investigation
– Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote
– White House refuses to hand over documents to
Monday that the court is developing a “disturbing
House Oversight Committee on Michael Flynn to
trend” of siding with police officers accused of excessive
force at the expense of their alleged victims, a notion Trump-Russia investigation.
disputed by two of her colleagues.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-
politics/trump-russia-investigation-michael-flynn-
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/soto
documents-white-house-a7701921.html
mayor-sees-disturbing-trend-of-unequal-treatment-
regarding-police-alleged-victims/2017/04/24/dfe8c368-
2912-11e7-b605-33413c691853_story.html – Trudeau vows to defend Canada interests as U.S.
targets lumber and trade tensions between the two
212
countries escalated, sending the Canadian dollar to a 14- federal deficit balloon if enacted, and would be the
month low.. largest overhaul since Reagan era.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-canada-trade- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/us/politics/trump-
idUSKBN17R1VZ tax-cut-plan.html

– Trump to strip all funding from State Department http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tax-

team promoting women’s rights around the world. idUSKBN17S1CE

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/26/trump-
politics/donald-trump-budget-2018-state-department-cut- tax-cuts-proposal-deductions-brackets
office-global-womens-issues-oxfam-ivanka-
a7701631.html – Mnuchin: Trump has ‘no intention’ of releasing his
tax returns.
– Trump behaviour ‘showing a lot of signs’ of
dangerous mental illness, says psychiatrist. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/26/trump-no-tax-
returns-steven-mnuchin-237642
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-
politics/donald-trump-mental-illness-signs-yale- – U.S. Commerce Department launched an
psychiatrist-dr-bandy-lee-dangerous-us-president- investigation to determine whether a flood of aluminum
goldwater-a7700816.html imports from China and elsewhere was compromising
U.S. national security, a step that could lead to broad
– Hannity: Liberal ‘fascism’ trying to silence every import restrictions on the metal.
conservative voice.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-aluminum-
http://thehill.com/homenews/media/330362-hannity- idUSKBN17T044
liberal-fascism-trying-to-silence-every-conservative-voice
– Republican lawmakers launched the next round in
– Sen. Richard Burr, Republican chairman of the Senate their fight against federal regulation as the U.S. Senate
Intelligence Committee, said in a recent interview that the began work on legislation to change nearly every step
U.S. and Russia are locked in a new Cold War. agencies take in creating and applying new rules.

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/330439-burr-us- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-regulation-
in-new-cold-war-with-russia idUSKBN17S33P

– A U.S. judge blocked Trump’s executive order that – The conservative House Freedom Caucus came out in
sought to withhold federal funds from so-called support of a reworked U.S. healthcare overhaul bill.
sanctuary cities, dealing another legal blow to the The bill would replace Obamacare’s income-based tax
administration’s efforts to toughen immigration credit with a flat age-based credit, roll back an expansion
enforcement. of the Medicaid government health insurance program for
the poor and repeal most Obamacare taxes. The
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-ruling- nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated 24
idUSKBN17R2QO million fewer people would have insurance under the
bill.
– [Other] New Alt-Right “Fight Club” Ready for Street
Violence. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-
idUSKBN17S2F1
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/04/25/new-alt-
right-%E2%80%9Cfight-club%E2%80%9D-ready-street- – FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed overturning the
violence landmark 2015 Obama-era net neutrality rules that
prohibit broadband providers from giving or selling access
to certain internet services over others.
April 26, 2017 Wednesday

– Trump unveiled a one-page plan proposing deep U.S. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fcc-neutrality-

idUSKBN17S2I3
tax cuts, many for businesses, that would make the

213
– Trump looks to renegotiate, not cancel NAFTA With http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-
Canada. missile-test-intercontinental-ballistic-minuteman-
california-donald-trump-north-korea-kim-jong-un-
http://time.com/4757113/trump-nafta-renegotiate-cancel/ a7704391.html

http://www.npr.org/2017/04/27/525918213/trump-looks- – Nuclear attack drills staged near Manhattan as US-

to-renegotiate-nafta-with-canada North Korea tensions escalate.

– Trump is considering splitting up the U.S. Court of http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-

Appeals for the Ninth Circuit after its recent rulings that politics/new-york-nuclear-attack-drills-manhattan-north-
have blocked two of his executive orders. korea-bomb-threat-trump-a7704516.html

http://time.com/4756872/donald-trump-ninth-circuit-court/ – Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein on Trump-Russia

investigation: ‘Oh my god, there’s a cover-up going on’.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-
politics/trump-russia-investigation-cover-up-michael-
flynn-carl-bernstein-a7704381.html

April 27, 2017 Thursday

– U.S. Senate confirms R. Alexander Acosta to head

Labor Department, first Hispanic member of the Trump
cabinet.

– Pentagon and Trump officials sound alarm on North http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-labor-

Korea nuclear threat, summoning all 100 senators to idUSKBN17T3D1
the White House to hear top defense officials declare that
defending the U.S. from a possible nuclear attack has
– FCC chief unveils plan to scrap Obama-era internet
become a top priority.
rules to reverse the landmark 2015 “net neutrality” order
and disclosed the agency may withdraw “bright line” rules
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics- barring internet companies from blocking, throttling or
government/white-house/article147000349.html giving “fast lanes” to some websites.

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/330791- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet-fcc-
senators-get-n-korea-briefing-in-rare-meeting idUSKBN17T34W

– Iran fires new cruise missiles amid gulf tensions with – Mike Flynn under formal investigation by Pentagon
U.S. over payments from Russia.

http://www.newsweek.com/iran-military-fire-cruise- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/27/mike-
missiles-gulf-tensions-us-590462 flynn-pentagon-formal-investigation-russia

– White House press secretary Spicer blames Obama for

Flynn’s security clearance.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/330925-
spicer-blames-obama-for-flynns-security-clearance

– Senate Minority Leader Schumer objected to a deal

on passing a one-week stopgap government funding
bill, citing concerns about ongoing negotiations over a
larger spending agreement. Schumer said there were still
– US conducts missile test amid growing tensions over unresolved “poison pill riders” being worked out on a
North Korea. longer spending deal that would fund the government
through Sept. 30.

214
– Senate Democrats are exploring a lawsuit against http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/28/jeff-sessions-
Trump on the grounds that his vast business empire has recusal-michael-flynn-investigation-237736
created conflicts of interest that violate the
Constitution. – Trump picks former anti-abortion leader, Charmaine
Yoest, for health and human services post
– Rep. Adam Schiff said Trump is likely to blame his
predecessor Barack Obama for any shortcomings or https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/28/trump-
difficulties during his time in office. “I’m confident of health-human-services-anti-abortion-charmaine-yoest
this, Chuck: On the last day of the Trump administration,
Trump will be blaming Obama for something,” Schiff told
– Trump warns of ‘major, major conflict’ with North
MSNBC.
Korea, though he would prefer to solve the standoff over
the country’s nuclear and missile programmes through
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/331011- diplomacy.
schiff-trump-will-blame-obama-during-his-entire-
presidency
https://www.theguardian.com/us-
news/2017/apr/28/donald-trump-warns-of-major-major-
– Trump will abolish women’s right to abortion, warns conflict-with-north-korea
expert US doctor. Dr Willie Parker said he expected the
Trump presidency to succeed in overturning Roe v – Trump pledges fealty to NRA gun lobby.
Wade.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-guns-
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donal idUSKBN17U2SX
d-trump-abortion-illegal-dr-willie-parker-planned-
parenthood-roe-v-wade-pro-life-choice-neil-
a7670496.html – House and Senate approve stopgap spending measure
while negotiators work to reach an agreement over a
longer-term funding package.
– House Republican leaders delayed a vote on their
Obamacare repeal bill until next week at the earliest,
denying Trump a major legislative victory during his https://www.theguardian.com/us-
first 100 days in office. news/2017/apr/28/government-shutdown-congress-hours-
before-deadline
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/27/house-
republicans-obamacare-repeal-votes-237685 – Trump tells NRA: ‘I am going to come through for
you’.
April 28, 2017 Friday
https://www.theguardian.com/us-
news/2017/apr/28/donald-trump-nra
– The House passed legislation to avoid a government
shutdown just hours ahead of a midnight deadline. The
weeklong stopgap measure easily passed. After the Senate – DeMint to be ousted from Heritage Foundation.
clears the bill late Friday, lawmakers will have one week
to hash out a longer-term spending package that lasts http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/28/demint-set-to-
through September. be-ousted-from-heritage-foundation-237754

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/331058-house-passes-bill- – EPA scrubs website of references to Obama climate

to-avoid-shutdown plans.

– Attorney General Sessions recuses himself from any http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/28/epa-website-

Michael Flynn investigation. The attorney general scrubbed-obama-climate-plans-237779
recused himself from the Justice Department’s
investigation into Russian interference in last year’s – North Korea test-fires ballistic missile in defiance of
election amid reports that he had met on multiple world pressure.
occasions with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. during the
campaign even though he had testified during his Senate http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-
confirmation hearing that he had not interacted with idUSKBN17U2XB
Russian officials.
– U.S. could speed up North Korea sanctions in
response to missile test.
215
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-usa- http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/first-100-days-of-
idUSKBN17U34D trump

– U.S. says time to act on North Korea, China says not Guardian:
up to Beijing alone.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-un- radio/2017/apr/27/the-simpsons-trump-first-100-days
tillerson-idUSKBN17U27O
Politico:
Trump’s first 100 Days: What media has said:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/04/26/trump
Wikipedia: -first-100-days-president-rating-accomplishments-215071

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_100_days_of_Donald_ Time:
Trump%27s_presidency
http://time.com/4748940/historians-president-trump-100-
The White House: days/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press- Newsweek:
office/2017/04/27/president-trumps-100-days-
accountability http://www.newsweek.com/simpsons-trump-first-100-
days-us-president-590692
Washington Post:
NBC News:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/
28/the-32-word-history-of-trumps-first-100-days/ http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/president-trumps-first-
100-days
USA Today:
CBS News:
https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-100-
days http://www.cbsnews.com/trump-first-100-days/

Wall Street Journal: ABC News:

http://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/donald-trumps-first- http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/photos/trumps-100-days-
100-days 45102963/image-47090714

New York Times: CNN:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/opinion/donald- http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/28/politics/donald-trump-
trumps-first-100-days-the-worst-on-record.html 100-days-tweets/

Fox News: BBC (UK):

http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/04/27/president-trump- http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39724045
best-and-worst-moments-his-first-100-days
The Telegraph (UK):
NPR:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/25/donald-
http://www.npr.org/2017/04/27/525584236/in-trumps- trumps-achievements-failures-first-100-days-president/
first-100-days-a-dramatic-reduction-in-immigration
CBC (Canada):
Reuters:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/donald-trump-100-days-
analysis-boag-1.4083673
216
Deutsche Welle (Germany) Hindustan Times (India)

http://www.dw.com/en/100-days-of-us-president-donald- http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/president-
trump-what-you-need-to-know/a-38605502 trump-completes-100-days-so-did-he-keep-his-
promises/story-8D8xGLYAyk5QShH3weh6KK.html
France 24 (France):
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong):
http://www.france24.com/en/20170425-trump-mark-first-
100-days-white-house-usa-president http://www.scmp.com/topics/donald-trumps-first-100-days

RT (Russia): What Trump said:

https://www.rt.com/shows/boom-bust/386412-donald- http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/331154-
trump-100-days/ trump-first-100-days-just-about-the-most-successful-in-
history
Global Times (China)
[Note: With few exceptions, sources are from mainstream
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/president- media and updated daily with additions and changes.]
trump-completes-100-days-so-did-he-keep-his-
promises/story-8D8xGLYAyk5QShH3weh6KK.html
.

217
 'Broken By US Power Machine':
Trump’s 100 Days Prove His Maverick Image Was Fake
Published Time: 29 Apr, 2017 05:15Edited Time: 29 Apr, 2017 16:50

Donald Trump’s election strategy relied to a degree on the

image of an anti-establishment billionaire who could fix a
broken DC. Instead, his actions in office have been aligned
with the policies of the same special interests he used to Skipping forward, Trump now says NATO is a “bulwark
speak out against. of international peace and security.” So it may be just a
matter of time before the US calls on its allies to bomb
Some of Trump’s critics say he was dishonest from the some country’s government out of power, regardless of
start. Others, like Russian Prime Minister Dmitry what goes on in the UN Security Council, just as it did in
Medvedev, believe he has been "broken" by the US Iraq in 2003.
establishment, which would not tolerate a president that
wanted to improve relations with Moscow or stop China
America’s perpetual wars.
China played the boogeyman in Trump’s campaign. It was
Either way, the 45th US president has proven himself blamed for lost US jobs and other maladies affecting of the
consistently inconsistent during his first 100 days in office. American worker. Candidate Trump repeatedly accused
Here are some of the issues Trump has done a 180 flip-flop Beijing of manipulating its currency, saying he would not
on since taking the Oval Office. allow it “to rape our country.” Moreover, he called the
US’ decades-old “one China policy” into question, while
NATO complaining about China failing to reign in North Korea.

The trans-Atlantic military bloc was an early target of

Trump’s ire. During the election campaign, he branded the
alliance “obsolete” and complained that its European
members were benefiting from America’s protection,
while failing to pay for it. Some British media outlets have
even reported that he had handed German Chancellor
Angela Merkel a multibillion dollar bill for services
rendered. Both governments have denied this, however.

218
Now, he claims that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping
developed a wonderful relationship during a meeting at the
Mar-a-Lago resort over “the most beautiful chocolate
cake.” However, the evening’s menu didn’t include a Big
Mac, which Trump promised he would offer Xi before
sitting down to work when he was a candidate. The
Chinese media has been mocking the US leader’s U-turn.

‘Policeman of the world’

During the presidential campaign, Trump insisted that the

US “cannot be the policeman of the world,” but now the
president is apparently quite comfortable in that very
position. Although he certainly didn’t shy away from
sending Navy SEALS to raid Yemeni villages supposedly
held by Al Qaeda shortly after his inauguration, it was the
barrage of Tomahawk missiles he launched on a Syrian The Trump administration had reportedly been considering
military airfield that set things straight on this issue. withdrawing from the deal via an executive order the same
way it quashed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in
January.

Russia

Trump, who repeatedly promised during his campaign that

he would improve America’s relations with Russia, saying
that “it would be great,” doesn’t sound very committed
anymore. Maybe it has something to do with US comedy
shows lampooning him as a weakling blackmailed by the
Kremlin or some vocal members of the media still crushed
by Hillary’s loss, who constantly excoriate him for having
‘Russia ties’, regardless of whether they have any proof or
not.

The White House said its act of international aggression

was a response to an alleged use of chemical weapons by
the Syrian government – which is yet to be properly
investigated. Ironically, that chemical incident came just
days after senior members of the Trump administration
had stated that deposing the government in Damascus was
no longer a goal for Washington.

NAFTA

Among the latest things Trump has backtracked on is the

free trade deal between the US, Canada, and Mexico,
better known as NAFTA. On the campaign trail, he called
it the “single worst trade deal ever” and a “killer” of US
jobs, but, on Thursday, the White House said the treaty Or, maybe, America’s elusive ‘Deep State’, which so
would remain in place. many in the US say doesn’t exist, is more powerful than
the most powerful man in the world, as the person sitting
in the Oval Office is often described. One can now wonder
where the US and Russia will be after Trump’s four years
and whether that place would have been any different if
Hillary Clinton had been at America’s helm.

219
 ‘Buffoonery On Steroids’:
Analyzing Trump’s First 100 Days As President
© Ap Photo/ Andrew Harnik - Politics
03:52 29.04.2017(Updated 03:58 29.04.2017)

and promises that he said he would do,

he’s done them, but he’s been knocked
back, primarily by the federal courts. [He]
also has met with widespread massive
resistance all over the place."

Smolarek said that so far, the Trump presidency has been

"an all-out attack on poor and working

people," specifically the proposed federal
budget which has "devastating cuts."
As US President Donald Trump closes
in on the much ballyhooed first 100
days mark, questions remain about his
effectiveness, as the president comes
up short on his litany of campaign
promises.

Radio Sputnik’s Loud and Clear spoke with Yahne Ndgo

from the Ubuntu Nation project, Sputnik News analyst
Walter Smolarek, Kevin Akin of the Peace and Freedom
Party and radio host Anoa Changa about Trump’s dubious © REUTERS/ Peter Nicholls - Trump 'Can Take Credit' for Creating
accomplishments and how his presidency so far has been 'Large-Scale' Revolts Across US in First 100 Days
colored by mass resistance.
Smolarek noted that the Army will be receiving an
additional$ 50 billion while essential social services
for citizens most in need will be slashed. He also said that
Trump’s American Health Care Act

Changa said there has been "buffoonery on steroids "is as much a gift to the insurance
coming out of the White House" in Trump’s 100 days, companies as Obamacare was; this would
saying the deadline has been line their pockets even more. I think the
policies have shown that this is certainly a
"a challenge to actually be what (Trump) government of the oligarchs, a government
claimed or portrayed that he was. He made of looting."
all these grand pronouncements that were
not grounded in anything factual." Loud and Clear Host Brian Becker pointed out that the
Republicans were not successful in their constant criticism
She added, of and attempts to repeal Obamacare. Trump took this
up as campaign promise, despite the fact that the
legislation was modeled after measures enacted by Mitt
"We’ve seen how he’s built on certain
Romney, a Republican, when he was governor
things left behind for him by the Bush and
of Massachusetts.
Obama administrations, but in terms
of carving out many of the key programs
220
Ndgo called this effort, "So it has nothing to do with the Affordable
Care Act [Obamacare] itself because it is a
"A throwback to the racism that was much more conservative measure
demonstrated during Obama’s presidency. than what we would have expected
This is very specifically about Obama as a to come out of that environment."
president and their insistence on not
supporting anything that he did, and not Akin remarked, "The less Trump gets done, the less
allowing him to have any piece of his damage is done to working people, because he is all
legacy, him being a black man as well a about doing damage to working people: that’s his whole
Democrat." reason for existence. That’s the reason for most
billionaires, all the more so when one of them becomes
She added, president."

221
 Jews Celebrate Successful
Coup Against Trump Administration
Marcus Cicero
April 29, 2017

Agudath Israel of America, a group

representing the ultra-Orthodox stream.

Liberal-leaning Jewish activists, once the backbone of

communal advocacy, had been pushed aside in favor of a
new elite made up of activists who are more conservative
in their politics and more Orthodox in their religious
practice.

The new leaders representing American

Jewish interests in the White House are
keen to shape policy on education and
If you don’t already, I suggest you study the Jewish Press religious expression and to ensure a
– the ones based in Israel – in order to get a full pro-Israel stance more in line with the
understanding of what they routinely plan in respect to the Netanyahu government.
Stupid Goyim.
…
You’ll usually see them admitting things that would never
make it into the American media, and if you’re not up on But there’s also the personal aspect.
the Jewish Problem, their rantings can be quite With the center of gravity moving from
enlightening, indeed. Washington, D.C. and New York’s Upper
West Side to New Jersey and Long
Like this little piece for example, which conclusively Island’s modern Orthodox enclaves, a
proves once and for all that Donald Trump is no longer a new power structure is emerging, one
trustworthy asset for White America, but is instead at the that was forged in the pews of Teaneck
mercy of his Jew advisers beyond any chance at synagogues and at New York religious
redemption/salvation. school fundraisers.

From Jewish Daily Forward: No one knows this better than Ben Chouake, a New Jersey
physician who heads NORPAC, America’s largest pro-
Among many moves aimed at reversing Israel PAC. Greenblatt and Friedman were on his board,
his predecessor’s policies, President and he even used to meet the Kushners at weddings and
Trump recently decided not to make family events. “I have a lot more comfort with this
public the White House visitors logs. administration,” Chouake said. In part, he says, it’s
Had they been open, the lists would because he shares background and beliefs with some of
reveal the profound change 100 days of Trump’s senior staffers. “This administration is much,
a Trump administration had brought much more congenial to U.S.-Israel relations,” he added.
about to the Jewish community’s power
structure. …
“The atmosphere has changed, at least
for us. There’s a sense of familiarity and The Zionist Organization of America,
greater receptivity and that makes a which was largely ignored by the
better atmosphere,” said Abba Cohen, Obama White House, is also seeing its
vice president for federal affairs at star rise under the new administration. It
was the first to score a meeting with a
222
 member of the Trump team after the once the millions of Trump supporters realize that they’ve
election. President Mort Klein met in New been conned and tricked in a manner that is almost
York with an aide, Anthony Scaramucci. He legendary in its scope.
left the White House shortly after.
That is our mission for the immediate future – convert the
The Orthodox Union raised its profile by lobbying in masses and solidify into a cohesive group that will be able
support of David Friedman’s confirmation. Chabad to make the corridors of power in Washington tremble.
welcomed Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump to
Washington, and Sheldon Adelson, one of Trump’s top
donors, who is not Orthodox, was already invited to a
private dinner with the President at the White House.
Groups Adelson supports, including the Republican Jewish
Coalition and Christians United for Israel, also got their
share of face time with Trump in the first 100 days of his
presidency.

But let’s just remember that Trump was just one step along
the road of Nationalism.

His Movement was truly real, and we need to take that into
account in the coming months – we shall grow stronger
.

223
 CNN's Cabrera Baffled At Ben Stein
Finding Anti-Trump Minhaj Jokes 'Sickening'
By Brad Wilmouth
April 30, 2017 | 10:49 PM EDT

As Ben Stein appeared as a guest on Sunday's CNN "I thought what Mr. Minhaj said was
Newsroom, host Ana Cabrera was visibly surprised that the sickening. Frankly, I felt like vomiting, and I
right-leaning actor and economist slammed Hasan couldn't watch it for very long."
Minhaj's anti-Donald Trump jokes as "sickening" as the
two discussed the liberal comedian's appearance at the Confused, Cabrera exclaimed,
White House Correspondents' Dinner.
"Why?!"
Stein also called out the media as a "joke" and a "sharp
instrument of the left" that are constantly "attacking" The right-leaning actor and former Nixon administration
President Trump. speech writer took aim at the media as he continued:

I think it's stunning to belittle and attack

and mock a President at such a base and
villainous level, and to describe him as a
Soviet agent and "liar-in-chief," especially
to the media. The media is a joke in this
situation. First of all, they're the ones who
built him up. Without the media, he would
still be back running casinos somewhere.
He has played the media fantastically well.
The media is not his enemy. He has
cleverly made the media his main ally, and
the media is laughing as if they think
At 7:27 p.m. ET, Cabrera introduced the segment: they're somebody great and holy and
neutral and above it all. They're not above
The annual White House Correspondents' Dinner took it all.
place in the nation's capital last night without the usual
guest of honor. President Donald Trump decided to skip Stein continued excoriating the media as he added:
this event, and instead attend a rally in Pennsylvania.
Comedian Hasan Minhaj pulled no punches in Trump's They are a sharp instrument of the left in
absence. this country, and -- but Trump has
managed to turn it on its head and make
After showing a couple of clips featuring Minhaj calling them the bad guys out there in
President Trump the "liar-in-chief," and joking about Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and places he
Russian President Vladimir Putin being the leader of the was never expected to win. So, I mean,
U.S., Cabrera brought aboard Stein and began by asking: they're laughing -- they should be laughing
at themselves, not laughing at him.
Ben, you had previously defended Mr. Trump's decision to
skip this dinner, saying he's a punching bag day after day Cabrera then tried to defend the media as she responded:
in the media. Do you still feel that that's the case? Is this
justified taking that position after watching the show? Well, I think the media did laugh at
ourselves. He, of course, the comedian
Stein immediately railed against Minhaj as he began: also took a lot of jabs at the media through
all of this. But, as you point out, I mean, the
President has had a contentious
relationship with the media, but other
224
 Presidents in the past, too, have had CABRERA: Comedian, actor, and economist Ben Stein joins us
similar challenges in dealing with the now from Las Angeles. Ben, you had previously defended Mr.
media. Trump's decision to skip this dinner, saying he's a punching bag
day after day in the media. Do you still feel that that's the case?
You know, our job as journalists is to hold
Is this justified taking that position after watching the show?
their feet to the fire, to hold government --
elected officials accountable. And, of
course, Presidents and people in power BEN STEIN: I thought what Mr. Minhaj said was sickening.
don't always like that. Frankly, I felt like vomiting, and I couldn't watch it for very long.

Stein argued that the media have been historically hostile CABRERA: Why?!
to President Trump as he continued:
STEIN: I think it's stunning --
Well, you know, I, if I may say this, I was a
speech writer for President Nixon -- I've CABRERA: What specifically?
always been a fan of President Nixon.
Even Nixon was not held up to the same STEIN: I think it's stunning to belittle and attack and mock a
level of ridicule, mockery, and vicious President at such a base and villainous level, and to describe him
attacks than Trump is. as a Soviet agent and "liar-in-chief," especially to the media. The
media is a joke in this situation. First of all, they're the ones who
After admitting that he has been a long-time critic of built him up. Without the media, he would still be back running
Trump, the right-leaning economist added: casinos somewhere. He has played the media fantastically well.
The media is not his enemy. He has cleverly made the media his
So I'm not a huge fan of his, but the level of main ally, and the media is laughing as if they think they're
attack on him by the media has been so somebody great and holy and neutral and above it all. They're
vicious, I've never seen anything like it. not above it all.
And every day's newspaper has got more
stories attacking him, attacking him, They are a sharp instrument of the left in this country, and -- but
attacking him. They just don't give the guy Trump has managed to turn it on its head and make them the
a break. bad guys out there in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and places he
was never expected to win. So, I mean, they're laughing -- they
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Sunday, should be laughing at themselves, not laughing at him.
April 30, CNN Newsroom with Ana Cabrera:
CABRERA: Well, I think the media did laugh at ourselves. He, of
7:27 p.m. ET course, the comedian also took a lot of jabs at the media through
all of this. But, as you point out, I mean, the President has had a
contentious relationship with the media, but other Presidents in
ANA CABRERA: The annual White House Correspondents'
the past, too, have had similar challenges in dealing with the
Dinner took place in the nation's capital last night without the
media. You know, our job as journalists is to hold their feet to the
usual guest of honor. President Donald Trump decided to skip
fire, to hold government -- elected officials accountable. And, of
this event, and instead attend a rally in Pennsylvania. Comedian
course, Presidents and people in power don't always like that.
Hasan Minhaj pulled no punches in Trump's absence.

STEIN: Well, you know, I, if I may say this, I was a speech writer
HASAN MINHAJ, CLIP #1: We got to address the elephant that's
for President Nixon -- I've always been a fan of President Nixon.
not in the room. The leader of our country is not here, and that's
Even Nixon was not held up to the same level of ridicule,
because he lives in Moscow. It is a very long flight. It would be
mockery, and vicious attacks than Trump is. And I want to tell
hard for Vlad to make it. Vlad can't just make it on a Saturday. It's
you something -- I am not a big fan of Trump. I was writing in
a Saturday. As for the other guy, I think he's in Pennsylvania
Barron's -- I suspect at least 30 years ago -- that this guy
because he can't take a joke.
possibly should be held up for criminal charges of fraud and
securities fraud.
MINHAJ CLIP #2: We are here to talk about the truth. It is 2017,
and we are living in the golden age of lying. Now is the time to be
So I'm not a huge fan of his, but the level of attack on him by the
a liar, and Donald Trump is liar-in-chief. And, remember, you
media has been so vicious, I've never seen anything like it. And
guys are public enemy number one. You are his biggest enemy --
every day's newspaper has got more stories attacking him,
journalists, ISIS, and normal-length ties. And somehow you're the
attacking him, attacking him. They just don't give the guy a break.
bad guys.

225
 The Trump Rescue Flare Is Fading Out Fast
By Ted Twietmeyer
4-30-2017

Why is Trump flip-flopping on so many campaign sacrifice. It was the security service there that re-routed the
promises? Here is one logical conclusion: It wasn't Trump bus for no good reason that day, too.
that was threatened if he continued as promised, but
instead dark forces have threatened his family. This is No matter what leader of any country may be on this
almost certainly his weak spot and is often used by dark planet, there are always secret organizations higher up than
forces to stop things from happening. There is nothing any president, dictator, king or queen which tells them
more powerful than a family threat to a family man to what they can and cannot do. Even Putin is told what he
force anyone to obey. can and cannot do, but he will never admit it. The entire
world is nothing more than a chess board for the rich and
Trump (or someone in his family) was probably told in powerful. Unseen dark forces are the hands that move the
secret that if he actually pulled out of NAFTA and/or TPP, chess pieces around the board.
something very bad would happen to his family. He is
smart enough to know that no one can truly be protected Presidents may run for office on good intentions and
from harm anywhere in this world, no matter who they are. promises. When they get into office the proverbial riot act
Consider there are literally trillions of dollars at stake here. is read to them when they first begin to get out of line. It is
The rich and powerful people who really run this planet done in a such a effective, carefully orchestrated and
have no respect for anyone in office, no matter who they planned way that presidents always walk away realizing
are. that now they too, are just puppets whether they like it or
not. There are no exceptions. But no president can be told
All the rich basically care about is keeping their money this secret fact until they are elected and functioning in
and increasing cash flow. Anyone who doubts this base office. They get to play freely their new role as president
fact should ask a billionaire about this. God help anyone for a few weeks until they are reined in. If they refuse to
who stands in their way. He is butting heads with play the game the same way as it has been done for over
established ways of doing things in Washington, and it is a 200 years, the real law is laid down to them.
battle he cannot win. America is like corporate culture in a
200 year old company, but on a far, far bigger scale than Trump was America's last real chance to save the republic
Trump ever realized. from globalist controlling scum. At least he tried, far
harder than any other American presidential candidate in
Proof this has happened before: John F Kennedy - his the past ever has. His revision attempts to change the
motorcade was suddenly rerouted to go past the school course of America and run America like a true business
book depository by the secret service that very morning. fizzled out in less than 100 days. This is not a record; some
Why? Before going to Dallas he signed an order to return like Carter, the Bushes, Clinton and Obama went into
to the gold standard and abolish the privately held Federal office already obedient to their handlers. Trump was like a
Reserve. rescue flare launched from a flare gun. His light of reform
burned brightly for many weeks, only to have his
Another example: Remember the bus that blew up in revisionist light slowly put out by secret dark forces.
London on 7/7/2005? It too, was re-routed that morning to
take the bus through Tavistock Square where the Tavistock He could slow down and become another do-nothing Taft
Institute is located. This is the same institution that worked for the remainder of his presidency, finding his hands are
on mind control using television flicker to open back tied and unable to change the ongoing course of America.
channels into the mind. Brains, blood and body parts were He may become so disillusioned he won't even run for
splattered on the front doors of the institute when the bus office next time. But he will never, ever admit there are
just "happened" to detonate in the street right in front of forces more powerful than he is. That would be too
the Tavistock Institute. Makes one think of a blood humiliating.

226
 Trump Calls Out Media
Dishonesty On CBS’s ‘Deface the Nation’
By Nicholas Fondacaro
April 30, 2017 | 1:42 PM EDT

“The media said: ‘Oh, I didn't terminate

NAFTA.’ First of all, if you look at my
statements I said: ‘If I’m not able to
renegotiate NAFTA, I will terminate
NAFTA,’” he explained.

He also attempted to set the recorded straight on why he

put off on terminating NAFTA:

As you know, I was going to terminate it but

I got a very nice call from a man I like, the
president of Mexico. I got a very nice call
President Donald Trump sat down with CBS’s John there Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of
Dickerson for an interview about the first 100 days of his Canada. And they said please, would you
presidency, which aired on Sunday’s Face the Nation. In rather than terminating NAFTA-- I was all
between talking about the serious topics, the President took set to do it. In fact, I was going to do it
shots at the media, including his host. today. I was going to do it as we’re sitting
here I would have had to delay you, I was
going to do it today, I was going to
“You know, it is very funny when the fake
terminate NAFTA but they called up and
media goes out, which we call the
they said: ”Would you negotiate?” And I
mainstream media, which sometimes I
said: “Yes, I will negotiate.”
must say is you,” he told Dickerson.
“Every president comes into the job, it’s
“I love your show. I call it ‘Deface the
different than they expected, they must
Nation,’ but, you know, your show is
adapt,” Dickerson said, trying to change the
sometimes not exactly correct.
subject. “Surely you’ve learned something
else other than the media is dishonest.” He
The CBS’s moderator let it roll off his back and didn’t also recalled that Trump had known about
seem to mind the criticism. A short time later he asked the dishonest media because he talked so
Trump: much about it during the campaign.
“No, no. It’s one of my disappointments,”
“What do you know now on day 100 you
Trump concluded. He finally answered
wish you knew on day one of the
Dickerson’s question by noting that he
presidency?” To which Trump replied,
learned just how slow the legislative
saying, “Well, one of the things that I have
process actually goes. He blamed the
learned is how dishonest the media is,
sluggishness on the “very, very
really.”
bureaucratic system.”
“I have done things that are, I think very
good. I’ve done-- I have set great Transcript below:
foundations with foreign leaders. We have,
you know, NAFTA,” Trump argued trying to
CBS
defend his record so far.
Face the Nation
April 30, 2017
He also took issue with the way the media covered his 10:37:32 AM Eastern
handling of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
…

227
DONALD TRUMP: And I think actually I have been very was going to do it today. I was going to do it as we’re sitting here
consistent. You know, it is very funny when the fake media goes I would have had to delay you, I was going to do it today, I was
out, which we call the mainstream media, which sometimes I going to terminate NAFTA but they called up and they said:
must say is you. ”Would you negotiate?” And I said: “Yes, I will negotiate.”

JOHN DICKERSON: You mean me personally or…? DICKERSON: That's all you have learned about the media? You
knew from the campaign about the media, you have said it all the
TRUMP: Eh… your show. I love your show. I call it “Deface the time.
Nation,” but, you know, your show is sometimes not exactly
correct. TRUMP: But the media didn't cover it that way, the media said:
“Oh, I didn't terminate NAFTA.” First of all, if you look at my
… statements I said: “If I’m not able to renegotiate NAFTA, I
will terminate NAFTA.” Well, I’ll make that statement right now: if
I am not able to renegotiate NAFTA we will terminate NAFTA.
10:39:57 AM Eastern

DICKERSON: Let’s step back a minute. Presidents have to learn

DICKERSON: What do you know now on day 100 you wish you
how to adapt. Every president comes into the job, it’s different
knew on day one of the presidency?
than they expected, they must adapt. Surely you’ve learned
something else other than the media is dishonest.
TRUMP: Well, one of the things that I have learned is how
dishonest the media is, really. I have done things that are, I think
TRUMP: No, no. It is one of my disappointments.
very good. I’ve done-- I have set great foundations with foreign
leaders. We have, you know, NAFTA. As you know, I was going
to terminate it but I got a very nice call from a man I like, the DICKERSON: Give me another thing you learned that you’re
president of Mexico. I got a very nice call there Justin Trudeau, going to adapt and change because all presidents have to at this
the prime minister of Canada. And they said please, would you stage.
rather than terminating NAFTA-- I was all set to do it. In fact, I
.

228
 Trump’s Op-Ed Big Lies
By Stephen Lendman
4-30-2017

All politicians lie! Believe nothing they say! Rare Trump: “(T)o bring back our jobs, we are going to pursue
exceptions prove the rule! Trump is America’s Liar-in- a complete renegotiation of the North American Free
Chief - a billionaire businessman, now dirty politician! Trade Agreement (NAFTA).”

In a Washington Post op-ed, commemorating his first 100 Fact: He reneged on abandoning NAFTA. Material leaked
days in office, he lied claiming he kept promises made to showing his new scheme is like the old one - favoring
Americans. investors over consumers, ignoring offshoring jobs,
maintaining NAFTA and TPP jobs-destroying rules.
Trump: “One hundred days ago, I took the oath of office
and made a pledge: We are not merely going to transfer Trump: “(W)e’ve undertaken the most far-reaching effort
political power from one party to another, but instead are in history to remove job-killing regulations.”
going to transfer that power from Washington, DC, and
give it back to the people…I kept that promise - and Fact: His deregulation scheme aids maximum profit-
more.” making unrelated to jobs creation. It abandons consumer
protections and ecosanity.
Fact: False! He broke every positive pledge made, let
hawkish generals, billionaires, Wall Street and right-wing Trump: “…I’ve signed 29 pieces of legislation in total…”
extremists run things - serving wealth, power and privilege
exclusively at the expense of ordinary people he promised Fact: He issued a blizzard of largely pro-business, racist,
to serve equitably. Islamophobic executive orders - no significant legislative
achievement so far.
A same-day article covers his deplorable first 100 days in
detail, comparing it to FDR’s historic comparable period. Trump: “We’ve canceled restrictions on the production of
oil, natural gas and clean coal.”
Trump: “(W)e are giving the people their country
back…(T)his government is working for the citizens of our Fact: He abandoned environmental safety for maximum
country and no one else.” industry profits. No “clean coal” exists - nor any other
clean fossil or nuclear power source.
Fact: False! Dirty business as usual continues - so far,
worse than under his predecessors. Fact: Renewable clean, green energy alone is the future - if
humanity survives to enjoy it.
Trump: “We have opened the White House doors to listen,
engage and act. We’ve invited in labor leaders, factory Trump: “What we’ve accomplished on immigration and
owners, police officers, farmers, veterans and Democrats, criminal enforcement is nothing short of historic.”
Republicans and independents.”
Fact: He’s waging war on immigrants of color and
Fact: Public Citizen president Robert Weissman explained Muslims. He’s made America more of a police state than
“there has been a wholesale corporate takeover of the already.
government. Corporate interests” drive policy on
“everything.” An “ethical vacuum” exists, “megascandals” Trump: “(T)he first duty of government is to protect
surely coming - all this in just 100 days. American citizens.”

Trump: “The change began with the termination of the Fact: In his first 100 days alone, he inflicted enormous
Trans-Pacific Partnership - a 12-nation pact that would harm on America’s most vulnerable - offering a bonanza
have shipped millions more jobs to other countries.” for its rich and powerful.

Fact: Global Trade Watch director Lori Wallach blasted Trump: “The Defense Department has begun to rebuild
his trade agenda, saying it “could have come from any past and restore our military readiness. We’ve reasserted
pro-NAFTA (pro-TPP) administration.” American leadership by holding the Bashar al-Assad
regime in Syria accountable for its monstrous use of
banned chemical weapons against helpless, innocent
civilians.”

229
Fact: We wants tens of billions more dollars spent on Fact: Jobs creation remains largely low-pay, poor-or-no
militarism and warmaking at a time America’s only benefit service ones. Nearly one fourth of working age
enemies are ones in invents. Americans are unemployed, most others way
underemployed. The nation’s only growth industry is
Fact: No evidence suggests Assad used CWs any time poverty.
during over six years of US proxy war, using ISIS and
other terrorists as imperial foot soldiers - aided by Trump: “We are proving that Buy and Hire American isn’t
Pentagon terror-bombing of vital infrastructure and just a slogan…”
government targets, massacring civilians.
Fact: It’s a fabricated hoax. He’s making America great for
Trump: We “restor(ed) our credibility with our friends and its wealthy, powerful and privileged alone.
our deterrence with our foes.”
Trump: “The White House is once again the People’s
Fact: His rage for endless wars, possibly ahead with House. And I will do everything in my power to be the
nuclear weapons, is humanity’s greatest threat. People’s President - to faithfully, loyally and proudly
champion the incredible citizens who love this nation and
Trump: “I delivered on one of my biggest promises, who call this God-blessed land their home.”
appointing and confirming a new justice to the Supreme
Court who will be faithful to the US Constitution.” Fact: Throughout US history, the White House was never
the people’s house - nor Congress, the courts or other
Fact: Justice Neil Gorsuch is a right-wing extremist, institutions of government.
Senate voting rules changed to confirm him.
America is run by the people who own and control it -
Trump: “Thousands of new jobs are being re-shored back governance of, by and for its privileged few exclusively.
to America…”
.

230
 99 Problems: NY Times Unwittingly
Reveals Own Bias With Collection Of Trump Headlines
By Clay Waters
April 30, 2017 | 8:26 PM EDT

Saturday’s New York Times featured the paper unwittingly the first headline of the Trump term was neutral (“Trump,
showing its anti-Trump tilt, with a full-page "story" Sworn In, Issues A Call: This American Carnage Stops”)
featuring the first 99 days of headlines from its coverage of the first of the Obama administration was celebratory:
the Trump Administration, in
“Obama Takes Oath, and Nation in
“(Almost) 100 Days Of Front Page Crisis Embraces the Moment.” The
Headlines About No. 45.” headline that appeared on Day 3(!) of the
Trump Administration: “Trump’s Rocky
While the Times obviously thinks its headlines stand by Start Jeopardizes Leverage.” Already?
themselves as some objective and reliable historical
recording of the ebb and flow of the Trump Another glimpse of the double standard are these
Administration, in fact the word, subject, and tonal choices headlines, the first pair from Obama 2009, the second from
reveal a political double standard. Trump 2017, both involving ways to stimulate the
economy, Obama through government spending, Trump
Of the 99 lead story headlines that have appeared in print via tax cuts.
during that period, virtually all (95) involved Trump or his
administration in some way. A subjective analysis Obama: “As Jobs Vanish, Senators Reach
determined that 10 of those were positive headlines, 35 Deal on Stimulus” and “Economic Dive
neutral, and 50 negative, for a negative-positive ratio of Deepens, Giving Stimulus Urgency.”
5:1.
Trump: “Tax Overhaul Would Aid
Wealthiest” and “Economy Grows At
By contrast, there were very few negative headlines for Slowest Rate In 3 Years: 0.7%.”
Obama’s first 100 days in 2009 (headline comparisons for
Obama and President George W. Bush only appeared in Notice that there was no “...Giving Tax Cuts Urgency” to
the online version), and somewhat less obsession with be found in the Times’ coverage of Trump’s tax plan.
Obama in headlines than the paper had with Trump. While
.

231
 Assessing Trump’s First 100 Days:
He DID Get A Lot Accomplished…
Now If He Could Only Get Congress On Board
By: JD Heyes
Date: April 30, 2017

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) has risen more

than 15 percent since the Nov. 8 election; it closed Nov. 9
at 18,332 and closed March 1 at 21,115. Between
Inauguration Day Jan. 20 – March 1, the DJIA rose 6.5
percent. It closed at 20,940.51 on Friday.

 Since Trump was inaugurated, overall the market has

gained $2 trillion in value, and the Standard & Poor’s
500 broke $20 trillion for the first time in its history.
 During Obama’s first 100 days, the U.S. national debt
grew by more than $560 billion; during Trump’s first
100 days, the debt decreased by about $100 billion.
Meanwhile, the U.S. manufacturing index has
As expected, the so-called “mainstream media” is going
skyrocketed to a 33-year high, as some 298,000 jobs
out of its way to deny President Donald J. Trump his due
have been added to the economy since November.
credit for a busy first 100 days. Instead of pointing out his
 Simply by enforcing the immigration law, illegal border
accomplishments so far, the media is focusing on his
crossings are down an astounding 67 percent across
failure to sign Obamacare repeal-and-replace legislation
the board, with potential illegal aliens figuring out it isn’t
and harping about his tax and budget cuts.
worth giving a human smuggler thousands of dollars
only to be caught and sent back home right away.
But the reality is, Trump has been far less successful than (RELATED: Great again: Illegal border crossings drop
he might have been only because the competing factions to 17-year low in Rio Grande Valley)
within his Republican Party have thus far been unable to  As promised, Trump has begun taking on the vast
come together on the most fundamental pieces of federal bureaucracy with executive orders requiring two
legislation, especially getting rid of the Affordable Care rules to repealed for every new rule implemented, and
Act – leading its namesake to wrongly claim in a speech ordering agency and department heads to find ways to
last week that the law was “more popular than ever.” In reduce regulatory burdens on businesses, industry and
fact, only recently have more Americans begun to favor the private sector in general.
Obamacare over a prospective GOP replacement bill, in  After making an issue of the fact that NATO countries,
large part because it is an unknown and people tend to be by and large, do not pay their required share of
more suspicious of unknown quantities. Also, the GOP expenses, the alliance’s military spending, collectively,
replacement legislation was a horrible bill that didn’t really has risen by $10 billion.
repeal very much of Obamacare.  Trump nominated, and the Senate – by adopting the
nuclear option for all judicial nominees – confirmed
In any event, Trump as president – doing what he can in Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, a
the Executive Branch – has indeed been busy. As noted by constitutional originalist (who was taken from his pre-
The Gateway Pundit, what he’s done so far has been election list of conservative judicial candidates).
nothing short of monumental, and moreover, his executive  In all, the president has signed 66 executive orders,
actions are making it easier for Congress down the road to including regulatory reform, rebuilding the military,
send him legislation that will solidify in law much of what getting the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
he’s accomplishing as policy: globalist trade agreement, requiring so-called
“sanctuary cities” to follow the law in order to continue
 Wall Street was gaining anyway, but beginning the day receiving Justice Dept. grants, approving oil pipelines
after Trump won the presidency the stock market and calling for ways to extract the federal government
began a meteoric rise to newer heights. That means from local education. (RELATED: America, We Have A
millions of Americans’ retirement accounts are growing YUUUUUGE Opportunity To Get Government Off Our
by leaps and bounds. Backs)
232
Also, Trump has managed to meet with leaders of most Stream Media) reports only on a made up
major allies and potential adversaries, lay down the law in Russia conspiracy story and ignores these
Syria, and begin to build an international consensus aimed accomplishments. These actions are
at thwarting North Korea’s maturing nuclear weapons and making the majority of Americans aware of
ballistic missile programs. The leaders he’s met with the tremendous bias in the media in the US
include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime and abroad. This too is another major
Minister Shinzo Abe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trump accomplishment.
Trudeau, and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
President Trump is Making America Great Again, 100
As The Gateway Pundit noted, however: days at a time. Imagine what he could have accomplished
if the GOP Congress was on board with his agenda as well.
The President [has] also pointed out
numerous times that the MSM (Main
.

233
 'Disturbing' Speech By 'Moral Midget';
CNN Suffers Epic Meltdown Post-Trump Rally
By Curtis Houck
April 30, 2017 | 1:33 AM EDT

Most readers of NewsBusters and consumers of cable news Coming a close second was former Clinton administration
are used to liberal media meltdowns since November 8. official and CNN political commentator Paul Begala, who
However, that’s not to say they’re any less enjoyable. derided Trump as “a moral midget” seeking “affirmation
Saturday night featured another temper tantrum by CNN from his base because...he is a deeply insecure person.”
with anchors and guests labeling Trump’s 100 Days rally
in Pennsylvania a “deeply disturbing” and “stunning” Begala continued:
speech by a “moral midget.”
He's haunted by the fact that the vast
Moments before the Trump-free White House majority of Americans — 54 percent voted
Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) began, the most asinine against him. He lost to Hillary Clinton in the
of all the comments on CNN were those of senior political popular vote by 2.8 million. He’s haunted
commentator David Gergen. The same guy who either by that. He sort of needs that. He's a needy
willingly or purposely forgot that William Henry Harrison little baby. What he needs as a president is
and Abraham Lincoln had far worse first 100 days than to unify the country. He needs it as a
Trump uncorked another set of loony comments. politician it to expand his base. If you want
to be small minded he needs to expand his
base but as a president he needs to
expand. The moment that — when we
were watching this — John, you pointed
out when he hollered at that protester, that
is not how a president behaves[.]

Begala went onto recall a moment from the 2016 campaign

in which then-President Barack Obama treated a protester
at a Hillary Clinton rally differently than Trump to make a
point about class before going back into the gutter, again
calling Trump a “moral midget.”
“[Y]ou know, to bring your campaign
speech into the presidency is Rewinding back a few minutes, weekday morning CNN
something Presidents rarely do. This Newsroom co-anchors John Berman and Poppy Harlow
was — this was the most divisive were in Washington for the WHCD, with Berman first
speech I've ever heard from a sitting fretting that Trump’s
American president. Others may
disagree about that,” Gergen complained. “speech began with a ten-minute attack
on the media and then what followed
Clearly forgetting a Kansas speech by Barack Obama or was a several minute attack on the
the actions of the Wilson administration during World War Obama administration before laying out
I, Gergen continued his ride aboard the crazy train with some of the things that his
Brian Stelter, ruling Trump’s remarks were “disturbing”: administration has done and then going
back to some of his campaign themes.”
He played to his base and he treated his other listeners —
the rest of the people who have been disturbed about him Harlow replied in agreement, hilariously commenting how
or oppose him, he treated them basically as I don't care — “stunning” it was that the President spent so much time
I don’t give a damn what you think because you're frankly attacking the media.
like the enemy. You’re like the enemy with the press. I
thought it was a deeply disturbing speech in that regard.

234
Senior White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny must have almost like a therapy session there. And also filled with some
drawn the short straw as he was in Harrisburg and not at protests. There were several protesters throughout the evening,
the WHCD, complaining that it was “a campaign rerun.” so many at one point, the police seemed to be having a little bit
of a hard time keeping up.
“He rarely talked about anything
different, and it was, you know, filled
with attacks on the media, like you said,
filled with one grievance after, another
almost like a therapy session there. And
also filled with some protests,” Zeleny
added.

Here’s the relevant portions of the transcript from CNN’s

meltdown on April 29:

CNN Newsroom with John Berman and Poppy Harlow

April 29, 2017
8:48 p.m. Eastern (....)

8:53 p.m. Eastern

DAVID GERGEN: Well, you have to say, To follow up, I think did
move his base the he has solidified his hold with his base, he
played to their fears and to their concerns and I think they have
very legitimate concerns and I think he's been consistent about
that. At the same time, you know, to bring your campaign speech
into the presidency is something Presidents rarely do. This was
— this was the most divisive speech I've ever heard from a sitting
American president. Others may disagree about that. He played
to his base and he treated his other listeners — the rest of the
people who have been disturbed about him or oppose him, he
JOHN BERMAN: President Trump finishing up a 58-minute treated them basically as I don't care — I don’t give a damn what
speech in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, marking his 100th day in this you think because you're frankly like the enemy. You’re like the
office. The speech began with a ten-minute attack on the media enemy with the press. I thought it was a deeply disturbing speech
and then what followed was a several minute attack on the in that regard.
Obama administration before laying out some of the things that
his administration has done and then going back to some of his (....)
campaign themes from the last year.
8:57 p.m. Eastern
POPPY HARLOW: That's right. It was 12 minutes into this big
rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that the President really got to
jobs and to the people of Pennsylvania. The first ten minutes plus
spent attacking the media, actually saying what grade — what
rate should the media get in its first 100 days. It was — it was
stunning.

(....)

8:49 p.m. Eastern

JEFF ZELENY: The only way to describe this speech, I believe,

is to call it a campaign rerun. It was exactly a vintage Donald
Trump speech from the campaign from one of these rallies that PAUL BEGALA: He needs this affirmation from his base because
brought him to the White House. I mean, if you thought back, you he's a moral midget and he is a deeply insecure person. He's
might be thinking we were living in 2016. He rarely talked about haunted by the fact that the vast majority of Americans — 54
anything different, and it was, you know, filled with attacks on the percent voted against him. He lost to Hillary Clinton in the
media, like you said, filled with one grievance after, another popular vote by 2.8 million. He’s haunted by that. He sort of
235
needs that. He's a needy little baby. What he needs as a Trump and the President of the United States told the crowd,
president is to unify the country. He needs it as a politician it to which was rabid pro-Obama of course, stop, look at this man. He
expand his base. If you want to be small minded he needs to said first of all, he's older and he is entitled to our respect.
expand his base but as a president he needs to expand. The Second, we believe in free speech in this country, it's an
moment that — when we were watching this — John, you American value. Third, he had a shirt or hat that looked like he
pointed out when he hollered at that protester, that is not how a was a veteran. He said we owe him thanks for his service. He
president behaves and I went back and looked, during this called that crowd to a higher, better place. Trump is incapable of
campaign — the one we just finished – President Obama was doing that and if we're going to wait 1,361 days and he's still
speaking in North Carolina and a protester stood up and going to be the moral midget you saw on that stand in Harrisburg
interrupted his speech for minutes on end, much longer than tonight.

236
 Trump Dismantling Shadow
Cabinet As Infighting Escalates: Sources
Mon May 1, 2017 7:43PM

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus (R), US Vice President (L-R) White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, senior advisor
Mike Pence (C) and senior advisor Jared Kushner watch from the Jared Kushner, Vice President Mike Pence and counselor to the
Rose Garden as Marine One carrying US President Donald Trump president Kellyanne Conway arrive for a press conference by US
and his daughter Ivanka takes off from the White House in President Donald Trump.
Washington, DC, on February 1, 2017.
The advisers have mostly been assigned temporarily,
US President Donald Trump is reportedly dismantling according to an unnamed official.
his shadow cabinet in the wake of a rise in tensions with
his secretaries. “Most individuals serving in the temporary
positions during the present transition will
The so-called White House advisors, appointed by Trump have the opportunity to move into a more
to monitor the cabinet secretaries, are “not DC guys,” permanent role within the administration –
according to an administration source, and that is why the either in the agency they now serve or in
president is reassigning or dismissing them, Politico another area of the federal government,”
reported Monday. the official said.

After a recent meeting with White House chief of staff Infighting in the White House recently led to dismissal of
Reince Priebus and the president’s son-in-law, Jared controversial chief strategist Stephen Bannon from the
Kushner, in attendance, infighting has apparently National Security Council.
escalated.
The isolated strategist’s opinion was also rejected later by
“These guys are being set up for failure,” Kushner, which meant the president could successfully
said a source. “They’re not DC guys. issue an order for a missile attack against the Syrian
They’re campaign people. They have no government on April 6.
idea how government works.”

The Trump administration is now showing willingness to

allow the high-powered politicians to decide whether or
not to keep the minders in their departments.
.

237
 Media Can’t Stop Whining
About ‘Poisonous’ ‘Dangerous’ Trump
By Geoffrey Dickens
May 2, 2017 | 10:58 AM EDT

Time to send out the waahmbulance for the press because “[Jeffrey] Lord and I were just debating how
they just can’t stop whining about Donald Trump. effective the president’s anti-media attacks
President Trump’s pushback against the unfair liberal are, and we’re in agreement, they are
media has journalists from DC to New York throwing effective. But let’s recognize how
hissy fits. poisonous they are as well. Every single
president disputes some news coverage of
CNN’s Brian Stelter called Trump’s their presidency, but no president until now
criticisms of the press “poisonous” “attacks” gets up at a rally and calls news outlets
that are “bad for the country.” fake. No president gets up at a podium and
says the things we’ve heard from this
His colleague Jim Acosta claimed Trump was doing “real president tonight. It’s nothing new from
damage to the First Amendment” and the New York Times him, this was really a copy-and-paste
Executive Editor Dean Baquet called the President speech, as you all were just talking about.
“dangerous.” But it is insidious, it is poisonous, and I
think for the journalists in this room – just
trying to do their best work – it is
And when they weren’t complaining about Trump’s slams
disappointing to continue to hear the
on the press, they were spinning for the Democratic Party
president taking this tone.”
as NBC’s Savannah Guthrie called Georgia congressional
candidate Jon Ossoff’s loss in Georgia an “ominous sign”
for the GOP. And over on MSNBC Joy Reid and Dean — CNN host Brian Stelter on CNN’s live coverage of
Obeidallah were labeling the Republican’s attempt to the White House Correspondents Dinner, April 29.
repeal and replace ObamaCare a racist “death to poor
people” act. “You think about some of these words
[from Donald Trump], some of these
Liberal reporters and hosts also went nuts about Trump’s tweets, some of these campaign rallies
bombing of terrorists and even how he handled the Easter back last year as – as poison, as a form of
Egg Roll. The following is a compilation of the worst poison that has entered into the
media outbursts from the past month: bloodstream. What I’m really interested in
now is how is that poison affecting the body
politic, how is that poison affecting the
“Poisonous” “Dangerous” Attacks on the Press are
consumers, because it’s not something any
“Bad for the Country”
of us were seeing or covering five years
ago.”

— CNN Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter on the

Buzzfeed editor Ben Smith’s April 26 podcast of
Newsfeed with Ben Smith.
238
 “I think what [Reince] Priebus said and I enemy. You’re like the enemy with the
think what the president is doing right now, press. I thought it was a deeply disturbing
to be frank, in regards to the media is speech in that regard.”
dangerous. I think that he is portraying the
media as his enemy. I think he is making — David Gergen on CNN Newsroom with John Berman
the media sort of the punching bag. And I and Poppy Harlow, April 29.
think it illustrates perhaps not
understanding the role of the media. We’re
Lecturing Trump About “Fake News”
supposed to be tough. We’re supposed to
ask him hard questions. I’m not sure he “The effort today to get this best obtainable
gets that. And I think, the more he beats us version of the truth is largely made in good
up, to be frank, I think that’s bad for the faith. Mr. President, the media is not fake
country. I think it's bad for the free flow of news. Let’s take that off the table going
information and criticism, including criticism forward.”
of him.”
— Washington Post Associate Editor and author Bob
— New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet on Woodward at the White House Correspondents
CNN’s Reliable Sources, April 30. Dinner, April 29.

Trump Vs. The First Amendment ObamaCare Repeal Is “Death to Poor People” Act
“I was out on the campaign trail time and
again when he [Donald Trump] referred to
the news media as the dishonest news
media, the disgusting news media. He
called us liars and crooks and thieves and I
can’t think of all of the other names that he
called us....I think that the President has to
understand that he is doing real damage to
what we do. He is doing real damage to the
First Amendment in this country when he
refers to the news media as the enemies of
the people.” Host Joy Reid:

— CNN correspondent Jim Acosta at April 12 “It’s in the old Confederate states where
Newseum event “Trump and the Press.” they have refused to put about four million
people onto the Medicaid rolls out of this
Trump’s “Deeply Disturbing” Speech sense that this is sort of brown people who
just want to take, and that is the reason
they want to have it expanded.”...

Daily Beast columnist Dean Obeidallah:

“This [repealing ObamaCare] will kill

people. Why not just call it ‘Death to Poor
People’? Maybe more people in the
Freedom Caucus will actually support it
then. Because fundamentally that's what
“To bring your campaign speech into the they’re doing.”
presidency is something Presidents rarely
do. This was — this was the most divisive — MSNBC’s AM Joy, April 29.
speech I’ve ever heard from a sitting
American president. Others may disagree Who Do the Trumps Think They Are? The Kennedys?
about that. He played to his base and he The Clintons?
treated his other listeners — the rest of the
people who have been disturbed about him
or oppose him, he treated them basically
as I don't care — I don’t give a damn what
you think because you’re frankly like the
239
 “For many years, you were the Republican
on mainstream media, before the days
where every American woke up to a cable
network custom designed to agree with
them. I think my dad, may he rest in peace,
went to his grave believing you were the
nation’s Republican. What do you then
make of the brands of conservatism,
whether it's Buckley, Reagan, Kemp —
where is that? What has happened to it?”
“Look at the seating this person [Ivanka
Trump] has gotten. At the age, what is — Host Brian Williams to conservative columnist
she? 27? I don’t know how old she is. George Will on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour, April 20.
There’s a young person who’s never
worked in the government sitting next to Democrat Failure = “Ominous Sign for Republicans”
the President of China at a major event.
Sitting next to the President of China.
Another time she’s sitting next to....the
chancellor of Germany. These people must
look over and say, ‘What is she doing here
except she’s the President’s daughter.’ I’ve
said the Romanovs because there’s
something about the President who
presumes that this is a royal family taking
its place at the table of power. It is un-
American. It is untraditional. It’s somewhat
weird, although I know it must be
comforting to have your kids around and I
“Near Miss? The Democratic candidate
understand your son-in-law. I get the
almost wins in a special congressional race
comfort factor. But is it American?”
in a seat Republicans have held since the
1970s....Democrat Jon Ossoff nearly
— Host Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s Hardball, April pulling off the shocking upset....[To Sen.
25. Ivanka Trump is 35-years-old, the same age as Lindsey Graham] Do you look at this as an
Bobby Kennedy when his brother named him to be ominous sign of things to come for
Attorney General of the United States. Republicans?”

Mika Begs for Obama to Save the Party — Host Savannah Guthrie on NBC’s Today, April 19.
“Could you do a favor for me and ask
President Obama something for me? Could “[John] Ossoff got awfully close, enough to
you – could he come back and save the have the political world asking, could
party and tell them [Democrats] what to Georgia become a referendum on
do?” President Trump?....The results suggest
some Republicans may be dissatisfied with
— Co-host Mika Brzezinski to Valerie Jarret on the direction of their party.”
MSNBC’s Morning Joe, April 20. — Correspondent Kristen Welker on NBC’s
Today, April 19.
Brian Pretends to Be Worried About the State of
Conservatism MSNBCer Urges ISIS to Bomb Trump Property
“This is my nominee for first ISIS suicide
bombing of a Trump property.”

— April 18 tweet from MSNBC’s counter terrorism

analyst Malcolm Nance. Tweet featured a picture of a
Trump property in Turkey, in response to Trump
congratulating Turkish president Recep Tayyip
Erdogan on his win. Nance later deleted the tweet.

240
Mother of All Dumb Metaphors That is the story. Everything else is just
noise and dust until proven otherwise.”
“Uncomfortable football-as-war metaphor:
The size of the bomb is directly
proportional to a team’s desperation and — Disgraced former CBS Evening News anchor Dan
rarely impacts the score.” Rather in an April 5 Facebook post “The Dangers of
Distraction.”
— April 13 tweet by CNN host and former ABC
Nightline anchor Bill Weir talking about Trump’s Criticism of Susan Rice Fueled by Racism
dropping a MOAB (“mother of all bombs”) ISIS cave “At the end of the day, we need some
complex in Afghanistan. element of decency. When Rand Paul gets
out there and says she’s [Susan Rice]
That “Brutal Thug” Assad Reminds Me of Cheney abused this right, there is not an iota of
evidence that she’s abused anything.
Calling her Typhoid Mary? She — all we
know now is that she did her job. Did she
do something wrong? There is no
information indicating that. So they are
making her, you know, basically they’re
defaming her without any reason to do so
because she’s a woman. Maybe because
she’s a black woman.”

— Mother Jones Washington bureau chief David Corn

on MSNBC’s Hardball, April 4.
“Bashar al-Assad was a brutal thug when
he was torturing prisoners on behalf of the Chuck Sets Speed Record for “Lame Duck” Labeling a
CIA. Saddam Hussein was America’s
New President
friend when he was using chemical
weapons. We need to have more than just
the immediate crisis memory. We need to
understand the historical context of how a
butcher like Assad actually has more in
common with someone like Dick Cheney
than he does with the average Syrian or
the people who are on these airwaves as
brave reporters.”

— The Intercept founder Jeremy Scahill on CNN’s

Reliable Sources, April 9.
“You have a presidency right now that I
Don’t Be Distracted By Trump’s “Trained Monkey” think is, it’s beyond saying it is in crisis
Act mode. It is, you know, it’s on the brink. The
question is on the brink of what? Is it on the
“A flurry of unfounded allegations clutter brink of collapse? Is it on the brink of
our news feeds. Susan Rice. Wiretapping becoming a temporarily lame duck
of the Trump team by President Obama. presidency? And maybe it feels like it’s
The latest Fox News induced Twitter rant. lame duck-ish temporarily right now.”
The smoke machine is turned on. There’s a
trained monkey dancing in the corner. The — Meet the Press host Chuck Todd on MSNBC’s
magician is buckling his cufflinks. The Andrea Mitchell Reports, March 31.
misdirection meter is turned up full. We
cannot let ourselves be distracted....We
Pushing Trump from the Left to Attack Freedom
know that Russia – led by a former KGB
agent - actively worked to undermine our Caucus
election. We know that there are serious “On this question of going after the – the
investigations into collision [sic] between Freedom Caucus, the far right in – in the –
Trump associates and Russian operatives. in the House Republican caucus has
essentially paralyzed that party now for
241
 years. John Boehner couldn’t deal with it
and Trump confronts the same problem.
And I actually think that there’s something
to be said for a president, the leader of the
party, who says, ‘I’m not going to allow you
to paralyze our agenda. We need to be a
governing party, and you stand in the way
of that.’ So I don’t know if he can’t deliver
on this, he just looks like – like a – like a
blow hard. But the idea that he take them
on, I don’t think that’s a crazy idea.”

“The thing about Trump is, the things he

— Washington Post columnist David Ignatius on CBS’s
has said seriously about nuclear weapons
Face the Nation, April 2.
is quite frightening. I'll give you a couple.
To Chris Matthews, he asked, ‘Why do we
Trump Cuts “Likely to Hurt Children” make them, he said, if we wouldn't use
“Cuts to the Environmental Protection them?’ Ok. The possibility of nuclear war
Agency’s budget are likely to hurt children between Japan and North Korea: ‘It would
the most, experts say.” be a terrible thing. If they do, they do.’
Good luck. Enjoy yourselves, folks. He said
he was open to nuking Europe because ‘it’s
— April 13 tweet from CNN’s official Twitter account.
a big place.’...Why doesn’t everybody face
it? He needs to be taken out of office. He
Trump’s True Test is The Easter Egg Roll? needs to be impeached. He is a menace.
You say Kim Jong Yum-yum is crazy? So
is he. So is he. Get real. Come on. He is
nuts and we’re in the middle of it!”

— Co-host Joy Behar on ABC’s The View, April 3.

“Well, I think, if I was editing Vanity Fair, I

would put him in the cover of Mad King
Ludwig. I would have him in a gold
bathrobe wearing a crooked crown holding
his iPhone tweeting, because we’re
“The president facing some major tests the covering a kind of – it’s almost like being in
past few weeks, and add this one to the the ward of a mental hospital half the time
list. The White House Easter Egg Roll. with what’s going on with Trump. You can’t
Sounds trivial, yes, but this is considered make it up.”
‘the’ biggest social event held at 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue, a tradition for more — Former Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Daily Beast
than 100 years. Here’s the problem – as of editor Tina Brown on CNN’s Reliable Sources, April 2.
earlier this week many key vendors and
schools say they haven’t heard a peep Kid Rock Visit Sadder Than Burning The White House
about it....Will this whole event, flop? And to the Ground?
what does it say about this
administration?”

— Substitute anchor Dave Briggs on CNN Newsroom,

April 14.

“Mad King” “Menace” Trump “Needs to Be

Impeached”

242
 “Kid Rock, Ted Nugent and Sarah Palin, Kremlin. ‘If the President puts Russian
kinda giving the thumb, but you know what salad dressing on his salad tonight,
they wanted to do to Hillary Clinton. So is somehow that’s a Russia connection,’
this the saddest day in the history of White Sean Spicer said. Thing is, Russian
House since the British burned it to the dressing isn’t Russian. (Also, it’s really not
ground in 1814?” for salads, but more of a sandwich spread
– usually a Reuben.) The mayo and
— Host Joy Behar on ABC’s The View, April 21. ketchup concoction – often dressed up
with horseradish and spices – was created
in Nashua, New Hampshire.”
When Fact-Checking Goes Ridiculously Too Far
“The White House press secretary tried to — Michelle Krupa in a March 29 CNN.com article
twist a cap on reporters’ questions Tuesday “Russian dressing is actually from Nashua, New
about the Trump team’s alleged ties to the Hampshire.”
.

243
 CNN Defends Rejecting
'False' Trump Campaign Ad
By Ben Kamisar
05/02/17 11:42 AM EDT

100 days lived up to the president's promises on the

campaign trail.

After ratting off a list of successes — including the

confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch,
authorization of the Keystone XL Pipeline and eliminated
regulations — the ad blames the media for hiding those
accomplishments.

"You wouldn't know that from watching the

CNN said Tuesday that is refusing to air a campaign ad news," the narrator says as a group of
from President Trump because the spot refers to the media cable news reporters — including CNN's
as "fake news." Wolf Blitzer — appear on the screen.

"CNN requested that the advertiser remove The Trump campaign in a statement to reporters earlier
the false graphic that says mainstream Tuesday morning accused the network of stifling free
media is 'fake news,'" CNN's public speech.
relations department tweeted Tuesday.
“It is absolutely shameful to see the media
blocking the positive message that
President Trump is trying to share with the
country. It's clear that CNN is trying to
silence our voice and censor our free
speech because it doesn't fit their
narrative," Michael Glassner, the Trump
campaign's executive director, said.

Tuesday's kerfuffle is the latest in the clash between

Trump and the network, which has become a regular target
for Trump.

In an interview last month with The Associated Press,

Trump claimed to no longer watch the network because of
its perceived unfair coverage. He also has regularly railed
against the network on the campaign trail and has not
appeared on the network since last August.

"The mainstream media is not fake news, But CNN has been willing to push back on Trump's
and therefore the ad is false. Per our criticisms in statements standing by its reporters and their
policy, it will be accepted only if that reporting.
graphic is deleted. Those are the facts."
--Joe Concha contributed to this report, which was last
The ad, released by the Trump campaign on Monday, updated at 11:48 a.m.
dismisses questions about whether the administration's first
.
244
 Concha Trashes Liberal Media Claim
That Trump Is A Threat To First Amendment
By Nicholas Fondacaro
May 2, 2017 | 12:05 AM EDT

actions, not words. That’s more

important. That’s more of a threat to the
press,” he recalled.

The takedown of the liberal press’s hysteria continued on

Monday’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, where Concha argued
that the WHCD was deeply anti-Trump.

“Absolutely it seemed personal. No

question about it. There was vitriol
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was supposedly
toward Donald Trump, Tucker, that we
a celebration of the first amendment, but Saturday’s dinner
have never seen with any other
was a Donald Trump bashing fest with cries of his threat to
president,” he stated.
journalism. But during Sunday’s MediaBuzz on Fox News,
The Hill’s Joe Concha unloaded on his liberal colleagues
for their overblown hysteria.

“Here is what I will say to that. Press

briefings with Sean Spicer have never
been more democratic,” he declared.
“There are more voices than ever before
in terms of reporters, in terms of Skype,
journalist is still on Air Force One,” he
explained. “Also, Trump is doing an
enormous amount of interviews … this
week alone, Howie, Trump has done
interviews with The Washington Post, He then cited a study by the Media Research Center that
New York Post, Washington Examiner, documented the sky-high levels of negativity against
New York — Post, CBS News, Reuters, Trump from network evening news.
Associated Press, Wall Street Journal,
Fox News.” “I get they are conservative but I did a
study that showed 89% of stories are
He also argued that negative toward Donald Trump,” he
shared.
“just because you criticize reporters
doesn't mean you are attacking the first But he back that up with an equally damaging study out of
amendment. Actually, it’s the opposite the Switzerland:
because he’s exercising his right to free
speech.” Okay. Let's go to the Swedes. They have a
company called Media Tenor-- research
Concha had a harsh reminder for the liberal media: former firm. 97 out of 100 stories by the CBS
President Obama was the greater threat to the first Evening News and the NBC Nightly News
amendment. were negative toward Donald Trump and
his first month. I get it if it’s 65, 35, it’s
always going to skew negative. But 97-3,
“Spied on James Rosen. Secretly seized
that tells me that there is probably an
AP phone records. Rejected a record
agenda there.
number of FOIA requests. Those are
245
Concha also chastised the White House Correspondents KURTZ: He has the right as well and I would just note that the
Association for not taking their extreme stance under the Obama administration prosecuted more — dragged reporters into
Obama administration. the prosecutorial process in these leak investigations and that
was threatening journalism. Alright —
“They spied on James Rosen. Not only
that … they designated him as a flight CONCHA: Spied on James Rosen. Secretly seized AP phone
risk so they were then have to tell them records. Rejected a record number of FOIA requests. Those
about their surveillance,” he exclaimed. are actions, not words. That’s more important. That’s more
“They secretly seized Associated Press of a threat to the press.
phone records. They rejected a record
number of FOIA request, freedom of ...
information requests. Those are threats
to the first amendment!”
FNC
Tucker Carlson Tonight
The best way that Concha described the difference May 1, 2017
between Obama and Trump, in terms of them being a 8:13:38 PM Eastern
threat to the first amendment, was simple:
TUCKER CARLSON: I wasn't there. I was on the other side of
“Actions: Obama. Words: Trump.” the continent. I usually go. But watching the tape of it, as I did
today, it seemed from beginning to end, hostile to the President.
Transcripts below: Let me be totally clearly still not clear. I think reporters' job is to
hold the powerful to account and to apply a lot of scrutiny to
FNC people in power, but this seemed personal. Did it feel that way
MediaBuzz there?
April 30, 2017
11:51:32 AM Eastern JOE CONCHA: Absolutely it seemed personal. No question
about it. There was vitriol toward Donald Trump, Tucker, that
HOWARD KURTZ: So, Zucker said this while accepting an we have never seen with any other president. I base that our
award. Is the Trump White House threatening journalism? numbers, that’s not my opinion. Media Research Center. I
get they are conservative but I did a study that showed 89%
of stories are negative toward Donald Trump. Okay. Let's go
JOE CONCHA: I heard this a lot last night at the White House
to the Swedes. They have a company called Media Tenor
Correspondents’ Dinner. The First Amendment is under
research firm. 97 out of 100 stories by the CBS Evening
attack. Here is what I will say to that. Press briefings with
News and the NBC Nightly News were negative toward
Sean Spicer have never been more democratic. There are
Donald Trump and his first month. I get it if it’s 65, 35, it’s
more voices than ever before in terms of reporters, in terms
always going to skew negative. But 97-3, that tells me that
of Skype, journalist are still on Air Force One. Also, Trump is
there is probably an agenda there.
doing an enormous amount of interviews, not to mention
he’s tweeted 98 out of 100 times during his first 100 days in
office — 98 days out of 100. But this week alone, Howie, And by the way, a threat to the first amendment doesn't
Trump has done interviews with The Washington Post, New happen when a president is mean to the press. When he is
York Post, Washington Examiner, New York — Post, CBS nasty to them. That’s him actually exercising his first
News, Reuters, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Fox amendment right. You could say it is beneath the
News. So, does that sounds like the First Amendment is presidency. But we’re confusing Trump being mean to the
under attack? Just because you criticize reporters doesn't press with first amendment being suppressed.
mean you are attacking the first amendment. Actually, it’s
the opposite because he’s exercising his right to free
speech.

246
 Dawdling Congress Tests Trump's Patience
The Prolonged GOP Effort To Upend Obamacare Could Push Tax Reform
And Other High-Profile Issues Into 2018, An Election Year
By Burgess Everett And Seung Min Kim
05/02/17 05:15 AM EDT

to Republican divisions and Democratic resistance. The

biggest piece of legislation so far this year is a five-month
spending bill that explicitly refuses to fund Trump’s wall.

Some Republicans are now urging party leaders to

abandon the traditionally placid summer calendar in order
to get moving on legislation and dozens of Senate
confirmations.

“We have nine weeks until the August

President Donald Trump is starting to flash frustration at the all- break. I’ve already started a conversation:
GOP Congress’ sluggish pace. | Getty I’m not sure that we should leave for the
August break,” said Sen. David Perdue (R-
The congressional GOP’s protracted efforts to repeal Ga.), a close ally of Trump. “Because I
Obamacare could exact a heavy toll on the rest of Donald don’t see how we get this all done by” then.
Trump’s legislative agenda.
Even in the best-case scenario, the calendar looks
If repeal in the House is successful, action on some of the daunting.
president's top legislative priorities is expected to be
pushed back to late this year or even next year, when Even if the House manages to pass its Obamacare repeal
lawmakers will be up for reelection and more reluctant to bill this week and send it to the Senate, it might take a
cast tough votes. The delay also threatens to sap whatever month or more to overhaul the legislation in the more
Republican momentum remains from the election, in the centrist chamber, according to multiple sources familiar
midst of what’s often the most prolific stretch of a new with the process. That would almost surely delay
presidency. consideration of a new budget, complicating efforts by
Republicans to get the congressional spending process on
Tax reform is the most prominent issue expected to be put track and avoid another round of shutdown brinkmanship
on the back burner. But lawmakers haven't even begun in September.
discussing Trump's trillion-dollar infrastructure proposal.
And the GOP’s long-held vow to get its appropriations There’s also this problem: Because of the Senate’s
process in order looks like a lost cause. procedural constraints, Republicans need to dispense with
health care before they move on to a new budget and tax
Trump, not a man known for his patience, is starting to reform. That means the timeline for the GOP’s top two
flash frustration at the all-GOP Congress’ sluggish pace. priorities is sure to stretch far beyond what party leaders
He told Fox News last week that he’s “disappointed” that and Trump had in mind, unless Republicans admit defeat
the legislative process “doesn’t go quicker”; on Sunday, on health care and simply move on to taxes.
the president said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that
congressional procedures, particularly those in the Senate, The already-forbidding politics of passing tax reform will
are “unfair.” On Tuesday he called to gut the legislative become only more treacherous if the issue gets pushed into
filibuster or develop a 60-vote majority to steamroll an election year. Democrats are already accusing
Democrats and suggested the country could use a Republicans of trying to slash health care for the poor
government shutdown this fall. while cutting taxes for the rich.

Promises from party leaders to open the Trump presidency “I want to see us pick up the pace,” said
with a legislative bonanza — repealing and replacing Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.). “I do think
Obamacare, rewriting the tax code and funding Trump’s the Senate is not always the model of
border wall all before the August recess — have given way
247
 efficiency, and, in part, because the Cabinet-level official left to consider: Robert Lighthizer,
Founding Fathers designed it that way. But the nominee to become the U.S. trade representative.
we can do better, and I think we need to.”
McConnell has ordered up bipartisan legislation from his
Back in January, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and committees that could conceivably pass while Senate
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Republicans negotiate on Obamacare and tax reform.
sketched out a 200-day plan that took into account the Assistance for small banks or a wireless broadband bill are
Senate’s slow pace and byzantine rules: By the end of among the options in the short term, though no final
April, Obamacare would be repealed and the tax code, as decision has been made, according to senators and aides.
well as Trump’s border wall, would be funded by August.
That’s looking less realistic with each passing day. “There are a number of bills of a bipartisan
nature,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.),
Technically, Republicans are still on track to pass much of who also said he wants to move promptly
their agenda along party lines using the majority-vote tool on an infrastructure bill. "There will be
of reconciliation. The sequence: Approve a 2017 budget to plenty of things to do.”
unlock reconciliation to repeal Obamacare, gut the law,
clear a 2018 budget to unlock the same process for tax With so much early focus on confirming Trump’s Cabinet
reform, then rewrite the tax code. and Supreme Court nominees, Congress has passed little
legislation into law.
It’s just that Republicans are running way, way behind.
The only part they’ve completed so far is the 2017 budget, “The CRAs have been trivial. When you’re
which was approved just before Trump was sworn in in not accomplishing anything, you make a
January. bigger deal out of nothing,” said Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-
Utah), who will be at the center of Senate efforts to In addition to the high-profile policies they want to enact,
overhaul the tax code and replace Obamacare, said he has Republicans are hoping to finally get the appropriations
“major concerns” that the plodding pace on health care is process in order by passing 12 individual spending bills by
hurting the timeline for taxes. Added Sen. John Thune of the end of September. But first, they must pass a budget
South Dakota, the No. 3 GOP leader: document that’s sure to expose deep fault lines in the party
among military hawks, fiscal conservatives and moderates
“The major ticket items are going to take a over the party’s spending priorities.
while. This is big consequential stuff. We’re
not going to be able to kick it out At this point, there’s little optimism that Republican-
overnight.” controlled Washington can pass spending bills through
“I could see this stretching out through committees and then individually on the floor. Doing so
2017 and into the fall,” said Senate Majority could take months of Senate floor time.
Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) of tax and
health care reform, insisting even the A newer generation of Senate Republicans, including
delayed timeline has the GOP on track. Daines and Sen. Mike Rounds , are still eager to find ways
to speed up the appropriations process, including getting
Republicans in the two chambers are hoping to smooth the rid of a procedural vote on the motion to proceed on
way for tax reform by discussing ideas for a potential funding bills. And Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) has revived
proposal before the heavy legislative work begins. They his legislation that would block lawmakers' pay if they
want to avoid two dramatically different plans emerging don't pass a budget.
from the House and Senate, which is almost certain to
happen on Obamacare repeal if the House repeals the law “We continue to go through this daily,
this month. weekly, monthly, year after year without
getting anything accomplished," Heller
In the near term, there’s little for the Senate to do beyond said, "without being able to talk about those
repealing more Obama-era regulations under the budgets that determine what’s good for our
Congressional Review Act and processing more of states."
Trump’s nominees. Those include Jay Clayton to lead the
Securities and Exchange Commission; his nomination will Rachael Bade contributed to this report
be on the floor next week. The Senate has just one
.

248
 Trump's Adviser And Son-In-Law Fails
To Report Dealings With Soros
© Reuters/ Kevin Lamarque - Us
19:19 02.05.2017(Updated 16:17 03.05.2017)

Trump's son-in-law also failed to report

nearly $1 billion in loans from more
than 20 lenders to his corporations and
properties, according to the filings.
Kushner’s lawyer Jamie Gorelick said
his client disclosed his ownership
of BFPS Ventures LLC, which is a
housing company for Cadre.

Since Trump took office in January, US media and

US President Donald Trump's senior lawmakers have detailed a number of his and his family’s
adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner business dealings and possible conflicts of interest. In
did not disclose existing business April, Senator Michael Bennet suggested foreign
connections with the investment firm individuals, entities and governments may patronize
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Trump businesses to influence the White House policies.
billionaires George Soros and Peter
Thiel, media reported on Tuesday. Kushner is a former real estate developer who began
advising Trump and meeting foreign leaders after the
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Kushner holds shares of a November election. He was named to an official White
New York-based real-estate financial firm Cadre that House position on January 9, the same day he announced
works on a number of project with Goldman Sachs and he would step down as CEO of the Kushner Companies.
prominent investors, including Soros, The Wall Street
Journal reported citing securities filings.

249
 CNN's Begala: 'My Dog
Would Be A Better President Than Trump'
By Brad Wilmouth
May 2, 2017 | 3:24 PM EDT

On Tuesday's New Day on CNN, during a discussion of Obama and possibly apologize if he was wrong. Begala
President Donald Trump ending his interview with John then went after Trump as he began:
Dickerson when the CBS host started pressing him about
his claims that President Barack Obama had ordered President Trump's head of the FBI -- no
wiretapping against him, liberal CNN political friend of the Democrats -- Jim Comey, has
commentator Paul Begala lambasted Trump as someone said President Obama did not wiretap
who makes a worse President than a dog would make. anybody -- certainly not candidate Trump.
President Trump's own head of the
And, as if the comment on its own were not tasteless National Security Agency -- Admiral
enough, the remark came right after he had just declared Michael Rogers -- said the same thing in
that fellow guest and right-leaning CNN commentator congressional testimony. Because it's a lie.
Kayleigh McEnany herself would make a better President
than Trump. Begala: He then continued:

"Kayleigh would be a much better And I twist myself -- and I guess we all do -
President than Trump. My dog Gus would - into a pretzel. What's the method behind
be a better President than Trump." the mendacity? What's the purpose of the
prevarication? Why does this guy lie all the
time?! And I just think it's his nature. I think
he can't help it. I don't forgive it -- I don't
excuse it. Kayleigh is right.

The dog comparison came as the liberal commentator

added:

Kayleigh would be a much better President

than Trump. My dog Gus would be a better
President than Trump, but -- Gus would be
a fine President. He's loyal and loving.
At 8:34 a.m. ET, host Alisyn Camerota brought up the
CBS interview with Trump, and McEnany conceded that
the President should clarify his accusations President
.

250
 Donald Trump's Stunning
U-Turn In Less Than Seven Days
Trump's Latest Tweets Have Sent Washington Into A Spin.
By Jordan Bhatt
May 2, 2017 15:53 BST

The budgetary delay to September has also meant that the

funds to build Trump's "great wall" will also be harder to
accrue.

Tweet attacking Democrats about possible shutdown

US President Donald Trump appears on stage at a rally in

Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaCarlo Allegri/Reuters

Donald Trump is no stranger to causing controversy, but

his latest tweets have seen a total volte-face on what could
define the US in the coming months.

At the end of April it became clear that a government

shutdown was possible if there wasn't an agreement on the
budget.

In the end, the budget was secured until September.

Over two tweets, Trump said: "The reason for the plan
But before an agreement could be reached, he attacked negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that
Democrats for the developing budget row, saying: we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We
either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change
"Families prepare for summer vacations in the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good
our National Parks – Democrats threaten to 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!"
close them and shut down the government.
Terrible!" According to Standard and Poor's, the 16-day shutdown in
October 2013 cost the US $24bn.
But what was then a "terrible" prospect of a shutdown, has
now turned into something that the President has On Monday, senior Republican Senator John McCain told
welcomed. the press to:

On Tuesday 2 May, Trump issued two tweets aimed at "Watch what Trump does, not what he
Democrats and his own Republicans, many of whom are at says."
loggerheads over the prospect of repealing and replacing
Obamacare. It remains to be seen if Trump performs another U-turn in
the days ahead.

251
 Scarborough Smears:
I’m Not Saying Trump Has Dementia, But…
By Mike Ciandella
May 2, 2017 | 12:44 PM EDT

On Tuesday’s edition of Morning Joe, co-host Joe

Scarborough suggested President Trump was exhibiting Earlier in the broadcast, Princeton Professor of Religion
symptoms of dementia, while a Princeton professor and African-American Studies, Eddie Glaude Jr., not only
accused Trump supporters of using Trump’s “ignorance” agreed with Scarborough and Brzezinski’s assessment of
to justify “not really wanting to be informed.” Trump’s mental state; he went on to declare that Trump
supporters were not only willfully ignorant, but that they
used Trump’s alleged ignorance to justify their own.
In the May 2 broadcast, which focused mainly on Trump’s
statements on Andrew Jackson and the Civil War,
Scarborough and co-host Mike Brzezinski zeroed in on “And then the third point is he seems to
Trump’s mental faculties. make ‘not knowing’ a good. That is to say,
there's a sense in which – the comments
around Andrew Jackson, not knowing, just
“I will tell you, for better or worse, and
ignorance – a good. And it seems to
no matter what people have thought along
justify people who are his base not
the way, we have known this man for a
really wanting to be informed. And that
very long time. And we're not seeing the
seems to me deeply problematic for a
same guy here,” Brzezinski stated.
democracy. It seems to me.”
Historian and political commentator Doris Kearns
Goodwin volunteered, “Well, he lives in the present. It's
like he lives in the present so that that's the only moment
that matters. So whatever happened in the past, whatever
he said two weeks ago – this is the moment. But then you
never know that that moment is not going to change.”

At this point, Scarborough gave what he insisted wasn’t a

diagnosis, but sounded exactly like one.

“My mother lives in the moment,

too. And I'm not saying that
Donald Trump has dementia, but PARTIAL TRANSCRIPTS FOLLOW:
my mother has dementia. She lives in
the moment. She forgets what she said FIRST TRANSCRIPT:
a day ago, a week ago. We can't have
presidents that do that. And I'm not JOE SCARBOROUGH: Eddie, he said not so long ago that we
saying that he has dementia. I will leave could be heading to a major, major war with North Korea. And
that to his physician to figure that out.” now he's honored to meet – again, it’s as if he doesn't remember
what he said five minutes ago.
Brzezinski agreed,
EDDIE GLAUDE JR, PRINCETON: Right. And you know, it's
“Something is wrong, and to the point really interesting. On the one hand, we've seen this with regards
where you can't even have a bigger to his embrace, quote, unquote of Putin, the call to Erdogan of
debate, excuse me, Joe, about the issue at Turkey, now the gesture to North Korea and also the Philippines
hand that he's talking about, because he's with Duterte, right? There's a sense at which there's this
nonsensical” attraction to strong men, so there's that element of it. And then
there's the sense, the clip – kind of reaction of a petulant child,
instead of owning responsibility for what he did, there's a kind of

252
displacement and then the reaction to go just, ‘I'm done,’ and go Doris Kearns Goodwin: Well, he lives in the present. It's like he
sit down at a desk with nothing to do. lives in the present so that that's the only moment that
matters. So whatever happened in the past, whatever he said
SCARBOROUGH: And, and, ‘I don't stand by anything’ is his two weeks ago – this is the moment. But then you never know
quote. ‘I don't stand by anything.’ that that moment is not going to change.

GLAUDE: Yeah. And then the third point is he seems to make SCARBOROUGH: My mother lives in the moment, too. And I'm
‘not knowing’ a good. That is to say, there's a sense in which-- not saying that Donald Trump has dementia, but my mother has
the comments around Andrew Jackson, not knowing, just dementia. She lives in the moment. She forgets what she said a
ignorance – a good. And it seems to justify people who are his day ago, a week ago. We can't have presidents that do that. And
base not really wanting to be informed. And that seems to me I'm not saying that he has dementia. I will leave that to
deeply problematic for a democracy. It seems to me. his physician to figure that out.

SECOND TRANSCRIPT: BRZEZINKSI: Something is wrong, and to the point where you
can't even have a bigger debate, excuse me, Joe, about the
issue at hand that he's talking about, because he's
MIKA BRZEZINKSI: Yeah. I will tell you, for better or worse, and
nonsensical. Like that's what Republican Congressmen and
no matter what people have thought along the way, we have
everybody who is backing up here have to keep in mind. As they
known this man for a very long time. And we're not seeing the
think about the decisions they're going to make moving
same guy here.
forward. Are you going stand by this guy? Because he's
nowhere. He doesn't stand by anything. And I'm quoting him right
Doris Kearns Goodwin: Really. You think it's gotten worse. now.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Oh, my god. Doris Kearns Goodwin: Right. Right.

BRZEZINKSI: Oh, absolutely. Especially after taking a short SCARBOROUGH: I stand by nothing. Flip flop on North
break. Korea. Flip flop on NAFTA. Flip flop on health care. Flip flop on
everything. And often, it's not a day or two, a week, it's just hours
SCARBOROUGH: A lot worse. apart these flips. And, there’s nobody inside the white house, is
there, that can actually rein this in. At all.
BRZEZINKSI: And then coming back. This is not funny. I can't
even –
.

253
 Trump: US "Needs A Good Shutdown
In September To Fix This Mess"
By Tyler Durden
May 2, 2017 6:57 PM

With Congress poised this week to approve a deal to fund “I’m disappointed that it doesn’t go
the government through September, the first major quicker,” Trump told Fox News last week
bipartisan legislation of Trump's presidency, after when asked about the Republican effort to
lengthy negotiations (which have appeared to signal repeal and replace ObamaCare.
numerous 'folds' by President Trump), apparently
frustrated by the lack of tryannical powers that a simple Commenting on Trump's tweets, Citi asks rhetorically
majority grants him, President Trump has lashed out this whether
morning at disagreeable Democrats, and in particular
Senate Democrats.
"this could be a case of cutting one’s nose
to spit one’s face? – Potentially problematic
when the nose in question is attached to
the current administration… It seems
counterintuitive that a sitting president
would want a shutdown, unless he was to
blame it on the opposition in order to force
through reform/encourage a voter
backlash."
But Trump has a solution.
Bloomberg reports that “The message appeared to
encourage the Republican-controlled Senate to change
rules that now require 60 votes to end a filibuster of
legislation. Republicans reduced the threshold to 51 votes
for Supreme Court nominees this year and could do the
same for legislation with a simple majority vote.”

USD does not seem to have reacted to the President’s

As a reminder, the proposed government funding deal does tweet (it can’t every time, after all), which may just be
not include funding for Trump’s proposed wall along the more political manoeuvring rather than a signal of intent.
U.S.-Mexico border or include language stripping federal
money from so-called sanctuary cities, both of which the In any case, we're not so sure there is such a thing as a
White House demanded at the outset of negotiations. In "good" shutdown of the US government - and with what
fact, as we reported yesterday, the bill has been seen will be over $20 trillion in debt and a declining GDP by
widely as a victory for Democrats, something which has that time, one wonders which ratings agency will have the
been panned by the conservative press. While the White balls to downgrade the world's reserve currency this time?
House also backed off a threat to withhold ObamaCare
subsidy payments to insurance companies, Trump did Meanwhile, it did not take long for Trump to get a
secure increased military spending in the 2017 budget response. Democratic Re. Eric Swalwell responded that
deal. “our country needs a White House shutdown” following
President Trump’s call for a “good shutdown” of the
According to the Hill, the comments are likely irk top government.
Republican lawmakers, who have been frustrated by
Trump’s repeated attempts to intervene in the legislative
process. The businessman-turned-president, in turn, has
vented frustration with the slow pace of work on Capitol
Hill.

254
 NBC Calls Out Colbert
For ‘Crude’ Anti-Trump Tirade
By Kyle Drennen
May 3, 2017 | 11:35 AM EDT

After CBS Late Show host Stephen Colbert launched into of the media is with the rest of
and vicious and vulgar tantrum against President Trump America.”
Monday night, the broadcast networks were initially silent
on the controversy swirling around the left-wing However, Gosk also highlighted how even fellow liberals
comedian. However, that silence was broken Wednesday were denouncing Colbert’s rant:
morning when NBC’s Today actually provided a full
report on the backlash against the “crude” tirade.
“And it wasn’t just Trump supporters
blasting the late night host, some called
Correspondent Stephanie Gosk began the segment by the comments anti-gay.”
declaring:
The reporter read a tweet blasting the late night host:
“It was the late night joke that left
audiences shocked.” “Colbert explicitly mocks gay intimacy
with the cover of mocking Trump. This
A soundbite followed of Colbert’s nasty attack on the is hate speech.”
President: “You talk like a sign language gorilla who got
hit in the head. In fact, the only thing your mouth is good The headline on-screen read: “Colbert’s ‘Homophobic’
for is being Vladimir Putin’s [bleep] holster.” Gosk
Trump Joke?; Comic in Hot Water Over Attack on
explained: President.”

“Stephen Colbert used a crude phrase After showing Colbert being lambasted across the political
while attacking President Trump during spectrum for his cruel comments, Gosk noted that he
a 12-minute monologue Monday night. “ignored the controversy Tuesday night” and wrapped up
The comments received instant the report by telling viewers:
backlash online. The #FireColbert
trending worldwide.”
“...we reached out to CBS, they have not
commented on his comments or any of the
calls for his dismissal.”

Tuesday’s CBS Evening News and Wednesday’s CBS This

Morning both ignored the controversy. ABC News has
also avoided the topic.

Here is a full transcript of Gosk’s May 3 report:

7:31 AM ET

She noted that “conservatives pounced,” with a clip SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And now to the two late night hosts who
featured of Karl Rove on Fox News reacting to the find themselves in the political cross hairs this morning. NBC’s
remarks: Stephanie Gosk is here with that story. Steph, good morning to
you.
“I thought that was obscene, I though it
was lewd, I thought it was inappropriate. STEPHANIE GOSK: Guys, good morning. You know, late night
And it shows how out of touch that part hosts riff on politics all the time, but it doesn’t always make news.
This morning, two of the biggest names in late night are in the

255
headlines for very different reasons because of comments they GOSK: Kimmel in the headlines as well for his emotional
made in their monologues, and they are both taking political heat. monologue.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Comics In the Political Cross Hairs; [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Kimmel Gets Personal and Political;
Colbert, Kimmel at Center of Heated Debates] Reaction From Both Sides of Aisle to Health Care Plea]

JIMMY KIMMEL: Billy was born with a heart disease.

GOSK: Detailing his newborn’s son emergency heart surgery.

KIMMEL: They opened the valve and the operation was a

success. It was the longest three hours of my life.

GOSK: But Kimmel’s opening monologue wasn’t just about tiny

Billy’s traumatic first few days. He inserted himself directly into
the battle over health care.

KIMMEL: You know, before 2014, if you were born with

GOSK: It was the late night joke that left audiences shocked. congenital heart disease, like my son was, there was a good
chance you’d never be able to get health insurance because you
STEPHEN COLBERT [CBS’S LATE SHOW]: You talk like a sign had a preexisting condition.
language gorilla who got hit in the head. In fact, the only thing
your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s [bleep] holster. GOSK: Kimmel praised one of ObamaCare’s signature features,
insurance companies can’t deny coverage for people who
GOSK: Stephen Colbert used a crude phrase while attacking already have health issues. President Obama took advantage of
President Trump during a 12-minute monologue Monday night. the moment, tweeting, “Well said, Jimmy. That’s exactly why we
The comments received instant backlash online. The fought so hard for the Affordable Care Act, and why we need to
#FireColbert trending worldwide. While on cable news, protect it for kids like Billy.”
conservatives pounced.
After taking a political stand, Kimmel ended with a heartfelt plea.
KARL ROVE [FOX NEWS]: I thought that was obscene, I though
it was lewd, I thought it was inappropriate. And it shows how out KIMMEL: If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to, it
of touch that part of the media is with the rest of America. shouldn’t matter how much money you make. I think that’s
something that whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Colbert’s “Homophobic” Trump something else, we all agree on that, right?
Joke?; Comic in Hot Water Over Attack on President]
GOSK: The answer to that question may be yes, but how good,
GOSK: And it wasn’t just Trump supporters blasting the late night affordable health care should be provided still deeply divides this
host, some called the comments anti-gay. [Tweet from Yusuf country. What Kimmel reminded everyone with his story about
Naqvi] “Colbert explicitly mocks gay intimacy with the cover of his son is what’s on the line if we get it wrong.
mocking Trump. This is hate speech.”
As for that Colbert controversy, we reached out to CBS, they
COLBERT: Last night was one of rare times that I did not just have not commented on his comments or any of the calls for his
watch our show. I also watched our dear friend Jimmy Kimmel. dismissal.

GOSK: But amid some calls for his firing over the comments, LAUER: Interesting times, Steph. Thank you very much.
Colbert ignored the controversy Tuesday night. Instead urging his
audience to watch competitor Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue from GOSK: You’re welcome.
the night before.

COLBERT: I just want to say to anybody out there is if you

haven’t seen Jimmy’s monologue last night, it’s an absolutely
beautiful heart-felt story.
.

256
 DNC Just Admitted They
Had The Legal Right To Rig The 2016 Primaries
By - Matt Agorist
May 3, 2017

The most shocking was the argument that, despite

impartiality being part of both its charter and bylaws, the
DNC is free to choose the nominee it wishes, and could

“go into back rooms like they used to

and smoke cigars and pick the
candidate that way.”

The defendants’ lawyers also argued the suit is based on an

“internal rule” which cannot be enforced, and that the term
“impartial” can’t be defined.
Last year, the political election process exposed Americans
to more corruption and vote rigging than at any time in
their history. Now, a recent lawsuit has exposed that this “People paid money in reliance on the
corruption and fraud is actually standard operating understanding that the primary elections for
procedure. the Democratic nominee—nominating
process in 2016 were fair and impartial,”
the plaintiff’s lawyer Jared Beck said. “And
The lawsuit, filed against the Democratic National
that’s not just a bedrock assumption that
Committee, and its former chair Debbie Wasserman
we would assume just by virtue of the fact
Schultz, by Bernie Sanders donors reveals the DNC
that we live in a democracy, and we
believes its own rules of impartiality don’t apply, and they assume that our elections are run in a fair
can pick whatever candidate they wish. and impartial manner.”

“We could have voluntarily decided that, “But that’s what the Democratic National
‘Look, we’re gonna go into back rooms Committee’s own charter says. It says it in
like they used to and smoke cigars and black and white.”
pick the candidate that way,” DNC’s However, as the Free Thought Project pointed out last
lawyer Bruce Spiva told a Florida court. year, impartiality was nowhere to be found.

The lawsuit, originally filed in June, accuses the DNC and Beginning in Iowa and eventually getting blown wide open
its former chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz of seven in Arizona, the fraud and suppression of votes quickly let
different violations, including fraud, negligent Americans know that the DNC was set in their rigging
misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, and negligence. ways.

As RT reports, Examples of this fraud were captured on video,

documented on paper, and even broadcast live on
South Florida court presided over by U.S. television.
Federal Judge William J. Zloch heard the
defendants argue a Motion to Dismiss last The defendants, in their motion to dismiss the lawsuit,
week, which revealed a number of argued that a judge cannot determine how the DNC carries
surprising arguments made by the DNC’s out its nomination process, noting that it would “drag the
lawyers. Court right into the political squabbles.”

However, Judge Zlock responded by saying,

257
 “So you are suggesting that this is just premature, especially in light of California polls showing
part of the business, so to speak, that Clinton outpaced by or neck and neck with Bernie
it’s not unusual for, let’s say, the DNC, Sanders.
the RNC to take sides with respect to
any particular candidate and to support Whether or not the judge will rule to dismiss the case
that candidate over another?” remains unknown. However, if it does go to
court, Wasserman Schultz and others would be forced to
And that is exactly what voters witnessed last year. give depositions. And, during these depositions, evidence
from WikiLeaks, Guccifer and others will be presented.
The mainstream media was even complicit in the selection
of Hillary Clinton over Sanders. As the Free Thought Make no mistake, the DNC admitting to having the right to
Project reported last year, a firestorm exploded when the rig the 2016 democratic primary is just the tip of the
AP abruptly announced Clinton had garnered sufficient iceberg. If this goes to trial, America will see even more of
delegates and superdelegates to clinch the nomination — the dark underbelly that is the American election process.
before California even held its primary. Irate voters
justifiably condemned the inexplicable announcement as

258
 Susan Rice Declines To
Testify Before Senate Subcommittee
By Austin Wright
05/03/17 06:34 PM EDT

occur, and without consultation with

Ambassador Rice, a professional courtesy
that would customarily be extended to any
witness.”

The Judiciary subcommittee is holding a hearing next

Monday that will feature testimony from former acting
Attorney General Sally Yates and former Director of
National Intelligence James Clapper.

Susan Rice has drawn the ire of Republicans following reports last Rice has drawn the ire of Republicans investigating
month that, as national security adviser, she requested the names of Russia’s interference in November’s presidential election
President Donald Trump's transition aides who were referenced in following reports last month that, as national security
intelligence reports after the election. | Getty adviser, she requested the names of President Donald
Trump's transition aides who were referenced in
Former Obama administration National Security Adviser intelligence reports after the election.
Susan Rice on Wednesday declined a request to testify
next week before a Senate subcommittee, citing separation Rice denied using intelligence for political purposes in an
of powers between the executive and legislative branches interview on MSNBC last month.
and the fact that the invitation was not bipartisan.
“The allegation is that somehow Obama
Rice’s decision to decline the invitation to testify on administration officials utilized intelligence
Russia’s election meddling came in a letter from her for political purposes,” Rice said. “That’s
lawyer, Kathryn Ruemmler, to the leaders of the Senate absolutely false.”
Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, Lindsey
Graham (R-S.C.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
Whitehouse said Wednesday he believes Rice’s testimony
would be a distraction from the issues that Monday’s
The letter, first reported by CNN, notes that the invitation hearing is set to address.
to testify came only from Graham and that Whitehouse
“has informed us by letter that he did not agree to” the
“We’ve got a specific focus for this hearing
request, which Ruemmler calls “a significant departure
that both the former deputy attorney
from the bipartisan invitations extended to other
general and the former director of national
witnesses.”
intelligence can speak to," he said. "She
wasn’t one of the witnesses that we noticed
“Moreover,” Ruemmler writes, “Chairman the hearing for."
Graham's invitation was extended only
after the hearing was noticed, less than two
weeks before the hearing was scheduled to
.

259
James Comey: Loretta Lynch's Tarmac Meeting With Bill
Clinton Was The Turning Point In The Email Investigation
Allan Smith
May 3, 2017, 3:49 PM

The meeting happened days before Comey held a press

conference to announce the conclusion of the
investigation, at which he said the bureau would not
recommend criminal charges but that the former secretary
of state had acted recklessly by using the private server.

Comey said he called Lynch the morning of the press

conference to alert her to his decision to hold it. But
Comey said he would not tell her what he was planning to
say.

"I said to her, 'I hope someday you'll understand

why I think I have to do this,'" Comey said. "But
look, I was not loving this. I knew this would be
disastrous for me personally. But I thought this is
the best way to protect these institutions we care
FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday said former so much about."
Attorney General Loretta Lynch's tarmac meeting with
President Bill Clinton in late June was the turning point in He mentioned the press conference and his subsequent
the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private testimony under oath that the investigation was complete
email server. as reasons he had to go public when he knew that emails
possibly relevant to the investigation were found on former
Comey said the meeting aboard an airplane in Phoenix set New York Rep. Anthony Weiner's computer.
off a series of events that ended with a bombshell
revelation in the FBI director's letter to congressional "When the Anthony Weiner thing landed on me
leaders 11 days before the November 8 election that the on October 27 and there was a huge — this is
bureau would reopen the investigation. what people forget — new step to be taken, we
may be finding the golden missing emails that
During testimony on Capitol Hill before the Senate would change this case, if I were not to speak
Judiciary Committee, Comey said "a number of things" about that, it would be a disastrous, catastrophic
had caused him to worry that Department of Justice concealment," he said. "It was an incredibly
leadership painful choice, but actually not all that hard,
between very bad and catastrophic.
"could not credibly complete the investigation
and decline prosecution without grievous "I had to tell Congress that we were taking these
damage to the American people's confidence in additional steps," he continued. "I prayed to find
the justice system." a third door. I couldn't find it. Two actions: speak
or conceal. I don't think many reasonable people
The "capper," he said, was the meeting. would do it differently than I did, no matter what
they say today. If you were standing there staring
"I'm not picking on the attorney general, Loretta at that on October 28, would you really conceal
Lynch, who I like very much, but her meeting with that? So I spoke."
President Clinton on that airplane was the capper
for me," he said. "And I then said, 'You know Bill Clinton and Lynch said they discussed their
what? The department cannot, by itself, credibly grandchildren during the tarmac meeting, which lasted
end this.'" about 30 minutes.

260
In December, Lynch told CNN's Jake Tapper she regretted going on, and that's not something that was an
the meeting. unreasonable question for anyone to ask."

"I wish I had seen around that corner and not Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential
had that discussion with the former president, as nominee, said on Tuesday that the letter from Comey to
innocuous as it was, because it did give people congressional leaders played a large role in her defeat by
concern," Lynch said. "It did make people President Donald Trump.
wonder is it going to affect the investigation that's
.

261
 Trump Blasts Susan Rice
For Declining Request To Testify Before Senate Panel
By Louis Nelson
05/04/17 07:34 AM EDT

reports. Rice has denied that she or anyone else in the

Obama administration used intelligence information for
political purposes.

“Susan Rice, the former National Security

Advisor to President Obama, is refusing to
testify before a Senate Subcommittee next
week on allegations of unmasking Trump
transition officials. Not good!” Trump wrote
on Twitter, breaking his message up into
two posts to accommodate the platform’s
character limit.

President Donald Trump criticized former national security Rice, who declined Graham’s request for testimony via a
adviser Susan Rice on Thursday morning, writing on letter from her lawyer, said she turned down the invitation
Twitter that it was “not good” that Rice refused an because it came only from the South Carolina Republican
invitation from Sen. Lindsey Graham to testify before a and was not bipartisan in nature. Rice’s attorney wrote that
Senate subcommittee. the former national security adviser had been advised by
the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, Sen. Sheldon
Rice, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Whitehouse of Rhode Island, that he did not agree
Nations and then as national security adviser for former Graham’s request.
President Barack Obama, officially turned down Graham’s
invitation to testify regarding Russia’s interference in last Rice’s attorney also wrote that Graham’s invitation came
year’s election before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s less than two weeks before the scheduled hearing and was
Subcommittee Crime and Terrorism. sent without consultation with Rice herself,

Rice, already a controversial figure for her incorrect “a professional courtesy that would
explanation of the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in customarily be extended to any witness.”
Benghazi, Libya, has also been accused of requesting the
names of individuals associated with Trump’s campaign
and transition team that were referenced in intelligence
.

262
 Tom Fitton: Comey Has ‘Repeatedly And Improperly
Protected Clinton And Her Top People From
Consequences Of Criminal Behavior’
By John Hayward
4 May 2017

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton discussed FBI sending it along to someone unauthorized to see,
Director James Comey’s testimony to Congress with review it, or have it – Anthony Weiner, her
SiriusXM host Alex Marlow on Thursday’s Breitbart husband,” said Fitton.
News Daily.
Marlow recalled the “surreal reversal” of Comey’s famous
Hillary Clinton has blamed Comey for her 2016 election press conference, in which he laid out a compelling case
loss, but Marlow argued that if Comey had concealed the for indicting Clinton – and then said he would not indict
FBI’s discovery that Clinton was handling classified her.
material irresponsibly – in the most spectacular instance,
allowing it to be forwarded to disgraced former “But the media has set the narrative, Tom, which
congressman Anthony Weiner – it would have been “the is that he should actually be apologizing for
end of the FBI as we know it.” saying anything negative about Her Highness
Hillary Clinton, and not the way you and I are
“You put your finger on it – the end of the FBI as seeing it, which is that still we don’t know why
we know it,” Fitton agreed. “Comey is very she isn’t indicted, given all that we’ve learned,”
interested in protecting his own reputation and he said.
why he should have done X or why he should
have done Y.” “That’s right,” Fitton agreed. “I can understand
why that letter was concerning to those people
“In the final analysis, what happened was that who were in the middle of a campaign. Mrs.
Comey has repeatedly and improperly protected Clinton’s conduct was requiring an FBI
Hillary Clinton and her top people from the investigation, but the scandal is the FBI
consequences of their criminal behavior by investigation was half-baked.”
coloring the law, misstating the law, and focusing
on everything but the elephant in the living room: He said Judicial Watch litigation has revealed that
why didn’t he prosecute her? Why didn’t he
recommend a prosecution? Why was immunity “the FBI was using Judicial Watch documents
granted to all of these individuals? Why is it he that we’ve gotten through the Freedom of
said that he needed to prove intent, when in fact Information Act to question some of the
all they really needed was gross negligence, witnesses in the Clinton investigation.”
which was proven beyond the shadow of a
reasonable doubt, and he probably had the intent “Why haven’t they gotten them on their own,
there anyway?” he asked. through grand juries or subpoenas or other law
enforcement action?” he asked. “They seem to
“Looking at the testimony generally yesterday, be following our lead here. I don’t think Comey’s
Alex, I just was reassured that Judicial Watch heart was in it. He was always concerned, and
and all the critics of the way the Justice he reaffirmed that yesterday, about getting
Department and the FBI handled this during the involved in politics. If he was nervous about a
Obama administration are right, that the letter getting involved in politics, can you imagine
investigation into Hillary Clinton needs to be what he would have been nervous about if an
opened. He keeps on telling us other reasons indictment was in the offing, something that he
why it needs to be opened, by disclosing wanted to pursue in the face of what he
additional crimes that his FBI has been covering confirmed to be Justice Department interference
up for eight months now. For instance, Huma and lack of good faith?”
Abedin mishandled classified information in
263
 “He’s just highlighting the fact that A) he “There were some emails showing that after the
shouldn’t be FBI Director, and B) the Justice terrible Haitian earthquake in 2010, there was an
Department was so thoroughly corrupt that he almost immediate conference call involving the
couldn’t even trust them to tell you what the time Clinton Foundation,” Fitton explained.
of day was, and C) that the investigation into
Hillary Clinton needs to be reopened by “Now, Mrs. Clinton promised that sort of thing
someone independent and serious, and Comey wouldn’t happen – that the Clinton Foundation
should have nothing to do with it,” Fitton and the State Department, there would be a
contended. bright line demarcating, and the two wouldn’t
meet. But instead they did meet, and obviously
“There is precedent for this. I recall at the we later found out that Bill Clinton and his
beginning of the Obama administration – you foundation effectively ran U.S. government
may remember this – remember the investigation operations down there, despite Mrs. Clinton’s
into the four CIA saps who were charged with promises that they’d have nothing to do with
using enhanced interrogation techniques? They government when she was in the Secretary of
had been exonerated by the Bush administration. State position, because that’s what she had to do
The Obama administration came in and re- in order to get the position of Secretary of State –
initiated a special prosecution, an investigation of promising a bright line between the Clinton
them. This is what should be done with Hillary Foundation and her Secretary of State office,
Clinton,” he advised. because both Republicans and Democrats and
even the White House, Barack Obama’s White
Marlow asked about the new standard of “criminal intent” House, had concerns about it,” he said.
as a requirement for indictment, which seems to apply only
to “rich and powerful” individuals like Hillary Clinton. “And by the way, the documents we have this
week also show more classified information
“I don’t know why Mr. Comey is falsely stating being shared with Huma Abedin and others that
what the law is under oath again before Hillary Clinton was sending and receiving on her
Congress,” Fitton replied. “There is no intent system. Unbelievable, unbelievable,” Fitton
needed to prosecute someone for the exclaimed.
mishandling of classified information. Just
imagine, if someone is so careless about Marlow criticized President Trump’s announcement that
classified information that they leave it on the Clinton would not be investigated further, and asked how
Internet equivalent of a park bench, of course such a determination could be made when relevant facts of
they’re going to get prosecuted, and they should. the case are still being uncovered to this day.
That’s what Hillary Clinton did.”
“The charitable interpretation of that is that it was
“Not only that, but let’s say they said, ‘Let’s be a reactive comment, and he doesn’t really
sure because it’s going to be tough to prosecute believe it,” Fitton said of Trump’s statement on
her, let’s be sure that we have more than just the the matter. “I really don’t think he thinks that’s the
gross negligence standard that the law requires. case. Technically speaking, he can’t prosecute
Let’s say that we need the intent standard,’” he Hillary Clinton. The operational question is, is the
continued. “Well, Mrs. Clinton was warned Justice Department going to be staffed now by
repeatedly – again, uncovered by Judicial Watch people in the Trump administration who
documents the FBI had – not to use a system understand what their roles and duties are, and
separate from the State Department system their obligations are, to the American people and
because of the security concerns. She do their jobs?”
acknowledged those warnings and did it anyway.
No matter how you slice it, they had the case.” “All I’m asking is for is the thumb of politicians to
be taken off the scales of justice, and allow a
Another Judicial Watch revelation noted by Marlow was prosecution, a regular one, to proceed against
the discovery of emails from Abedin that show Hillary Clinton,” he declared. “Certainly an
investigation or a grand jury, a serious one. That
“the Clinton Foundation and State Department doesn’t necessarily mean that she’ll be
were linked together on Haiti,” prosecuted, but the American people will be
reassured that the rigged game that went on last
a relationship earlier revealed by Breitbart News Editor-at- year isn’t going to happen again, and there’s
Large Peter Schweizer’s book Clinton Cash. going to be finally a full vetting of what went on.”

.
264
 Top Democrat ‘Has Seen No Evidence
Of Trump-Russia Collusion’ (VIDEO)
Published Time: 5 May, 2017 20:21

Former Republican Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, also

tweeted:

“This is huge.”
This seems significant given (a) who is saying it,
(b) how decisive her answer is, and (c) that she
just got back from a CIA briefing on it.
https://t.co/xEgERG4UJY
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 5,
2017
Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA) © Kevin Lamarque / Reuters This is huge. https://t.co/daSXKP0N2X
A top Democratic member of the Senate Select Committee — Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) May 4, 2017
on Intelligence has told CNN that she has seen no evidence Members of the House Intelligence Committee have
of collusion between Trump associates and Russian previously implied that they were aware of evidence of
officials during last year’s US presidential election. collusion. California Representative Adam Schiff said in
March that there was “more than circumstantial evidence”
Dianne Feinstein was interviewed on the news channel of coordination.
following a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Wednesday where FBI Director James Comey was While last month, California Representative Eric
questioned about possible collusion between Trump Swalwell, said “there is evidence of collusion,” but failed
officials and Russia. to expand on the details, citing “classified information.”
Referring to a briefing Feinstein attended at CIA "There is evidence of collusion."
Headquarters in Langley on the alleged Russia meddling
on Tuesday, host Wolf Blitzer asked: —Rep. Eric Swalwell on
@hardballhttps://t.co/Tj7ms7KifLpic.twitter.com/V
“Do you have evidence that there was in fact lyI2oXSPT
collusion between Trump associates and Russia
during the campaign?” — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 28, 2017

“Not at this time,” Feinstein replied.

“Well, that’s a pretty precise answer,” Blitzer

said, quickly bringing the interview to an end.

Journalist and co-founder of The Intercept Glenn

Greenwald described Feinstein’s answer as significant for
several reasons, including

“(a) who is saying it, (b) how decisive her answer

is, and (c) that she just got back from a CIA
briefing on it.”
.

265
 James Comey Didn't Sink Hillary, Hillary Sank Hillary
Rather Than Smearing Comey, Clinton Should Be Thanking
Him For Not Suggesting She Be Indicted.
David Harsanyi
May 5, 2017

Hillary Clinton was back earlier this week, taking actively protecting a candidate—which is undoubtedly
"absolute personal responsibility" by blaming Russia, FBI why Comey said it was potentially "catastrophic."
Director James Comey and misogyny for her second
presidential election loss. If the election had taken place on Whatever his political calculations, however, there was
Oct. 27, Clinton maintained, she'd be president. simply no reason for him not to apprise Congress of that
kind of discovery. As an article by Newsweek pointed out
at the time, Comey had an ethical obligation to inform
Perhaps if we were to all live in a vacuum where the Congress despite the best contrary efforts of overt
electorate ignored everything the Democratic Party's partisans like Attorney General Loretta Lynch, not only
flawed nominee said and did (and tried to hide), she would because Department of Justice rules maintain that relevant
be in the White House—although even that's debatable. committees should be apprised of new evidence but also
because Comey had informed Congress that he had
Clinton's counterfactual tale about the infamous Comey completed its review. Once he did that, and once he came
letter has been a security blanket for many Democrats. But, into possession of significant evidence that would have to
as luck would have it, the FBI director was testifying in be examined by the FBI, Comey had a duty to notify
front of a Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, and Congress to amend his initial testimony, which was no
he reminded us of some factors that Clinton ignored. That's longer true.
because even if we concede that Comey's letter to
Congress helped sink Clinton, Clinton deserved that letter Setting all that aside, however, it's also worth reiterating
and Comey had no choice but to send it. that it was Hillary, not Comey, who initially set up a secret
server to circumvent transparency, likely to hide favor
In essence, what many Democrats have been arguing for trading related to her foundation. It was Hillary, not
the past six months is that Comey should have actively Comey, who sent unsecured classified documents through
buried evidence that was pertinent to an ongoing that server, which she almost surely knew was wrong. (The
congressional investigation—one that incidentally turned New York Times pointed out that chances are high these
up plenty of potential wrongdoing—because it might hurt documents were intercepted by foreign powers.) It was
their preferred candidate's chances. Hillary, not Comey, who was responsible for attempts to
destroy all evidence related to that server. It was Hillary's
Comey confirmed that the FBI learned that classified people, as Comey noted in his original congressional
emails were forwarded from Clinton's email account by testimony, that had "cleaned their devices in such a way as
Clinton aide Huma Abedin to her husband, former Rep. to preclude complete forensic recovery." And it was
Anthony Weiner, so he could print them out. (This appears Hillary's aide who failed to inform the FBI about classified
to be illegal, but perhaps all those immunity deals Comey emails on her computer.
was handing out came in handy.) Her computer, like other
servers and laptops Clinton's staff tried to dispose of, hide, It was Hillary who ran a poor campaign and lost to one of
clean and whatnot, were supposed to have been in the the most unpopular presidential candidates in history. As
hands of the FBI. former President Barack Obama's adviser David Axelrod
pointed out Wednesday, she never took responsibility for
It's worth pointing out that everything in the Comey letter any of it.
was almost surely going to leak anyway, not only because
of its connection to the Clinton investigation but also He said:
because this "fella Anthony Weiner," as Comey referred to
him, had access to classified information. "But Jim Comey didn't tell her not to campaign in
Wisconsin after the convention. Jim Comey didn't
That may not have made things any better for Clinton, but say, 'Don't put any resources in Michigan until
it certainly would have made the FBI look like it was the final week of the campaign.' One of the
266
 things that hindered her in the campaign was a Moreover, as Comey basically admitted again today,
sense that she never fully was willing to take Clinton had clearly broken the law. The only struggle was
responsibility for her mistakes, particularly that proving intent (though gross negligence was the standard).
server." So rather than smearing Comey, Clinton should be
thanking him for not suggesting she be indicted.

267
 Comey’s Quixotic Quest
To Prove Russian Involvement In Elections
Wayne MADSEN
08.05.2017

Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey It worked for Hoover during the Cold War when he
may be physically imposing at 6 feet, 8 inches tall. decided that the best way to avert the attention of the
However, when it comes to his oratorical skills, or, in his American public away from his friends in organized crime
case, the lack thereof, Comey is nothing more than a and his own well-known homosexuality was to claim that
«snake oil» salesman trying to market fanciful conspiracies «Communists» had infiltrated every sector of American
masked as fact. Trying to emulate one of his predecessors, society. In his attempt to fill Mr. Hoover’s high-heeled
J. Edgar Hoover, Comey said that when it comes to shoes, Comey accuses Russia of being the greatest threat
protecting the democratic process, Russia is «the greatest to free elections on earth.
threat to any nation on earth, given their intention and their
ability». Comey’s rhetoric is right out of the pages of the One only need examine the record of the U.S. Central
Cold War and Senator Joe McCarthy’s anti-Communist Intelligence Agency since its creation in 1947 to find out
«witch hunts». Comey engaged in McCarthyite tactics by that it has been the United States that has been the greatest
referring to WikiLeaks as «a conduit for the Russian threat to free and fair elections around the globe. When it
intelligence services». comes to election interference, no country – Russia, China,
the former Soviet Union, apartheid South Africa, or North
It is hard to tell whether President Trump agrees with Mr. Korea – holds a candle to the boys at Langley. In 1948, a
Comey. Trump has indicated that it is within his power to CIA full-court press of bribes, threats, and infiltration
fire Comey, but has given no further indication as to ensured the defeat of the Communist Party by the U.S.-
whether the FBI director will serve out the traditional ten- supported Christian Democrats in the Italian general
year term. There is one thing for certain. Comey may not election. This same template was used again and again by
want to appear as a right-wing, Cold War-mentality Washington in countries ranging from Chile and Nicaragua
neoconservative, but his professional and personal history to Australia and Russia.
indicates that when it comes to Russia-bashing, it is in his
blood. Comey supported and donated to the presidential Now, the CIA, headed by the neo-Cold Warrior and right-
campaigns of the psychotically anti-Russian John McCain, wing religious extremist Mike Pompeo, and its allies, are
as well as the neocons’ darling Mitt Romney. trying to turn the tables in suggesting that Russia has been
able to almost singlehandedly affect the U.S. presidential
After leaving the Justice Department in 2005, Comey campaign, the «yes» vote in the European Union Brexit
became General Counsel and Senior Vice President of referendum in the United Kingdom, the French
Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon’s largest contractor. When presidential election, and the «no» vote in the Italian
it comes to war-making, Lockheed Martin has profited constitutional reform referendum. There is a major
handsomely from ensuring that military tension remains a problem with this thinking. If Russia were as powerful as
hair-trigger from war from the Baltic region and the claimed by the Comey, Pompeo, and others, Austrian
Balkans to the Korean peninsula and the Middle East. nationalist Norbert Hofer, not the anti-Russian emigré
Feeding the «war-porn» addicts in the U.S. Congress, from Estonia, Alexander Van der Bellen, would have won
including the likes of Republican Senators Lindsey the Austrian presidential election. And it would have been
Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas, the Dutch Freedom Party nationalist Geert Wilders, not the
improves the bottom line of Lockheed Martin, a firm in globalist Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who would have
which Mr. Comey likely still has a significant personal been the victor in the Netherlands election.
financial stake.
If Russia’s intentions were as malignant as claimed by the
Comey and his neocon friends have decided that the best neocons and the Cold Warriors, a dubious Russian-backed
way to challenge the anti-globalist populist wave that is coup operation in Montenegro would have been successful
sweeping the world is to deploy a wide brush and paint and not a failure. When it comes to coup-making and
every sovereigntist political campaign and leader – both putsches, it is Langley that excels, especially with its own
left and right – as Russian «tools» and Kremlin «agents». unlimited funds, coupled with those of international hedge

268
fund tycoon George Soros, at its disposal. It is American paper paid scant attention to the fact that Israel is the
fingerprints that have been found in successful and aborted Dutch opposition leader’s biggest financial «sugar daddy».
«color revolutions» in Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia, It is amazing that the tools of the globalists, like The New
Macedonia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Armenia, and York Times and The Washington Post, did not claim that
the Srpska Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was joint Russia interfered in the February 5, 2017 general election
CIA-Soros funds that gave rise to the bloody «Arab in the Principality of Liechtenstein, because an anti-EU
Spring» uprisings in Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, and and anti-migrant party, «Die Unabhängigen», («The
Yemen. The Arab Spring template has been moved by the Independents»), came in third, beating a traditional third
globalist power centers to create havoc in socialist party.
Venezuela, with their eyes soon to be set on Bolivia.
Mr. Comey testified about intelligence proof he has
The strategy of the globalists and their puppets, such as confirming Russian interference in the U.S. election. Let’s
Comey, Lindsey Graham, and others, is to demonize as examine the history of U.S. intelligence «proof». It
«Russian agents» those who pose a threat to the «world includes intelligence reports from a phony Iraqi defector
order» fashioned by the CIA, Wall Street, and the named «Curveball» that Saddam Hussein possessed
Pentagon. Therefore, leftist anti-globalists like British weapons of mass destruction, fake signals intelligence
Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, French leftist leader intercepts on a non-existent North Vietnamese naval attack
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and U.S. Independent Socialist on the USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy in 1964 in the
Senator Bernie Sanders are given the same McCarthyite Gulf of Tonkin, phony intelligence reports on Libyan
«Russian agent» labels, as have Donald Trump, Marine Le leader Muammar Qaddafi committing mass executions of
Pen, Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Hungary, and Libyans in 2011, fake reports on Iranian nuclear weapons
Alternative for Germany leader Frauke Petry. development after it ended its weapons program in 2003,
and, more recently, a dubious intelligence dossier from a
Globalist politicians – left and right – now routinely mid-level former British MI-6 employee who successfully
engage in claims of Russia involvement in their nations’ shopped «dirt» to the Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton
political processes to mask their own ineffective campaigns on Trump and «golden shower» parties in
leadership. In January of this year, Swedish Social Moscow. The dossier, embraced by Comey, is said to
Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said he could «prove» Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential
not rule out «Russian interference» in Sweden’s 2018 election. British «dossiers» on just about everything, from
general election. There is little doubt that if Löfven loses, the Number 10 «dodgy dossier» on Saddam Hussein’s
he will blame it all on «the Russians». weapons to the «dirty dossier» on Trump, are about as
credible as everything else in the British tabloids. Comey
should read Harry Potter books, not FBI and CIA
The New York Times suggested that Russia was financially
intelligence reports, if he wants to wallow in fiction.
backing Mr. Wilders in the Netherlands election but the
.

269
 'No Evidence Russia Influencing
Voter Tallies In...50 States' ‒ US Ex-Intel Chief
Published Time: 8 May, 2017 19:46 Edited Time: 9 May, 2017 00:55

“We could not make that call,” replied Clapper.

"The only thing we said was we saw no evidence

of influencing voter tallies in any of the 50 states,
but we were not in a position to judge whether ‒
what actual outcome on the election," added
Clapper.

Kennedy then asked "Have you ever leaked?"

“Not wittingly or knowingly,” replied Clapper.

While testifying before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee "Classified or unclassified?," said Kennedy.
on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, ex-
National Intelligence Director James Clapper said he “Unclassified is not leaking," remarked Clapper
doesn't have any evidence that Moscow influenced voter as laughter erupted in the room.
tallies on Election Day.
When it came to the January 6 report that accused Russia
The Senate Judiciary Committee is investigating alleged of “influence campaign” during the US presidential
Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. election, some “two dozen or so” handpicked analysts
Clapper appeared with former Acting Attorney General from three agencies – the CIA, the FBI and the NSA –
Sally Yates. The highly anticipated hearing was expected compiled the information, Clapper told the subcommittee,
to fill in key details in the chain of events that led to the headed by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina)
ouster of General Michael Flynn, President Donald and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island). All 17
Trump's first national security adviser, during the intelligence agencies were consulted in some form ahead
administration’s first month in office. of the report’s release, and Clapper said he was “not aware
of anyone who dissented or disagreed.”

“The most important thing is to educate the

electorate as to what the Russian objective is,”
Clapper said. “There needs to be more done in
the way of sanctions to the Russians or any other
government that attempts to interfere with our
election process.”

"#Russia congratulating themselves, exceeded

wildest expectations" - Former ODNI #Clapper
on #Russiagate

"Can we agree that the Russians attempted to LIVE:

influence the outcome of the election?” asked https://t.co/Fq68KIe1Kxpic.twitter.com/Dx3VFMR
Senator John Neely Kennedy (R-Louisiana) jGG
during the Subcommittee on Crime and
Terrorism hearing on Monday. — RT America (@RT_America) May 8, 2017

"Yes," Clapper and Yates replied. "Russia’s influence activities in the run-up to the
2016 presidential election constituted the high-
"Did they succeed?" asked Kennedy. water mark of their long-running efforts since the
1960’s to disrupt and influence our elections,"

270
 said Clapper. "They must be congratulating Yates told the panel that she warned the White House
themselves for having exceeded their wildest about Flynn multiple times, including “two in-person
expectations. They are now emboldened to meetings and one phone call” with White House counsel
continue such activities in the future, both here Don McGahn about Flynn’s activities. At that point, on
and around the world, and to do so even more January 26, she had “notes that described” the FBI’s
intensely." interview with Flynn from the day before, and didn’t want
to wait to get a readout of the interview.
Moscow likely spent some $200 million, not including
government support for RT, enabling them to interfere Yates and another DOJ official went to the White House
“with minimal resource expenditure,” Clapper told Sen. because they were
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota).
“worried American people may have been misled
“RT is essentially a propaganda mouthpiece for about Gen. Flynn’s underlying conduct,” and that
the government,” Clapper added. “The the Russians knew “and likely had proof” which
management is close to Putin.” created a compromising situation because Vice
President Mike Pence “was unknowingly making
Clapper also told Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) false statements to the public” and thus “Flynn
that “In comparison with classical military was compromised with regards to the Russians.”
expenditures, it’s a bargain for them.”
“We felt the vice president was entitled to know”
All the ways RT ‘influenced’ American politics ‒ that the information he was giving the public was
it’s not what the ODNI thinks not true, Yates said, but would not reveal what
Flynn’s “underlying conduct” because that was
https://t.co/xFuUQianZMpic.twitter.com/2lLdxUm “based on classified information.”
BaV
Yates said that, during her meeting with McGahn, he
— RT America (@RT_America) January 9, 2017 “certainly demonstrated that he understood this was
serious.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) called alleged
Russian involvement “a foregone conclusion.” “If nothing was done, then certainly it would be
concerning,” she added.
Clapper incorrectly claimed that no Republican data was
released during the campaign, WikiLeaks co-founder White House spokesman Sean Spicer confirmed media
Julian Assange said on Twitter, offering documents reports that former President Barack Obama had spoken
published in August 2016 as proof. against Flynn in a transition meeting with Trump.

DNI Clapper just misled or perjured himself to “This is a guy who was very outspoken in his
Congress saying that there was no release of criticism of President Obama’s policies,” Spicer
Republican data. Proof: said of Flynn during the White House press
briefing on Monday, going on to question why the
https://t.co/A2u3YFHShM Obama administration allowed Flynn to travel to
Russia and did not revoke his security clearance.
— Julian Assange (@JulianAssange) May 8,
2017 “If they were concerned, why didn’t they take any
steps?” asked Spicer.
Clapper echoed remarks by CIA Director Mike Pompeo
that WikiLeaks is propaganda platform for Russia and that If #Obama was concerned about #Flynn's
it’s a non-state intelligence actor. security clearance, 'then what did they do and, if
nothing, then why not?' –
Yates reminded the committee of her 27-year career at the
Department of Justice and praised their “impartial and #Spicerpic.twitter.com/qBmY5J43zq
thorough investigation” of the Russian threat.
— RT America (@RT_America) May 8, 2017
“The efforts by a foreign adversary to interfere
with and undermine our democratic processes ‒ During the hearing, Clapper addressed such questions in
and those of our allies ‒pose a serious threat to the hypothetical, noting that he didn’t have any specifics of
all Americans,” she said. how the Trump transition team vetted Flynn, but saying
that the vetting process for the White House is supposed to
be
271
 “far, far more invasive and far, far more Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how
thorough.” classified information got into the newspapers
soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel.
There were nearly 2,000 requests to unmask the identity of
surveillance targets in 2016, Clapper noted, adding that he — President Trump (@POTUS) May 8, 2017
had never requested unmasking for personal, political or
voyeuristic purposes, nor was he Several senators asked Yates about her memo to the
Justice Department, in which she argued that Trump’s first
“aware of any instance of such abuse by anyone travel ban was unconstitutional.
else.”
“I believed that any argument that we would have
There were many questions Yates couldn’t answer in an to make in its defense would not be grounded in
open hearing because her responses contained classified the truth,” she told Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-
information, including Graham’s query of whether there Louisiana), adding that the intent behind the
was any evidence that anyone in the Trump campaign executive order didn’t convince her that it was
colluded with Russia. constitutional.

#Clapper & #SallyYates deny having shared or “Who appointed you to the US Supreme Court?”
enabled information sharing with media on he retorted.
#Trump and associates
https://t.co/Fq68KIe1Kxpic.twitter.com/kCOFYK3 US ex-intel chief Clapper believes Russia-Trump
nHi claims, despite ‘no evidence to his knowledge’
https://t.co/fOum9uC2Xz
— RT America (@RT_America) May 8, 2017
— RT America (@RT_America) March 6, 2017
Neither Clapper nor Yates knew how information from
Flynn’s conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) pointed out that, during
Kislyak ended up in the Washington Post, and both denied her confirmation hearing, then-Senator Jeff Sessions (R-
leaking any stories about Trump and his associates to the Alabama) pressed Yates to say that she would defy an
press, whether directly or through someone else. illegal order from the president.

Yates was the acting attorney general at the time of The Senate committee hearing occurred at the same time
Trump’s first travel ban, and was fired after refusing to as government lawyers were arguing that the
enforce it. On Monday, Trump urged the committee to administration’s second ban should be allowed to proceed.
question her under oath about classified information she
was privy to ended up in the media, implying that the LIVE: Yates & Clapper testify on alleged Russian
former Obama appointee may have been behind the leaks. interference in US 2016 election

Posted by RT America on Monday, May 8, 2017

272
 Yates / Clapper Hearing: Flynn In Deep Trouble But Still
"No Evidence" Of Trump Collusion With Russia
By Tyler Durden
May 8, 2017 8:14 PM

Below is a summary of some of the key topics covered And Yates' response to a question from White House
during today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Counsel McGahn as to why the DOJ was concerned
former DNI Director Clapper and Former Acting Attorney whether one White House official lied to another White
General Sally Yates. House official...in summary, Yates testified that the lack of
transparency created a situation whereby Flynn was
Yates On Flynn Warnings To The White House: susceptible to "blackmail" from Russian agents who knew
that he had lied to the White House and would need to
With regards to General Flynn, Yates testified that she had protect that lie in order to keep his job.
two in-person meetings and 1 phone call with the White
House out of concerns that Vice President Pence was Yates: "...the National Security Adviser,
unknowingly making false statements in the media about essentially, could be blackmailed by the
Flynn's interactions with Russian officials...false Russians." —via @MSNBC
statements that Yates alleged were the result of Flynn pic.twitter.com/DTIAQcZ6y0
interntionally lying to the Vice President.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 8, 2017
 Yates also testified that "potential prosecution" of Flynn
was discussed at the second in-person meeting at the Yates/Clapper On Collusion:
White House.
Senator Graham opened by asking both Clapper and Yates
 YATES: 2 IN-PERSON MEETINGS, ONE PHONE about whether either had intelligence that would confirm
CALL WITH W.H. ON FLYNN collusion between the Trump administration and the
Kremlin. Clapper once again said there is no evidence
 YATES: TOLD WHITE HOUSE KNEW ACCOUNTS of such collusion and Yates refused to answer on the basis
OF FLYNN CONDUCT UNTRUE that such an answer would reveal classified information.

 YATES: GAVE WHITE HOUSE `FAIR AMOUNT' OF  CLAPPER: STILL TRUE HE DOESN'T KNOW OF
DETAIL ON FLYNN ACTS TRUMP-RUSSIA COLLUSION

 YATES: TOLD MCGAHN PENCE ENTITLED TO  YATES SAYS SHE CAN'T ANSWER QUESTION
KNOW HE GOT FALSE INFO ABOUT POSSIBLE COLLUSION

 YATES: RUSSIAN KNOWLEDGE CREATED  YATES CITES CLASSIFIED INFORMATION FOR

POTENTIAL BLACKMAIL SITUATION DECLINING TO ANSWER

 YATES: MCGAHN ASKED IF FLYNN SHOULD BE Yates and Clapper On Whether They've Ever Been An
FIRED, SAID NOT HER CALL 'Anonymous' Source For The Media:

 YATES: POTENTIAL PROSECUTION OF FLYNN Both Yates and Clapper denied, under oath, ever being an
DISCUSSED AT 2ND MEETING anonymous source in press reports:

Yates says "yes," she discussed criminal Former DNI Clapper, former acting AG Yates
prosecution of Flynn with WH counsel deny ever being anonymous source in press
#YatesHearing pic.twitter.com/TqxULkPlbI reports on Trump or associates

— Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) May 8, https://t.co/VO91R4PRlb

2017 pic.twitter.com/bk2RkRnNgm

273
 — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 8, Director Clapper used his opening remarks to speculate
2017 that Russia

Travel Ban: "must be congratulating themselves for

having exceeded their wildest expectations
On Trump's travel ban, Yates testified that she instructed with a minimal expenditure of resources."
the DOJ to not defend the executive order because it was,
at least in her opinion, "unlawful" and "unconstitutional". Clapper: Russia "must be congratulating
themselves for having exceeded their wildest
Sally Yates said she made determination as expectations" https://t.co/vktuPvsZr8
acting AG that Pres. Trump's travel ban was pic.twitter.com/HO77f1oIq1
"unlawful":
— POLITICO (@politico) May 8, 2017
https://t.co/Okz2bwUl4f
pic.twitter.com/Pc7uiUTNxt ***

— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 8, 2017 Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island opened with a very
handy checklist detailing the "Russian Toolbox" for
And while Yates seemingly scored a quick victory over hacking the 2016 election. It includes everything from
Ted Cruz in Round 1 over the legality of her refusing to
defend Trump's travel ban .... "Propaganda, Fake News, Trolls, And Bots" to
"Assassination and Political Violence."
Sally Yates just shut down Ted Cruz on
Constitutional Law. pic.twitter.com/ONlwEYm64D

— jordan ???? (@JordanUhl) May 8, 2017

...Senator Kennedy quickly came back and scored his own

decisive victory in Round 2 by asking Yates very simply:

"who appointed you to the United States

Supreme Court?"

Senator Kennedy asks Sally Yates, "who

appointed you to the United States Supreme ***
Court?"
For those who missed it, here is our original preview from
https://t.co/N2XqdigO37 https://t.co/duaEAZYAko earlier today:

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) May 8, 2017 Moments from now, at 2:30PM EST, former
Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and Former
Julian Assange On Clapper's Assertion That Hackers Director of National Intelligence James Clapper
Only Targeted Democrats: will take the stand before the Senate Judiciary
Committee to answer more questions about the
Meanwhile, here is Julian Assange's response to Clapper's alleged "Russian Interference in the 2016 United
assertion that hackers only targeted Democrats and never States Election."
revealed sensitive information obtained from Republican
targets. As we noted earlier, President Trump submitted his
question list for the Senate panel earlier this morning via
DNI Clapper just misled or perjured himself to Twitter:
Congress saying that there was no release of
Republican data. Proof: "Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows
https://t.co/A2u3YFHShM how classified information got into the
newspapers soon after she explained it to
— Julian Assange (@JulianAssange) May 8, W.H. Council."
2017
Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how
And Some Other Takeaways: classified information got into the newspapers
soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel.

274
 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, It is time to get serious about protecting our country.
2017 Calling for tougher vetting for individuals travelling from
seven dangerous places is not extreme. It is reasonable and
Meanwhile, the anchors at CNN decided to jump on the necessary to protect our country.
tweet as a form of "witness intimidation." Per The Hill:
Tonight, President Trump relieved Ms. Yates of her duties
“Before I covered politics all the time, I used and subsequently named Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for
to cover the courts a lot. A lawyer would call the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as Acting
that witness intimidation,” King, the host of Attorney General until Senator Jeff Sessions is finally
"Inside Politics," said. confirmed by the Senate, where he is being wrongly held
up by Democrat senators for strictly political reasons.
Bash agreed with that charge.
"I am honored to serve President Trump in this
“Completely. Look, I think that we have all been role until Senator Sessions is confirmed. I will
kind of desensitized, in some way, to his tweets defend and enforce the laws of our country to
and to his statements that are so out of the ensure that our people and our nation are
norm," Bash, the network's chief political protected," said Dana Boente, Acting Attorney
correspondent, said. "This is beyond out of the General.
norm. This is inappropriate."
The Democrats are delaying my cabinet picks for
"For the president of the United States to be this purely political reasons. They have nothing going
aggressive with somebody who used to work for but to obstruct. Now have an Obama A.G.
him, who is coming before the United States
Congress in sworn testimony hours later, is — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
beyond the pale. It just is.” January 31, 2017

According to a CNN report from last week, Yates is set to

testify that she told the White House that Flynn might have
misled the administration about the content of his
communications with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak weeks
before he was finally relieved of his duties by the White
House.

Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates is

prepared to testify before a Senate panel next
week that she gave a forceful warning to the
Of course, Sally Yates is now most famous for her White House regarding then-National Security
attempted "mutiny" back in late January when she refused Advisor Michael Flynn nearly three weeks
to enforce President Trump's travel ban executive order. before he was fired, contradicting the
Her insubordination got her fired within a matter of just a administration's version of events, sources
few hours and resulted in the following statement from the familiar with her account tell CNN.
White House (see "Trump Fires Acting Attorney General
Yates For "Betrayal"): In a private meeting January 26, Yates told White
House Counsel Don McGahn that Flynn was
Statement on the Appointment of Dana lying when he denied in public and private
Boente as Acting Attorney General that he had discussed US sanctions on
Russia in conversations with Russian
The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has Ambassador to the US Sergei Kislyak.
betrayed the Department of Justice by
refusing to enforce a legal order designed to Flynn's misleading comments, Yates said, made him
protect the citizens of the United States. This potentially vulnerable to being compromised by Russia,
order was approved as to form and legality by according to sources familiar with her version of events.
the Department of Justice Office of Legal She expressed "serious concerns" to McGahn, making it
Counsel. clear -- without making a recommendation -- that Flynn
could be fired.
Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is
weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration. Of course, Trump did subsequently fire Flynn in early
February after reports he misled Vice President Pence and

275
other White House officials about his conversations with
Kislyak.

Tune in below for the fireworks:

276
 Sources Claim That Comey Firing Could Release Of
Documents, Potential New Clinton Probe
William Craddick
May 9, 2017

In the wake of Donald Trump’s dismissal of FBI Director Upon news of Comey’s removal, Julian Assange tweeted
James Comey citing “serious mistakes” and mishandling that a source within the FBI had informed him that the
of the Hillary Clinton investigation, emerging information Bureau would begin leaking documents from the
appears to indicate that in the aftermath of Comey’s firing investigation. He urged the FBI to release documents in
the FBI intends to begin releasing documents on the full to prevent any misrepresentations by the press. On the
Clinton investigation and the Department of Justice may heels of Assange’s announcement, an additional source
request a second look at the investigation. claimed that the Deputy Attorney General will now
oversee a new Clinton probe following Comey’s dismissal,
This afternoon, the White House announced that James and would do so in close proximity to acting FBI Director
Comey would be removed as Director of the FBI upon the Andrew McCabe for lack of trust.
recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Deputy If confirmed, the reports indicate that Comey’s firing
Attorney Rosenstein cited Mr. Comey’s public represents a renewed focus on information pertaining to
announcement of his findings in July 2016, derogatory the investigation into Hillary Clinton, after the previous
statements he made about Secretary Clinton at the time, his one was criticized by both supporters and detractors of the
letter to Congress informing them of his decision to reopen Former Secretary of State and Senator, both of whom
the FBI’s investigation into Mrs. Clinton after uncovering painted the investigation as being either politically
emails on personal devices belonging to former motivated or hampered by alleged attempts to cover up
Congressman Anthony Weiner among other actions evidence of wrongdoing.
Comey had taken which the Deputy Attorney General
descripted as a violation of Comey’s obligation to This is a developing story.
“preserve, protect and defend” the traditions of the FBI.

277
 "This Is Nixonian" - Democrats Demand "Immediate
Emergency Hearings" Over Comey Termination
By Tyler Durden
May 9, 2017 7:57 PM

Despite comments from White House Press Secretary Sean investigation — a tough rebuke to a man Schumer has long
Spicer that: admired...

 *SPICER: COMEY FIRING SHOULD BE "I do not have confidence in him any longer,”
WELCOMED BY DEMOCRATS said the New York Democrat, who has criticized
as “appalling” Comey’s decision to send a
 *SPICER: GOAL OF COMEY FIRING WAS letter to lawmakers 11 days before the election
TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE IN FBI disclosing the bureau’s new review of e-mails
potentially pertinent to the investigation of
 *SPICER: COMEY FIRING SHOULD Clinton’s private server."
RECEIVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) hit President Trump for
It appears his opinion is not being listened to...In a his bombshell decision to fire FBI Director James Comey
desperate bid to ensure their flip-flopping over Comey is on Tuesday, calling on Congress to "get their heads out
not misunderstood, and the focus of the narrative remains of the sand" and use a special prosecutor to investigate
on the "Russia-Trump collusion hoax," Democrats are Trump.
demanding they get their say over President Trump's
termination of FBI Director Comey. Chuck Schumer has As The Hill reports, Warren responded to the news, saying,
called the firing a "big mistake," Elizabeth Warren has
called for a special prosecutor "who Trump can't fire" "we need a real, independent prosecutor who
in the Russian election interference probe, and Elijah [Trump] can't fire, Sessions can't intimidate
Cummings has issued a statement demanding "immediate and Congress can't muzzle."
emergency hearings."

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)

says he told President Trump that his decision to fire FBI
Director James Comey was a "big mistake."

"Earlier this afternoon President Trump called me

and informed me he was firing Director Comey,"
Schumer told reporters on Tuesday. "I told the
president, 'Mr. President, with all due respect,
you are making a big mistake.’ ”

"They fired Sally Yates. They fired Preet

Bharara. And now they fired Director
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Tuesday demanded
Comey...This does not seem to be a
“immediate emergency hearings” over President Trump’s
coincidence," says Schumer
firing of FBI Director James Comey. As The Hill reports,
pic.twitter.com/BPQrrLWO2t
Cummings said in a statement.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2017
“Congress needs to have immediate
emergency hearings to obtain testimony
As a reminder, here is what Schumer said on Nov 2nd
directly from Attorney General [Jeff]
2016 - Senate Democratic leader-in-waiting
Sessions, the deputy attorney general and
Chuck Schumer said Wednesday he’s lost confidence in
FBI Director Comey,”
FBI Director James Comey over his handling of the most
recent disclosure in the Hillary Clinton e-mail

278
 “The White House was already covering up for country — one that implicates senior officials in
[former national security adviser] Michael Flynn the Trump campaign and administration."
by refusing to provide a single document to
Congress, and now the President fired the one "This is nothing less than Nixonian," Leahy
independent person who was doing the most to said.
investigate President Trump and his [2016]
campaign over allegations of coordination with Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), ranking member on House
Russia.” Oversight committee:

Cummings added that Sessions’s involvement in Comey’s The firing "harkens back to a similarly tainted
ouster is “mindboggling,” noting that Sessions stated that decision by President Nixon."
he would recuse himself from investigations into any ties
between Trump and Russia. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA):

“There is now a crisis of confidence at the Comey firing "disturbingly reminiscent of the
Justice Department, and President Trump is not Saturday Night Massacre during the
being held accountable because House Watergate scandal & the natl turmoil that it
Republicans refuse to work with us to do our caused."
job,” the top Democrat on the House Oversight
Committee added. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA):

"Time to revive Watergate vocabulary:

obstruction, cover-up, suborn, conspiracy,
inoperative, criminal conspiracy, independent
prosecutor."

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA):

"Trump firing Comey shows how frightened

the Admin is over Russia investigation."

DNC Chair Tom Perez:

And the rest of The Senate Democrats appeared to be "Trump fired the man investigating him — a
singing from the same hymn sheet, slamming President deeply dangerous abuse of power. We need a
Trump's decision and drawing comparisons to former special prosecutor, now."
President Richard Nixon.
ACLU:
"This is Nixonian,” Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.)
said in a statement. "The independence of the FBI director is
meant to ensure that the president does not
operate above the law. For President Trump to
fire the man responsible for investigating his own
campaign's ties to the Russians imperils that
fundamental principle."

* * *

Finally, we have a potential replacement...

.@SheriffClarke: If Trump made me his FBI

Director I would be arresting Hillary Clinton
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) echoed that language, noting today. #Comey pic.twitter.com/QZ0tTiJ2Zp
that Trump fired Comey
— Tennessee (@TEN_GOP) May 9, 2017
"in the midst of one of the most critical national
security investigations in the history of our
.
279
 Loretta Lynch Busted:
Leaked Email Shows She ‘Would Do
Everything She Could’ To Protect Hillary From
Criminal Charges (VIDEO)
By Jim Hoft, The Gateway Pundit:
May 9, 2017

that had been obtained by Russian hackers. And

that the document indicated that Lynch would do
whatever it took to prevent criminal charges to be
brought against Hillary Clinton in the email probe.

FBI Director James Comey told US Senate leaders he

could not talk about the email in a public forum and
refused to discuss it.

Catherine Herridge: In several of the questions referring

to Loretta Lynch the FBI director said he couldn’t discuss
it in an open unclassified setting… The FBI director said
Leaked emails shows Loretta Lynch would do everything today he felt boxed in by Lynch and kind of a victim of
she could to protect Hillary from CRIMINAL CHARGES circumstances. But that really didn’t wash with
Republicans who were on the committee.
Loretta Lynch leaving plane after meeting with former
President Bill Clinton on tarmac in Arizona.

Catherine Herridge from FOX News dropped this BOMB

ON LORETTA LYNCH on Friday afternoon.

Catherine Herridge:

This is the most significant headline coming out

of the investigation today… What we heard today
for the first time were details about a document
that related to Attorney General Loretta Lynch
.

280
 F.B.I. Director
James Comey Is Fired By Trump
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR And MATT APUZZO
MAY 9, 2017

Trump said in a letter to Mr. Comey dated

Tuesday.

The White House said Attorney General Jeff Sessions and

the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, pushed for
Mr. Comey’s dismissal.

“I cannot defend the director’s handling of the

conclusion of the investigation of Secretary
Clinton’s emails,” Mr. Rosenstein wrote in a letter
that was released by the White House, “and I do
not understand his refusal to accept the nearly
universal judgment that he was mistaken.”

Reaction in Washington was swift and fierce. In a call with

James B. Comey last week during a Senate Judiciary Committee Mr. Trump, Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic
hearing in Washington. Credit Gabriella Demczuk for The New York leader, told the president he was making a big mistake;
Times publicly, Mr. Schumer called the firing a cover-up. Many
Republicans assailed the president for making a rash
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Tuesday fired the decision that could have deep implications for their party.
director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, abruptly
terminating the law enforcement official leading a wide- Mr. Comey, who is three years into a 10-year term at the
ranging criminal investigation into whether Mr. Trump’s helm of the F.B.I., learned from news reports that he had
advisers colluded with the Russian government to steer the been fired while addressing bureau employees in Los
outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Angeles. While Mr. Comey spoke, television screens in the
background began flashing the news. In response to the
The stunning development in Mr. Trump’s presidency reports, Mr. Comey laughed, saying that he thought it was
raised the specter of political interference by a sitting a fairly funny prank.
president into an existing investigation by the nation’s
leading law enforcement agency. It immediately ignited But shortly after, Mr. Trump’s letter was delivered to
Democratic calls for an independent prosecutor to lead the F.B.I. Headquarters in Washington.
Russia inquiry.
The sudden dismissal of one of Washington’s most
Mr. Trump explained the firing by citing Mr. Comey’s prominent officials added to the sense of chaos in a White
handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a House that has been roiled by controversy, dogged by
private email server, even though the president was widely scandal and engaged in a furious fight with adversaries.
seen to have benefited politically from that inquiry and had
once praised Mr. Comey for having “guts” in his pursuit of Mr. Trump had already fired his acting attorney general for
Mrs. Clinton during the campaign. insubordination and his national security adviser for lying
to the vice president about contacts with Russians. But
But in his letter to Mr. Comey, released to reporters by the firing Mr. Comey raises much deeper questions about the
White House, the president betrayed his focus on the independence of the F.B.I. and the future of its
continuing inquiry into Russia and his aides. investigations under Mr. Trump.

“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on F.B.I. officers were enraged by the firing and worried
three separate occasions, that I am not under openly that Mr. Trump would appoint someone seen as a
investigation, I nevertheless concur with the White House ally. Mr. Comey was widely liked in the
judgment of the Department of Justice that you F.B.I., even by those who criticized his handling of the
are not able to effectively lead the bureau,” Mr.
281
Clinton investigation, and officers regarded him as a good Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, praised Mr.
manager and an independent leader. Comey’s service but said new leadership at the F.B.I. “will
restore confidence in the organization.”
Mr. Comey was on Capitol Hill last week when he offered
his first public explanation of his handling of the Clinton “Many, including myself, have questioned his
email case. He said he had no regrets about the decisions actions more than once over the last year,” Mr.
he made, but said he felt “mildly nauseous” that his actions Blunt, who sits on the Senate Intelligence
might have tipped the election to Mr. Trump. Committee, said in a statement.

Last July, Mr. Comey broke with longstanding tradition Mr. Trump’s decision to fire Mr. Comey marks the second
and policies by publicly discussing the Clinton case and time since taking office that the president has fired a top
chastising her “careless” handling of classified law enforcement official. In early February, Mr. Trump
information. Then, in the campaign’s final days, Mr. fired Sally Q. Yates, who had worked in the Obama
Comey announced that the F.B.I. was reopening the administration but was serving as acting attorney general.
investigation, a move that earned him widespread
criticism. But the president’s firing of Mr. Comey was far more
consequential. Ms. Yates was a holdover, and would have
Yet many of the facts cited as evidence for Mr. Comey’s served in the Trump administration for only a matter of
dismissal were well known when Mr. Trump kept him on days or weeks.
the job: Mr. Comey was three years in to a 10-year term.
And both Mr. Trump and his attorney general, Jeff A longtime prosecutor who served as the deputy attorney
Sessions, had praised Mr. Comey back then for reopening general during the George W. Bush administration, Mr.
the Clinton investigation by saying his public Comey came into office in 2013 with widespread
announcement “took guts.” On Tuesday, that action was at bipartisan support. He has essentially been in a public feud
the heart of Mr. Comey’s firing. with Mr. Trump since long before the presidential election.

“It is essential that we find new leadership for the In a Twitter message this week, Mr. Trump accused Mr.
F.B.I. that restores public trust and confidence in Comey of being
its vital law enforcement mission,” Mr. Trump
wrote. “the best thing that ever happened to Hillary
Clinton,” accusing him of giving her “a free pass
Officials at the F.B.I. said they learned through news for many bad deeds.”
reports of Mr. Comey’s dismissal, which Mr. Trump
described as effective immediately. The president has the Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon and a member
authority to fire the F.B.I. director for any reason. of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a post on
Twitter that Mr. Comey
Under the F.B.I.’s normal rules of succession, Mr.
Comey’s deputy, Andrew G. McCabe, a career F.B.I. “should be immediately called to testify in an
officer, becomes acting director. The White House said the open hearing about the status of Russia/Trump
search for a director will begin immediately. investigation at the time he was fired.”

The firing puts Democrats in a difficult position. Many had Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, offered a
hoped that Mrs. Clinton would fire Mr. Comey soon after veiled hint of the bombshell earlier in the day on Tuesday,
taking office, and blamed him for costing her the election. though no reporters picked up on it.
But under Mr. Trump, the outspoken and independent-
minded Mr. Comey was seen as an important check on the During his daily briefing, Mr. Spicer was asked — as he
new administration. frequently is — whether Mr. Comey still has the
confidence of the president. Instead of saying yes, Mr.
“Any attempt to stop or undermine this F.B.I. Spicer danced around the question.
investigation would raise grave constitutional
issues,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin, “I have no reason to believe — I haven’t asked
Democrat of Illinois. “We await clarification by the him,” Mr. Spicer said. “I have not asked the
White House as soon as possible as to whether president since the last time we spoke about
this investigation will continue and whether it will this.”
have a credible lead so that we know that it’ll
have a just outcome.” A reporter noted that Mr. Spicer had previously indicated
that the president did have confidence in Mr. Comey, but
asked whether recent revelations about Mr. Comey’s

282
misstatement during testimony on Capitol Hill would that he had no evidence to support the president’s
change that. accusation. The department did not issue such a statement.

“In light of what you’re telling me, I don’t want to For weeks after, Mr. Trump insisted that his accusation
start speaking on behalf of the president without was correct. In dramatic testimony later in March, Mr.
speaking to him first,” Mr. Spicer said. Comey said that he had no information to back up the
president’s allegations.
The president’s decision to fire Mr. Comey appeared to be
the culmination of the bad will between the men that That set up a remarkable dynamic — an F.B.I. director
intensified in early March, when the president posted directly contradicting a sitting president at the same time
Twitter messages accusing former President Barack that the bureau was pursuing a possible criminal
Obama of wiretapping his office. investigation into the president’s aides.

The next morning, word spread quickly that Mr. Comey Reporting was contributed by Maggie Haberman, Glenn
wanted the Justice Department to issue a statement saying Thrush, Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Matthew Rosenberg.
.

283
 President Trump Fires FBI Director Comey
By Devlin Barrett, Adam Entous And Philip Rucker
May 9 At 6:23 PM

President Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey on discussing the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a
Tuesday, at the recommendation of senior Justice private email server. Democrats have long argued that
Department officials who said he had treated Hillary Comey’s decisions in the months and days before the
Clinton unfairly and in doing so damaged the credibility of election hurt Clinton’s standing with voters and affected
the FBI and the Justice Department. the outcome, but the president and his closest advisers had
argued that Comey went too easy on Clinton and her aides.
The startling development comes as Comey was leading a
counterintelligence investigation to determine whether Just last week, Trump publicly accused Comey of giving
associates of Trump may have coordinated with Russia to Clinton “a free pass for many bad deeds’’ when he decided
interfere with the U.S. presidential election last year. It not to recommend criminal charges in the case.
wasn’t immediately clear how Comey’s ouster will affect
the Russia probe, but Democrats said they were concerned Officials released a Tuesday memo from the deputy
that his ouster could derail the investigation. attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, laying out the rationale
behind Comey’s dismissal and attributing it all to his
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that Comey’s handling of the Clinton case. Officials said Rosenstein
deputy, Andrew McCabe, would be the acting director of began examining Comey’s conduct shortly after being
the FBI. As a presidential candidate, Trump explicitly sworn into office two weeks ago.
criticized Comey and McCabe for their roles in the Clinton
probe while at other points praising Comey for his “guts.” “The FBI’s reputation and credibility have
suffered substantial damage, and it has affected
“The president has accepted the the entire Department of Justice,” Rosenstein
recommendation of the attorney general and the wrote. “I cannot defend the director’s handling of
deputy attorney general regarding the dismissal the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary
of the director of the Federal Bureau of Clinton’s emails, and I do not understand his
Investigation,” press secretary Sean Spicer told refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment
reporters in the White House briefing room. The that he was mistaken. Almost everyone agrees
firing is effective “immediately,” he said. that the director made serious mistakes; it is one
of the few issues that unites people of diverse
Comey was in Los Angeles on Tuesday on a recruiting perspectives.”
trip.
But Democrats immediately linked the dismissal to the
Russia probe.

“The decision by a President whose campaign

associates are under investigation by the FBI for
collusion with Russia to fire the man overseeing
that investigation, upon the recommendation of
an Attorney General who has recused himself
from that investigation, raises profound questions
about whether the White House is brazenly
interfering in a criminal matter,” Rep. Adam B.
Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the
House Intelligence Committee, said in a
FBI Director James Comey appeared before the Senate Judiciary
statement.
Committee on May 3. Here are key moments from that hearing.
(Video: Sarah Parnass/Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post) The House committee is looking into Russian interference
in the election.
Officials said Comey was fired because senior Justice
Department officials concluded that he had violated Justice Some Republicans were also concerned.
Department principles and procedures last year by publicly
284
 “I am troubled by the timing and reasoning of “He had an absolute duty, in my opinion, 11 days
Director Comey’s termination,” said Sen. Richard or not, to come forward with the new information
Burr (R-N.C.), head of the Senate Intelligence that he has and let the American people know
Committee, which is also examining Russian that, too,” Sessions said at the time.
meddling. “I have found Director Comey to be a
public servant of the highest order, and his Nothing in the Rosenstein memo suggests that the Clinton
dismissal further confuses an already difficult investigation will be reopened.
investigation by the Committee.”
Tuesday afternoon, White House aide Keith Schiller, who
There were multiple calls by Democrats on Tuesday night has long served Trump as a bodyguard, visited FBI
for the appointment of a special prosecutor to lead the headquarters to hand-deliver Trump’s dismissal letter to
Russia investigation and take the matter out of the hands of Comey’s office, although the director wasn’t there to
Justice Department leadership. receive it, officials said.

Rosenstein wrote in the memo that when Comey Trump wrote to Comey:
announced on July 5 that he had decided not to
recommend charges in the Clinton case, he did so “You are hereby terminated and removed from
office, effective immediately.’’
“without the authorization of duly appointed
Justice Department leaders. Compounding the The president added:
error, the director ignored another longstanding
principle: we do not hold press conferences to “While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on
release derogatory information about the subject three separate occasions, that I am not under
of a declined criminal investigation . . . we never investigation, I nevertheless concur with the
release it gratuitously . . . It is a textbook example judgment of the Department of Justice that you
of what federal prosecutors and agents are are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.’’
taught not to do.”
The news stunned Washington.
Rosenstein was also critical of Comey’s decision to reveal
in late October that the Clinton email probe had resumed, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate
and he dismissed the FBI director’s recent defense to Judiciary Committee, said Comey’s decisions
Congress that not doing so would have effectively been to
“conceal” important information. “have called into question the trust and political
independence of the FBI.’’
“ ‘Conceal’ is a loaded term that misstates the
issue,” Rosenstein wrote. “When federal agents The senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee,
and prosecutors quietly open a criminal Rep. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), however, compared
investigation, we are not concealing anything; we Tuesday’s developments to the Watergate scandal and said
are simply following the longstanding policy that the actions
we refrain from publicizing non-public
information. In that context, silence is not “reek of a coverup and appear to be part of an
concealment.” ongoing effort by the Trump White House to
impede the investigation into Russian ties and
In a letter to Trump, Sessions said that he agreed Comey interference in our elections.’’
had to go.
Over the past two years, Comey had assumed an
“I have concluded that a fresh start is needed at extraordinary role in Washington — overseeing not one,
the leadership of the FBI,’’ Sessions wrote. “I but two investigations involving presidential candidates. In
must recommend that you remove Director some ways, that made him more powerful than the Justice
James B. Comey, Jr. and identify an experienced Department officials to whom he reported.
and qualified individual to lead the great men and
women of the FBI.’’ After Clinton lost to Trump, many Democrats blamed
Comey for what they viewed as his unprecedented
But in October — when Sessions was a senator supporting interference in the election process, but most later came to
Trump, and Comey revealed less than two weeks before see him as an independent figure in the Trump
the election that he had reopened the investigation into administration who would be critical to a fair and thorough
Clinton’s use of a private email server — Sessions investigation of any possible ties between Russia and
applauded the decision in an appearance on Fox Business Trump associates.
Network.

285
Several current and former officials said the relationship “The administration has been putting pressure on
between the White House and the FBI had been strained the FBI to focus more on the leaks and weren’t
for months, in part because administration officials were satisfied with the results,’’ said a former senior
pressuring Comey to more aggressively pursue leak U.S. official familiar with the matter. A current
investigations over disclosures that embarrassed the White official said administration figures have been
House and raised questions about ties with Russia. “very aggressive’’ in pressuring the FBI.

That pressure was described as conversational challenges The Justice Department inspector general has been
to FBI leadership to pursue the source of leaks seen as investigating how Comey and his top deputy handled the
damaging to the administration, the officials said, speaking Clinton probe, though that investigation is expected to
on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal continue for months.
deliberations. Although the FBI is investigating disclosures
of classified information, the bureau has resisted calls to Shortly before the announcement, the FBI notified
prioritize leak investigations over the Russia matter, or Congress by letter that Comey had misstated key findings
probe matters that did not involve leaks of classified or involving the Clinton email investigation during testimony
otherwise sensitive information, the officials said. last week, but nothing about that issue suggested it might
imperil Comey’s job.
.

286
 Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey
Published Time: 9 May, 2017 21:48 Edited Time: 10 May, 2017 00:05

"The FBI is one of our Nation's most cherished

and respected institutions and today will mark a
new beginning for our crown jewel of law
enforcement," said President Trump.

“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on

three separate occasions, that I am not under
investigation, I nevertheless concur with the
judgment of the Department of Justice that you
are not able to effectively lead the Bureau,”
Trump told Comey in a letter.

The letter announcing the termination was hand-delivered

to FBI headquarters by Keith Schiller, a Trump security
President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James aide, according to several reports citing a White House
Comey at the recommendation of US Attorney General official.
Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod
Rosenstein, according to a White House announcement.

287
288
289
290
291
292
A search for a new permanent FBI Director will begin
immediately. https://t.co/3emyAla8Vnpic.twitter.com/t17VKZE
ChY
The firing of Comey comes days after he testified to
Congress on investigations into alleged Russian meddling — RT America (@RT_America) May 9, 2017
in the 2016 US election.
Rosenstein wrote that he could not defend
URGENT: #FBI director Comey: I have ‘never’
been anonymous source on #Clinton, #Trump "the Director's handling of the conclusion of the
investigations investigation of Secretary Clinton's emails, and I
https://t.co/0CCO1CDdB3pic.twitter.com/KHMaR do not understand his refusal to accept the
eQLJ5 nearly universal judgment that he was mistaken."

— RT America (@RT_America) May 3, 2017 "Almost everyone agrees that the Director made
serious mistakes; it is one of the few issues that
Earlier Tuesday, the FBI wrote to Congress to correct unites people of diverse perspectives," the
misstatements Comey made regarding a separate deputy attorney general added in the memo to
investigation into Hillary Clinton's mishandling of Attorney General Sessions.
classified information.
Rosenstein cited the July 5, 2016 announcement by Comey
Comey had testified that top Clinton aide Huma Abedin that the probe into Clinton had concluded without
had forwarded "hundreds and thousands" of emails to her prosecution, which Rosenstein said was not the function of
husband, former New York Congressman Anthony an FBI director, but rather the DOJ.
Weiner, the FBI clarified that most of those emails had
been on his laptop via backup devices, while only a few Rosenstein called Comey's press conference
had been the result of forwarded emails, the Associated
Press reported. "a textbook example of what federal prosecutors
and agents are taught not to do."
Comey reportedly heard of the news from TV
reports while addressing FBI employees at the US Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) said in a
Los Angeles field office, according to New York statement that Trump called her at 5:30pm and
Times reporter Michael Schmidt and New York
Magazine reporter Yashar Ali. Comey was due to "indicated he would be removing Director
speak at an FBI recruiting event in Hollywood Comey, saying the FBI needed a change."
Tuesday evening, but that speech has been Feinstein added that "the next FBI director must
canceled. be strong and independent and will receive a fair
hearing in the Judiciary Committee," of which
. @nytmike's sources match with my source she is the ranking Democrat.
pic.twitter.com/Ej3O4SSs6o
Acting as FBI director will be Andrew McCabe, who had
— Yashar (@yashar) May 9, 2017 been the deputy director under Comey. Attorney General
Sessions is anticipated to name an interim replacement,
In a memorandum to Sessions from Rosenstein, while the process to confirm a permanent replacement
the deputy attorney general wrote that over the takes shape.
past year, "the FBI's reputation and credibility
have suffered substantial damage, and it has Comey, 56, was appointed to head the FBI by former
affected the entire Department of Justice." President Barack Obama in September 2013. FBI directors
typically serve 10-year terms.
Deputy AG's memorandum on recommendation
to fire Comey takes issue w/ his handling of The only other time in US history an FBI director has been
#Clinton email investigation. dismissed was in 1993, when President Bill Clinton and
Attorney General Janet Reno pushed out William Sessions
amid ethical concerns.

293
 10 Major FBI Scandals On Comey's Watch
The FBI Interviewed Almost Every Terrorist Who Successfully Struck America
May 9, 2017

News just broke that President Trump is dismissing the the cell phones of various suspects, the company
director of the FBI, James Comey. refused, sparking a battle between the feds
and America's biggest tech company. What makes this
Comey will inevitably be remembered for the controversial incident indicative of Comey's questionable
role he played in the 2016 presidential election, where his management of the agency is that a) The FBI jumped
agency conducted surveillance of the Trump campaign as the gun, as they were indeed ultimately able to crack
well as investigated the Clinton camp for mishandling the San Bernardino terrorist's phone, and b) Almost
classified materials, giving both sides arguments for how every other major national security figure sided with
the FBI ultimately swayed the vote. Apple (from former CIA Director General Petraeus to
former CIA Director James Woolsey to former director
But even before the 2016 campaign, the FBI endured a of the NSA, General Michael Hayden), warning that
number of humiliations under Comey's tenure. Most such a "crack" would inevitably wind up in the wrong
damning were revelations that the FBI was generally hands.
aware of almost every terrorist who successfully struck
America over the last eight years. 6. In 2015, the FBI conducted a controversial raid on a
Texas political meeting, finger printing, photographing,
Here are 10 of Comey's biggest embarrassments at the and seizing phones from attendees (some in the group
FBI: believe in restoring Texas as an independent
constitutional republic).
1. Before he bombed the Boston Marathon, the FBI
interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev but let him go. Russia 7. During its investigation into Hillary Clinton's
sent the Obama Administration a second warning, but mishandling of classified material, the FBI made an
the FBI opted against investigating him again. unusual deal in which Clinton aides were both given
immunity and allowed to destroy their laptops.
2. Shortly after the NSA scandal exploded in 2013, the
FBI was exposed conducting its own data mining on 8. The father of the radical Islamist who detonated a
innocent Americans; the agency, Bloomberg reported, backpack bomb in New York City in 2016 alerted the
retains that material for decades (even if no FBI to his son's radicalization. The FBI, however,
wrongdoing is found). cleared Ahmad Khan Rahami after a brief interview.

3. The FBI had possession of emails sent by Nidal Hasan 9. The FBI also investigated the terrorist who killed 49
saying he wanted to kill his fellow soldiers to protect the people and wounded 53 more at the Pulse Nightclub in
Taliban -- but didn't intervene, leading many critics to Orlando, Fla. Despite a more than 10-month
argue the tragedy that resulted in the death of 31 investigation of Omar Mateen -- during which Mateen
Americans at Fort Hood could have been prevented. admitting lying to agents -- the FBI opted against
pressing further and closed its case.
4. During the Obama Administration, the FBI claimed that
two private jets were being used primarily for 10. CBS recently reported that when two terrorists sought
counterterrorism, when in fact they were mostly being to kill Americans attending the "Draw Muhammad"
used for Eric Holder and Robert Mueller's business and event in Garland, Texas, the FBI not only had an
personal travel. understanding an attack was coming, but actually had
an undercover agent traveling with the Islamists, Elton
5. When the FBI demanded Apple create a "backdoor" Simpson and Nadir Soofi. The FBI has refused to
that would allow law enforcement agencies to unlock comment on why the agent on the scene did not
intervene during the attack.

294
 Krauthammer: ‘Highly Implausible’ To Claim Comey
Was Fired For How He Handled Clinton Investigation
By Ian Hanchett
9 May 2017

Krauthammer said, “[A]ccording to the letter by the deputy

attorney general, this is about something that occurred on
July the 5th. This, it’s — so we start out with something
that is highly implausible. If that was so offensive to the
Trump administration, what you would have done is, in the
transition, you would have spoken with Comey, and said,
we are going to let you go. That’s when a president could
very easily make a decision to have a change. That’s not
unprecedented. But to fire him summarily with no
warning, in the middle of May, because of something that
happened in July, is almost inexplicable.”

On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s He continued, “Do we really believe that Donald Trump,
“Special Report,” columnist Charles Krauthammer argued after all these months, decided suddenly he had to fire this
that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein’s claim guy because he damaged Hillary back in July? Another
that FBI Director James Comey should be fired due to his implausible conjecture.”
mishandling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s
emails is “highly implausible.”

295
 Trump Changes His Twitter Banner To Include Tweet
Citing Former Intelligence Director Clapper Saying
There Is 'No Evidence Of Collusion' With Russia
President Trump Changed The Banner On His Twitter Profile Monday Night
He Added A Tweet About Clapper's Testimony To His Current Banner
Picture The Tweet Was Part Of Trump's Banner Pic For Three
Hours Before He Took It Down At Midnight
By Ann Schmidt For Dailymail.Com
Published: 02:07 EDT, 9 May 2017 | Updated: 08:36 EDT, 9 May 2017

President Donald Trump changed his Twitter banner

Monday night after the Senate Judiciary Committee
hearing.

During the hearing, Trump tweeted four times in ten

minutes, commenting on the testimonies from former
Attorney General Sally Yates and former Director of
National Intelligence James Clapper.

After the hearing, around 6.40pm, the President added one

of those tweets to his banner picture on his profile.

The tweet said: 'Director Clapper reiterated what

everybody, including the fake media already knows- there Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, left, and
is "no evidence" of collusion w/ Russia and Trump.' former Attorney General Sally Yates, right, gave testimony at the
Senate subcommittee hearing

After the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Monday Trump tweeted four times in ten minutes about the Yates and
night, Trump changed his Twitter banner picture to include Clapper's testimonies at the hearing
one of his earlier tweets about the hearing. But the tweet was gone from the picture by midnight,
according to the Daily News. It only lasted for about three
He added that tweet to the bottom of his banner picture, hours.
according to the New York Daily News. The picture, which
is still the banner on Trump's profile, is a photograph of Trump's tweet was referencing a moment in the hearing
House Republicans celebrating the American Health Care when Senator Lindsey Graham asked Clapper if he stood
Act in the Oval Office. by his March 5 statement that there was 'no evidence' of

296
'collusion between members of the Trump campaign and 'The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax,
the Russians'. when will this taxpayer funded charade end?'

Clapper confirmed that he did. 'Biggest story today between Clapper & Yates is
on surveillance. Why doesn't the media report on
Graham went on to ask Yates if she had any evidence of this? #FakeNews!'
collusion with the Russians.
Trump then stopped tweeting for the night.
Yates responded:

'My answer to that question would require me to

reveal classified information. And so, I — I can't
answer that.'

After that first tweet, Trump continued to tweet for the

next ten minutes.

He said:

'Sally Yates made the fake media extremely

unhappy today --- she said nothing but old news!'

297
 Trump Ax Falls
On FBI's Comey In Midst Of Russia Probe
By JULIE PACE And ERIC TUCKER - Associated Press
May 10, 2:35 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump abruptly The Democrats expressed deep skepticism about the stated
fired FBI Director James Comey Tuesday, dramatically reasons for Tuesday's firing, raising the prospect of a
ousting the nation's top law enforcement official in the White House effort to stymie the investigations by the FBI
midst of an FBI investigation into whether Trump's and congressional panels.
campaign had ties to Russia's meddling in the election that
sent him to the White House. "This is Nixonian," Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.,
declared on Twitter. "Outrageous," said Oregon
In a letter to Comey, Trump said the firing was necessary Sen. Ron Wyden, calling for Comey to
to restore "public trust and confidence" in the FBI. Comey immediately be summoned to testify to Congress
has come under intense scrutiny in recent months for his about the status of the Trump-Russia
public comments on an investigation into Democrat investigation.
Hillary Clinton's email practices, including a pair of letters
he sent to Congress on the matter in the closing days of Rep. Adam Schiff of California, top Democrat on the
last year's campaign. House intelligence committee, said the White House was
"brazenly interfering" in the probe.
Trump made no mention of Comey's role in the Clinton
investigation, which she has blamed in part for the election Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Congress
result. But in announcing the firing, the White House must form a special committee to investigate Russia's
circulated a scathing memo, written by Deputy Attorney interference in the election.
General Rod Rosenstein, criticizing Comey's handling of
the Clinton probe, including the director's decision to hold Trump will now appoint Comey's successor. The White
a news conference announcing its findings and releasing House said the search for a replacement was beginning
"derogatory information" about Clinton. immediately. Comey's deputy, Andrew McCabe, takes
over in the interim.
Since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from
the bureau's Trump-Russia probe, Rosenstein has been in Trump has ridiculed the investigations as a "hoax" and has
charge. denied that his campaign was involved in Russia's
meddling. In his letter to Comey, he asserted that the FBI
This is only the second firing of an FBI director in history. director had informed him "on three separate occasions
President Bill Clinton dismissed William Sessions amid that I am not under investigation."
allegations of ethical lapses in 1993.
Tuesday's stunning announcement came shortly after the
Comey was speaking to agents at the FBI's field office in FBI corrected aspects of Comey's sworn testimony on
Los Angeles when the news of his firing flashed on TV Capitol Hill last week. Comey told lawmakers that Huma
screens, according to a law enforcement official who was Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, had sent "hundreds
there. Comey initially chuckled, then finished his speech, and thousands" of emails to her husband's laptop,
said the official who spoke to The Associated Press on including some with classified information.
condition of anonymity because the official wasn't
authorized to discuss the situation publicly. On Tuesday, the FBI told the Senate Judiciary Committee
that only "a small number" of the thousands of emails
Comey later left on a plane to return to Washington. found on the laptop had been forwarded there while most
had simply been backed up from electronic devices. Most
Democrats slammed Trump's action, comparing it to of the email chains on the laptop containing classified
President Richard Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre" information were not the result of forwarding, the FBI
decision to fire the independent special prosecutor said.
overseeing the Watergate investigation in 1973, which
prompted the resignations of the Justice Department's top Some lawmakers did welcome news of the dismissal.
two officials.

298
 "Given the recent controversies surrounding the "inflicted severe damage" on the FBI, "the timing
director, I believe a fresh start will serve the FBI and manner of this firing suggest that it is the
and the nation well," said Republican Lindsay product of Donald Trump feeling the heat on the
Graham of South Carolina, chairman of a Senate ongoing Russia investigation and not a well
Judiciary subcommittee investigating the Russian thought out response to the inappropriate
campaign interference. handling of the Clinton investigation."

Comey, 56, was nominated by President Barack Obama Though Comey was well-liked within the bureau, his
for the FBI post in 2013 to a 10-year term, though that independent streak occasionally rankled the Obama
appointment does not ensure a director will serve the full administration, including his repeated contention that a
term. spike in violent crime might be linked to police officer
anxiety over public scrutiny.
Praised frequently by both parties for his independence
and integrity, Comey has spent three decades in law Before the past months' controversies, Comey, a former
enforcement. deputy attorney general in the George W. Bush
administration, was perhaps best known for a remarkable
But his prominent role in the 2016 presidential campaign 2004 standoff with top officials over a federal domestic
raised questions about his judgment and impartiality. surveillance program.
Though the FBI did not recommend charges against
Clinton for mishandling classified information, Comey In March of that year, Comey rushed to the hospital bed of
was blisteringly critical of her decision to use a personal Attorney General John Ashcroft to physically stop White
email account and private internet server during her four House officials in their bid to get his ailing boss to
years as secretary of state. reauthorize a secret no-warrant wiretapping program.

Comey strongly defended his decisions during the hearing Comey described the incident in 2007 testimony to
last week. He said he was "mildly nauseous" at the thought Congress, explaining that he believed the spy program put
of having swayed the election but also said he would do in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks was legally
the same again. questionable.

Clinton has partially blamed her loss on Comey's When he learned that Andrew Card, the president's chief of
disclosure to Congress less than two weeks before Election staff, and Alberto Gonzales, the White House counsel,
Day that the email investigation would be revisited. were heading to Ashcroft's hospital room despite
Comey later said the FBI, again, had found no reason to Ashcroft's wife's instructions that there be no visitors,
bring any charges. Comey told Congress, Comey beat them there and watched
as Ashcroft turned them away.
Trump disagreed with Clinton's assessment, tweeting that
Comey actually "That night was probably the most difficult night
of my professional life," Comey said.
"was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary
Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many ---
bad deeds!"
AP writers Darlene Superville, Ken Thomas, Vivian
Clinton's advisers were stunned by Trump's decision Salama, Catherine Lucey and Sadie Gurman in
Tuesday. Former campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said Washington and Michael Balsamo in Los Angeles
that while he believed Comey had contributed to this report.

299
 CNN Exclusive: Grand Jury Subpoenas
Issued In FBI's Russia Investigation
By Evan Perez, Shimon Prokupecz And Pamela Brown, CNN
Updated 5:52 AM ET, Wed May 10, 2017

phone discussions with Russia's ambassador in

Washington, Sergey Kislyak.
Congressional investigators have also accused Flynn of
possibly breaking the law by not properly disclosing a
$45,000 payment for an appearance he made at an event in
Moscow to celebrate Russia Today. The Russian
government-funded news outlet that US intelligence
Subpoenas issued in FBI's Russia investigation 01:25
agencies say played a key role in disseminating stolen
emails intended to damage the candidacy of Hillary
Washington (CNN)Federal prosecutors have issued grand Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Flynn's lawyer, Robert Kelner, has said that Flynn was not
Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of hiding anything, noting that he briefed the DIA on his trip
the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year's to Russia.
election, according to people familiar with the matter.
CNN learned of the subpoenas hours before President "As has previously been reported, General Flynn
Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey. briefed the Defense Intelligence Agency, a
component agency of DoD, extensively regarding
The subpoenas represent the first sign of a significant the RT speaking event trip both before and after
escalation of activity in the FBI's broader investigation the trip, and he answered any questions that
begun last July into possible ties between Trump campaign were posed by DIA concerning the trip during
associates and Russia. those briefings," Kelner said in a statement.
The subpoenas issued in recent weeks by the US In March, Flynn's lobbying firm registered as a foreign
Attorney's Office in Alexandria, Virginia, were received agent for the Turkish government, under a $500,000
by associates who worked with Flynn on contracts after he contract.
was forced out as director of the Defense Intelligence
Agency in 2014, according to the people familiar with the Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, emerged in 2015
investigation. as a strident critic of the Obama administration, which
fired him. He built a close relationship last year with then-
Robert Kelner, an attorney for Flynn, declined to candidate Trump and became a frequent Trump campaign
comment. The US Attorney's Office in Alexandria, the surrogate before assuming a brief tenure as national
Justice Department and the FBI also declined to comment. security advisor.
Obama warned Trump about hiring Flynn US Attorney Dana Boente, whose office issued the
Investigators have been looking into possible wrongdoing subpoenas, is also leading the investigation into WikiLeaks
in how Flynn handled disclosures about payments from and the effort to bring possible charges against the group's
clients tied to foreign governments including Russia and founder, Julian Assange. Boente is also acting as head of
Turkey, US officials briefed on the matter have told CNN. the Justice Department's national security section.
The Flynn inquiry is one piece of the broader The FBI interviewed Flynn about the December calls with
investigation, which FBI Director James Comey testified Kislyak and determined that he wasn't intentionally trying
in a Senate hearing last week is led jointly by the to be deceptive about the nature of what was discussed,
Alexandria US Attorney's Office and the Justice according to US officials briefed on the investigation. But
Department's National Security Division. investigators have been investigating Flynn's business ties
after he left the government and before he joined the
Trump administration.
Flynn was forced to resign as Trump's national security
advisor in February after failing to disclose the nature of

300
 Updates And Reactions
To F.B.I. Director Comey’s Firing
By The New York Times
Updated 6:40 Am, May 10, 2017

 President Trump has fired James B. Comey, the F.B.I. he had been fired. At that point, he had not heard from the
director, the White House spokesman Sean Spicer said White House.
on Tuesday.
Shortly thereafter, a letter from Mr. Trump was delivered
 Mr. Comey was delivering a speech in Los Angeles to the F.B.I.’s headquarters, just seven blocks from the
when he learned he had been fired. White House.

 His dismissal drew a quick rebuke from Democrats and Mr. Comey’s day had begun in Florida, where he
concern from several Republican lawmakers. spoke to a group of police officers. He then flew
to Los Angeles, where he was also scheduled to
 Several lawmakers called for a special counsel to take speak at a diversity meeting.
over the investigation into Russian meddling in the
election. — Michael S. Schmidt

Calls mount for a special counsel

Mr. Comey’s firing immediately fueled calls for an

independent investigator or commission to look into
Russia’s efforts to disrupt the election and any connections
between Mr. Trump’s associates and the Russian
government.

Calls to appoint an independent prosecutor have simmered

for months, but until now, they had been voiced almost
entirely by Democrats.

Mr. Comey’s firing upended the politics of the

investigation, and even Republicans were joining the call
for independent inquiries.
James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, testifying before the Senate
Judiciary Committee last week. Credit Gabriella Demczuk for The
New York Times Subpoenas are issued in Flynn case

Comey heard the news while giving a speech In a sign of the F.B.I.’s intense interest in Mr. Trump’s
advisers, a grand jury in Virginia recently issued
Mr. Comey was addressing a group of F.B.I. employees in subpoenas for records related to the former White House
Los Angeles when a television in the background flashed national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, according to
the news that he had been fired. an official familiar with the case.

In response, Mr. Comey laughed, saying he thought it was Mr. Flynn is being investigated for his financial ties to
a fairly funny prank. Russia and Turkey.

Then his staff started scurrying around in the background Grand jury subpoenas are a routine part of
and told Mr. Comey that he should step into a nearby federal investigations and are not a sign that
office. charges are imminent. And it was not clear
whether the subpoenas, first reported by CNN,
Mr. Comey stopped addressing the group. He proceeded to were related to Mr. Comey’s firing.
shake hands with the employees he had been speaking to.
Then he stepped into a side office, where he confirmed that — Matt Apuzzo

301
Trump to meet Russian foreign minister Mr. Schumer said the first question the administration
must answer was,
In an instance of bizarre timing and optics, the White
House announced late Tuesday night that Mr. Trump will “Why now?”
meet in the Oval Office with Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia’s
foreign minister, on Wednesday morning. “This investigation must be run as far away as
possible from this White House and as far away
McCabe is acting director as possible from anyone President Trump has
appointed,” he said of the inquiry into ties
between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia.

He called for a special prosecutor to investigate

those ties and said that firing Mr. Comey
continued a “deeply troubling pattern” from the
administration, citing the removals of Sally Q.
Yates as acting attorney general and Preet
Bharara as United States attorney in Manhattan.

— Matt Flegenheimer

Trump accuses Schumer of a double standard

Mr. Trump took to Twitter late Tuesday to respond to Mr.

Schumer’s criticism, citing a comment Mr. Schumer made
Andrew G. McCabe at a press conference in 2015. Mr. McCabe
became the acting F.B.I. director after Mr. Comey was fired. Credit in early November, shortly after the F.B.I. briefly reopened
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images its inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email
server.
At 7:57 p.m., F.B.I. employees received an email from
Attorney General Jeff Sessions officially announcing their Cryin' Chuck Schumer stated recently, "I do not
new boss. have confidence in him (James Comey) any
longer." Then acts so indignant. #draintheswamp
“The president of the United States has
exercised his lawful authority to remove James — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May
B. Comey Jr. as the director of the Federal 10, 2017
Bureau of Investigation,” the email read.
Building a case
“By operation of law and effective immediately,
deputy director Andrew McCabe assumed the Senior White House and Justice Department
position of acting director of the F.B.I. As you officials had been working on building a case
well know, the F.B.I. is an exceptional law against Mr. Comey since at least last week,
enforcement and intelligence agency. It is made according to administration officials. Mr.
so by you, the devoted men and women who Sessions had been charged with coming up with
work tirelessly to keep our country safe. Thank reasons to fire him, the officials said.
you for your steadfast dedication and
commitment during this time of transition.” — Michael S. Schmidt

— Rebecca R. Ruiz ‘This is Nixonian’

‘Why now?’ Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat who is up for re-election

next year in Pennsylvania, a state Mr. Trump won, said,
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic
leader, said Mr. Trump had called him earlier on Tuesday “This is Nixonian.”
to inform him of the firing.
He called for the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein,
“I simply said to him, ‘Mr. President, in all due to
respect, you’re making a very big mistake,’” Mr.
Schumer recalled at a hastily arranged news “immediately appoint a special counsel to
conference Tuesday evening. “And he didn’t continue the Trump/Russia investigation.”
really answer.”
302
Mr. Casey drew a direct link between Mr. Comey’s Some of the reaction to the firing broke down along party
dismissal and the F.B.I.’s investigation into Russian lines. Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and
involvement in the election. chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Mr. Comey’s
handling of the Clinton email investigation was:
“On March 20, Director Comey said, ‘I have been
authorized by the Department of Justice to ... a clear example of how Comey’s decisions
confirm that the F.B.I., as part of our have called into question the trust and political
counterintelligence mission, is investigating the independence of the F.B.I. In my efforts to get
Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the answers, the F.B.I., under Comey’s leadership,
2016 presidential election, and that includes has been slow or failed to provide information
investigating the nature of any links between that Comey himself pledged to provide.
individuals associated with the Trump campaign
and the Russian government, and whether there The effectiveness of the F.B.I. depends upon the
was any coordination between the campaign and public trust and confidence. Unfortunately, this
Russia’s efforts,’” Mr. Casey said. has clearly been lost.

“This investigation must be independent and — Matt Flegenheimer

thorough in order to uphold our nation’s system
of justice.” … but concern from others

— Matt Flegenheimer Senator Richard M. Burr, a North Carolina Republican and

chairman of the Intelligence Committee, which is
Or maybe not? investigating Russia’s role in the election, was among the
few Republicans to openly criticize Mr. Comey’s firing.
The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum used His voice is important because his committee’s inquiry has
Twitter to issue a not-so-subtle rebuke to the idea that Mr. been the party’s principal justification for resisting calls
Comey’s firing was “Nixonian.” Despite Nixon’s firing of for a special prosecutor.
the Watergate special prosecutor in October 1973 and the
resignations of the attorney general and deputy attorney My statement on the dismissal of FBI Director
general in the “Saturday Night Massacre,” he never fired Comey
the F.B.I. director, the library said:
https://t.co/ovoe34xajZ
FUN FACT: President Nixon never fired the pic.twitter.com/1hB0QveczE
Director of the FBI #FBIDirector #notNixonian
pic.twitter.com/PatArKOZlk — Richard Burr (@SenatorBurr) May 9, 2017

— RichardNixonLibrary (@NixonLibrary) May 9, And Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona expressed concern
2017 about the timing.

Support from one top Senate Republican … I've spent the last several hours trying to find an
acceptable rationale for the timing of Comey's
firing. I just can't do it.

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) May 10, 2017

Senator sees ‘grave constitutional issues’

Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Richard J. Durbin of

Illinois raised concerns about the firing and how it would
affect the investigation into Russian election meddling.

“Any attempt to stop or undermine this F.B.I.

investigation would raise grave constitutional
issues,” he said. “We await clarification by the
White House as soon as possible as to whether
Senator Charles E. Grassley arrived for a Judiciary Committee this investigation will continue and whether it will
hearing where Mr. Comey testified last week. Credit Gabriella have a credible lead so that we know that it’ll
Demczuk for The New York Times
have a just outcome.”

303
 — Matt Flegenheimer Cable news coverage was dominated by
helicopter footage of Mr. Comey’s motorcade on
Rubio expects no effect on Senate inquiry a freeway in Los Angeles, where he was headed
to the airport. The footage — standard in Los
“I don’t think it will have an impact, certainly not Angeles-area local news — offered a strange
on the Intelligence Committee’s work,” said echo of the memorable low-speed chase
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a Republican on involving O. J. Simpson in 1994.
the committee. Asked whether Mr. Comey’s firing
would fuel calls for a special prosecutor, Mr. — Michael M. Grynbaum
Rubio demurred, saying, “That’s somebody
else’s decision to make.” Surprise in the briefing room

— Emmarie Huetteman Reporters at the White House were taken by surprise when
Mr. Spicer, the press secretary, poked his head into the
Trump didn’t ‘fire the entire F.B.I.’ briefing room and, after a bit of prodding, read a one-
sentence statement about the firing.
In an interview on Fox News, Senator Susan Collins,
Republican of Maine and a member of the Senate The news quickly spread to other reporters in the building,
Intelligence Committee, noted that Mr. Trump did not “fire who had begun preparing for the end of the day. A few
the entire F.B.I.” minutes earlier, the White House press office had declared
“a lid,” indicating that the president would not be traveling
“He fired the director of the F.B.I.,” she said. “And or appearing for the rest of the day.
any suggestion that this is somehow going to
stop the F.B.I.’s investigation of the attempts by Within minutes, dozens of reporters had
the Russians to influence the elections last fall is descended on the small office where the press
really patently absurd.” assistants for the White House sit. The assistants
indicated that Mr. Spicer might come out to talk
— Thomas Kaplan to reporters later in the evening.

Trump aides take to TV — Michael D. Shear

Facing a maelstrom of criticism, the White House took its Trump and Sessions once backed Comey
case to President Trump’s favorite arena: prime-time
television.

Kellyanne Conway, whose recent absence from the

airwaves was mocked on last weekend’s “Saturday Night
Live,” jousted with Anderson Cooper of CNN in an
extended and sometimes awkward interview, at one point
saying repeatedly, “It’s not a cover-up.”

James Comey with Attorney General Jeff Sessions in February.

Credit Yuri Gripas/Reuters

In the final days of the presidential campaign, while

Democrats were criticizing Mr. Comey for publicly
Video by CNN reopening the Clinton investigation, Mr. Trump had his
back. He said that what Mr. Comey had done “took guts.”
On Fox News, the deputy White House press secretary, Those actions are now at the heart of Mr. Comey’s firing.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was asked by Tucker Carlson
why the White House had not waited to announce Mr. In an Oct. 28 interview with Lou Dobbs, Mr. Sessions,
Comey’s firing until Mr. Comey himself had been notified. then a senator from Alabama, said he supported Mr.
“Why sit on it?” Ms. Sanders replied. Comey’s decision to send a letter to Congress just days

304
before the election about newly discovered emails related  A memo recommending the dismissal, written by Rod
to the Clinton investigation. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, focused on
the continuing fallout from Mr. Comey’s handling of an
Mr. Sessions said Mr. Comey “had an absolute F.B.I. inquiry into Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email
duty, in my opinion, 11 days or not, to come server as secretary of state.
forward with the new information that he has and
let the American people know that, too. So she is  Investigations into the Clinton campaign’s emails and
under criminal investigation.” possible Trump campaign ties to Russia dominated
much of Mr. Comey’s time at the F.B.I.
— Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman
 In the F.B.I.’s 109-year history, only one director had
More coverage from The Times been fired — until Tuesday. In July 1993, President Bill
Clinton fired William S. Sessions, who had been
 The firing raised the specter of political interference by nominated to the post by President Ronald Reagan in
a sitting president in an existing investigation by the 1987.
nation’s leading law enforcement agency, and it
immediately ignited Democratic calls for an  Shortly before Mr. Comey was fired, the F.B.I. sent a
independent prosecutor to lead the Russia inquiry. letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee clarifying
testimony he had delivered last week about how
 Mr. Trump’s decision drew instant comparisons to classified information ended up on the laptop of the
President Richard M. Nixon’s firing of the special disgraced former congressman Anthony D. Weiner.
prosecutor looking into the Watergate burglary that
would eventually bring him down.  Finally, read our investigation, published in April, of Mr.
Comey’s involvement in the two investigations tied to
 Read Mr. Trump’s letter to Mr. Comey, and the memos last year’s election.
from top Justice Department officials recommending
his dismissal.

 Mr. Comey’s ouster was the culmination of a slowly

unfolding and toxic dynamic between him and the
president.

305
 President Trump Fires FBI Director Comey
By Devlin Barrett, Adam Entous And Philip Rucker
May 10 At 7:35 AM

that he should be fired, but now they play so

sad!” Trump wrote in a Twitter post.

The Washington Post's Philip Rucker explains how and why FBI
director James Comey was fired, as well as how the FBI's
investigation of the Trump campaign's possible connections with
Russia may be impacted. (Whitney Shefte/The Washington Post)

President Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey on

Lawmakers react after President Trump fired FBI director James
Tuesday, at the recommendation of senior Justice Comey on May 9. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)
Department officials who said he had treated Hillary
Clinton unfairly and in doing so damaged the credibility of In a separate tweet, Trump said Comey had “lost the
the FBI and the Justice Department. confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican
and Democrat alike.”
The startling development comes as Comey was leading a
counterintelligence investigation to determine whether “When things calm down, they will be thanking
associates of Trump may have coordinated with Russia to me!” Trump wrote.
interfere with the U.S. presidential election last year. It
wasn’t immediately clear how Comey’s ouster will affect Trump also defended his action by claiming Comey would
the Russia probe, but Democrats said they were concerned be “replaced by someone who will do a far better job” and
that his ouster could derail the investigation. restore “the spirit and prestige of the FBI.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that Comey’s Comey was in Los Angeles on Tuesday on a recruiting
deputy, Andrew McCabe, would be the acting director of trip.
the FBI. As a presidential candidate, Trump explicitly
criticized Comey and McCabe for their roles in the Clinton
Officials said Comey was fired because senior Justice
probe while at other points praising Comey for his “guts.”
Department officials concluded that he had violated Justice
Department principles and procedures last year by publicly
“The president has accepted the discussing the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a
recommendation of the attorney general and the private email server. Democrats have long argued that
deputy attorney general regarding the dismissal Comey’s decisions in the months and days before the
of the director of the Federal Bureau of election hurt Clinton’s standing with voters and affected
Investigation,” press secretary Sean Spicer told the outcome, but the president and his closest advisers had
reporters in the White House briefing room. The argued that Comey went too easy on Clinton and her aides.
firing is effective “immediately,” he said.
Just last week, Trump publicly accused Comey of giving
On Wednesday, Trump shot back at Democrats outraged Clinton “a free pass for many bad deeds’’ when he decided
by Comey’s firing, but did not give further details on the not to recommend criminal charges in the case.
White House decision.
Officials released a Tuesday memo from the deputy
“The Democrats have said some of the worst attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, laying out the
things about James Comey, including the fact
306
rationale behind Comey’s dismissal and attributing it all to “Cryin’ Chuck Schumer stated recently, “I do not
his handling of the Clinton case. Officials said Rosenstein have confidence in him (James Comey) any
began examining Comey’s conduct shortly after being longer.” Then acts so indignant.
sworn into office two weeks ago. #draintheswamp,” the president wrote.

“The FBI’s reputation and credibility have Trump plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
suffered substantial damage, and it has affected Lavrov on Wednesday. It will be the first face-to-face
the entire Department of Justice,” Rosenstein contact between the president and a senior official of the
wrote. “I cannot defend the director’s handling of Russian government.
the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary
Clinton’s emails, and I do not understand his Rosenstein wrote in the memo that when Comey
refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment announced on July 5 that he had decided not to
that he was mistaken. Almost everyone agrees recommend charges in the Clinton case, he did so
that the director made serious mistakes; it is one
of the few issues that unites people of diverse “without the authorization of duly appointed
perspectives.” Justice Department leaders. Compounding the
error, the director ignored another long-standing
Democrats skeptical principle: we do not hold news conferences to
release derogatory information about the subject
But Democrats immediately linked the dismissal to the of a declined criminal investigation . . . we never
Russia probe. release it gratuitously . . . It is a textbook example
of what federal prosecutors and agents are
“The decision by a President whose campaign taught not to do.”
associates are under investigation by the FBI for
collusion with Russia to fire the man overseeing Rosenstein was also critical of Comey’s decision to reveal
that investigation, upon the recommendation of in late October that the Clinton email probe had resumed,
an Attorney General who has recused himself and he dismissed the FBI director’s recent defense to
from that investigation, raises profound questions Congress that not doing so would have effectively been to
about whether the White House is brazenly “conceal” important information.
interfering in a criminal matter,” Rep. Adam B.
Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the “ ‘Conceal’ is a loaded term that misstates the
House Intelligence Committee, said in a issue,” Rosenstein wrote. “When federal agents
statement. The House committee is looking into and prosecutors quietly open a criminal
Russian interference in the election. investigation, we are not concealing anything; we
are simply following the long-standing policy that
Some Republicans were also concerned. we refrain from publicizing non-public
information. In that context, silence is not
“I am troubled by the timing and reasoning of concealment.”
Director Comey’s termination,” said Sen. Richard
Burr (R-N.C.), head of the Senate Intelligence In a letter to Trump, Sessions said that he agreed Comey
Committee, which is also examining Russian had to go.
meddling. “I have found Director Comey to be a
public servant of the highest order, and his “I have concluded that a fresh start is needed at
dismissal further confuses an already difficult the leadership of the FBI,’’ Sessions wrote. “I
investigation by the Committee.” must recommend that you remove Director
James B. Comey, Jr. and identify an experienced
There were multiple calls by Democrats on Tuesday night and qualified individual to lead the great men and
for the appointment of a special prosecutor to lead the women of the FBI.’’
Russia investigation and take the matter out of the hands of
Justice Department leadership. But in October — when Sessions was a senator supporting
Trump, and Comey revealed less than two weeks before
In an attempt to pressure Republicans to join calls for an the election that he had reopened the investigation into
independent prosecutor, Senate Democrats have been Clinton’s use of a private email server — Sessions
asked by Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) to applauded the decision in an appearance on Fox Business
be in the Senate chamber at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when Network.
the legislative day begins.
“He had an absolute duty, in my opinion, 11 days
In a late-night tweet Tuesday, Trump targeted Schumer. or not, to come forward with the new information

307
 that he has and let the American people know Over the past two years, Comey had assumed an
that, too,” Sessions said at the time. extraordinary role in Washington — overseeing not one,
but two investigations involving presidential candidates. In
Nothing in the Rosenstein memo suggests that the Clinton some ways, that made him more powerful than the Justice
investigation will be reopened. Department officials to whom he reported.

Tuesday afternoon, White House aide Keith Schiller, who After Clinton lost to Trump, many Democrats blamed
has long served Trump as a bodyguard, visited FBI Comey for what they viewed as his unprecedented
headquarters to hand-deliver Trump’s dismissal letter to interference in the election process, but most later came to
Comey’s office, although the director wasn’t there to see him as an independent figure in the Trump
receive it, officials said. administration who would be critical to a fair and thorough
investigation of any possible ties between Russia and
Trump wrote to Comey: Trump associates.

“You are hereby terminated and removed from Strains over leak cases
office, effective immediately.’’
Several current and former officials said the relationship
The president added: between the White House and the FBI had been strained
for months, in part because administration officials were
“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on pressuring Comey to more aggressively pursue leak
three separate occasions, that I am not under investigations over disclosures that embarrassed the White
investigation, I nevertheless concur with the House and raised questions about ties with Russia.
judgment of the Department of Justice that you
are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.’’ That pressure was described as conversational challenges
to FBI leadership to pursue the source of leaks seen as
Speaking to reporters Tuesday evening, Spicer said he did damaging to the administration, the officials said, speaking
not know what the three occasions were when Comey told on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal
Trump that he wasn’t under investigation. Spicer also deliberations. Although the FBI is investigating disclosures
rejected calls for a special prosecutor. of classified information, the bureau has resisted calls to
prioritize leak investigations over the Russia matter, or
“Special prosecutor, for what? On multiple probe matters that did not involve leaks of classified or
occasions, they said that the president wasn’t otherwise sensitive information, the officials said.
under investigation. What are we investigating?”
he said. “The administration has been putting pressure on
the FBI to focus more on the leaks and weren’t
The news of Comey’s firing stunned Washington. satisfied with the results,’’ said a former senior
U.S. official familiar with the matter. A current
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate official said administration figures have been
Judiciary Committee, said Comey’s decisions “very aggressive’’ in pressuring the FBI.

“have called into question the trust and political The Justice Department inspector general has been
independence of the FBI.’’ investigating how Comey and his top deputy handled the
Clinton probe, though that investigation is expected to
The senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, continue for months.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), however, compared
Tuesday’s developments to the Watergate scandal and said Shortly before the announcement, the FBI notified
the actions Congress by letter that Comey had misstated key findings
involving the Clinton email investigation during testimony
“reek of a cover-up and appear to be part of an last week, but nothing about that issue suggested it might
ongoing effort by the Trump White House to imperil Comey’s job.
impede the investigation into Russian ties and
interference in our elections.’’ David Weigel, Ed O’Keefe, Jenna Johnson, Ellen
Nakashima and Brian Murphy contributed to this report.

308
 Comey’s Firing Means
Hillary Clinton Can Be Prosecuted
By Max McGuire
05/10/2017

Weiner’s laptop, Comey once again let Clinton off the

hook. When Congress referred Hillary Clinton’s server
technician to the FBI for prosecution, Comey completely
ignored the referral.

Comey was told to go easy on Clinton and despite all the

evidence of her guilt, he still let her off the hook. But the
statute of limitations has not yet expired…

Now, he’s gone and it is time to finish this!

President Trump was gracious. He offered to move on

from the Clinton investigation. All Hillary needed to do
was just disappear off into the sunset. Instead, she is
This is the opening we have been waiting for. FBI Director launching a Super PAC to fight Trump at every turn.
James Comey never intended to launch a real investigation
into Hillary Clinton’s crimes. The DNC’s own internal
memos prove that they were sure the Obama Yesterday, White House Social Media Manager Dan
administration would not allow the investigation to "go too Scavino teased that he was going to release the video of
Hillary Clinton calling Donald Trump to concede the
far."
election. The White House is going to show the world that
Hillary Clinton conceded defeat and wished the President-
James Comey found this memo during the investigation elect success, only to turn around and commit to
and he buried it. He found evidence of collusion between undermining him.
the Democrats and the Obama administration to put their
finger on the scale and he hid it away.
Hillary Clinton is no longer off limits!
Loretta Lynch met with James Comey personally and
instructed him to stop referring to the Clinton investigation We know that Obama was protecting her. He's gone.
as an “investigation.” Instead, she instructed him to start
referring to it as a “matter,” repeating the Clinton We know that Loretta Lynch was protecting her. She’s
campaign’s talking points that there was no criminal gone.
investigation. Days after this meeting, Comey met with
reporters and referred to the investigation as a “matter,” James Comey took Lynch’s instructions to protect her.
precisely how Lynch and the Clintons wanted them to. He’s gone.

Then, when it came time to recommend prosecution, Now is the time to strike!
Comey reinterpreted the law to let Hillary off the hook.
Even though the law does not require intent to prosecute – Send your urgent FaxBlast to Congress and FORCE them
only gross negligence – Comey recommended Clinton not to finish what they started and formally charge Hillary
be prosecuted because he couldn’t prove intent. It made Clinton with Contempt of Congress!
absolutely no sense. But now that we know he was
working with the Obama administration to repeat Clinton
Hillary Clinton lied under oath. She told Congress that she
campaign talking points, his actions make a lot more
handed over all work-related emails and we know for a
sense…
FACT that the FBI discovered new, never-before-seen
classified emails on her private server. Clinton had tried to
Then, when it became obvious that some of Clinton’s delete them, but apparently not hard enough because they
classified emails were being forwarded to Anthony were recovered.
309
Just last week, the State Department was forced to Congress has the authority to refer individuals to the FBI
publicize a few dozen classified emails that the FBI had for prosecution, but that is a dead end. McCabe will not
recovered. prosecute the family that gave his wife all that money.

The acting Director of the FBI is Andrew McCabe. If that But there is also a statute that allows Congress to bypass
sounds familiar, it should. His wife received more than the FBI and DOJ entirely. If Congress holds someone in
half a million dollars from a Clinton ally to help her run Contempt of Congress for lying under oath, refusing to
for state office. Andrew McCabe even appeared in a appear, or violating a subpoena, then the law requires that
campaign ad that was made using this Clinton money. This the Attorney General "must" convene a Grand Jury.
donation came while McCabe was leading the Neither the FBI nor the DOJ would have the authority to
investigation into Clinton emails and he did not disclose intervene.
the conflict. He is just as crooked, if not more crooked,
than James Comey. We are calling on Congress to hold Hillary Clinton in
Contempt for lying under oath, but we need your help to
make it happen!
.

310
 Trump Fires Comey:
Spin Doctors Go Wild In The Swamp
By Jon Rappoport
May 10, 2017

In the political swamp that is Washington, and in the press of course, Trump was morally outraged that Comey
swamp, motor boats began speeding every which way in exposed Hillary in the first place, when Comey should
the wake of Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director Comey. have remained silent. Sure. That makes a lot of sense.

People in the boats are holding up signs to explain the The next motor boat speeding across the swamp held up a
reason for the firing. big sign that said, TRUMP FIRED COMEY TO STOP
THE FBI FROM INVESTIGATING THE TRUMP-
The first sign was: COMEY LIED. Comey lied the other RUSSIA CONNECTION. You see, for five months,
day. He lied in testimony before Congress, when he said Trump happily left Comey in place, knowing Comey was
Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton’s long-time aide, had sent investigating him, Trump, and yesterday Trump had
“hundreds and thousands” of emails to her husband, enough of that, so he fired the FBI director. Right.
Anthony Weiner, some of which contained classified
information. The truth was, the FBI says, contradicting The next motor boat in the swamp held up a sign that said,
Comey, a great many of those emails were merely “backed THIS IS NIXON ALL OVER AGAIN, THIS IS
up” on Weiner’s laptop via “backup devices.” Huh? Does TRUMP’S WATERGATE. The sign refers to the last
that actually mean something? Weiner obtained those sign, but ups the ante. And there is another sign that says,
emails out of the sky, delivered by a chariot, and not from in the same vein, NOW WE CAN IMPEACH TRUMP.
Huma? Weiner’s laptop was serving as a storage device, a And another one that says, APPOINT AN
personal little cloud? Somebody not connected to the INDEPENDENT COUNSEL TO INVESTIGATE THE
Hillary campaign was using the social-media’s porn star as TRUMP-RUSSIA CONNECTION.
a backup for classified data? Who would that be? Putin?
Putin hacked the Hillary/DNC emails, and sent them to I’m waiting for Bob Woodward of Watergate fame to step
both WikiLeaks and Anthony Weiner? “Hi Anthony. Vlad in and say, “It’s all right, folks, I’m on the case. I’ll handle
here. Keep these thousands of emails for posterity.” it. I was just eating lunch and sipping a fine wine in my
underground parking garage when a shadowy figure
The next motor boat running through the swamp featured a stepped out of the gloom and whispered, ‘My throat is
sign that said: COMEY SCREWED UP THE deep, and I’ll spoon-feed you secrets for the next year, but
HILLARY INVESTIGATION. This sign can be you’ll have to dig up the facts. Everybody is involved in
interpreted several ways, depending on who is in the boat. the cover-up. Comey, Sessions, Pence, Bannon, Conway,
One, Comey didn’t press the investigation into Hillary’s Ivanka, Putin, Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Stalin.”
personal email server far enough last summer and fall. He
stalled it. He didn’t ask for an indictment. That’s why So why did Trump fire Comey yesterday?
Trump fired him yesterday. Trump didn’t fire Comey right
after he was elected president, when it would have been a
I don’t know, but the short answer might be: Comey’s
simple bye bye. No, Trump waited five months and then
boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, told Trump to get rid
lowered the boom. Sure.
of Comey. Sessions made the call.

The other meaning of COMEY SCREWED UP THE

Sessions now has a specific plan to make the FBI over in
HILLARY INVESTIGATION is:
the image he prefers. Sessions wants to shape the Bureau
according to his agendas. Sessions has looked into the
Comey improperly told the world (last summer) that the Bureau and he now knows which people he wants to fire.
FBI was investigating Hillary. His announcement He wants to get rid of the Obama crowd. He wants
influenced the election. The FBI is supposed to keep loyalists. He doesn’t want a Dept. of Justice that is going
absolutely quiet about ongoing investigations. Comey in one direction, while the FBI is going in another.
didn’t. Then he publicly closed the book on the Sessions wants a predictable FBI. His own.
investigation, opened it again, and closed it again. That’s
why Trump just fired him. Again, Trump waited five
months after the election and then got rid of Comey. And
311
Joel Pollak, writing at Breitbart, has a simpler answer to who is wrong. The machine keeps running. Those motor
the question, why fire Comey now? Pollak writes: boats keep moving across the swamp. Signs come out.
People yell and scream.
“But why fire Comey now? The answer is
simple. The day before, President Barack Chuck Schumer may soon compare Trump to Benedict
Obama’s former Director of National Arnold.
Intelligence James Clapper repeated,
under oath, what he told NBC News’ Chuck For the past 65 years, the CIA has been infiltrating media
Todd on Meet the Press on March 5 — that and promoting many messages. In certain cases, an op
he had seen no evidence of collusion involves promoting CONFLICTING messages, because
between the Trump campaign and the the intent is sowing discord, chaos, and division. In this
Russian government. That gave the Trump instance (Comey/Trump), it’s a walk in the park (or a ride
administration the breathing room to in the swamp). All sorts of people on both sides already
dismiss Comey — which it simply did not have steam coming out of their ears, without any nudging
have before.” or provocation.

In other words, now Trump can’t be accused of firing A child could run this spin counter-spin op.
Comey to stop “the truth” emerging about a Trump-Russia
collusion, because there isn’t any collusion.
And we’re just getting started.

Theoretically, that might be the case—but the spin

machine doesn’t care about the truth or who is right and
.

312
 Phoenix Trump Nazi Billboard
Funded With Taxpayer Dollars
MAY 11, 2017

A controversial billboard depicting President Donald Mainstream national media also failed to report the
Trump as a Nazi was funded with taxpayer dollars and was important fact that taxpayer dollars contributed to the
commissioned by an “arts advocate” paid by a U.S. city to offensive billboard. The Washington Post opted to serve as
“diminish barriers,” records obtained by Judicial Watch a mouthpiece for Fiorito’s anti-Trump tirade. In a piece
reveal. The massive billboard caused a ruckus when it was published days after the billboard controversy hit the artist
unveiled in downtown Phoenix, Arizona in mid-March calls Trump supporters “scumbags” and says the country is
because it features a menacing portrait of Trump on a “very dangerous path” toward “total annihilation.” A
surrounded by mushroom clouds—in the shape of laughing California news outlet focused on Fiorito’s death threats
clowns—and swastikas modified as dollar signs. A pin of a and her interpretation of the art, which “represents global
Russian flag appears on the president’s lapel. destruction, warfare and annihilation of the planet.” The
dollar swastikas represent “corporate power and greed and
how our society has become all about money and
corporatism,” the artist says in the story.

Shortly after the billboard was erected Judicial Watch filed

a public records request with the city of Phoenix to obtain
details related to public monies connected to organizations
and organizers of the sign. This week Judicial Watch
received the documents that show the city of Phoenix has
awarded Moore, the Trump Nazi billboard owner and a
prominent figure in the local art community, thousands of
dollars in grants for a program she runs called Grand
Avenue Arts & Preservation (GAP), which encompasses
the Art Detour event where the Nazi billboard made its
debut. The publicly funded annual art celebration is touted
as having “a diverse slate of activities created by local
artists and art venues to celebrate the growing, vibrant
Phoenix arts scene” and is described as “…one of the most
important events in Phoenix’s calendar” by Phoenix Mayor
Greg Stanton. The event is produced by a group called
The huge display towers over Grand Avenue and Taylor
Artlink, which was founded by Moore, in partnership with
Street in downtown Phoenix and will remain there
the city of Phoenix. Former Phoenix Deputy City Manager
throughout Trump’s presidency, according to the local art
Rick Naimark, who retired in 2015 with a hefty pension,
gallery that claims to own it and conveniently omits that
sits on the board of Artlink.
public money is involved. A multitude of local and
national media outlets covered the controversy
surrounding the artist that created it and the contentious Moore and her various publicly-funded art enterprises
image it portrays, but all have failed to uncover the received $3,500 from the city of Phoenix in July 2016, the
important fact that taxpayer dollars are behind it. Instead, records obtained by Judicial Watch show, which
the media has reported that the Trump Nazi billboard was encompasses the March 2017 Art Detour event that kicked
commissioned by the billboard owner, Beatrice Moore, a off with the Trump Nazi billboard. In August 2016 Artlink,
longtime patron of the arts on Grand Avenue. Moore’s founded by Moore, was awarded $1,800 for the 2017 Art
deep ties to the city and the cash she receives for her Detour event, according to the records. Moore, who
various public art endeavors have remained secret. The contracted Fiorito to create the anti-Trump billboard, is
news reports have also focused on the death threats that the recognized by the city as an “artist, community organizer
artist, Karen Fiorito, has received. A local paper reported and arts advocate” and the annual festival she puts together
that the billboard went up during an annual art event and with public money aims to “diminish barriers,” the records
that the artist aimed to stir up a controversy. say. Funds come from “government grant monies,”
including the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the

313
money is used for “artists’ fees.” The objectionable Trump Phoenix and seems to fall short of Moore’s stated goal of
billboard, which involves taxpayer money, doesn’t appear “diminishing barriers” through art.
to promote a “growing, vibrant” art scene in the City of
.

314
 Michael Snyder Is Calling For An Army Of Pro-Trump
Activists To Run For Office All Over America
By Michael Snyder
May 11th, 2017

tremendous opportunity. I really like how Rush Limbaugh

made this point during one of his programs…

Do you realize what a nothing burger the Democrat Party

is? Do you realize the Democrat Party literally has nothing
virtuous, positive, uplifting to run on? In all of this, the
Democrat Party dares not ask people, “Hey, take a look at
us. We got better ideas. Hey, take a look at us. We can fix
this.” None of that. The only thing they’ve got is this
insane, invisible, nonexistent, so-called connection
between the Russians and our election. They have no
ideas. They have no optimism. They have no leaders. They
have no vision. They are ripe for being smoked for
It is really easy to sit back and complain about the generations! This is the time to move in politically and
direction of this country, but what America really needs at wipe them out. …
this hour are men and women that are willing to step into
the fight to save our constitutional republic. As I have said
before, getting Donald Trump elected was the greatest Don’t misunderstand here, folks. I’m not saying the
miracle in U.S. political history, but he should not have to Democrats don’t pose a threat. I’m not… Look, two things
wage this battle alone. Trump has very few friends in here. The Democrats are in deep trouble, electorally. The
Congress at this point, and so it is absolutely critical that Democrats are not running the left; the media is. And the
we get him some during the 2018 mid-term elections. So I media is clearly not inconsequential. Don’t misunderstand.
am calling for an army of pro-Trump activists to run for I’m not saying that what’s happening here is obviously to
national, state and local offices all over America in 2018. everyone. I’m saying the Republican Party has a golden
Donald Trump started this revolution, and now it is our job opportunity here to continue to hammer the nail into the
to continue it. coffin of the Democrat Party.

My father was in the U.S. Navy, and so sometimes I like to Our founders intended for us to have a constitutional
put things in military terms. When an amphibious republic with a limited central government, but the
invasion is being conducted, it is the troops that hit the globalists have turned the federal government into an
beach first that take the most fire. To me, that is a perfect absolute monster. We need to tame that monster and
picture of what is happening to Donald Trump right now. restore the constitutional republic that our founders
He has established a beachhead, and now the rest of us originally designed.
need to rush to shore to back him up.
The easy route would be to sit back and wait for someone
If we are not willing to try, what is going to happen? Our else to do something.
political system on the national, state and local levels will
continue to be dominated by Democrats and “progressive But I have decided not to do that.
Republicans”, and our once great nation will continue to
fall apart all around us. Earlier today, I announced on the Alex Jones Show that I
am “strongly considering” running for Congress in 2018…
We need patriotic men and women to challenge every
available seat in America in 2018. Some of us will win On Tuesday, U.S. Representative Raul Labrador
and others will lose, but at least we will have given the announced that he will not seek another term because he
American people a choice. plans to run for governor in Idaho.

We are never going to have a true political revolution if we

don’t at least try, and this election cycle represents a
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Labrador represents the district in which my wife and I In recent years, the House has lost some tremendous
live, and when I heard this news I realized that this conservative voices. I plan to continue the legacy of Ron
represents a truly unique opportunity. Paul, Michele Bachmann and so many others that stood
strong for conservative causes at a time when it was not
Congressman Labrador has been doing a wonderful job, always popular to do so.
and if he had run again he would have won by a landslide.
But now that he is not running, there is no incumbent and But if I am going to do this, I am going to need lots of
the race is entirely wide open. assistance. If you have experience with campaigns on a
state or local level, or if you just want to help out any way
If I decide to run, and I am very strongly leaning in that that you can, please feel free to drop me an email or
direction, the key to the race will be to win the Republican contact me on Facebook. I have never run for office
primary. Hillary Clinton got only 27.5 percent of the vote before, and so I have a lot to learn, and I greatly value the
in Idaho last November, and Labrador won his last election advice and counsel of others.
by more than 120,000 votes. So whoever wins the
Republican primary will almost certainly win the general Also, if there are other pro-Trump activists out there that
election. plan on running in 2018, we should definitely connect. If
we all work to promote one another, we can create a giant
Donald Trump has shown us that nothing is impossible in groundswell of momentum which could sweep a whole
politics. When he first declared his candidacy, liberal bunch of pro-Trump activists into political positions all
pundits literally laughed at him on the air because they around the country.
thought his candidacy was such a joke. But his bold
message struck a chord with conservative voters all over For a long time I have been writing about the great
the country, and now he is the president of the United problems that this nation is facing, and now I am trying to
States. be part of the solution.

If he can do it, why can’t we? It has been said that life is like a coin. You can spend it
any way that you want, but you can only spend it once.
If I run, I plan to continue the absolutely outstanding work
that Congressman Labrador has been doing, and I plan to As for me and my house, we are going to spend our lives
be a key ally for President Trump in Congress. Right now doing things that really matter.
Trump has very few friends in Congress, and that
desperately needs to change.
.

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 WikiLeaks Offers "US$100k
For The Trump-Comey Tapes"
By Tyler Durden
May 12, 2017 2:01 PM

Following what many have described as a threat from Of course, the message is a direct response
President Trump earlier this morning directed at former to Trump's tweet from earlier which implied
FBI Director James Comey, WikiLeaks has just blasted out that there may in fact be recordings of his
the following tweet offering a $100,000 reward for the conversations with Comey.
"Trump-Comey tapes." Moreover, folks who want to up
James Comey better hope that there are no
the reward are encouraged to send bit coins.
"tapes" of our conversations before he starts
leaking to the press!
"WikiLeaks offers US$100k for the Trump-
Comey tapes. To increase the — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May
reward send Bitcoin to reward address: 12, 2017
1FfzC3KrbrJ3CRbz4hqHnxSqvYfy9M5CT"
For a White House that has been plagued with leaks from
WikiLeaks offers US$100k for the Trump-Comey day 1, we have to imagine this added incentive is
tapes. To increase the reward send Bitcoin to somewhat concerning for a Presidency under siege from
reward address: all angles.
1FfzC3KrbrJ3CRbz4hqHnxSqvYfy9M5CT
pic.twitter.com/CJInYx4fcw
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 12, 2017
.

317
 Trump Threatens Comey Not To Leak To The Press:
"Better Hope There Are No Tapes"
By Tyler Durden
May 12, 2017 4:00 PM

Comey would have never told the president he was not

Update: according to CNN, James Comey is "not under investigation.
worried" about President Trump's suggestion that
conversations between the two of them could have been
taped. Additionally, the New York Times cited “two people who
have heard his account of the dinner” who said Comey was
asked by Trump for his loyalty at the dinner. The then-FBI
"If there is a tape, there's nothing he is worried
head reportedly responded that he would offer his honesty
about," a source familiar told CNN, although
but not political loyalty.
when it comes to CNN and anonymous sources,
one probably should apply a healthy truth
discount. Earlier on Friday, Trump said that no one should expect
his White House to give completely accurate information.
Meanwhile, NBC News said on Friday that the ousted FBI
chief "hopes there are tapes" citing another anonymous “As a very active President with lots of things
source: happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to
stand at podium with perfect accuracy!” he wrote
on Twitter.
"That would be perfect."
“Maybe,” he added a few moments later, “the
*** best thing to do would be to cancel all future
‘press briefings’ and hand out written responses
for the sake of accuracy??
In the most Nixonian-sounding comment yet during this
week's craziness, President Trump, clearly angry about the
leaking sieves that are the White House and the US Intel As the NYT amusingly adds,
Community, just issued a cryptic threat to former FBI
Director Comey, warning in no uncertain terms about "Trump’s mention of tapes did nothing to dispel
retaliation should the leaks continue and saying the fired the echoes of Watergate heard in Washington
FBI director should hope there are no recordings of their this week. His dismissal of Mr. Comey in the
conversations. midst of an investigation into Mr. Trump’s
associates struck many as similar to President
James Comey better hope that there are no Richard M. Nixon’s decision in October 1973 to
"tapes" of our conversations before he starts fire Archibald Cox, the Watergate special
leaking to the press! prosecutor, in an incident that came to be known
as the Saturday Night Massacre."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May
12, 2017 Trump’s defenders have said Watergate comparisons are
overwrought and that there is no evidence of collusion
Several overnight reports from FBI "sources" emerged between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russia during last
which contradicted former Trump’s account of a meeting year’s election. American intelligence agencies have
he had with Comey earlier this year, a development which concluded that Russia attempted to meddle in the
has clearly pushed Trump close to the edge. Recall that campaign with the aim of tilting the election to Mr. Trump.
during his NBC interview on Thursday, Trump said that
Comey had requested a dinner with him during which he
And speaking of tapes, it is probably safe to assume that
asked to stay on as the FBI head. Trump also said Comey they indeed exist, nd their "leaking" will provide the next
told him three times — twice over the phone and once at and even more entertaining iteration of this particular
their dinner meeting — that he was not the subject of any
dumpster fire.
FBI investigations. FBI officials however denied Trump's
claims and said that the dinner meeting was requested by
the White House, and a former senior FBI official said
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Separately, Trump continued his angry Friday morning Well, if nothing else works, he can always bomb Syria
tweetfest, and clearly troubled by the relentless allegations again to find out.
of Russian interference, asked
When James Clapper himself, and virtually
"When James Clapper himself, and virtually everyone else with knowledge of the witch hunt,
everyone else with knowledge of the witch says there is no collusion, when does it end?
hunt, says there is no collusion, when does it
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May
end?" 12, 2017
.

319
 BREAKING: FBI Source
Drops Comey Bombshell, People Are Going To Prison
May 12, 2017

The deep state has been working overtime to dismantle the breaking the law, and the mainstream media will have no
Trump presidency. These unelected bureaucrats threaten more leaks to rely on.
the integrity of our democracy, and the mainstream media
is protecting them. Meanwhile, the corrupt Democrats are celebrating their
petty victories. With the deep state and the mainstream
Thankfully, there are still some honest journalists willing media working together, the radical Left is gaining ground.
to expose the deep state swamp creatures. We cannot allow these leftist radicals to overtake our
government.
Washington reporter Jack Posobiec
announced that his FBI sources say that The American people have rejected liberalism. The silent
Comey dropped the Susan Rice majority voted for Trump, not Clinton. We don’t want
investigation because it would have these deep state Obama holdovers infesting our
implicated himself. Look out, Comey! government. We don’t want to listen to the mainstream
(via Investment Watch Blog) media’s pathetic lies.

These anti-American forces have come together to form

the perfect storm of political mischief. We need to support
Trump as he pushes back against extremist Democrats.
After eight years of Obama, the sheer amount of deep state
operatives is terrifying. There are so many operatives
working against Trump — I’m surprised entire
departments haven’t been replaced. We need to hold
Obama accountable for his anti-American policies and
The deep state operatives infesting the swamp and the hiring decisions.
mainstream media have been working together to
undermine the Trump presidency. The Susan Rice The Obama era left our government in a bloated and
investigation was mysteriously dropped with no further confused state, but Trump is going to fix the Obama mess.
inquiry. We demand the truth. He is going to trim back the size of government, so that
even if a Democrat gets into office, they won’t easily be
Unfortunately, when the mainstream media has a story entrenched in the swamp.
they don’t like, they simply ramp up the news cycle. The
Susan Rice investigation was forgotten because of the The deep state needs to be purged, and Donald Trump is
media’s leftist strategies. The deep state loved it. the man for the job. We will drain the swamp, and clean
our the halls of our Capitol. The mainstream media hates
With these two anti-American groups working together, this. They don’t want to lose their leaks.
they will completely undermine our democracy. At least
Donald Trump plans to drain the swamp. With Trump in The mainstream media and the deep state are in trouble.
office, these deep state operatives will be charged for We cannot wait to witness the end of the swamp.
.

320
 As Clinton Blames Comey & Russia, Authors Of
“Shattered” Expose Aimless Campaign
Source: The Real News
Published: May 13, 2017

running for President for almost 10 years, she still didn’t

have a clearly articulable reason … Funny I hesitated there
on the word “articulable” but a clearly articulable reason
for running for President. The sort of, “Why her, why
now?” questions. One of her senior aides even said to me
and my co-author, “I would have had a reason for running
or I wouldn’t have run.”

AARON MATE: He’s joking when he says that?

JONATHAN ALLEN: No, he means it. He means that it

was not clearly defined even to the people who worked for
AARON MATE: It’s The Real News, I’m Aaron Mate. her why she was running for President. The very simple
For many, the shock of the 2016 US election has not yet thing, the one big idea or set of small things that fit into the
worn off, and major stories like the Trump/Russia same sort of bucket of why voters should look to Hillary
investigation, and now the firing of James Comey, keep Clinton now as the person who can lead the United States
that historic campaign fresh on our minds. At a recent forward and provide the kind of change from the status
event, Hillary Clinton gave her most extensive explanation quo that voters were looking for.
to date for her loss to Donald Trump.
AARON MATE: And yet, the struggled so hard over
HILLARY CLINTON: It wasn’t a perfect campaign. policy, they focus grouped everything, tweets were
There is no such thing, but I was on the way to winning extensively debated. Why was it so difficult to come up
until a combination of Jim Comey’s letter on October 28th with a core message about why the candidate was running
and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of for President?
people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off.
JONATHAN ALLEN: In some ways, I think it was over
AARON MATE: Well, a new book offers a different take saturation of policy. This is somebody who sat down
on Clinton’s loss. It’s an inside, extensive account of the before she even really launched her campaign and worked
campaign’s struggles and that starts with the failure to out a whole set of policy ideas with her advisors, and I
hone Clinton’s core message, including even her reason for think she tried to build a message from all of that policy
running. The book is “Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s and tried to put some glue in between all of those things.
Doomed Campaign,” and I’m joined now by one of its co- Amy and I have said before that in the campaign
authors, Jonathan Allen, a columnist for Rollcall. Jonathan, headquarters, there was a wall that said, “Hillary is for”
welcome. and then there were Post-it notes all over the place saying,
“Hillary’s for the economy. Hillary’s for debt free tuition.
JONATHAN ALLEN: My pleasure to be here. Hillary’s for X, Y, and Z,” and the thing that somebody
said to Amy was if you’re for everything, you’re for
nothing.
AARON MATE: There are a number of revelations in
your book, but I’ve got to say the one that I was most
shocked by was your reporting that the campaign couldn’t I think that was the problem. If you look at Bernie Sanders
come up for a reason for Hillary to run. That’s just or Donald Trump by contrast, each of them had a very
shocking. Can you talk about how you found that out and easy idea to understand. For Bernie Sanders, it was that
what you found? money and power should be moved away from the wealthy
and toward everyone else. For Donald Trump, it was his
brand of nationalism, cracking down on illegal
JONATHAN ALLEN: Sure. We talked to a lot of people
immigration, building a wall between the United States
that worked on her messaging and other parts of the
and Mexico, coming back from foreign engagements and
campaign, and they said they too were surprised that after
included in that, rewriting or canceling out trade
321
agreements. It was pretty easy to figure out what those two people around the campaign. The more she went and
guys were about, and most of their other policies fit into focused on voters in cities, particularly African American
those ideas. voters and Latino voters, she ended up alienating some of
the white working class and her message wasn’t resonating
With Hillary Clinton, there were a million scattershot with them. They cared about three things: trade, trade, and
policy ideas, and she’s certainly a master of those details, trade, and her position on trade was much more nuanced
but it was hard to really define what she was about in a than that of Bernie Sanders or that of Donald Trump, both
simple and easy for voters to swallow way. of whom were basically just opposed to it.

AARON MATE: There’s a really striking anecdote that After the Michigan primary, her team decided that it really
you have in the book where Hillary Clinton is speaking to wasn’t helping her to get extra voters at, particularly extra
a close advisor and she says, “I don’t understand what’s voters in the white working class suburbs outside Detroit,
happening with the country. I can’t get my arms around and so they decided that they really didn’t want to send her
this.” How was it that someone who was so experienced in to Michigan, because they believed that the more she
politics and so well versed in policy and what’s happening showed up there, the more people would be aware of the
in the country couldn’t understand the prevailing anger election, the more people who were loosely affiliated
with the political and economic system? voters would actually show up and that that would be bad
for her. She mostly stayed out of Michigan for the general
JONATHAN ALLEN: It’s really a telling moment in this election. I think she made a trip to Grand Rapids right at
campaign. Hillary Clinton has been walled off from the end, but it’s kind of the same reasoning for them not
having gone to Wisconsin at all.
regular people for lack of a better term, for quite a while,
as Secretary of State, as a senator, as First Lady. I think
she could tell people were angry but I’m not sure she was AARON MATE: Yeah, the quote you have from a
ever able to really get why or certainly was not able to campaign staffer on Michigan is, “Every time there was a
offer them something that made them believe she was mention of the election there, we did worse. To make the
willing to break down the system rather than trying to election a bigger deal was not good for our prospects in
change it subtly from within. Michigan.” But given that she lost the primary to Sanders
so badly, was there ever thought to saying, “Hey, maybe
AARON MATE: Let’s hone in one one state where this we should rethink our message. Maybe we should come
dynamic plays out, Michigan. I first want to play a clip out more strongly against things like TPP?”
from Donald Trump during the Republican primary where
he predicted that he would take Rust Belt states like JONATHAN ALLEN: There were a ton of people on the
Michigan. Here he is. ground in Michigan telling the campaign that they needed
to do just that, and also that they needed to show up and
DONALD TRUMP: With me, I add a lot of states that that they needed to try to persuade people. The campaign
manager, Robby Mook, had basically given up on
aren’t even in play for anybody else. I mean, I add all of
traditional methods of persuasion, so instead of trying to
the Rust Belt states. I own states that … I will get states
persuade people who didn’t agree with her, he spent all of
that are unbelievable, that are unthinkable for the
his time and energy and money on trying to find people
Republican party.
who already agreed with her, getting them out to the polls.
That didn’t work in a lot of states.
AARON MATE: That’s Donald Trump saying he’s going
to win Rust Belt states, and low and behold, he does,
You could see huge follow off from Democrats in
including in a place like Michigan. Jonathan, your book
particular areas of the country, 70,000 fewer votes in
goes into detail about how the Clinton campaign handled
Michigan and another one of your astonishing revelations Milwaukee, for example, in 2016, compared to 2008. They
gambled big on turning out the base and abandoning
is that the campaign decided that they didn’t want to
persuasion, and those who defend that decision, they can
contest in states like Michigan where they felt the more
say, “It was hard for Hillary Clinton to persuade people
attention Hillary got, the more attention they’d call to the
after all this time in the public eye.” There weren’t very
election, and the worse he chances would get because her
message just wasn’t reaching voters. Can you talk about many people, they thought, who could be persuaded, who
this? were on the fence or even mildly opposed to her.

AARON MATE: That’s one of the fascinating things that I

JONATHAN ALLEN: It’s really astounding. During the
learned from your book, which is that the Clinton
primary, she and her husband were sent to population
centers, to Detroit, to Flint, and not so much into the campaign approach is not to try to reach people to
suburbs where you had white working class voters, and the persuade them and try to speak to their concerns, but just
to mobilize those who they feel were already on their side.
more her … This is according to the people we talked to
You mentioned Robby Mook, the campaign manager.
for the book, this is according to campaign staffers and
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Let’s talk about his approach a little bit. Instead of trying JONATHAN ALLEN: One of the revelations in this book
to reach people with policy, he focused heavily on data was that Hillary Clinton was very upset with or
analytics. Can you tell us about that? disappointed in her shortlist for Vice Presidential
candidates, which included Kaine and Agriculture
JONATHAN ALLEN: Sure. I mean, data analytics Secretary Tom Vilsack and New Jersey Senator Cory
actually means a whole lot of things, but one of the things Booker, and she was looking to shake things up a little bit,
it means is they’re essentially slicing and dicing the looking to put a little magic on her ticket, and she started
electorate, trying to figure out what the most efficient way talking to Elizabeth Warren more. She sat down with
is to reach voters, trying to figure out which voters are Warren more, went out on the campaign trail for her.
with them, how they can find all the voters who agree with There was a little movement inside the campaign for
them and mobilize them. They also learn about what’s Warren, and ultimately, what we were told by people who
most effective in terms of television advertising or on the were familiar with the decision making was that Clinton
ground efforts to get people out to the polls. Mook was decided that she hadn’t enough of a background of
obsessed with efficiency, he was always concerned the transactions with Elizabeth Warren.
campaign was going to run out of money. They raised a
billion dollars and still always felt like they were on a They hadn’t really gotten to know each other in the
shoestring, so he thought that it was most effective to try to political world enough, and I think there was some concern
get people to turn out because it cost less money, and also that Warren might get into office and grandstand if she
because he believed it was difficult to persuade voters to disagreed with Hillary Clinton. Of course, I think if she
come over to Hillary Clinton. could go back, she wouldn’t think so much about who was
her partner in office, and maybe more about who could get
AARON MATE: You have a fascinating account in your her into office.
book where former President Bill Clinton is trying to
appeal to Mook and saying, “Listen, you need to campaign AARON MATE: You write about how a major strategy for
more in the Rust Belt and appeal to the concerns of the campaign was to try to turn out African American
working class voters,” and Mook responds, “The data run voters, both in the primary and the general. This in some
counter to your anecdotes.” ways contrasts with the message that we got from Clinton
in 2008, when I remember she bragged about her appeal to
JONATHAN ALLEN: Yeah, I mean, this was a long white Americans and the white working class during her
running point of tension between President Clinton and primary run against President Obama, but for this
Mook, and Hillary Clinton went with her campaign campaign, she had a much different message and what’s
manager over her husband. Bill Clinton kept telling them, interesting is that she actually started off her effort with a
“You’ve got to get out there, we’ve got to talk start talking policy speech that addressed the issue of mass
to people, we’ve got to acknowledge their anger and their incarceration. Let’s go to a clip of that.
fear,” and we saw that a little bit with President Clinton in
October when he said that Obamacare is the craziest thing, HILLARY CLINTON: It’s time to change our approach.
and was basically talking about some of the premium It’s time to end the era of mass incarceration. We need a
spikes. People were feeling that all across the country, the true national debate about how to reduce our prison
campaign wasn’t really acknowledging it, I think in large population while keeping our communities …
part because they didn’t want to separate from Barack
Obama or separate from the democratic orthodoxy which AARON MATE: Jonathan, this was obviously a big issue
is that Obamacare was essentially perfect. Might need a for the Clintons. They faced a lot of criticism from Black
tweak here or there, but really wasn’t [inaudible 00:11:18] Lives Matter activists because of Bill Clinton’s policies,
and problematic. overseeing an expansion of mass incarceration, also
gutting welfare. It was striking that this topic of criminal
Bill Clinton got his knuckles wrapped by the campaign. justice reform was the Clinton campaign’s choice of topics
They said that this was a mistake on his part, when in fact for her first major policy speech. My question is, to what
it sounded like he was just talking to voters in the way they extent did this reflect an actual ideological shift on
thought. Clinton’s part? To what extent was it simply just polling,
them trying to reach a base that they hadn’t reached before,
AARON MATE: Another way to reach voters could have especially in 2008?
been picking a Vice Presidential running mate who would
appeal to the concerns of the working class more than Tim JONATHAN ALLEN: I think it’s important to remember
Kaine. You write that Elizabeth Warren was considered for that during Bill Clinton’s presidency he was working with
this role, but ultimately was rejected. What happened a Republican Congress so not all of these things were his
there? policies. You mentioned welfare reform, I think he vetoed
welfare reform two or three times before he signed it. The
crime bill had provisions he liked, provisions he didn’t

323
like, but no doubt he was somebody who was a tough on She certainly understands how vulnerable you can be if
crime candidate in the early ’90s or tough on crime someone else is reading your email, which goes to that
President in the early ’90s, and Hillary Clinton had some question of, “What was she thinking when she set up the
words that came back to bite her. I think she understood private email server?” Which would have, if not found,
after watching Barack Obama in 2008 that if you could get would have precluded people from getting her records as
African Americans to vote heavily in your favor, Secretary of State. Ultimately it was discovered and there
essentially as a block for you, that you would be able to were lawsuits, and her email came out anyway, so if that
win the democratic primary. was her intent, it certainly backfired.

There’s tremendous advantage in the way the democratic AARON MATE: This book in my mind is not just about
rules are structured to getting a huge constituency like one candidate or one campaign. It offers striking lessons
African American voters mobilized, and in high about our political system. After covering this campaign so
percentages in your direction. I mean, I think she just extensively, speaking to more than 100 people, what do
understood the politics but at the same time, what helped you think are the main lessons from your book about how
her win the primary, I think during that period she started our politics work and how future campaigns should be run
to alienate, at least this is what people who worked for her in light of all the mistakes that you detail were made in this
said, started to alienate a lot of those working class white one?
voters that she would have needed in the general election.
At least one staffer said to me and my co-author, we talk JONATHAN ALLEN: Number one, it’s mostly about the
about this in the book, that she might have been better off candidate. You’ve got to have a candidate who bridges the
starting with that base of working class white voters that divides within your own party and is able to reach out to
she had from 2008 and building out from that. the other party. That was not Hillary Clinton. Number two,
you’ve got to have a candidate who has a message that’s
AARON MATE: Let’s go to the issue of emails. Very clear and easy for the electorate to digest about why they
much in the news right now, with the firing of James should be President, what they’re going to do with the
Comey and the Trump administration claiming that it was awesome power of the presidency, and it’s got to be
handling of the Clinton investigation, Clinton email succinct. Number three, we live in a time of increasing
investigation that prompted that dismissal. Your book data and we’re always trying to slice and dice people in
reveals though, actually, a different side of the Clinton terms of trying to sell things to them, in terms of political
email issue which is that after her 2008 loss to Barack campaigns, but the truth is in politics, victory is equal to
Obama in the primary, she got staffers to give her the both science and art.
emails of her staff members to see who had possibly
betrayed her? The art of persuasion still matters in politics. You’ve got to
be able to go out there, talk to people who don’t agree with
JONATHAN ALLEN: Yeah. There’s a scene in one of the you, and if you don’t win them over to vote for you, if you
chapters of the book, I think it chapter four, opens with this don’t make them agree with your point, you may at least
moment in 2008 where she instructs one of her tech aides win their respect.
to go out and get the top senior staff emails from the 2008
campaign to look through and to see who was leaking to AARON MATE: Jonathan Allen, the book is “Shattered:
the press, who was stabbing people in the back. It helped Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign,” and it’s now
give her a picture for an autopsy she was doing of that a best seller. Jonathan, thanks so much.
campaign, give her a picture of what was going on in her
headquarters while she was out on the campaign trail.
JONATHAN ALLEN: My pleasure.
What it shows is that she’s somebody who’s very
knowledgeable about information systems. I don’t mean
that she’s going to be hacking into anyone’s computer, or AARON MATE: And thank you for joining us on The
that she’s even particularly familiar with her own devices, Real News.
but she understands how information moves.
.

324
 The ‘Soft Coup’ Of Russia-Gate
By Robert Parry
May 13, 2017

Special Report: The Russia-gate hysteria has grown One could picture Boris and Natasha, the evil spies in the
stronger after President Trump’s firing of FBI Director Bullwinkle cartoons, disguised as photographers slipping
Comey, but the bigger question is whether an American listening devices between the cushions of the sofas.
“soft coup” is in the works, reports Robert Parry.
Or we could hear how Russians are again threatening to
Where is Stanley Kubrick when we need him? If he hadn’t “impurify all of our precious bodily fluids,” as “Dr.
died in 1999, he would be the perfect director to transform Strangelove” character, Gen. Jack D. Ripper, warned us in
today’s hysteria over Russia into a theater-of-the-absurd the 1964 movie.
movie reprising his Cold War classic, “Dr. Strangelove,”
which savagely satirized the madness of nuclear Watching that brilliant dark comedy again might actually
brinksmanship and the crazed ideology behind it. be a good idea to remind us how crazy Americans can get
when they’re pumped up with anti-Russian propaganda, as
is happening again now.

Taking Down Trump

I realize that many Democrats, liberals and progressives

hate Donald Trump so much that they believe that any
pretext is justified in taking him down, even if that plays
into the hands of the neoconservatives and other
warmongers. Many people who detest Trump view Russia-
gate as the most likely path to achieve Trump’s
impeachment, so this desirable end justifies whatever
means.
A scene from “Dr. Strangelove,” in which the bomber pilot (played
by actor Slim Pickens) rides a nuclear bomb to its target in the Soviet
Union.

To prove my point, The Washington Post on Thursday

published a lengthy story entitled in the print editions
“Alarm at Russian in White House” about a Russian
photographer who was allowed into the Oval Office to
photograph President Trump’s meeting with Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The Post cited complaints from former U.S. intelligence

officials who criticized the presence of the Russian Boris and Natasha, the evil spies from the Rocky and Bullwinkle
photographer as “a potential security breach” because of shows.
“the danger that a listening device or other surveillance
equipment could have been brought into the Oval Office Some people have told me that they even believe that it is
while hidden in cameras or other electronics.” the responsibility of the major news media, the law
enforcement and intelligence communities, and members
To bolster this alarm, the Post cited a Twitter comment of Congress to engage in a “soft coup” against Trump –
from President Obama’s last deputy CIA director, David S. also known as a “constitutional coup” or “deep state coup”
Cohen, stating “No, it was not” a sound decision to admit – for the “good of the country.”
the Russian photographer who also works for the Russian
news agency, Tass, which published the photo. The argument is that it sometimes falls to these
Establishment institutions to “correct” a mistake made by
the American voters, in this case, the election of a largely

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unqualified individual as U.S. president. It is even viewed
by some anti-Trump activists as a responsibility of
“responsible” journalists, government officials and others
to play this “guardian” role, to not simply “resist” Trump
but to remove him.

There are obvious counter-arguments to this view,

particularly that it makes something of a sham of
American democracy. It also imposes on journalists a need
to violate the ethical responsibility to provide objective
reporting, not taking sides in political disputes.

But The New York Times and The Washington Post, in

particular, have made it clear that they view Trump as a
clear and present danger to the American system and thus President Donald Trump being sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017. (Screen
have cast aside any pretense of neutrality. shot from Whitehouse.gov)

The Times justifies its open hostility to the President as And, given the determination of many key figures in the
part of its duty to protect “the truth”; the Post has adopted Establishment to get rid of Trump, it should come as no
a slogan aimed at Trump, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” surprise that no one seems to care that no actual
In other words, America’s two most influential political government-verified evidence has been revealed publicly
newspapers are effectively pushing for a “soft coup” under to support any of the Russia-gate allegations.
the guise of defending “democracy” and “truth.”
There’s not even any public evidence from U.S.
But the obvious problem with a “soft coup” is that government agencies that Russia did “meddle” in the 2016
America’s democratic process, as imperfect as it has been election or – even if Russia did slip Democratic emails to
and still is, has held this diverse country together since WikiLeaks (which WikiLeaks denies) – there has been
1788 with the notable exception of the Civil War. zero evidence that the scheme resulted from collusion with
Trump’s campaign.
If Americans believe that the Washington elites are
removing an elected president – even one as buffoonish as The FBI has been investigating these suspicions for at least
Donald Trump – it could tear apart the fabric of national nine months, even reportedly securing a Foreign
unity, which is already under extraordinary stress from Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant against Carter Page,
intense partisanship. an American whom Trump briefly claimed as a foreign
policy adviser when Trump was under fire for not having
That means that the “soft coup” would have to be carried any foreign policy advisers.
out under the guise of a serious investigation into
something grave enough to justify the President’s removal, One of Page’s alleged offenses was that he gave a speech
a removal that could be accomplished by congressional to an academic conference in Moscow in July 2016 that
impeachment, his forced resignation, or the application of was mildly critical of how the U.S. treated countries from
Twenty-fifth Amendment, which allows the Vice President the former Soviet Union. He also once lived in Russia and
and a majority of the Cabinet to judge a President apparently met with a Russian diplomat who – apparently
incapable of continuing in office (although that could unbeknownst to Page – had been identified by the U.S.
require two-thirds votes by both houses of Congress if the government as a Russian intelligence officer.
President fights the maneuver).
It appears that is enough, in these days of our New
A Big Enough ‘Scandal’ McCarthyism, to get an American put under a powerful
counter-intelligence investigation.
That is where Russia-gate comes in. The gauzy allegation
that Trump and/or his advisers somehow colluded with The FBI and the Department of Justice also reportedly are
Russian intelligence officials to rig the 2016 election including as part of the Russia-gate investigation Trump’s
would probably clear the threshold for an extreme action stupid campaign joke calling on the Russians to help find
like removing a President. the tens of thousands of emails that Clinton erased from
the home server that she used while Secretary of State.

On July 27, 2016, Trump said, apparently in jest,

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 “I will tell you this, Russia: if you’re listening, I “American officials believe that Mr. Page, a
hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that foreign policy adviser, had contacts with Russian
are missing.” intelligence officials during the campaign. He
also gave a pro-Russia speech in Moscow in July
The comment fit with Trump’s puckish, provocative and 2016. Mr. Page was once employed by Merrill
often tasteless sense of humor, but was seized on by Lynch’s Moscow office, where he worked with
Democrats as if it were a serious suggestion – as if anyone Gazprom, a government-owned giant.”
would use a press conference to seriously urge something
like that. But it now appears that the FBI is grabbing at any You might want to let some of those words sink in,
straw that might support its investigation. especially the part about Page giving “a pro-Russia speech
in Moscow,” which has been cited as one of the principal
The (U.K.) Guardian reported this week that reasons for Page and his communications being targeted
“Senior DoJ officials have declined to release the under a FISA warrant.
documents [about Trump’s comment] on grounds
that such disclosure could ‘interfere with I’ve actually read Page’s speech and to call it “pro-Russia”
enforcement proceedings’. In a filing to a federal is a wild exaggeration. It was a largely academic treatise
court in Washington DC, the DoJ states that that faulted the West’s post-Cold War treatment of the
‘because of the existence of an active, ongoing nations formed from the old Soviet Union, saying the rush
investigation, the FBI anticipates that it will … to a free-market system led to some negative
withhold all records’. consequences, such as the spread of corruption.

“The statement suggests that Trump’s But even if the speech were “pro-Russia,” doesn’t The
provocative comment last July is being seen by New York Times respect the quaint American notion of
the FBI as relevant to its own ongoing free speech? Apparently not. If your carefully crafted
investigation.” words can be twisted into something called “pro-Russia,”
the Times seems to think it’s okay to have the National
The NYT’s Accusations Security Agency bug your phones and read your emails.

On Friday, in the wake of Trump’s firing of FBI Director The Ukraine Case
James Comey and the President’s characterization of
Russia-gate as “a total hoax,” The New York Times Another Times’ target was veteran political adviser Paul
reprised what it called “The Trump-Russia Nexus” in a Manafort, who is accused of working as “a consultant for a
lead editorial trying to make the case of some fire behind pro-Russia political party in Ukraine and for Ukraine’s
the smoke. former president, Viktor Yanukovych, who was backed by
the Kremlin.”

Former Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page .

Though the Times acknowledges that there are “many

New York Times building in New York City. (Photo from Wikipedia)
unknowns” in Russia-gate and the Times can’t seem to
find any evidence of collusion, such as slipping a Russian
data stick to WikiLeaks, the Times nevertheless treats a Left out of that Times formulation is the fact that the
host of Trump advisers and family members as traitors Ukrainian political party, which had strong backing from
because they’ve had some association with Russian ethnic Russian Ukrainians — not just Russia– competed in
officials, Russian businesses or Russian allies. a democratic process and that Yanukovych won an
election that was recognized by international observers as
free and fair.
Regarding Carter Page, the Times wrote:

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Yanukovych was then ousted in February 2014 in a violent Immediately after the Syria chemical-weapons deal in
putsch that was backed by U.S. Assistant Secretary of September 2013, key U.S. neocons began focusing on
State Victoria Nuland and U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Ukraine as what National Endowment for Democracy
Pyatt. The putsch, which was spearheaded by right-wing president Carl Gershman called “the biggest prize” and a
nationalists and even neo-Nazis, touched off Ukraine’s first step toward unseating Putin in Moscow.
civil war and the secession of Crimea, the key events in the
escalation of today’s New Cold War between NATO and
Russia.

Nazi symbols on helmets worn by members of Ukraine’s Azov

battalion. (As filmed by a Norwegian film crew and shown on
German TV)

Though I’m no fan of U.S. political hired-guns selling their

services in foreign elections, there was nothing illegal or
Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland,
even unusual about Manafort advising a Ukrainian who pushed for the Ukraine coup and helped pick the post-coup
political party. What arguably was much more offensive leaders.
was the U.S. support for an unconstitutional coup that
removed Yanukovych even after he agreed to a European
Gershman’s grant-giving NED stepped up its operations
plan for early elections so he could be voted out of office
inside Ukraine while Assistant Secretary Nuland, the wife
peacefully.
of arch-neocon Robert Kagan, began pushing for regime
change in Kiev (along with other neocons, including Sen.
But the Times, the Post and virtually the entire Western
John McCain).
mainstream media sided with the Ukrainian coup-makers
and hailed Yanukovych’s overthrow. That attitude has
The Ukraine coup in 2014 drove a geopolitical wedge
become such a groupthink that the Times has banished the
between Obama and Putin, since the Russian president
thought that there was a coup.
couldn’t just stand by when a virulently anti-Russian
regime took power violently in Ukraine, which was the
Still, the larger political problem confronting the United
well-worn route for invasions into Russia and housed
States is that the neoconservatives and their junior
Russia’s Black Sea fleet at Sevastopol in Crimea.
partners, the liberal interventionists, now control nearly all
the levers of U.S. foreign policy. That means they can
Rather than defend the valuable cooperation provided by
essentially dictate how events around the world will be
Putin, Obama went with the political flow and joined in the
perceived by most Americans.
Russia-bashing as key neocons raised their sights and put
Putin in the crosshairs.
The neocons and the liberal hawks also want to continue
their open-ended wars in the Middle East by arranging the
An Unexpected Obstacle
commitment of additional U.S. military forces to
Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria – and perhaps a new
For the neocons in 2016, there also was the excited
confrontation with Iran.
expectation of a Hillary Clinton presidency to give more
momentum to the expensive New Cold War. But then
Early in Obama’s second term, it became clear to the
Trump, who had argued for a new détente with Russia,
neocons that Russia was becoming the chief obstacles to
managed to eke out an Electoral College win.
their plans because President Barack Obama was working
closely with President Vladimir Putin on a variety of
Perhaps Trump could have diffused some of the hostility
projects that undermined neocon hopes for more war.
toward him but his narcissistic personality stopped him
from extending an olive branch to the tens of millions of
Particularly, Putin helped Obama secure an agreement
Americans who opposed him. He further demonstrated his
from Syria to surrender its chemical weapons stockpiles in
political incompetence by wasting his first days in office
2013 and to get Iran to accept tight constraints on its
making ridiculous claims about the size of his inaugural
nuclear program in 2014. In both cases, the neocons and
crowds and disputing the fact that he had lost the popular
their liberal-hawk sidekicks were lusting for war.
vote.
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Widespread public disgust over his behavior contributed to Russia-gate, the hazy suggestion that Putin put Trump in
the determination of many Americans to “resist” his the White House and that Trump is a Putin “puppet” (as
presidency at all junctures and at all costs. Clinton claimed), became the principal weapon to use in
destroying Trump’s presidency.

However, besides the risks to U.S. stability that would

come from an Establishment-driven “soft coup,” there is
the additional danger of ratcheting up tensions so high with
nuclear-armed Russia that this extreme Russia-bashing
takes on a life – or arguably many, many deaths – of its
own.

Which is why America now might need a piercing satire of

today’s Russia-phobia or at least a revival of the Cold War
classic, “Dr. Strangelove,” subtitled “How I Learned to
Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”
Peter Sellers playing Dr. Strangelove as he struggles to control his
right arm from making a Nazi salute. [For more on this topic, see Consortiumnews.com’s
“Watergate Redux or ‘Deep State’ Coup.”]

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 CORRUPTION Confirmed As Email Reveals FBI Head
James Comey Protected Clinton, Lynch From Prosecution
By: Jayson Veley
Date: May 13, 2017

Apart from the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the wasn’t the public informed? And more importantly, why
Supreme Court, President Trump’s firing of FBI Director didn’t James Comey take action against Lynch for her
James Comey may have been one of his best decisions to blatant act of political corruption? Could it be because
date. Over the past year, it has become abundantly clear James Comey was more interested in defending Hillary
that Comey does not possess the focus and leadership Clinton’s presidential campaign than he was in upholding
skills that are required to run such a prestigious institute. the integrity of the Federal Bureau of Investigation? It sure
Perhaps the most revealing moment that demonstrated seems that way.
Comey’s lack of leadership was when he announced that
Hillary Clinton would not be changed for storing classified By firing James Comey, President Trump demonstrated to
information on her private server, despite the fact that her the country that he is committed to fighting corruption and
actions were in clear violation of the Espionage Act. restoring the peoples’ faith in America’s governmental
agencies. Of course, the democrats and the mainstream
During a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee media are now having a blast pointing to Trump’s firing of
on Wednesday, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley asked Comey as evidence that he’s trying to disrupt the Russia
Comey for his thoughts on a recent New York Times investigation, but in reality, the president’s decision had
article, which stated that former Attorney General Loretta nothing to do with that. It goes without saying that if the
Lynch had assured Secretary Clinton that the FBI president no longer trusts those who work for him, then it
investigation into her use of a private server wouldn’t go is virtually impossible to carry out even the most basic
too far. functions of the federal government.

“How, and when, did you first learn of this With James Comey officially out at the FBI, the Trump
document? Also, who sent it and who received administration is now beginning to process of looking for
it?” Senator Grassley asked. “That’s not a someone to take his place. Some names have been thrown
question I can answer in this forum, Mr. around, like the suggestion of Merrick Garland from Utah
Chairman, because it would call for a classified Senator Mike Lee, but nothing has yet been officially
response,” Comey replied. “I have briefed confirmed.
leadership of the intelligence committees on that
particular issue, but I can’t talk about it here.”

If the FBI knew that Loretta Lynch was defending Hillary

Clinton in the months leading up to the election, why
.

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 Classified Bombshell Hyperventilation
Submitted by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,
May 16, 2017 9:15 AM

Some people I would normally expect not to lose their 6. Sixth, it matters hugely, at least from an atmospheric
minds following anti-Trump hype did lose their minds. Of point of view, that the people in the room were Russian
course, the standard nutcases one might expect would lose and one of them was Sergey Kislyak of all people.
their minds did so as well.
Conjecture and Hype
The result is has been a steady stream of
nonsense all day regarding Trump’s alleged Point number 1 is correct. So is point number 4. The rest
disclosure of highly classified information to is conjecture and hype.
Russia.
In regards to point number four, Trump may very well
It took a collaboration of six (Jack Goldsmith, Susan have decided it was in the US’s best interest to cooperate
Hennessey, Quinta Jurecic, Matthew Kahn, Benjamin with Russia. If so, I would agree wholeheartedly.
Wittes, Elishe Julian) to come up with Bombshell: Initial
Thoughts on the Washington Post’s Game-Changing
In points 2-6 the authors spew out hype about what Top
Story. Secret means and whether the president violated his oath
of office.
The article starts out …
Top Secret
The Washington Post this afternoon published a stunning
story reporting that President Trump disclosed highly-
I like this tidbit: “In general, a Top Secret classification is
classified information to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
applied to information the unauthorized disclosure of
Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during their visit
which could be expected to cause exceptionally grave
to the Oval Office last week.
damage to national security…”

After firing off rounds of innuendo from BuzzFeed, the

Does anyone believe that? I don’t. Stuff is kept top secret
New York Time, the Washington Post, and Reuters, the
for years to cover up lies, false flag events, support for
authors admit
corrupt regimes, illegal operations, and in general “cover
my ass” kind of stuff that would be embarrassing but
“the President did not ‘leak’ classified would constitute no real threat to national security.
information in violation of law. He is
allowed to do what he did.”
Double Standard

In a very long-winded synopsis, the article discusses six

The New York Times joins the BS parade with its
points.
take Trump Revealed Highly Classified Intelligence to
Russia, in Break With Ally, Officials Say.
1. First, this is not a question of “leaking classified
information” or breaking a criminal law.
The revelation also opens Mr. Trump to criticism of a
2. Second, this is not a garden variety breach, and
double standard. The president made Hillary Clinton’s
outrage over it is not partisan hypocrisy about
mishandling of classified information through her private
protecting classified information.
email server central to his campaign, leading chants of
3. Third, it is important to understand the nature of
“lock her up” at rallies. But there was never any indication
sources and methods information in order to fully
that Mrs. Clinton exposed sensitive information from an
understand the gravity of the breach.
ally or gave it to an adversary.
4. Fourth, it really matters why Trump disclosed this
information to Russian visitors.
5. Fifth, this may well be a violation of the President’s There is no “double standard”. The president
oath of office. gets to decide what is classified and what
isn’t.
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 Does the NY Times presume everyone gets to — Caroline Baum (@cabaum1) May 15, 2017
decide for themselves?
Nutting was expected. I replied to Baum …
What Did Trump Disclose?
@cabaum1 @RexNutting Are you serious or are
The answer is “information about an Islamic State plot” of the both of you drinking way too many tonight?
some sort.
— Mike Mish Shedlock (@MishGEA) May 16,
2017
Good grief. After all the above hyperventilation, I have a
simple question:
Impeachment?! Over What?

Why shouldn’t we disclose to Russia Hopefully, Baum was joking and I failed to catch it.
pertinent facts regarding Islamic state
plots?
For the record, I disagree withy Trump on NAFTA, free
trade in general, the Wall, his immigration order, and
Do we want to keep this information to ourselves as numerous other things.
happened on numerous occasions in Europe? As happened
more recently with the NSA developing and using
loopholes in Microsoft code? However, talking with Russia makes
sense, warmongering with Russia over
Syria doesn’t.
If the US has information on an alleged plot by ISIS we
absolutely should disclose that fact to other governments
unless we believe they may be involved or compromised. Question of the Day

Off the Deep End Would we be better off if we declassified everything but
ongoing criminal and terrorist investigations?
Nancy Pelosi asks ‘What do the Russians have on Donald
Trump?’ Classified Bombshell Hyperventilation:Should we
declassify everything but ongoing
criminal/terrorist investigations?
In another clickbait article Harvard law professor Alan
https://t.co/lVefx1vATJ
Dershowitz hypes ‘This is the most serious charge ever
made against a sitting president’ — Mike Mish Shedlock (@MishGEA) May 16,
2017
When you write bullsheet like that, expect to be mocked,
not taken serious, at least by any rational person. Certainly, we would stop a lot of unwise, unconstitutional,
and immoral activities if that was our new policy.
@RexNutting Let the impeachment proceedings
begin.
.

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 Are They Really Out To Get Trump?
Sometimes Paranoia Is Justified
By Philip Giraldi - The Unz Review
16 May 2017

And what if there really is a conspiracy against Donald

Trump being orchestrated within the various national
security agencies that are part of the United States
government? The president has been complaining for
months about damaging leaks emanating from the
intelligence community and the failure of Congress to pay
any attention to the illegal dissemination of classified
information. It is quite possible that Trump has become
aware that there is actually something going on and that
something just might be a conspiracy to delegitimize and
somehow remove him from office.

President Trump has also been insisting that the “Russian

thing” is a made-up story, a view that I happen to agree
with. I recently produced my own analysis of the
possibility that there is in progress a soft, or stealth or
President Donald Trump is not exactly known for his self- silent coup, call it what you will, underway directed
restraint. The recent firing of Federal Bureau of against the president and that, if it exists, it is being
Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey was not directed by former senior officials from the Obama White
handled with any delicacy and has unleashed a firestorm of House. Indeed, it is quite plausible to suggest that it was
criticism coming from across the political spectrum. And orchestrated within the Obama White House itself before
since Comey’s abrupt dismissal the backstabbing has the government changed hands at the inauguration on
become even worse, with many coming around to the view January 20th. In line with that thinking, some observers are
that Trump is actually crudely threatening Comey over the now suggesting that Comey might well have been party to
issue of what might or might not have been said at dinners the conspiracy and his dismissal would have been perfectly
and meetings between the two men. justified based on his demonstrated interference in both the
electoral process and in his broadening of the acceptable
What exactly drove the firing at this time remains role of his own Bureau, which Trump has described as
somewhat of a mystery though the media has been quick to “showboating.”
link it directly to Trump’s reported anger at the seemingly
endless investigation into his Administration’s possible Two well-informed observers of the situation have recently
ties to Russia, an investigation that nominally Comey joined in the discussion, Robert Parry of Consortiumnews
headed as FBI Director. But that explanation somehow and former CIA senior analyst Ray McGovern of the
makes no sense as even a white-hot Trump would have Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. McGovern
realized that getting rid of Comey would only make the has noted, as have I, that there is one individual who has
Russiagate problem worse as everyone would assume been curiously absent from the list of former officials who
cover-up and would come after the White House with even have been called in to testify before the Senate Intelligence
greater intensity, which is precisely what has happened. Committee. That is ex-CIA Director John Brennan, who
Was Trump dumb enough to dig himself into a deeper many have long considered an extreme Obama/Hillary
hole? Possibly, but it seems unlikely. Clinton loyalist long rumored to be at the center of the
information damaging to Team Trump sent to Washington
What is real, however, is that constant innuendo means by friendly intelligence services, including the British.
that anti-Russian hysteria has been mounting, including
completely speculative pieces wondering whether the Ray suggests that Brennan and also Comey may been at
entourage of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had sought the center of a “Deep State” combined CIA-NSA-FBI
to sneak a recording device into the White House during cabal working to discredit the Trump candidacy and
last week’s visit. delegitimize his presidency. Brennan in particular was
uniquely well placed to fabricate the Russian hacker

333
narrative that has been fully embraced by Congress and the coopted by Moscow’s intelligence services as part of the
media even though no actual evidence supporting that process. Nevertheless, anyone even vaguely connected
claim has yet been produced. As WikiLeaks has now with Trump who also had contact with Russia or Russians
revealed that the CIA had the technical ability to hack into has been regarded as a potential traitor. Carter Page, for
sites surreptitiously while leaving behind footprints that example, who was investigated under a Foreign
would attribute the hack to someone else, including the Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant, was under suspicion
Russians, it does not take much imagination to consider because he made a speech in Moscow which was mildly
that the alleged trail to Moscow might have been critical of the west’s interaction with Russia after the fall
fabricated. If that is so, this false intelligence has in turn of communism.
proven to be of immense value to those seeking to present
“proof” that the Russian government handed the Parry’s point is that there is a growing Washington
presidency to Donald Trump. consensus that consists of traditional liberals and
progressives as well as Democratic globalist
Robert Parry asked in an article on May 10 th whether we interventionists and neoconservatives who believe that
are seeing is “Watergate redux or ‘Deep State’ coup?” and Donald Trump must be removed from office no matter
then followed up with a second Piece “The ‘Soft Coup’ of what it takes. The interventionists and neocons in
Russia-gate” on the 13th. In other words, is this all a cover- particular already control most of the foreign policy
up of wrongdoing by the White House akin to President mechanisms but they continue to see Trump as a possible
Richard Nixon’s firing of Watergate independent special impediment to their plans for aggressive action against a
prosecutor Archibald Cox and the resignations of both the host of enemies, most particularly Russia. As they are
Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General or is it desirous of bringing down Trump “legally” through either
something quite different, an undermining of an elected impeachment or Article 25 of the Constitution which
president who has not actually committed any “high permits removal for incapacity, it might be termed a
crimes and misdemeanors” to force his removal from constitutional coup, though the other labels cited above
office. Like Parry, I am reluctant to embrace conspiracy also fit.
theories, in my case largely because I believe a conspiracy
is awfully hard to sustain. The federal government leaks The rationale Trump haters have fabricated is simple: the
like a sieve and if more than two conspirators ever meet in president and his team colluded with the Russians to rig
the CIA basement it would seem to me their discussion the 2016 election in his favor, which, if true, would
would become public knowledge within forty-eight hours, provide grounds for impeachment. The driving force, in
but perhaps what we are seeing here is less a formal terms of the argument being made, is that removing Trump
arrangement than a group of individuals who are loosely must be done “for the good of the country” and to “correct
connected while driven by a common objective. a mistake made by the American voters.” The mainstream
media is completely on board of the process, including the
Parry sees the three key players in the scheme as John outlets that flatter themselves by describing their national
Brennan of CIA, Director of National Intelligence James stature, most notably the New York Times and
Clapper and James Comey of the FBI. Comey’s role in the Washington Post.
“coup” was key as it consisted of using his office to
undercut both Hillary Clinton and Trump, neither of whom So what is to be done? For starters, until Donald Trump
was seen as a truly suitable candidate by the Deep State. has unambiguously broken a law the critics should take a
He speculates that a broken election might well have valium and relax. He is an elected president and his
resulted in a vote in the House of Representatives to elect predecessors George W. Bush and Barack Obama certainly
the new president, a process that might have produced a did plenty of things that in retrospect do not bear much
Colin Powell presidency as Powell actually received three scrutiny. Folks like Ray McGovern and Robert Parry
votes in the Electoral College and therefore was an should be listened to even when they are being provocative
acceptable candidate under the rules governing the in their views. They are not, to be sure, friends of the
electoral process. White House in any conventional way and are not
apologists for those in power, quite the contrary. Ray has
Yes, the scheme is bizarre, but Parry carefully documents been strongly critical of the current foreign policy, most
how Russiagate has developed and how the national particularly of the expansion of various wars, claims of
security and intelligence organs have been key players as it Damascus’s use of chemical weapons, and the cruise
moved along, often working by leaking classified missile attack on Syria. Robert in his latest article
information. And President Barack Obama was likely the describes Trump as narcissistic and politically
initiator, notably so when he de facto authorized the wide incompetent. But their legitimate concerns are that we are
distribution of raw intelligence on Trump and the Russians moving in a direction that is far more dangerous than
through executive order. Parry notes, as would I, that to Trump. A soft coup engineered by the national security
date no actual evidence has been presented to support and intelligence agencies would be far more dangerous to
allegations that Russia sought to influence the U.S. our democracy than anything Donald Trump can do.
election and/or that Trump associates were somehow
334
 Michael Moore Once Again
Claims He’s Going To Take Trump Down With A Movie
By Brian Anderson
May 16, 2017

misled us before. Well, if you don’t count everything he

has ever said, but besides that, he’s always been right on.

Remember before the election when Moore said his movie

TrumpLand was going to derail the Trump campaign? It
actually achieved the exact opposite, making a solid case
for why people should vote for him instead of Hillary
Clinton. And as you may have noticed, Trump actually
won the election.
If Michael Moore did a sit-up every time he claimed he
was going to bring down Donald Trump he’d have a six- Then there is Michael Moore’s broadway play The Terms
pack by now and a much longer life-expectancy. For about of My Surrender, which again he claims is going to take
the millionth time, the portly documentarian and down Trump once and for all. It’s being marketed by
professional resister is claiming one of his works will end asking,
Trump’s presidency. All of the other times that it didn’t
work he was just kidding, but this time he’s serious. “Can a Broadway show bring down a sitting
president?” and answering “yes it can.”
In a press release it was announced that the Weinstein
Company has acquired the rights to Moore’s latest Of course this play hasn’t started showing yet, so there is
documentary titled Fahrenheit 11/9. It’s a play on one of the possibility that it might, but clearly Moore doesn’t
his other garbage films Fahrenheit 9/11, which failed to have confidence in it if he went ahead and made another
bring down George W. Bush as promised. The “11/9” is in film to take Trump out.
reference to the day Donald Trump was declared the
winner of the presidential election. Seriously, if he already has a play that will kick Trump out
of office, what is the point of making a movie to do the
Michael Moore took the caramel-coated battered-fried same thing? This just seems redundant.
turkey leg out of his mouth long enough to explain just
exactly how this movie will utterly destroy president After so many failed predictions of Trump’s demise, why
Trump: does Moore think anyone will believe him this time? As
funny as it sounds, in the press release Moore claims
The filming has been done under a strict cloak of secrecy credibility because he warned that Trump might actually
and is expected to be key in dissolving Trump’s “teflon” win the election. The reasoning here is that if Moore
shield and, in turn, his presidency. thought Trump could win than he must have mad powers
of prognostication and therefore you should believe him
“No matter what you throw at him, it hasn’t when he says he’ll blast Trump into orbit with his new
worked,” says Moore. film.

No matter what is revealed, he remains standing. Facts, Just for argument’s sake let’s suppose that Fahrenheit 11/9
reality, brains cannot defeat him. Even when he commits a fails to result in Trump’s impeachment, where does he go
self-inflicted wound, he gets up the next morning and from there? I’m going to use my prediction skills and say
keeps going and tweeting. that Micheal Moore will make yet another film that he
claims will take Trump out and when that one doesn’t
“That all ends with this movie.” work, he’ll make another one after that. Eventually heart
disease or diabetes will get the best of Moore and that’ll be
the end of it.
Oooh, that sounds like some serious shit. I mean, there are
no specifics or anything, but it’s not like Moore has ever

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 Retired Green Beret Warns A Successful Derailment Of
Trump's Efforts Is Well Under Way; War Is Inevitable
Authored By Jeremiah Johnson, Nom De Plume Of A Retired Green Beret Of The United States
Army Special Forces, Via Shtfplan.Com,
May 16, 2017 10:50 PM

year out, and even before the campaigning

has begun, it appears it will be up for grabs.

Obamacare is the best example of what has been outlined.

Aetna recently bowed out and pulled out of the machinery
as far as private insurance companies run. They stated that
the arena was “untenable” and that the firm could no
longer underwrite with the budgetary shortfalls and the
nebulosity that lacked a demarcation of where government
responsibility was to pick up what the company did not
In previous articles, I mentioned the importance of the underwrite. From an economic perspective, everyone with
midterm elections, and how (to run the country a brain knew that Obamacare would not function properly
effectively and to be reelected) the President needs and would be a financial and administrative disaster.
success within his first six months in office. Although he That is why Obamacare is a success: it was
is more than willing to make changes and has meant to collapse the system and the
demonstrated his good intentions, the battle with the insurance companies, forcing into existence
ensconced Marxists labeling themselves as either a single-payer system and a government
“progressives” or “centrists” is being lost. Why is it being “exchange” that intruded on the lives of
lost? It is because these prior Obama appointees in the every citizen…pure “Cloward and Piven” at
Circuit courts and the Supreme Court, along with the its finest.
innumerable holdovers within the administration’s
machinery effectively amount to a “fifth column,” bent
The Republican Party is responsible for the continuance of
on sabotaging the President’s efforts.
Obamacare. Nobody is focusing upon this fact. Right
now, everyone is focused upon Comey and a potential tie-
The successful derailment is well under way. As I wrote in with Flynn and any connection to Russia regarding pre-
in other articles, all that is needed for the Democrats to election campaign communiques between then-candidate
take the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Donald Trump and the Russian leadership. Obamacare is
upcoming Midterm elections is for the President to not all but forgotten.
make visible and productive changes within the first six
months of his term. With the Republicans in control of both the
Senate and the House of Representatives, at
The stultified public will perceive it as a this point, the bill to repeal Obamacare
failure, and with the RINO (Republicans In should have already passed both houses of
Name Only) Republican party to help with a Congress and been on the President’s desk
“shove” here and there, the President will fall to sign: this was not done, and the
right into the pool. Republican Party is to blame.

The planned border fence will not be built, the repeal of If the President is unable to make a change while he has
Obamacare will not take place, the flood of illegals will both houses of Congress under Republican control, what
neither be stopped or reversed, and financial measures to will happen after the Midterm election changes the
stimulate the domestic economy are being implemented at complexion of Congress and makes it Democrat? How
glacial speed. All the President’s executive orders are will he be reelected, and if so, to what end? He waited too
being struck down by the Obama-appointed judges in the long to fire Comey…a name that will torment us in the
courts. news even more than that of Natalie Holloway…and now
There is not much time remaining before the it is turning around to bite him. What is the solution?
Midterm congressional elections. We are a
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War. War is the means an administration uses to sway Carter with Desert One (the failed Iranian hostage rescue
public opinion and garner the Congress and the other attempt),
nabobs into lockstep under the guise/choice of “you’re
either patriotic or unpatriotic,” forced upon all of them Reagan with Grenada,
in the court of public opinion and on the media’s stage.
War is supported by the Congress, who is bought by the
Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain with the Falkland
MIC (Military Industrial Complex) and the oligarchy and
Islands,
their army of lobbyists.
The administration is not accomplishing Bush Sr. with Iraq (I),
anything effectively, but a war can “rescue” it
from its difficulties and divert the public’s Clinton with the bombing of Serbia and the war in Bosnia,
attention.
and Bush Jr. with Iraq (II).
There are several theaters that can easily metastasize into a
full-blown conflict and then draw in other nations for an
all-out war. To catalyze such actions would be a simple Will this administration take similar measures in any of
feat for any administration with the resources of the United the “powder keg” theaters of Ukraine, North Korea, or
States backing it. The question remains to be answered Syria? The question remains to be answered, and the
whether the administration will take such a step to save probability is high that the answer will be “yes.”
itself.
History proves out a high probability that an
administration will do such:

337
 BREAKING: Putin Offers
Congress Transcript Of Trump-Lavrov Meeting
Alexander Mercouris
May 17, 2017

Russian President Putin ridicules suggestion US President US Senate and Congress, if, of course, the US
Trump disclosed secrets in the Oval Office to Russian administration would want this…..
Foreign Minister Lavrov. Offers to provide US Congress
with a transcript of the meeting. (bold italics added)

Russian President Putin has weighed in to the furore The highlighted words underline a point I have made
surrounding the allegation that President Trump disclosed previously. It is far from obvious from the Washington
‘highly classified information’ to Russian Foreign Minister Post’s account of the meeting that Lavrov was aware that
Lavrov during their meeting in the Oval Office. Trump had supposedly revealed some ‘highly classified
information’ to him. If that did happen then it is highly
likely that it took the publication of the story in the
Describing the allegation as nonsense, Putin has offered to Washington Post to reveal to the Russians this fact. If so
make available to Congress the complete transcript of the then the blame for compromising US national security
conversation so that they can see for themselves that no interests lies not with Trump but with the Washington
‘highly classified information’ and no secrets were Post.
discussed.
Putting that aside, Putin’s offer is to be welcomed.
These are comments Putin is reported to have made during
a press conference today following a meeting with the
Italian Prime Minister. As I have said previously, both teams of interpreters would
have made verbatim transcripts of the meeting and it is
highly likely the White House made a tape recording as
Here is what TASS reports Putin to have said (see here and well. Diplomatic protocol requires that both sides to a
here) negotiation agree before such a transcript is published
though back in 2014 Putin threatened to publish
At the same time, we see that the United States has been unilaterally the transcript of a meeting he had with then
developing political schizophrenia, this is the only thing I EU Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso
can think of when I hear allegations saying that the after Barroso falsely claimed that Putin had told him that
president has revealed some secrets to Lavrov…. the Russian military were ready to take Kiev in 2 weeks
(Barroso immediately retracted the claim).
I will have to reprimand him because he shared these
secrets neither with me nor with the Russian secret I hope that both the Trump administration and Congress
services which is very bad of him…. feel able to agree to Putin’s offer, with both the US and the
Russians providing Congress with all the records of the
If the US administration considers it possible, we are ready meeting that each of them made.
to submit a transcript of Lavrov’s talk with Trump to the
.

338
 Why FBI Can’t Tell All on Trump, Russia
Incomplete Investigation Would Jeopardize US Democracy
Russ Baker, C. Collins and Jonathan Z. Larsen
May 17, 2017

Trump’s contacts with Russia. Why? Because

doing so would jeopardize a long-running,
ultra-sensitive operation targeting mobsters
tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin —
and to Trump.
But the Feds’ stonewalling risks something
far more dangerous: Failing to resolve a
crisis of trust in America’s president.
WhoWhatWhy provides the details of a two-
month investigation in this 6,500-word
exposé.
The FBI apparently knew, directly or
indirectly, based upon available facts, that
Photo credit: James Hughes / NY Daily News via Getty Image
prior to Election Day, Trump and his
campaign had personal and business
As much as President Donald Trump would like to make dealings with certain individuals and entities
the various investigations into Russia’s interference in the linked to criminal elements — including
US election go away, it is still the biggest story of the year. reputed Russian gangsters — connected to
WhoWhatWhy has done its part in advancing it by Putin.
publishing several exclusives on the issue.
The same facts suggest that the FBI knew or
should have known enough prior to the
The biggest one was undoubtedly our bombshell article on election to justify informing the public about
whether the FBI’s Russia investigation was compromised its ongoing investigation of potentially
because it could interfere with the Bureau’s objective of compromising relationships between Trump,
fighting organized crime originating in the former Soviet Putin, and Russian mobsters — even if it
Union. Part of that story details Trump’s various ties to meant losing or exposing a valued informant.
organized crime and contacts associated with mobsters.

A lot has happened since we published it 7 weeks ago, not

the least of which was the firing of James Comey. Another It will take an agency independent of the Federal Bureau
recent development was the airing of an engaging Dutch of Investigation (FBI) to expose Donald Trump’s true
documentary by the program Zembla, which highlights relationship with Moscow and the role Russia may have
some of Trump’s most dubious connections (Part 1 & Part played in getting him elected.
2). Although there are some errors of fact, including
miscasting a plaintiff’s attorney as a state prosecutor, it’s Director James Comey recently revealed in a congressional
still worth watching. hearing for the first time that the FBI

And you’ll definitely want to brush up on our original “is investigating … the nature of any links
article (reprinted below) and our deep-digging followups, between individuals associated with the Trump
which we linked to above. Because this story isn’t going campaign and the Russian government and
away. It’s just going to get bigger. whether there was any coordination between the
campaign and Russia’s efforts.”

However, a two-month WhoWhatWhy investigation has

The Federal Bureau of Investigation cannot revealed an important reason the Bureau may be facing
tell us what we need to know about Donald

339
undisclosed obstacles to revealing what it knows to the individuals who have helped one or another of
public or to lawmakers. the agencies involved.”

Our investigation also may explain why the FBI, which “I Can’t Go into Those Details Here”
was very public about its probe of Hillary Clinton’s
emails, never disclosed its investigation of the Trump In his March 20 testimony before the House Intelligence
campaign prior to the election, even though we now know Committee, FBI Director James Comey said that he could
that it commenced last July. not go into detail about its probe into the Trump
administration’s Russian connection.
Such publicity could have exposed a high-value, long-
running FBI operation against an organized crime network If he had, we might have learned that, for more than three
headquartered in the former Soviet Union. That operation decades the FBI has had Trump Tower in its sights. Many
depended on a convicted criminal who for years was of its occupants have been targets of major investigations,
closely connected with Trump, working with him in others have been surveilled, and yet others have served as
Trump Tower — while constantly informing for the FBI informants. One thing many of them have in common is
and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and being legally deep ties to organized crime — including the Russian
protected by them. mafia.

Some federal officials were so involved in protecting this

source — despite his massive fraud and deep connections
to organized crime — that they became his defense
counsel after they left the government.

In secret court proceedings that were later unsealed, both

current and former government attorneys argued for
extreme leniency toward the man when he was finally
sentenced. An FBI agent who expressed his support for the
informant later joined Trump’s private security force.

In this way, the FBI’s dilemma about revealing valuable

sources, assets and equities in its ongoing investigation of
links between the Trump administration and Russian Photo credit: FBI
criminal elements harkens back to the embarrassing, now
infamous Whitey Bulger episode. In that case, the Feds Felix Sater fits all of these categories. A convicted felon,
protected Bulger, a dangerous Boston-based mobster Sater worked in Trump Tower, made business deals with
serving as their highly valued informant, even as the serial Donald Trump through Sater’s real estate firm, Bayrock,
criminal continued to participate in heinous crimes. The cooperated with the FBI and CIA and was subsequently
FBI now apparently finds itself confronted with similar protected by the DOJ from paying for his crimes. And the
issues: Is its investigation of the mob so crucial to national Moscow-born immigrant remains deeply linked to Russia
security that it outweighs the public’s right to know about and Ukraine.
their president?
Based on documents examined by WhoWhatWhy, it is
Jack Blum, a former senior Senate investigator and one of possible to draw certain conclusions that help connect the
America’s foremost experts on white-collar financial dots between Trump, the FBI, Russia and the mob.
crime, sums up the complexity — and the urgency — of
the situation:
The resulting picture is not a pretty one for Donald Trump.
However, because of its efforts to neutralize the
“What makes this investigation especially difficult organization of perhaps the world’s most powerful mobster
is that it will lead into the complex relations — a man considered a serious national security threat —
between the counterintelligence operations of the the Bureau might just have compromised its own ability to
FBI and its criminal investigative work,” says provide to Congress or inform the American public about
Blum. all of the ties that exist between Trump, his presidential
“Further, it is likely other elements of the campaign and the regime of Vladimir Putin.
intelligence community are involved and that they
have ‘equities’ to protect. Much of the evidence, Further, Trump’s business association with Sater and
justifiably, will be highly classified to protect Bayrock may have put the president’s financial interests at
sources and methods and in particular to protect substantial risk, including possibly millions of dollars in
fines, penalties, or other damages, should civil or criminal
340
misconduct be proven in court or otherwise resolved if agreement with the FBI, among other sensitive
claims were triggered. Anyone who knew of Trump’s information, that had inadvertently been left accessible.
jeopardy in this matter would have enormous leverage
over the Trump operation. That employee sought out attorney Fred Oberlander, who
combed through the documents. Over time, Oberlander —
The government’s kid-glove treatment of Sater is partially who was instructing undergraduates at Yale University in
explained in those long-suppressed legal documents, which computational physics and computer science from age 18
reveal that the mobbed-up businessman was perceived by — began to deconstruct the byzantine financial structure
the authorities to be extraordinarily cooperative and useful. that was Bayrock, which allegedly hid a range of crimes,
Legal filings on Sater’s behalf state that he “reported including massive-scale money laundering from sources in
daily” to the FBI for many years. the former Soviet Union.

Sater agreed to assist the US government on issues of On February 10, 2010, the US Court of Appeals for the
national security and organized crime. His activities were Second Circuit, in Manhattan, instructed Oberlander, in a
first revealed in a lawsuit brought by a former employee of secret order, not to inform the legislative branch of the
Sater’s real estate firm, Bayrock. While working with United States government what he knew about Felix Sater.
Trump, Sater’s name became “Satter” publicly — (That order remains under seal, but a federal judge has
presumably with the knowledge if not the encouragement unsealed a redacted version.)
of the FBI. This distanced Satter the businessman, and his
partners, from Sater the criminal. Apparently, the appellate court was persuaded that the
unusually broad order was justified on the merits, but the
Attorneys representing the plaintiff spent years untangling lawyers opposing Sater found the imposed remedy
the financial machinations of Bayrock — which they extraordinary.
allege involve hundred of millions of dollars in claims
arising from, among other things, money laundering and “Our being ordered to not tell Congress what we
fraud. know may well be the first and only hyper-
injunction in American history,” asserts
They also sought to expose the government’s awareness of Oberlander’s own attorney, Richard Lerner. “If
— even complicity in — Sater’s activities. there are others who have been scared silent by
judges who wish to nullify Congressional and
Their efforts to unseal court documents, including Sater’s public oversight, we may never know. That is
legal history, have been met with a concerted pushback by frightening.”
DOJ lawyers, mischaracterizations of the case record, and
even — according to the attorneys — anonymous death
threats.

Felix Sater could not be reached for comment.*(See

Editor’s Note at bottom for update)
Photo credit: WhoWhatWhy

Characters Out of a James Bond Movie

Preventing the Russian mafia from expanding its foothold

in the United States has been one of the Bureau’s top
priorities. In fact, it might be the FBI’s most important
function apart from its role in the fight against terrorism.

The Russian mob has a breathtaking and underappreciated

reach. It is so powerful that FBI Agent Peter Kowenhoven
told CNN in 2009 that Semion Mogilevich, its “boss of
bosses,” is a strategic threat, and a man who “can, with a
A Stunning Discovery telephone call or order, affect the global economy.”

The story of Donald Trump’s business dealings with a

Russian mobster might never have come out were it not for
a Bayrock employee stumbling upon Sater’s cooperation

341
 Mogilevich, and the FBI suggested that he stop reporting
on the topic. (Friedman died in 2002, at the age of 51, of a
rare blood disease he was said to have contracted on a trip
to India.)

Enter Trump

Right from the earliest days of Trump Tower, in 1983,

some of the choicest condominiums, including those in the
10 floors immediately below the future president’s own
triplex apartment, went to a rogues gallery of criminals and
their associates.
US authorities came to see Mogilevich, who is described
as close with Putin, as not only a danger to the financial Granted, the construction and gambling industries have
system but a potential threat to world peace. He had access long been bedeviled by connections to organized crime. It
to stockpiles of military weapons and even fissionable may have been impossible for Trump to have avoided
material, snapped up as the Soviet Union fell apart. those ties altogether. Nevertheless, according to many
news stories and public records, Trump has repeatedly
His rumored ability to deliver the makings of weapons of been linked to organized crime figures and their associates.
mass destruction to the highest bidder — as well as his
experience in smuggling opium from Afghanistan — To be sure, nouveaux riches of all stripes were attracted to
would take on the very highest importance after 9/11, the Trump “glamour” and might well have had difficulty
when European intelligence sources reported that al-Qaeda gaining approval of traditional condo or coop boards.
representatives had contacted Mogilevich in search of Nonetheless, Trump must have known that many of his
nuclear material. occupants were problematic — and likely to draw the
attention of law enforcement.
The Russian mob should also not be confused with a mere
crime syndicate. It is an organization comprised of state Tower occupants have included:
actors, oligarchs, and specific groups of individuals
working collectively with the authority of the Russian
 Verina Hixon, a close friend of John A. Cody, New
government — a “mafia state.” At times, it is difficult to
York’s concrete union boss, living in six units just below
tell where the mob ends and the government begins.
Trump’s triplex. Cody, with ties to the Gambino crime
family, was later sentenced to five years in prison for
To some, the Russian mob brings to mind the globalized racketeering. Trump and Cody reportedly helped Hixon
villains of a James Bond movie, who want everything and with a loan so she could pay for the units.
will stop at nothing.  Robert Hopkins, who was arrested in his suite for
ordering a mob murder of a gambling competitor.
Hopkins would eventually be convicted of running a
massive gambling ring, partly from Trump Tower, an
operation that occasioned what was perhaps the first of
many wiretaps in the building. Trump appeared in
person at the closing on the apartment, where,
according to our Village Voice colleague Wayne
Barrett’s 1991 Trump biography, Hopkins sat at the end
of a conference table counting out $200,000 in cash. (It
was mob lawyer Roy Cohn who introduced Hopkins to
Trump.)
 Sheldon and Jay Weinberg, an enterprising father-son
duo: The father was masterminding the biggest
Medicaid fraud known at the time; the son was later
Donald Trump and Roy Cohn, October 18, 1984. indicted on grand larceny and insurance fraud. The
Photo credit: Bettmann Archive / Getty Images Weinbergs rented directly from Trump three
condominiums he had kept for himself.
Robert I. Friedman, a former colleague of the authors of  David Bogatin purchased five apartments on the 62nd
this article at The Village Voice, drew the ire of floor while running a massive tax avoidance scandal
Mogilevich for his reporting on the Russian mafia. The involving commercial gasoline sales. Bogatin had ties
“boss of bosses” put a $100,000 price on Friedman’s head with Italian and Russian mobsters. He would later flee
soon after the publication of one of his fearless exposés of to Poland and set up a highly successful chain of banks
342
 there before being extradited to the US, where he out he was living in a luxury condo in Trump
ended up in the maximum-security state prison in Tower.”
Attica, NY.
 Joseph Weichselbaum, Trump’s helicopter pilot, The moment the Feds spotted him, he vanished again, only
convicted of drug trafficking on three occasions. to resurface later in an Atlantic City casino: Trump’s Taj
 Glamorous international art dealer Helly Nahmad, then Mahal.
34, who lived in a sprawling apartment in Trump Tower
(and according to some accounts owned the entire 51st Thus, by the early 1990s, both the arrival of Russian
floor), was later convicted and served five months of a organized crime in the US and the strange attraction of
one-year sentence for running an illegal gambling Trump properties for Russian mobsters were on the
operation. He helped orchestrate super-high-stakes Bureau’s radar.
card games that sometimes were played in Trump
Tower and “catered to billionaires, Russian oligarchs,
FBI activity in Trump Tower dates back to soon after it
Hollywood stars, and pro athletes,” including Leonardo
was built, in 1983. Around that time, the Bureau put
DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Tobey Maguire, and Ben
electronic surveillance in the building with a tap on the
Affleck. Also convicted were Vadim Trincher and his
phone of the above-mentioned Trump Tower resident
sons Eugene and Ilya; the Trinchers had apartments in
Robert Hopkins, a Lucchese crime family associate, who
Trump Tower too.
was eventually arrested in the Tower for ordering a
murder.
Of course, living in Trump Tower by no means suggests
any sort of criminality or association between or among
FBI interest in Trump Tower continued through the 1990s,
the residents. Still, the list is impressive.
when the Bureau, working closely with US prosecutors at
the Eastern District (which includes Brooklyn), began to
But even in this company, one man stands out. Not focus on the business operations of a man with ties to
surprisingly, he is from the former Soviet Union. Mogilevich: the aforementioned Felix Sater.

Spying on Trump Tower — Since 1983 At about the same time, Trump found himself in a bind
with his commercial lenders, who kept his public mystique
When the Soviet Union was breaking up in the early alive while in essence secretly stripping him of control of
1990s, Mogilevich (AKA “The Boss of Bosses,” AKA his casinos and putting him on an “allowance,” as they
“The Brainy Don”) suborned a Russian judge to spring a tried to salvage what they could from the wreckage of his
ruthless and canny lifetime criminal from a Siberian disastrous business decisions. They retained the Trump
prison. His name was Vyacheslav “Yaponchik” Ivankov. name on his most iconic properties, based on the cold
calculation that his “brand” might still help draw
customers.

Трамп и его деньги (Trump and his Money)

As Trump lost access to traditional lines of credit, his

desperate need for financing led to sources that are murky,
at best, including monies traceable back to the former
Soviet Union — a circumstance that may explain Trump’s
refusal to release his tax returns.

According to two pages of Trump’s 2005 tax returns,

Vyacheslav Ivankov and Semion Mogilevich (inset)
purportedly sent anonymously to reporter David Cay
Photo credit: Alchetron (public domain) and FBI / Wikimedia
Johnston, Trump appeared to make an enormous amount
of money that year — earning more than $153 million,
Four months later, in March 1992, Ivankov arrived in the which put him into a tiny class of super-rich Americans,
United States to organize a new criminal network. He probably numbering in the dozens.
would take the disparate elements of already-established
Russian-speaking criminals and use them to create a
Trump’s windfall seems to have developed around the
sophisticated, well-managed operation that could launder
same time that investors from countries of the former
funds and generate cash flow as part of a transnational
Soviet Union started opening the cash spigot.
network. But authorities had no idea where he was.

“And then,” recounted a former FBI agent in

Robert I. Friedman’s book Red Mafiya, “we found
343
 unexamined and unpublished legal documents, which the
government has sought to suppress.

The picture that emerges goes to the heart of the many

questions raised about Trump’s relationship to Putin’s
Russia in the weeks before and after the presidential
election.

Efforts to try to get this information to the public appear to

have been aggressively blocked by the DOJ because it
would potentially expose their own operations — both
Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch with FBI Director James Comey those that have been effective and others that have not.
(left), and US Attorney Preet Bharara at a press conference on March
24, 2016. Photo credit: FBI

A 2013 indictment of the illegal high-stakes card games’

organizers, brought by US Attorney Preet Bharara, alleged Felix Sater had been on the Bureau’s radar since the mid-
not only high-stakes illegal gambling and the laundering of 1990s, when they were investigating Russian mob–
approximately $100 million dollars, but also extortion, as affiliated financial scams.
ring members used threats and force to strip ”money and
property” from clients. Very soon after Semion Mogilevich associate
“Yaponchik” Ivankov arrived in the US, in 1993, Sater,
One of the operation’s leaders, Alimzhan “Taiwanchik” together with an Italian mob associate named Salvatore
Tokhtakhounov, an alleged international crime boss and Lauria, and others, had taken over a firm called White
admitted friend of top Mogilevich lieutenant Vyacheslav Rock and created a criminal brokerage whose only purpose
“Yaponchik” Ivankov (who, as noted, was found living in was to fleece investors and launder money.
Trump Tower at one point), managed the ring from afar;
he could not legally enter the US as he was already wanted It excelled at “pump and dump” scams, a practice in which
on charges of trying to bribe ice-skating judges at the 2002 stock prices are artificially inflated, then sold to
Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Tokhtakhounov unsuspecting investors — especially targeting elderly and
has often been tied to Boss of Bosses Semion Mogilevich. unsophisticated buyers with high-pressure cold-calling
tactics. White Rock included members and associates of
Bharara, whom Trump recently fired — after accepting the four of the five major New York City organized crime
resignations of other US attorneys left over from the families, including the nephew of mobster Carmine “the
Obama administration — is not the only big name who Snake” Persico and the brother-in-law of Gambino hit man
was involved in investigating the goings-on in Trump Sammy “the Bull” Gravano, as well as Russian criminal
Tower. Former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch also elements.
played a part. Lynch, first a prosecutor and then the US
Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, would have The Art of the (Double) Deal
had knowledge of an FBI operation that involved Sater, the
Russian mobster-turned-cooperating-witness. Although shuttering Sater’s operation was considered a
great success, authorities soon decided they could leverage
“If he (Sater) were sitting in a room right now, I it to get even bigger fish. Thus, they cut a deal with Sater,
really wouldn’t know what he looked like.” – seemingly to help them go after the Russian-speaking mob,
Donald Trump, 2013 deposition and its “Brainy Don,” Semion Mogilevich.

While Sater has recently been the subject of some news Instead of serving jail time, Sater became a highly valued
coverage — his name came up during the March 20 House FBI informant. Using unnamed connections, Sater
Intelligence Committee’s public hearing on Russia, when arranged to locate some Stinger missiles that Osama bin
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) asked FBI Director James Laden had supposedly placed on the market — an older
Comey about him — no thorough exploration of the model that could be used to shoot down commercial
Bureau’s dealings with this key informant has been airliners.
published.
Immediately after September 11, 2001, Sater received a
Until now. call from the chief of a new section in the FBI who wanted
to talk to him about Stingers, according to Salvatore Lauria
The information below is based on an extensive in The Scorpion and the Frog, co-authored with journalist
exploration of those dealings, and of previously David S. Barry. Months later, Sater joined Bayrock — the
344
real estate development company with offices in Trump Sater’s dominant role came despite the fact that he was a
Tower — and he was soon partnering in business deals felon. Because of the services he was providing to the US
with Donald Trump himself. This raises some interesting government, this information was withheld from banks and
questions: Did Sater take the job at Bayrock at the FBI’s others with whom Bayrock signed contracts, including
direction? Indeed, was Sater’s business relationship with condominium buyers.
Trump at the FBI’s behest?
The Trump organization lent its name to Bayrock projects
One thing is certain: Bayrock became one of the most in Toronto, Florida, Arizona, and in New York City, in the
important links between Trump and big-money sources chic SoHo neighborhood; the SoHo project was the only
from the former Soviet Union. Bayrock development into which the Trump Organization
actually put up any equity. Most of the Bayrock-affiliated
The firm was founded by Tevfik Arif, a former projects failed, though, leaving a trail of angry investors as
Communist Party functionary in the Soviet republic of well as a string of lawsuits and countersuits. According to
what is now Kazakhstan. Arif had formed another entity legal depositions, most of the projects that Sater worked to
called Bayrock in Moscow in 1989, during the very last develop overseas — necessitating trips to Russia, Poland,
years of the Soviet Union. and Ukraine (including numerous trips to Crimea) —
never seemed to get off the drawing board.
Many Soviet functionaries transitioned to successful
careers in market capitalism with the help of friends in Sater and Trump sometimes traveled together. In
high places: those with access to resources could make September 2005, Trump and apparently Sater flew along
enormous profits by pilfering the moribund Soviet state, with his wife Melania to Colorado, where Sater talked to a
and such funds were best laundered and moved abroad for local reporter about possible Trump-Bayrock development
safekeeping and investment. Real estate was generally projects in Denver.
seen as a stable investment.
The real estate tycoon and the undercover mobster were
close enough that, according to his deposition testimony,
Sater could simply walk up a flight of stairs to Trump’s
office and stop in for an impromptu chat. Indeed, Sater and
the Trump clan grew so close that in February 2006, at the
personal request of Donald Trump, the mobster joined his
children Ivanka, Donald Jr., and his son’s wife Vanessa in
Moscow to show them around, according to his deposition
testimony. While he was in Moscow he emailed a
journalist about possible Trump-Bayrock developments in
Denver, in which he indicated he was with Don Jr.; a few
days later Sater is alleged to have called one of the partners
at the Arizona project and threatened to have him “tortured
and killed,” according to later court filings.
Donald Trump, Bayrock partner Tevfik Arif, and Felix Sater attend the
Trump Soho Launch Party on September 19, 2007 in New York. Photo
Sater’s tenure at Bayrock might have lasted longer, had
credit: Mark Von Holden / WireImage The New York Times not “outed” his criminal past in 2007.

During the five years Sater worked at Bayrock, he traveled Yet a few years later, after Sater had left Bayrock, he could
throughout the former Soviet Union, ostensibly looking for still be found in Trump Tower. But now he was apparently
real estate sites to develop with the Trump Organization — working directly for Trump himself, with an office,
while also allegedly laundering hundreds of millions of business cards, phone number and email address all
dollars in illicit funds from mysterious sources in the provided by the Trump Organization. The cards identified
former Soviet Union. And all the while he was working as him as a “Senior Advisor to Donald Trump.”
an informant for the FBI.
Today, Trump claims to have trouble remembering Sater.
Soon after joining Bayrock (about late 2001 to early 2002),
he effectively took control of it — while of necessity “Trump was asked about Sater in depositions
hiding that fact from its lenders and clients. Sater was the related to other cases in 2011 and 2013. In the
firm’s Chief Operating Officer, and according to assertions first, Trump acknowledged that he used to speak
in a lawsuit filed by a former Bayrock employee, by 2006 with Sater ‘for a period of time.’ Yet in the
he owned more than 63% of the firm. second, Trump said, ‘if he were sitting in a room
right now, I really wouldn’t know what he looked
like,’” Mother Jones reported.
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 In early December 2015, Trump still seemed Because parties to bank loans and investment contracts
unclear when asked by an Associated Press must confirm that no owner or manager has been convicted
reporter about Sater. “Felix Sater, boy, I have to of fraud, and if that confirmation is false, anyone who
even think about it,” he said. “I’m not that familiar knew of the fraud is potentially liable. The same would be
with him.” Ivanka and Don Jr. also later said that true even if someone learned about Sater’s criminal status
they had no memory of being with him in after signing the contract but continued with it.
Moscow.
Thus, if Trump knew Sater was a convicted felon but did
business with him anyway, he, the Trump Organization,
and anyone within the company who knew of it could face
substantial penalties or fines. This might especially be true
for the Trump-Bayrock projects, as so many of them ended
terribly, with multiple lawsuits across many states.

However, the information of Sater’s past financial

criminality was officially hidden because his legal docket
in the White Rock/State Street case was kept secret (owing
to his continuing “cooperating witness” status). For this
reason, even after performing due diligence, someone
FBI agent Leo Taddeo definitely did not “have to think entering business agreements with Sater would find no
about it.” Taddeo had worked in the Italian and Russian evidence of his criminal past.
organized crimes sections of the New York FBI office and
had directly witnessed the ramifications of the arrival of Ukraine: The Big Prize
“Yaponchik” Ivankov in 1992 — and the influence of
Mogilevich — in the Russian-speaking community, New
York financial markets, and beyond. He rose to be the .The FBI’s failure to fully expose Trump’s
head of the Russian organized crime section — and was Russian connection before the election
one of Sater’s FBI handlers. Taddeo testified on Sater’s seemingly emboldened the entire Trump team
behalf at his sentencing, praising his “extraordinary” — from the president to his former campaign
cooperation and stressing how “capable,” “important,” and manager to his “bulldog” personal lawyer —
“effective” he was. along with Sater, to take actions that can be
seen to have benefited Putin. Nowhere is this
During the years when Trump and Bayrock pursued their more true than with Ukraine.
joint projects, the Trump SoHo was planned, designed and
funded, and ground was broken for it.
This former Soviet republic is central to Putin’s dream of
restoring Russia to its Cold War-era greatness and
So Bayrock, of which Sater came to own a majority, and
protecting its borders. Annexing Crimea from Ukraine was
the Trump Organization, headed by the future president
a huge victory for him. Holding on to that strategically
himself, did several high-profile deals together and had
important region and maintaining access to it by
offices close by each other in Trump Tower, and yet the
controlling eastern sections of Ukraine itself are vital to
current president claims that he is “not that familiar with
Putin’s ambitions.
him.”

Other crucial strategic issues concerning Ukraine include

There are a number of possible reasons why Trump has
its desire to join NATO, seen by Russia as a huge threat.
had to tread lightly around the issue of Sater. Aside from
There is also the matter of a pipeline that brings natural gas
what Trump might have known about Sater’s back-channel
from Russia through Ukraine into fuel-hungry Europe,
connections to the Russian government or organized
importantly Germany. Mogilevich was later named as the
crime, their joint projects also pose enormous financial risk
secret majority owner of the Ukrainian stake in a
to Trump.
mysterious intermediary company, half-owned by Russian
energy giant Gazprom. (Mogilevich, as well as Sater’s
If he or anyone around him — such as other Trump father, who has been identified as part of the Mogilevich
Organization executives, accountants and lawyers — had organization in a Supreme Court petition, both hail from
knowledge of Sater’s criminal past and yet entered into Ukraine. Mogilevich’s lawyer denied that his client had
contracts with him and Bayrock, Trump and his company any connection to the company.) While questions swirled
would then be liable for hundreds of millions of dollars — about the deal, Sater, then serving as an FBI informant,
and possible jail time. traveled to Ukraine and Russia — ostensibly searching for
properties to develop with the Trump Organization. (For a
Why?

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post-publication response from Felix Sater on these points, of a pro-Russian politician whose movement Manafort
see Editor’s Note at bottom.) helped shape

For his part, candidate Trump didn’t even acknowledge It turns out that, like so many other figures in this story,
that Russia had annexed Crimea or engaged its military in Cohen has his own substantial Ukrainian ties. After
Eastern Ukraine, when the issue came up early in the graduating from what is considered by many to be a third-
presidential campaign. tier law school, Cohen became a personal injury lawyer.
He married a woman whose parents are Ukrainian, and his
“Just so you understand. [Putin] is not going to brother, also a lawyer, married a woman whose father rose
go into Ukraine, all right?” Trump said in an from humble Ukrainian roots to become a billionaire.
interview shortly after he was nominated —
before being corrected on the facts. Much Less Than Six Degrees of Separation

Trump’s platform chairman J. D. Gordon reportedly had .

met with the Russian ambassador during the convention. In
an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta, Gordon said he had While all this high-stakes maneuvering between the US
advocated the softening of the GOP platform language on and Russia over Ukraine was unfolding, the DOJ and FBI
Ukraine — a softening that Trump himself had advocated were hard at work to prevent the Sater-Trump story from
earlier in the year at a meeting with Gordon. Gordon’s becoming widely known.
later comments seem to walk that assertion back, but the
GOP platform was changed.
WhoWhatWhy has learned that a number of key law-
enforcement figures associated with Sater’s role as a
government informant have continued protecting him —
which has inevitably helped to keep under wraps the
criminal goings-on in Trump Tower. One of these figures
even went on to work for Trump.

FBI Special Agent Gary Uher not only investigated

(alongside fellow Agent Leo Taddeo) the early “pump and
dump” case that originally snared Sater, he also apparently
served as one of Sater’s handlers. After Uher retired from
the Bureau’s New York office in 2011, he went into the
private security business with another former FBI agent, in
a firm named XMark — which became one of a small
army of private security firms that guarded Trump during
the presidential campaign. (Neither Uher nor Taddeo
Photo credit: Disney | ABC Television Group / Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)
responded to requests for comment.)

At that time, Trump Tower resident Paul Manafort was

In fact, both XMark and Uher personally began receiving
still running the campaign — until he was forced out
payments from the campaign as soon as Trump announced,
because of his ties to former Ukrainian President Viktor
in June 2015. Uher’s name surfaced in the press a handful
Yanukovych and other powerful forces sympathetic to
of times, sometimes in allegations that he roughly handled
Russia. But Manafort’s connections to Russia ran even
protestors at Trump rallies. Yet until now, no one has
deeper than suspected back then.
pointed out that before he went to work for Trump, Uher
ran Sater.
On March 22, the Associated Press reported that Manafort
had been paid the astonishing sum of more than $10
It is not clear how Trump and Uher would have even
million a year in the 2000s by Russian oligarch Oleg
known each other were it not for the man both knew in
Deripaska, a close Putin ally, to implement a plan that
common — the man Trump was consistently vague about
would “greatly benefit the Putin Government.”
during the campaign — Felix Sater.

Stranger still, just last month, Trump associates Sater and

As for Taddeo, in July 2016, as talk of possible efforts by
Michael D. Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney, lobbied
the Kremlin to help Trump’s campaign continued to pick
then-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn with a
up steam, the Washington Post ran a story that
scheme to lift sanctions on Russia, imposed after it seized
downplayed the possibility and quoted the ex-agent, now
Crimea. They delivered a proposed “peace plan” for
in the private sector:
Ukraine that infuriated the country’s current prime
minister. The proposal would have advanced the ambitions
347
 “This is not Putin trying to help Trump,’’ he said. Such revelations — which could have exposed Sater’s
The article identified Taddeo as “a former FBI criminal history, his interactions with Trump, the full
special agent in charge of cyber and special scope of Bayrock’s financial arrangements with the Trump
operations in New York”.; it did not tell readers Organization, and perhaps the true source of Bayrock’s
he had been Sater’s former FBI handler when financing — all would be covered by attorney-client
Sater worked with Trump. privilege.

With so many players and so many layers of involvement,

getting to the bottom of Trump’s Russian connection is a
Herculean task. And there is one further complication.

The Trump-Sater-Mogilevich-Putin saga, with its

intertwining domestic and international threads, is almost
certainly a battleground for powerful elements in the US
intelligence complex. Even unravelling one thread — the
FBI’s “running” of Felix Sater as an informant — is a
challenge at every level. The FBI historically has been
riven by internal battles over priorities and strategies —
and the Bureau has waged fierce turf wars with other
Left to right: XMark partners Ed Deck and Gary Uher accompany intelligence agencies, notably the CIA.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump with his private
security director, longtime Trump Organization employee Keith Why We Need an Independent Investigation
Schiller, after delivering an address in Birch Run, Michigan, August 11,
2015. Photo credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
.
The paths of other central characters in the case are also
curious. To sum up, WhoWhatWhy’s investigation suggests that the
FBI, in using an informant with a strong connection to
Two of Loretta Lynch’s colleagues at the Eastern District Trump and alleged ties to Russian mobsters — including
US Attorney’s office, Leslie Caldwell and Kelly Anne one deemed a national security threat by the US — has
Moore, left government service to join the law firm of seemingly tied its own hands in investigating the president.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and both represented Sater at
his 2009 sentencing hearing. Caldwell returned to This makes it difficult for the Bureau to pursue the
government work in late 2013 when she was tapped to president’s long-running proximity to mobsters, including
serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal gangsters from the former Soviet Union, and to those with
Division — the number three position at the Justice close connections to the Russian president and oligarchic
Department. elite.

Moore is still at Morgan Lewis. That firm was hired post- This in part could explain the FBI’s odd behavior and the
election by Trump to sort out ethical issues concerning confusing back and forth on what the government knows
possible conflicts of interest — which considering this about Russia’s interventions in the 2016 election.
history takes on a whole new meaning. (Neither Caldwell
nor Moore responded to requests for comment.) In this complex tale, it is sometimes hard to keep focused
on the most important connections. The FBI used Sater in
Trump’s announcement that he had retained Morgan Lewis high-value projects; perhaps to help take down the Brainy
as ethics counsel was clearly meant to blunt calls for Don Mogilevich, who takes us straight to Putin. That
disinvestment or use of a blind trust for the oversight of his connection is so sensitive as to be deadly. Indeed after
businesses. Curiously, on the same day that Trump made Ivankov, Mogilevich’s lieutenant and Trump Tower
the announcement, the Moscow office of Morgan Lewis resident, publicly discussed Mogilevich’s close ties to
was named “Russia Law Firm of the Year” for 2016 by an Putin, he was gunned down by a sniper on a Moscow
industry association. street.

By entrusting Morgan Lewis with addressing his conflicts At the end of 2015, the Justice Department’s criminal
— and presumably demanding confidentiality agreements division, headed by Leslie Caldwell — the former Eastern
in the process, as is his practice — was Trump insulating District prosecutor and later Sater’s attorney — removed
himself from the release of information that would reveal Mogilevich from the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, an
the true nature of his financial relationship with Sater, extremely rare occurrence. Suspects are usually removed
Bayrock, and others? from the list for only two reasons: arrest or death.

348
 Something doesn’t add up.

Whatever it is, we need to know. And, as this article

demonstrates, the FBI, for a variety of reasons, is not likely
to tell us the whole story.

And, it should be pointed out, what is vitally important to

the public interest is not always what the Bureau considers
a crime. That is why the role of independent investigators,
including, notably, journalists, is so vital. Jack Blum, the
former senior Senate investigator and leading expert on
white-collar financial crime, stresses the gravity and
urgency of the situation:
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice
Department’s Criminal Division, July 21, 2016. Photo credit: The Justice
Department / YouTube
“However complicated an investigation might become, it
goes to the heart of our democracy and it must go forward.
This time, unlike other investigations, including the
Donald Trump has been a big Putin fan for years. This has Kennedy assassination, CIA-Chile, and Iran-Contra, it has
been a subject of speculation and derision, but it has not to go to the heart of the matter no matter how long it takes
gone further than that. and no matter how shocking the conclusions.”

Given how close Trump was with Sater, and Sater with the
FBI, and the fact that the FBI was working to thwart
Mogilevich (who was close to Putin), the big question is
this: Why is this president’s unusual enthusiasm for the
Russian leader, and Russia in general, not already a formal
topic of urgent inquiry?

Photo credit: Donald Trump / Twitter Tweet 1 and Tweet 2

FBI wanted poster for Semion Mogilevich, 2009.
Photo credit: FBI and Zscout370 / Wikimedia
.

349
RED ALERT: Attempted Political Coup Now Taking Place
In D.C. With Effort To Impeach Trump For
Fabricated “Obstruction Of Justice”
By: Mike Adams
Wednesday, May 17, 2017

debates by receiving the debate questions in advance from

CNN. (She also pre-sold her anticipated presidency by
collecting tens of millions of dollars in “donations” and
“speaking fees” from foreign interests.)

They are the same media that stood silent when former
President Obama weaponized the IRS to suppress the
speech of conservative non-profits. Similarly, nobody in
the media seems to be alarmed at all that Obama abused
the state surveillance apparatus to spy on his political
opponents such as Rand Paul.

This is a high priority alert. The Washington Post, now These are all serious crimes, serious abuses of power and
exposed as a CIA propaganda front, and the New York treasonous acts carried out by Obama, a Democrat. Yet the
Times (a fiction-pimping anti-American rag owned by a left-wing media remains silent on every one of them.
Mexican national) have tag-teamed their way to their What’s obvious from all this is that, according to the left-
desired finish line: wing media, Democrats can do no wrong and all their
crimes are whitewashed by default (even the obvious
The impeachment and indictment of murder of Seth Rich). Yet Republicans are instantly guilty
President Donald J. Trump. of the worst crimes imaginable, even when they’ve done
nothing wrong at all.
This has been accomplished through the publishing of a
seemingly endless stream of utterly fabricated fake news REAL crimes committed by Democrats are deliberately
stories, nearly all of which are based on “anonymous overlooked, in other words, while FAKE accusations
sources” that are probably little more than schizophrenic against Republicans are hyped up until they’re made to
voices in the heads of the reporters writing the “news” in look legitimate and damning, to the point where
the first place. Democrats are all madly hyperventilating and claiming to
be “triggered” by nearly everything.
The aim has been to accuse President Trump of every
imaginable crime, from “leaking intel to the Russians” to It is against this background of wild disinformation, media
“obstruction of justice.” lies and conspiratorial plotting that President Trump is
now facing the most serious challenge of his
administration: An aggressive attempt to remove him from
Keep in mind that these same discredited media
office through impeachment and indictment over entirely
outlets gave Obama a pass when he
fabricated, baseless accusations that are lacking any real
laundered $1.7 billion in cash and delivered it
facts.
to Iran on a military cargo plane.
Congressman Al Green just called for
They are the same fake news media that looked the other
way when Bill Clinton met with Loretta Lynch on the Trump’s impeachment on the House floor
tarmac in a private meeting to pressure Lynch to back off
any potential criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton’s Right on cue, Texas congressman Al Green (a Democrat
long list of crimes. from Houston, no surprise) just called for Donald Trump’s
impeachment. As Zero Hedge reports:
They are the same anti-American media that said nothing
when Hillary Clinton cheated during the presidential

350
 For now it is unclear what Congressman Al The real goal in all this — which is also being pursued by
Green’s reasoning is… apart from anonymously- the evil globalist Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com and
sourced evidence-free reports from a clearly owner of the fake news Washington Post — is the
biased mainstream media perpetuating a overthrow of the Republic. This will be followed, of
narrative designed to ‘resist’. Apparently the course, by a massive false flag school shooting, a call for
argument is that Trump “obstructed justice”, the complete disarmament of the U.S. citizenry, and a final
although we hope Mr. Green has some evidence rollout of the totalitarian police state run by Leftists. All
to back up his accusations. liberty-oriented websites will be de-indexed from Google,
banned from Facebook sharing, blocked by email ISPs and
Indeed, nearly every media accusation against Trump has possibly even shut down at the domain level through
been based on nothing but innuendo, misleading headlines, government seizures of domain names. All voices of
fake “anonymous sources” (a Washington Post favorite) or liberty will be silenced, and only obedient conformity will
outright misrepresentations of hard facts. The New York be tolerated in the name of “tolerance.”
Times and Washington Post have deliberately published
fake news, then whipped it all into a “media circle jerk” We are right now on the very precipice of this unfolding
frenzy where the same false stories are repeated across the before our very eyes in the days ahead. An effort is under
‘net, all hyped up by Facebook’s selective oppression of way to impeach President Trump or declare him mentally
liberty-oriented news so that left-wing media lies are more unfit. Rumors are swirling that his own cabinet is prepared
easily shared. to say he suffers from Alzheimer’s or dementia and is
therefore “unfit for command” and must be replaced. An
Google then tweaks its search engine algorithms to censor actual political coup is forming up at this very moment,
truth media while giving extra rankings to the lies of the and the anti-American forces within the media and the
left-wing media, making sure that all searches on political bureaucracy are planning to move swiftly to out-pace
topics return mainstream media propaganda results rather public awareness or dissent against the coup that’s taking
than independent media stories that are actually far more place.
truthful. The fix is in, in other words, and it’s a
coordinated network involving the media, tech giants, deep Why a coup against Trump will likely set off a
state intelligence organizations and of course late night civil war and a catastrophic market collapse
television which drives all the false narratives into the
brains of young, gullible hipsters.
I plan to discuss this is more detail in a subsequent article,
but according to my analysis, a coup against President
The goal of all this is the overthrow of the Trump is likely to be the catalyst for the outbreak of civil
Republic and the final crushing of all voices war as well as a catastrophic market crash. In that civil
of liberty war, I predict a strong possibility that the headquarters of
Google, Facebook, Twitter and other tech gatekeepers
As should be obvious by now, the Democrats seek to run will be overrun by pro-America forces in order to halt their
a totalitarian, fascist police state that they control. It will collusion with fascist left-wing traitors who are trying to
be called a “tolerant” society, of course, where anyone overthrow the Republic.
who disagrees with any left-wing narrative is censored off
the ‘net, labeled a threat to humanity and imprisoned or We should expect to see similar strategic occupation
executed. The Boston Herald is already calling for mass efforts targeting the Washington Post and the New York
executions of people who disagree with California’s SB Times, which is where all the anti-American propaganda
277 vaccine mandate which allows the state government to originates, run by nefarious globalists who despise liberty
force mass injections of toxic substances into human and Trump. I would not be surprised at all to see all the
babies. Netflix has now memory-holed videos that teach major media centers of America seized and forced to stop
the science of genetics, making sure that nobody running their anti-American, anti-liberty, fascist
remembers how gender is determined by XX or XY propaganda that has deliberately sought to overthrow the
chromosomes, not a “momentary feeling” of a gender- duly elected President of these United States.
confused individual. Google eliminated the entire
NaturalNews.com website from its index for a six-day On the streets, the mass protests will of course spill out
period, attempting to memory hole 140,000+ independent across every U.S. city, where brainwashed, delusional left-
news articles, and Facebook is now blocking nearly all wing activists will carry out mass violence against
sharing of independent media in order to make sure that innocent white people, looting white neighborhoods and
only the fake news narratives of the delusional Left can be torching white-owned businesses. This mass violence will
shared on its twisted social media platform (which serves be uncontrolled and unstoppable by local police, who will
as little more than a front for the NSA to collect be vastly outnumbered. At some point, watch for local
intelligence on the citizenry). citizens who own firearms to start shooting back in their
own defense, and from there it all escalates into open

351
warfare on the streets of America. (Hint: Gun owners who has become a mindless mass of dangerous zombies who
can accurately shoot rifles will out-range the left-wing are mentally ill (and extremely violent). This will
criminals who only know how to use handguns.) obviously not end peacefully.

If you are not yet prepared for the outbreak of mass PRIORITY: How to stay informed as the attempted coup
violence across America, your time is running short. You and civil war unfolds
will obviously need a means of self-defense, and you will
need plenty of organic survival food, a non-electric water
filter, emergency first aid items and emergency  STOP using Google as your search engine. Start using
communications gear. If you don’t yet own a firearm for GoodGopher.com instead.
your protection, find recommended choices for self-  STOP using Google News to find out what’s
defense at Guns.news and Gear.news. You will need happening. Use Censored.news instead.
plenty of hollow point ammo, which you can find at  STOP using Facebook, period. Use GAB.ai instead.
MidwayUSA.com or AmmoToGo.com. My personal  STOP buying from Amazon.com. Every purchase funds
recommendation is to acquire a Glock 19 as your starting the same owner as the Washington Post, which is a
pistol, and get a POF-USA.com rifle if it’s legal to own traitorous, fake news propaganda front that’s actively
one in your area. (If it’s not legal to own a rifle, you are trying to overthrow the Republic.
living in the wrong state. Time to move…)  NEVER believe what you get from NPR, NYT, CNN,
WashPost or other anti-American, left-wing media
Prepare to defend your property, your community and outlets. They are all deliberately fabricating fake news
perhaps even your country. It really is coming down to an that’s intended to overthrow the Republic and crush all
outbreak of civil war across America, and the insane, voices of liberty and reason.
fascist Left will stop at nothing to stomp out all voices of  Each day, go directly to NaturalNews.com,
liberty and install their own totalitarian system of NewsTarget.com, Trump.news or other websites to find
government under which no dissent is allowed at all. out what’s happening. Natural News is now updated
Leftism is fascism, remember. If you do not agree with all every morning and evening, so check it at least twice a
their insane, delusional narratives about climate change, day.
transgenderism, government spending or socialized health  Subscribe to our email newsletter to receive email
care, then you will be silenced and punished. The book alerts. Do not use a gmail address, as gmail
burnings have literally begun; the Left’s calls for the mass deliberately blocks Natural News content as a form of
killings of the voices of liberty are on the rise, and the Left censorship.

352
 White House Vows
To Audit The Pentagon, Which Would Be A First
By Russell Berman The Atlantic Read bio
May 17, 2017

unites everyone from Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth

Warren to Ted Cruz and the House Freedom Caucus. And
last week, Trump’s nominee to serve as comptroller for the
Pentagon, David Norquist, testified at his Senate
confirmation hearing that he would insist on one whether
the department could pass it or not.

“It is time to audit the Pentagon,” Norquist

told members of the Senate Armed Services
Committee in his opening statement.
The goal is audacious enough, but promises of a record
spending increase makes it even more complicated. As comptroller for the Homeland Security Department a
decade ago, Norquist, the brother of the anti-tax advocate
Grover Norquist, undertook the first successful audits of
The Pentagon will spend the next several months
that much younger federal agency. The Defense
gearing up for a mission so complicated that many officials
Department is unlikely to meet a statutory deadline to be
doubt it can be pulled off, an undertaking so immense that
“audit-ready” by the end of September. But Norquist said
the military hasn’t once dared to try it before.
he would begin the process even if the Pentagon’s
financial statements were not fully in order, and he
No, this isn’t a story about deploying a fancy new weapon, committed to having the report completed by March 2019.
or unveiling a new aircraft, or launching a military
operation of any kind: The Department of Defense is
What has prevented the Pentagon from being examined
preparing for its first-ever audit.
this way before? The answer lies somewhere “between
lethargy and complexity,” said Gordon Adams, a
That the nation’s most sprawling and expensive distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center who was the
bureaucracy—and the world’s largest employer—has yet top budget official for national security in the Clinton
to undergo a formal, legally mandated review of its White House.
finances is a source of embarrassment among budget
watchdogs, and it has become a preoccupation for
“It hasn’t been done ever,” he told me, “partly
members of Congress intent on demonstrating their fiscal
because it’s incredibly complicated to do and
prudence even as they appropriate more than $600 billion
also because there’s not a great, powerful will in
annually to the Pentagon. “Like Waiting for Godot,” one
the building to do it.”
Democratic senator, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, quipped
about the absent audit at a recent hearing. The lack of
formal accountability has left unanswered basic questions The complexity of the project dates back to the Civil War,
about how the military spends taxpayer money, like the Adams said, when the Army and the Navy set up their own
precise number of employees and contractors its various separate accounting systems. The Air Force also went its
branches have hired. Cost overruns have become own way after its creation following World War II, and the
legendary, none more so than the F-35 fighter-jet program military build-ups of the last four decades scrambled the
that has drawn the ire of President Trump. And partial department’s financial records many times over. The
reports suggest that the department has misspent or not explosion of military contractors since 9/11 has made
accounted for anywhere from hundreds of scrubbing the books harder still. Adams estimated that an
billions to several trillion dollars. audit would have to account for 15 million to 20 million
contracting transactions each year. The Pentagon has spent
several billion dollars over the last seven years just trying
After years of missed deadlines, the mounting political
to consolidate its accounting systems in preparation for a
pressure and a renewed commitment from the Trump
potential audit.
administration might finally result in an audit. For the first
time last year, both major political parties called for
auditing the Pentagon in their campaign platforms. That
353
Despite the ramp-up costs, the project has never risen to be right bang for the buck. It doesn’t tell you
a top priority; the Pentagon has simply been too busy anything about whether we’re getting the right
fighting wars. “The military has repeatedly argued that forces for the threat. It doesn’t tell you how well
they need to focus on the war effort and accountability can the forces perform. It doesn’t tell you where we
come later,” said Kori Schake, a fellow at the Hoover are wasting capability that we don’t need.”
Institution who previously served in a variety of national-
“What it allows a member of Congress to do,” he
security positions in the government. That excuse carried continued, “is to look tough on defense and
more weight with lawmakers in the years when the United spend a lot on defense at the same time.”
States had hundreds of thousands of troops fighting in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Spending a lot on defense is what the Trump
administration wants to do, even as it pledges its support
Now, top Republicans like Senator John McCain of for a Pentagon audit. The White House has asked Congress
Arizona, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, are for a $54 billion increase in the military budget over the
pressing for an audit with more urgency. next year and secured about $15 billion of that in the
recent spending deal.
“This has been a very public continuing failure for
the Department of Defense, in large part due to “It’s harder when there’s a big inflow of cash to
the failure of senior management to make this a focus on something like the audit,” said William
priority for the department and invest the Hartung, director of the arms and security project
necessary time and will to get it done,” McCain at the Center for International Policy. “There’s
said at the outset of Norquist’s hearing. “This still that incentive to just push the money out
must end with you,” he told the the door.”
president’s nominee.
There’s some hope among audit advocates that the
Yet those fiscal hawks hoping that the long-awaited report administration’s demand for more money will give
will spur substantial reforms to defense spending are just congressional spending hawks leverage to insist on
as likely to be disappointed. An audit by itself won’t progress toward the accounting milestone in exchange for
dismantle the “military industrial complex” that former a budget increase. But they also don’t believe leverage
President Dwight Eisenhower famously warned about, nor should be necessary to demand that a department with a
will it lead members of Congress to stop fighting to protect workforce pegged at more than 3 million people commit,
the bases and weapons systems that are manufactured in at long last, to some basic bookkeeping.
their districts—and the jobs that come with them. Several
times in recent years, it has been congressional lobbying
that has kept up production of weapons and equipment that “We would never accept the argument that the
the military no longer considers necessary. Department of Education is too big and too
complicated to be accountable,” Schake argued.
“Why do we accept that for Defense?”
“An audit does not raise the big issues,” Adams
said. “It doesn’t tell you that we’re not getting the
.

354
 Congressman Calls For Trump
Impeachment For "Obstruction Of Justice"
By Tyler Durden
May 17, 2017 9:25 AM

Update: Rep. Green has called for the impeachment of the The first Congressman (Maxine Waters must be pissed off)
president... has come forward to demand Trump's impeachment...

CLIP: @RepAlGreen: "I rise today...to call for the Today on the floor of the Congress of the United
impeachment of the President of the United States of America, I will call for the Impeachment
States of America for obstruction of justice." of the President between 9am & 10am CST.
pic.twitter.com/k3OMGcZbEF
— Congressman Al Green (@RepAlGreen) May
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 17, 2017 17, 2017

* * * For now it is unclear what Congressman Al Green's

reasoning is... apart from anonymously-sourced evidence-
With Trump impeachment odds spiking... free reports from a clearly biased mainstream media
perpetuating a narrative designed to 'resist'. Apparently the
argument is that Trump "obstructed justice", although we
hope Mr. Green has some evidence to back up his
accusations.

.@RepAlGreen to @ABC: "The president is not

within his rights...when it comes to obstruction of
justice." https://t.co/tTVq2aJqWb
pic.twitter.com/dbOh0tKMMr
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 16,
2017

15 minutes of fame?
.

355
 The Dow Plunges 372 Points As Trump
Impeachment Talk Reaches A Fever Pitch On Capitol Hill
By Michael Snyder
May 17th, 2017

The wolves are circling, and members of Congress from The financial markets had already “priced in” big tax cuts,
both political parties are now openly talking about reduced regulations and a massive increase in
impeaching President Trump. On Wednesday, speculation infrastructure spending.
of a looming Trump impeachment sent stocks plunging.
The Dow was down 372 points, and the S&P 500 and the If the markets believe that none of those things are going
Nasdaq both experienced their largest declines in eight to happen now, that is likely to result in a significant
months. This downturn was sparked by a New York downturn for stocks.
Times report that said that a memo that FBI Director
James Comey wrote in February stated that Trump
Of course the Democrats are just thrilled by these latest
requested that Comey “end the investigation into former
developments. U.S. Representative Jim Himes told
national security adviser Michael Flynn”. Democrats and
MSNBC that the Republican agenda is now
Republicans are both jumping on this memo as potential
evidence of “obstruction of justice”, but as I will explain
below, even if everything that Comey is saying is true “lying in ruins on the floor of this building”…
there is no evidence of obstruction of justice in this case.
However, perception is often more important than reality, Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Rep. Jim Himes (D-
and at this moment Wall Street and many of Trump’s Conn.), a member of the House intelligence committee,
fellow Republicans in Washington believe that the Trump said the Republican legislative agenda
administration is coming apart at the seams. After the
events of this week, it is clearer than ever that it is “is lying in ruins on the floor of this building.”
imperative that we get Trump some friends in Congress in
“It was tenuous when they got through their so-
2018.
called health care bill in the House. You can still
see blood on the floor here for what it cost them
Following Trump’s surprise election victory in November, to get that through the House,” Himes told
stocks surged as investors anticipated the implementation MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” in an interview from the
of a robust pro-business agenda. U.S. Capitol.
“Now, you know, things like tax reform , which is,
But now that the Trump administration is deeply
you know, very, very difficult in the best of times
embroiled in controversy, many fear that Trump’s pro-
— with that cloud, with this cloud, hanging over
business agenda will never become a reality…
this building, that legislative agenda is all but
gone.”
“A week ago, we were talking about the agenda
grinding to a halt,” the Republican said. “Now,
Previously, I have warned about the “gangster culture” in
the train is going down the hill backwards.”
Washington D.C., and the truth is that the “Deep State” has
been out to get Trump since the moment he was elected.
And even before Wednesday’s revelation about Comey’s
memo, some top Republican leaders were already
There are thousands upon thousands of laws that apply to
disavowing Trump’s agenda. For example, just check out
the presidency, and the jackals among the establishment
what Bloomberg is reporting about Senate Majority Leader
have been waiting for Trump to trip up just a little bit so
Mitch McConnell…
that they can try to take him down for good.
Earlier Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
And things are starting to move very quickly now.
said he’s prepared to block Trump on many of his
proposed budget cuts and won’t support major tax cuts that
add to the deficit. Nor would he commit to building Within hours of the revelation about the Comey memo,
Trump’s border wall. Democratic Representative Al Green called for Trump to
be impeached from the House floor:

356
 “This is about what I believe. And this is where I time of the Valentine’s Day meeting between Trump and
stand. I will not be moved. The president must be Comey. Obstruction cases generally are built around
impeached.” judicial proceedings — not Oval Office meetings.

It isn’t much of a surprise to see this sort of rush to You can’t charge someone with a crime just because you
judgment from the Democrats, but the speed at which don’t like that person.
Republicans are turning on Trump is more than just a little
bit alarming… We are not supposed to be a nation that conducts witch
hunts. The law is supposed to be applied equally to all of
 -Senator John McCain raised the specter of our citizens, and that includes the president of the United
impeachment when he told the press that the crisis States.
surrounding Trump has reached “Watergate size and
scale”. I know that the left and the establishment Republicans that
 -McCain’s partner in crime, Senator Lindsey Graham, hate Trump would love to use the law as a weapon to
released a statement that said he “will follow the facts remove Trump from office, but the truth is that there is no
— wherever they may lead”. Graham has always been evidence that Trump has done anything wrong.
one of Trump’s biggest critics, and he clearly is ready
to move forward with impeachment. And if the law was actually applied objectively in our land,
 -According to the Hill, U.S. Rep. Justin Amash is saying it is quite likely that Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and
that if Comey’s memo is true “it would merit Hillary Clinton would all be in very hot water about now.
impeachment”. The following comes from Mike Adams of Natural
 -Commenting on Trump’s troubles, U.S. Rep. Carlos News…
Curbelo (R-Fla.) told reporters that obstruction of
justice “has been considered an impeachable offense”.
Keep in mind that these same discredited media
outlets gave Obama a pass when he
But what none of them understand is that Trump has not laundered $1.7 billion in cash and delivered it
committed any crime. to Iran on a military cargo plane.

As a former lawyer with two law degrees (a JD and an They are the same fake news media that looked the other
LLM), it is my opinion that even if everything in Comey’s way when Bill Clinton met with Loretta Lynch on the
memo is true (and that is a big if), it still would not mean tarmac in a private meeting to pressure Lynch to back off
that President Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice. any potential criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton’s
long list of crimes.
And I am far from alone in this regard. Someone that
agrees with me is ultra-liberal George Washington They are the same anti-American media that said nothing
University law professor Jonathan Turley… when Hillary Clinton cheated during the presidential
debates by receiving the debate questions in advance from
A good place to start would be with the federal law, CNN. (She also pre-sold her anticipated presidency by
specifically 18 U.S.C. 1503. The criminal code demands collecting tens of millions of dollars in “donations” and
more than what Comey reportedly describes in his memo. “speaking fees” from foreign interests.)
There are dozens of different variations of obstruction
charges ranging from threatening witnesses to influencing They are the same media that stood silent when former
jurors. None would fit this case. That leaves the omnibus President Obama weaponized the IRS to suppress the
provision on attempts to interfere with the “due speech of conservative non-profits. Similarly, nobody in
administration of justice.” the media seems to be alarmed at all that Obama abused
the state surveillance apparatus to spy on his political
However, that still leaves the need to show that the effort opponents such as Rand Paul.
was to influence “corruptly” when Trump could say that he
did little but express concern for a longtime associate. The For much more on the crimes of the Clintons in particular,
term “corruptly” is actually defined differently under the I would commend a book by Edward Klein entitled
various obstruction provisions, but it often involves a “Guilty as Sin: Uncovering New Evidence of
showing that someone acted “with the intent to secure an Corruption and How Hillary Clinton and the
unlawful benefit for oneself or another.” Encouraging Democrats Derailed the FBI Investigation”. The fact
leniency or advocating for an associate is improper but not that neither of the Clintons have ever been to prison says a
necessarily seeking an unlawful benefit for him. lot about the state of criminal justice in America today.

Then there is the question of corruptly influencing what?

There is no indication of a grand jury proceeding at the
357
It is literally going to take a miracle for Trump to survive careful, because he doesn’t have a lot of true friends in
the next couple of years. If he can do that, we can Congress at this point.
definitely greatly strengthen his hand by sending hordes of
Trump supporters to D.C. during the mid-term elections in This is why we can no longer vote for someone just
2018. because they carry the label of “Republican”. What we
really need is a conservative revolution in this country, and
If the impeachment process moves forward, there are a my hope is that we can start a movement that will turn
whole lot of Republicans that would gleefully plunge Washington D.C. completely upside down.
knives into Trump’s back. So Trump needs to be very
.

358
 US Congress Should Not
Rush To Impeach Trump - Schiff
© AP Photo/ Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Image - US
19:49 17.05.2017

"No one should rush to embrace the most

extraordinary remedy… removing the president
from office," Schiff told reporters. "I think we’re a
long way from knowing the facts here."

Schiff spoke after congressional Democrats announced

they had signed a discharge petition calling on Congress
to establish an independent investigation into ties
between Trump and Russia.

During the press conference, Schiff and other House

Democrats said the bipartisan investigation into alleged
The US Congress should not hurry to impeach President Donald Trump ties between Trump and Russia has been blocked by the
before all the facts about his actions are known, House of White House as well as some Republicans.
Representatives Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff
said at a press conference on Wednesday. Lawmakers were reacting to recent reports in the
Washington Post and New York Times that Trump had
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, US shared sensitive information with Russian Foreign
Congressman Al Green said Trump should be impeached Minister Sergey Lavrov and had asked former FBI
for obstructing the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Director James Comey to drop a probe into former national
probe into the possible relationship between the president security advisor Mike Flynn.
and the Russian government.
Trump and his National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster
Justin Amash, a Republican, also raised the idea have stated the media reports were false.
on Wednesday in an interview with The Hill newspaper.

.
359
 Banker: "One Million Will March
On Washington If They Impeach Trump.
They Will Be Armed"
By Vince Lanci, Via Soren K Group And Marketslant
May 17, 2017 1:19 PM

Because He's TNT how polls are just wrong consistently. And to us that is
explainable. The statistical world relies to heavily on
Sometime contributor Bon Scott who happens to be not polls. Polls are merely "snapshots' of moments.
only a Trump supporter but more importantly a
Constitutional expert and Big "L" Libertarian had this to What is not revealed in polls is the subjectivity of the
say in response the 'Impeach Trump' escalation. person being polled!. We know the bias of pollsters. But
what has been ignored for years is subjective probability.
10,000,000 people will march on Washington That concept relates to trends when humans are involved.
if they try to impeach Trump... they will be
heavily armed. I will be one of them. No Do you think people are going to be honest with pollsters
anymore? No, they say what you want to hear so they can
kidding
move on. Voting is very private. And people are taking
back that privacy. On a broader scale, subjective or
While our colleague seems given to hyperbole consider conditional probability includes drifts or trends. Nassim
this. Last year as early as February he said: Taleb is a key proponent of this, and we count him as a
genius in taking his options knowledge and applying it to
"Trump can win. Ignore the polls. Polls are many fields in need of improvement. We also enjoy his
meaningless in an election with so many lambasting those dogmatists that do not get it. Jim
“shock events”. The truth is Donald Trump Rickards is another subscriber to Bayesian theorems.
can win the election in a landslide.
What Is Bayesian Probability?
That was true. We quoted him in our October 2016 post.
Simply put, is it a 50/50 chance the sun rises tomorrow?
Statistically the answer is yes to an uneducated caveman
SKG contributor Vince Lanci echoed Bon's words in this
seeing it for the first time. But how many times can that
Aug post:
caveman stick with those stats when 5 years later the sun
continues to rise?
On the flip side Trump fans should be happy.
If past calls are any indication Trump will Personal example: If it is 50/50 that a coin lands on heads
indeed win in landslide.. or tails, then how come I could at one time flip a coin and
make it land on heads 10x in a row? Statisticians will say "
Bon also said in our July Post Luck, law of large numbers will fix that". Sorry guys that
is just not true.
Trump will spend like a drunken sailor
Here is why. I practiced coin flipping at one point in my
trading career to make it a skill. I measured how high it
This is also true in Trumps's attempts if not in execution
had to go, what side the coin had to start on, and how hard
yet.
I had to flip it. Was I cheating? No. What people see as
randomness is actually a skill based event via intense
Can you argue With Bon? practice. Had I let the coin land on the ground it would
have been randomized. But I did not.
The truth is, while our pseudonymous contributor is given
to outrageously couched statements, he has picked up on Pollsters Do Not Get it
something that is close to our hearts. You can see it in

360
This is the essence of the core ignorance of pollsters and So here we are. A populist-ly elected President who has
statisticians. They ignore the human factor. And with that, thus far governed through populism. A president with a
they miss grass roots macro trends like the populism that loyal following that is likely to not take an unconstitutional
triggered Brexit. They do not see what our friend Bon impeachment sitting down. Trump will not go quietly into
does, that people are not numbers, and the more we rely on the night. He will appeal to the public. He is a narcissist.
models dogmatically, the more likely we are to be And to his credit, narcissists are all about winning
surprised. Or as he would say: popularity contests.

Don’t be stupid! Trump is going to win in a And against him are now the legal types who will use the
landslide. Constitution to undermine it.

So while numbers are counted by Nate Silver, conditional/ To Bon we joked:

subjectivity of the person polled is not factored in. This is
the problem in modern polling and stats. "To get you and your pals to disburse, all we
have to do is kill the wifi."
In trading we used to Fade brokers to protect ourselves
from this. We were taught statistically that it is 50/50 every To which he responded:
order is buy/sell. But when a broker came in everyday at
the same time for 2 months straight and bought from us,
That isn't enough. You may get some to go home
that concept meant shit. We used to say: Crap, how high
with Beer bribes, but the core people mean
do I have to make this price so he would not buy from us?
business. They will not stand for this.
And the answer was essentially NONE. That broker was a
buyer and would continue to be one until he began
People vs. Elites
unwinding his position.

Option Traders Don't Get it Do you want to bet against a DC march if Trump is
impeached? Do you want to be short Gold or long stocks if
that happens?
At the time I understood this as Bayesian probability and
explained the rationale for "fading" markets to my boss
A march would be an exponential increase in uncertainty.
and mentor. He disagreed. He did not get it. He was an
The people vs the Elites. And in the end with Elitist power
extremely hard working savant who in the end became a
at their disposal including manipulating the press, social
bitter detractor despite my idol worship and his own
media, revoking freedom of speech and rights to assemble
immense success. When you quit working for him, with
and restricting gun ownership; it wont be enough. There
only a couple exceptions, you were the enemy. All this
will be the fallback to the use of force. People in power
because the man, like the modern pollster could not
always lean on that when needed. And while they may
grasp that whenever human behaviour is involved,
have learned marketing and manipulation tricks, at bottom,
probability has a subjective factor.
there is always metal hammer inside that velvet wrapper
you see.
What are the Odds of a DC March if a Populist
President is Impeached? People are fed up. Impeach at Your Own Risk

Can we afford to ignore "Bon", our colleague who is quite We personally own 2 guns. A Benelli shotgun for skeet,
sane, does not represent the lunatic fringe, and is and a 357 magnum for target range shooting. As believers
intimately aware that while Trump may not be a beltway in gun control laws for non law abiding citizens, we will
darling, he has governed through populism. not be inclined to subscribe to giving up what protects us
from a deep state that does what it wants and when it
Witness how Trump castrated the media with his loses, changes the rules. This is the potential beginning
"Fake News" press conference. He literally made people of the libertarian left and right People aligning against the
reject the MSM info as false and further likely turned authoritarian left and right Elitists.
people off to even looking at it.
Impeachment Adds Uncertainty, Not Closure
He effectively put them in a box where they could not sell
their wares anymore. So this will not end with impeachment. It will only stir
more problems at grass roots levels. To tell 50% of the
This is no easy task. Winning elections via populism is country that already distrusts its institutions that those
easy game. But actually governing that way is not easy. same institutions are collaborating to kill off their
We'd dare say, it has not been done ever in a Republic.
361
president may be a spark of revolt unlike anything seen constitutional rights) and the silently suffering suburban
since the 1960s. middle class under one banner. People evolve at their own
pace. Stop telling us what is best for us. That is not
This is the cause that would unite libertarians, rednecks, working out so well for you in the world. Don't do it here
NRA types, uneducated (but no less human and entitled to
.

362
 CNN Brazenly Suggests The 'Deep State'
Is Responsible For Memogate Revenge Against The
President
By The_Real_Fly
May 17, 2017 9:34 PM

CNN's Dana Bash took to the airwaves this evening to

chastise the President for his demeanor towards the Earlier today, President Putin responded to the
unelected 4th branch of government, the 'intelligence unchastened lunacy taking place by the leftist wing of
community.' government, calling it 'political schizophrenia.'

Speaking freely, Ms. Bash suggested the recent leaks that He added, 'when we were looking at how the internal
depicted Trump leaking 'top secret' intel to the Russians, political battle was developing in the U.S., we thought it
and the Comey memos, were acts of revenge by people was funny. As of today, it's not just sad, but concerning to
inside the IC for the way that the President fired Director us because it's hard to imagine what the people who
Comey. produce such nonsense can come up with next. This is all
being done based on stirring anti-Russian sentiment.'

363
 Top GOP Lawmakers Were Secretly
Recorded Saying They Think Putin Pays Trump
Rhett Jones
May 17, 2017

Dana Rohrabacher, who is known for defending Putin, and

Donald Trump. He laughs, but then says, “swear to god.”
Ryan then insists that this is just between them, right?

From the report:

When initially asked to comment on the

exchange, Brendan Buck, a spokesman for
Ryan, said: “That never happened,” and
Matt Sparks, a spokesman for McCarthy,
said: “The idea that McCarthy would assert
this is absurd and false.”
Thanks to the ubiquity of recording devices and the
duplicitousness of members of the GOP, we now know
that top Republican congressmen were discussing potential After being told that The Post would cite a recording of the
collusion between Trump and Putin before he was even exchange, Buck, speaking for the GOP House leadership,
nominated. They didn’t care then and they don’t care now. said:

“This entire year-old exchange was clearly

an attempt at humor. No one believed the
majority leader was seriously asserting that
Donald Trump or any of our members were
being paid by the Russians. What’s more,
the speaker and leadership team have
repeatedly spoken out against Russia’s
interference in our election, and the House
The Washington Post has obtained a recording from a continues to investigate that activity.”
private meeting between House GOP leaders that
happened on Capitol Hill on June 15th, 2016. The Post Hahahahahaha. It was just a joke. And we know that Ryan
was able to listen to, verify and transcribe the recording has been tireless in supporting Devin Nunes as the head of
and let’s just say, it looks pretty bad. the House Intelligence Committee. He continually insisted
Nunes shouldn’t recuse himself from the Russia
Four people are identified in the transcript: investigation even though Nunes very obviously colluded
with the White House to muddy the waters of the inquiry.
 Speaker of the House Paul Ryan,
 House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Does this recording show that they wouldn’t mind if
 House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and Trump was working with Russia? Not at all. It mostly
 Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rogers. shows that they understood the gravity of Russia’s political
operations, and that once Trump was president, they
decided to ignore it and drag their feet on the investigation.
Ryan and McCarthy discuss their meetings with the Prime
Check out this exchange:
Minister of Ukraine that day. They talk about Russia
funding populist politicians to destabilize Europe’s
democracies, and then they shift to how it could be Ryan: “Russia is trying to turn Ukraine
happening here. They mention the incredibly sophisticated against itself.”
propaganda machine that Russia is using, and then talk Rodgers: “Yes. And that’s...it’s
turns to the DNC hacking that was reported the day before. sophisticated and it’s, uh...”
McCarthy says that he thinks two people in politics are on
Putin’s payroll: Californian Republican Representative Ryan: “Maniacal.”
364
 Rodgers: “Yes.” Scalise: “That’s how you know that we’re
Ryan: “And guess, guess who’s the only tight.”
one taking a strong stand up against it? We [laughter]
are.” Ryan: “What’s said in the family stays in
Rodgers: “We’re not…we’re not…but, the family.”
we’re not.”
McCarthy [referring to DNC hacking]:“I’ll Tight.
guarantee you that’s what it is...The
Russians hacked the DNC and got the opp Yeah, there’s a lot of laughter in there. It’s totally
[opposition] research that they had on believable that they aren’t fully convinced that Trump
Trump.” coordinated with Russia. But, really, that’s not what this
whole drama has been about. If Trump really did
Ryan: “The Russians hacked the DNC...
coordinate with Russia, that would be insane. What we do
McHenry: “...to get oppo...” know is that Russia used many tactics to meddle in our
Ryan: “On Trump and like delivered it election, a review needs to take place, and Republicans
to...to who?” have insisted there’s nothing to see here because they don’t
want to jeopardize their power. This recording makes it
McCarthy: “There’s... there’s two people, I clear—top Republicans know exactly what they’re doing:
think, Putin pays: Rohrabacher and putting party before country.
Trump...[laughter]...Swear to God.”
Ryan: “This is an off the Luckily, Trump pissed off the Deputy Attorney General in
record...[laughter]...No charge of the investigation, who proceeded to appoint a
leaks...[laughter]...alright?!. This is how we special counsel to handle the investigation independently
know we’re a real family here.” today. Maybe he’ll have some questions for these
chuckleheads.
.

365
 House Majority Leader To Colleagues
In 2016: ‘I Think Putin Pays’ Trump
By Adam Entous
May 17, 2017

prompting McCarthy to shift the conversation from

Russian meddling in Europe to events closer to home.

Some of the lawmakers laughed at McCarthy’s comment.

Then McCarthy quickly added:

“Swear to God.”

Ryan instructed his Republican lieutenants to keep the

conversation private, saying:
The Post’s Adam Entous discusses a 2016 conversation of GOP
leaders in which House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) “No leaks. . . . This is how we know we’re a real
made an explosive claim. (Video: Bastien Inzaurralde/Photo: Melina family here.”
Mara/The Washington Post)

The remarks remained secret for nearly a year.

KIEV, Ukraine — A month before Donald Trump clinched
the Republican nomination, one of his closest allies in
The conversation provides a glimpse at the internal views
Congress — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy —
of GOP leaders who now find themselves under mounting
made a politically explosive assertion in a private
pressure over the conduct of President Trump. The
conversation on Capitol Hill with his fellow GOP leaders:
exchange shows that the Republican leadership in the
that Trump could be the beneficiary of payments from
House privately discussed Russia’s involvement in the
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
2016 election and Trump’s relationship to Putin, but
wanted to keep their concerns secret. It is difficult to tell
“There’s two people I think Putin pays: from the recording the extent to which the remarks were
Rohrabacher and Trump,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) meant to be taken literally.
said, according to a recording of the June 15,
2016, exchange, which was listened to and
The House leadership has so far stood by the White House
verified by The Washington Post. Rep. Dana
as it has lurched from one crisis to another, much of the
Rohrabacher is a Californian Republican known
turmoil fueled by contacts between Trump or his
in Congress as a fervent defender of Putin and
associates with Russia.
Russia.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) immediately House Republican leaders have so far resisted calls for the
interjected, stopping the conversation from further appointment of an independent commission or a special
exploring McCarthy’s assertion, and swore the prosecutor to investigate Russian interference, though
Republicans present to secrecy. pressure has been mounting on them to do so after
Trump’s firing of FBI Director James B. Comey and the
disclosure that the president shared intelligence with
Before the conversation, McCarthy and Ryan had emerged Russian diplomats.
from separate talks at the Capitol with Ukrainian Prime
Minister Vladimir Groysman, who had described a
Kremlin tactic of financing populist politicians to undercut Late Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod J.
Eastern European democratic institutions. Rosenstein announced he had appointed Robert S. Mueller
III, a former prosecutor who served as the FBI director
from 2001 to 2013, as special counsel to oversee the
News had just broken the day before in The Washington Russia probe.
Post that Russian government hackers had penetrated the
computer network of the Democratic National Committee,

366
Evan McMullin, who in his role as policy director to the Trump has sought to play down contacts between his
House Republican Conference participated in the June 15 campaign and the Russians, dismissing as a “witch hunt”
conversation, said: the FBI and congressional investigations into Russian
efforts to aid Trump and any possible coordination
“It’s true that Majority Leader McCarthy said that between the Kremlin and his associates. Trump denies any
he thought candidate Trump was on the coordination with Moscow took place.
Kremlin’s payroll. Speaker Ryan was concerned
about that leaking.” Presidential candidate Trump’s embrace of Putin and calls
for closer cooperation with Moscow put him at odds with
McMullin ran for president last year as an independent and the House Republican caucus, whose members have long
has been a vocal critic of Trump. advocated a harder line on Russia, with the exception of
Rohrabacher and a few others.
When initially asked to comment on the exchange,
Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Ryan, said: Among GOP leaders in the House, McCarthy stood out as
a Putin critic who in 2015 called for the imposition of
“more severe” sanctions for its actions in eastern Ukraine
“That never happened,” and Matt Sparks, a
and the annexation of Crimea.
spokesman for McCarthy, said: “The idea that
McCarthy would assert this is absurd and false.”
In May 2016, McCarthy signed up to serve as a Trump
After being told that The Post would cite a recording of the delegate at the Republican National Convention, breaking
exchange, Buck, speaking for the GOP House leadership, ranks with Ryan, who said he still was not ready to
said: endorse the candidate. McCarthy’s relationship with
Trump became so close that the president would
sometimes refer to him as “my Kevin.”
“This entire year-old exchange was clearly an
attempt at humor. No one believed the majority
leader was seriously asserting that Donald Trump was by then the lone Republican remaining in the
Trump or any of our members were being paid contest for the nomination. Though Ryan continued to hold
by the Russians. What’s more, the speaker and out, Trump picked up endorsements from the remaining
leadership team have repeatedly spoken out GOP leaders in the House, including Rep. Steve Scalise,
against Russia’s interference in our election, and the majority whip from Louisiana, and Republican
the House continues to investigate that activity.” Conference Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.)
— both of whom took part in the June 15 conversation.
“This was a failed attempt at humor,” Sparks
said. Ryan announced on June 2 that he would vote for Trump
to help “unite the party so we can win in the fall” but
Ken Grubbs, a spokesman for Rohrabacher, said the continued to clash with the candidate, including over
congressman has been a consistent advocate of Putin. While Trump sought to cast Putin as a better leader
than then-President Obama, Ryan dubbed him an
“working closer with the Russians to combat “aggressor” who didn’t share U.S. interests.
radical Islamism. The congressman doesn’t need
to be paid to come to such a necessary On the same day as Ryan’s endorsement, Clinton stepped
conclusion.” up her attacks on Trump over his public statements
praising Putin.
When McCarthy voiced his assessment of whom Putin
supports, suspicions were only beginning to swirl around “If Donald gets his way, they’ll be celebrating in
Trump’s alleged Russia ties. the Kremlin,” she said.

At the time, U.S. intelligence agencies knew that the Ukrainian officials were unnerved by Trump’s statements
Russians had hacked the DNC and other institutions, but in support of Putin. Republicans, they had believed, were
Moscow had yet to start publicly releasing damaging supposed to be tougher on Russia.
emails through WikiLeaks to undermine Trump’s
Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton. An FBI When Trump named Paul Manafort as his campaign
counterintelligence investigation into Russian efforts to manager in April 2016, alarm bells in Kiev started ringing
influence the presidential election would open the even louder. Manafort was already well known in Ukraine
following month, in late July, Comey has said in testimony because of his influential role as a political consultant to
to Congress. Viktor Yanukovych, the country’s former Kremlin-
friendly ruler until a popular uprising forced him to flee to

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Russia. Manafort had also consulted for a powerful first disclosed the new document, declined to comment on
Russian businessman with close ties to the Kremlin. his contacts with the FBI.

“Ukraine was, in a sense, a testing ground for A spokesman for Manafort has said that Trump’s former
Manafort,” said Ukrainian political scientist Taras campaign manager has not been contacted by the FBI.
Berezovets, who became a grudging admirer of Manafort has also disputed the authenticity of the newly
Manafort’s skills in the “dark arts” of political discovered document.
stagecraft while Berezovets was working for one
of Yanukovych’s political rivals. Groysman, on an official visit to Washington, met
separately with Ryan and McCarthy on June 15 at the
At the urging of Manafort, Yanukovych campaigned with Capitol.
populist slogans labeling NATO a “menace” and casting
“elites” in the Ukrainian capital as out of touch, He told them how the Russians meddled in European
Berezovets said. Trump struck similar themes during the politics and called for “unity” in addressing the threat,
2016 campaign. according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. Ryan issued a
statement after the meeting saying,
The FBI is now investigating whether Manafort, who
stepped down as Trump’s campaign manager in August, “the United States stands with Ukraine as it
received off-the-books payments from Yanukovych’s works to rebuild its economy and confront
party, U.S. officials said. As part of that investigation, FBI Russian aggression.”
agents recently took possession of a newly discovered
document that allegedly details payments totaling
$750,000. Ukrainian lawmaker Sergii Leshchenko, who

368
Later, Ryan spoke privately with McCarthy, Rodgers, “Yes,” Rodgers said in agreement, noting that the
Scalise and Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.), the deputy Russians were funding nongovernmental
whip, among others. organizations across Europe as part of a wider
“propaganda war.”

“Maniacal,” Ryan said. “And guess, guess who’s the only

one taking a strong stand up against it? We are.”

Rodgers disagreed. “We’re not . . . we’re not . . . but, we’re
not,” she said.

That’s when McCarthy brought the conversation about

Russian meddling around to the DNC hack, Trump and
Rohrabacher.

Feb. 2, 2016 House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin speaks in “I’ll guarantee you that’s what it is. . . . The
Washington. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Russians hacked the DNC and got the opp
[opposition] research that they had on Trump,”
Ryan mentioned his meeting with Groysman, prompting McCarthy said with a laugh.
Rodgers to ask:
Ryan asked who the Russians “delivered” the opposition
“How are things going in Ukraine?” according to research to.
the recording.
“There’s . . . there’s two people I think Putin
The situation was difficult, Ryan said. Groysman, he said, pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” McCarthy said,
had told him that Russian-backed forces were firing 30 to drawing some laughter. “Swear to God,”
40 artillery shells into Ukrainian territory every day. And McCarthy added.
the prime minister described Russian tactics that include “This is an off the record,” Ryan said.
“financing our populists, financing people in our
governments to undo our governments.” Some lawmakers laughed at that.

Ryan said Russia’s goal was to “turn Ukraine against “No leaks, all right?,” Ryan said, adding: “This is
itself.” Groysman underlined Russia’s intentions, saying,
how we know we’re a real family here.”

“They’re just going to roll right through us and go “That’s how you know that we’re tight,” Scalise
to the Baltics and everyone else,” said.
“What’s said in the family stays in the family,”
according to Ryan’s summary of the prime minister’s Ryan added.
remarks in the recording.
Andrew Roth in Moscow, Michael Birnbaum in Brussels
and Robert Costa in Washington contributed to this report.
.

369
 OBSESSED! 92% Of
CNN’s Trump Coverage Is Negative
By Robert Gehl
May 17, 2017

the 11 p.m. CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, a total of 20

hours of material.

“After excluding commercials, teases and

promos, our analysts found 13 hours, 27 minutes
of actual news coverage, an average of just over
40 minutes per hour. Of that, a whopping 92
percent (12 hours, 19 minutes) was devoted to
the Trump presidency, with a mere 68 minutes —
a little more than three minutes per hour —
devoted to all of the other news of the day,” said
There’s an understanding in the news business that any the report.
story — pro or con — about President Trump grabs
eyeballs, but CNN has taken it to a new level.
As for the angle of coverage, MRC found:
A new Media Research Center survey of a full day of CNN
“The vast majority of all of CNN’s guests that day
coverage found that 92 percent of the news time was spent
(96, or 78% of the total) were Trump critics,
on Trump stories, The Washington Examiner reports.
compared to a handful of pro-Trump guests (just
seven, or 6% of the total). Another 13 guests
And the angle: CNN featured 96 critics and just seven were neutral, and seven offered mixed
supporters. assessments of the administration.”

MRC analysts reviewed a day of coverage on Friday,

starting with the 4 a.m. Early Start and continuing through
.

370
 Putin Says Can Prove
Trump Did Not Pass Russia Secrets
By Reuters
May 17, 2017 AT 9:17 AM Last Updated: May 17, 2017 4:20 pm

A Kremlin aide, Yuri Ushakov, later told reporters that

Moscow had in its possession a written record of the
conversation, not an audio recording.

Complaining about what he said were signs of “political

schizophrenia” in the United States, Putin said Trump was
not being allowed to do his job properly.

“It’s hard to imagine what else can these people

who generate such nonsense and rubbish can
dream up next,” said Putin.
SOCHI, Russia—Russian President Vladimir Putin said on
Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump had not “What surprises me is that they are shaking up
passed on any secrets to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei the domestic political situation using anti-Russian
Lavrov during a meeting in Washington last week and that slogans. Either they don’t understand the
he could prove it. damage they’re doing to their own country, in
which case they are simply stupid, or they
understand everything, in which case they are
Speaking at a news conference alongside Italian Prime dangerous and corrupt.”
Minister Paolo Gentiloni in the Black Sea resort of Sochi,
Putin quipped that Lavrov was remiss for not passing on
what he made clear he believed were non-existent secrets. Two U.S. officials said on Monday that Trump had
disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov about a
planned Islamic State operation, plunging the White House
“I spoke to him (Lavrov) today,” said Putin with a into another controversy just months into Trump’s short
smile. “I’ll be forced to issue him with a tenure in office.
reprimand because he did not share these
secrets with us. Not with me, nor with
representatives of Russia’s intelligence services. Russia has repeatedly said that anti-Russian politicians in
It was very bad of him.” the United States are using groundless fears of closer ties
with Moscow to sabotage any rapprochement and damage
Trump in the process.
Putin, who said Moscow rated Lavrov’s meeting with
Trump “highly,” said Russia was ready to hand a transcript
of Trump’s meeting with Lavrov over to U.S. lawmakers if
that would help reassure them.

371
 Trump Campaign Said To Have
18 Previously Undisclosed Russia Contacts: Reuters
by Tyler Durden
May 18, 2017 6:05 AM

Just when it seemed that Trump was about to put the expect, early traders were transfixed by it, and have sent
Russian allegations in the rearview mirror, if only for the risk sliding to session lows.
time being, thanks to the appointment of special counsel
Robert Mueller tasked with overseeing the federal Here are some more details from Reuters:
investigation into Russian interference in the 2016
election, this morning Reuters reported citing "familiar
Six of the previously undisclosed contacts
sources" that "Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald
described to Reuters were phone calls between
Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials
Kislyak and Trump advisers, including Flynn,
and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails
Trump’s first national security adviser, three
during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race."
current and former officials said. Conversations
Specifically, the 18 calls and electronic messages took between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after
place between April and November 2016, a period that is the Nov. 8 vote as the two discussed
already in the public domain as being the focus of ongoing
establishing a back channel for
investigations, focusing on Flynn and Trump's ex-advisor communication between Trump and Russian
Paul Manafort. President Vladimir Putin that could bypass
the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which
According to the Reuters sources, both sides considered hostile to improved
relations, four current U.S. officials said.
"in the conversations during the campaign,
Russian officials emphasized a pragmatic, Furthermore, Reuters also notes that while
business-style approach and stressed to
Trump associates that they could make deals "contact with foreign officials during a campaign
by focussing on common economic and was not unusual, the number of interactions
other interests and leaving contentious between Trump aides and Russian officials and
issues aside" others with links to Putin was exceptional."

On the surface the story is a recap of what is already “It’s rare to have that many phone calls to foreign
known: as Reuters itself points out inside the report, these officials, especially to a country we consider an
previously undisclosed interactions "form part of the adversary or a hostile power,”
record now being reviewed by FBI and congressional
investigators" which has now culminated with the Richard Armitage, a Republican and former deputy
appointment of a special counsel: one way or another, if secretary of state, told Reuters.
Trump indeed colluded with Russia, as the daily barrage of
media reports suggests, we will know shortly. Reuters adds that these "discussions focused on mending
U.S.-Russian economic relations strained by sanctions
Furthermore, as Reuters also explicitly states, the sources imposed on Moscow, cooperating in fighting Islamic State
in Syria and containing a more assertive China." Some
"had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or further details:
collusion between the campaign and Russia
in the communications reviewed so far", In addition to the six phone calls involving Kislyak, the
communications described to Reuters involved another 12
something which various FBI personnel have confirmed on calls, emails or text messages between Russian officials or
more than one occasions under oath. people considered to be close to Putin and Trump
campaign advisers. One of those contacts was by Viktor
Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch and politician,
However, it's a Russia story, it has details, it names Trump according to one person with detailed knowledge of the
(and it's not from the WaPo or NYT) so as one would exchange and two others familiar with the issue.

372
It was not clear with whom Medvedchuk was in contact On the Ukraine angle, it is likely that Medvedchuk
within the Trump campaign but the themes included U.S.- communications took place with Paul Manafort, who was
Russia cooperation, the sources said. Putin is godfather to fired by Trump long ago. As for Flynn, who is the only
Medvedchuk’s daughter. Medvedchuk denied having any campaign individual "unmasked" as part of the revelations,
contact with anyone in the Trump campaign. he too was sacked by Trump just three weeks into Trump's
administration.
"I am not acquainted with any of Donald Trump's
close associates, therefore no such conversation At its core, the Reuters report is a recap of what is already
could have taken place," he said in an email to known, while putting some numbers to already known
Reuters. communications between the Trump campaign and various
Russian individuals. As to whether this is a smoking gun,
Beyond Medvedchuk and Kislyak, the identities of the the good news is that with Mueller now supervising the
other Putin-linked participants in the contacts remain probe, an answer will be provided in the not too distant
classified and the names of Trump advisers other than future.
Flynn have been “masked” in intelligence reports on the
contacts because of legal protections on their privacy as Expect an imminent response from the White House as
American citizens. However, officials can request that they well as something from Trump himself, who has been
be revealed for intelligence purposes. surprisingly quiet on Twitter over the past 24 hours.

373
 Articles Of Impeachment
For Donald J. Trump
By Phillip Carter, Slate
18 May 17

like clashing with Congress over Reconstruction,

commanding the Watergate break-in, or testimonial
perjury. In Trump’s case, there is ample evidence for both
the more general violations and the more specific abuses,
much of them admitted by the president through his own
indelicate tweets (including admissions Tuesday morning
regarding the passing of classified information to the
Russians).

Even if Republicans won’t act, Democrats, like House Intelligence

So what might an impeachment bill against President
Committee ranking member Adam Schiff, should make their
intentions clear. (photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
Trump include?

A first draft of an impeachment bill for the president. The Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton
impeachment bills used common language to put their
specific violations in context. Any Trump articles of
he framers of our Constitution likely never imagined a impeachment should also include such language at the start
President like Donald J. Trump. And yet, they inserted of each article:
impeachment provisions into the original text of the
Constitution, some 230 years ago, to empower Congress to In his conduct while president of the United States, Donald
act in case a rube, tyrant, or criminal came to occupy the J. Trump, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully
nation’s highest office. to execute the office of president of the United States and,
to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the
It’s not crystal clear which Trump might be, but the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his
president’s latest outrageous actions—the reported passing constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully
of highly classified intelligence to Russian diplomats in the executed, has engaged in conduct that resulted in misuse
Oval Office—should awake Republicans and Democrats in and abuse of his high office:
Congress to the dangers posed by Trump to the nation in
case that wasn’t already obvious. His conduct now goes far Beyond this preamble, the Trump impeachment bill might
beyond mere offense or incitement to constitute actual include, but not be limited to, the following articles:
damage to U.S. national security, the very definition of
“high crimes and misdemeanors” contemplated by the men Article 1: Compromising the integrity of the presidency
who crafted the Constitution’s impeachment clauses. With through continuing violation of the Constitution’s
this latest act, the time has come to commence the slow, Emoluments Clause. From his first day in office, Trump’s
deliberate process of demonstrating that Trump needs to be continuing stake in Trump Organization businesses has
removed from office so he can harm the nation no more. A violated the clause of the Constitution proscribing federal
broad congressional inquiry should begin immediately, to officials from receiving foreign payments. The true and
inform drafters who will prepare articles of impeachment full extent of Trump’s conflicts of interest remains
for consideration by the House and Senate. While unknown. For his part, Trump has transferred day-to-day
Republican control of Congress means that such control over these interests to his adult children and the
proceedings won’t occur anytime soon, it’s clear that they management of the Trump Organization. However, he
are warranted. We don’t yet know for certain what remains the ultimate beneficiary for these businesses, so
precisely such an investigation would yield, but there is the fundamental conflict of interest remains. These foreign
enough public information already available to roughly business ties violate both the letter and spirit of the
map out what such articles of impeachment might—and Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, and arguably provide
probably should—look like. the clearest basis for impeachment based on the facts and
law.
Historically, impeachment articles have focused on broad
violations of constitutional duty and specific discrete acts

374
Article 2: Violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully sins, the president threatened Comey on Twitter with
execute the duties of his office by disregarding U.S. disclosure of “tapes” of their conversations. This follows a
interests and pursuing the interests of a hostile foreign pattern of Trump roughly treating witnesses and litigation
power, to wit, Russia. L’affaire Russia began during adversaries that stretches back for decades before his
Trump’s campaign for the presidency, during which presidency. Since taking office, Trump has also used the
several top aides reportedly had contacts with Russia and bully pulpit of his office to threaten intelligence officials
its intelligence service. His campaign manager also had for purported leaks and badger former Yates before her
reportedly worked either directly or indirectly for the congressional testimony. In addition to falling beneath the
Kremlin. These contacts continued, famously, into the dignity of the presidency, these verbal assaults also
presidential transition, when the president’s chosen constitute obstruction of justice, prohibited by federal
national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had his ill-fated statutes on witness intimidation, retaliation against a
contacts with Russia. Beyond these contacts, Trump has witness, and obstruction of federal proceedings. These
substantively acted in myriad ways that benefit Russia, attacks don’t just harm the individuals who are targeted;
including dangerous diplomacy that has reportedly frayed they assault and undermine the rule of law. As such, they
relationships with our allies and allegedly put allied constitute further grounds for impeachment of Trump and
intelligence assets at risk. By offering classified his removal from the presidency.
information to the Russians, it was reported that Trump
risked the intelligence assets of a Middle Eastern ally that Article 5: Undermining of his office and the Constitution
already warned American officials that it would stop through repeated assaults on the integrity of the federal
sharing such information with America if that information judiciary and its officers. During the presidential
was shared too widely. In risking that relationship, Trump campaign, Trump publicly attacked federal district Judge
has opened up the possibility for the loss of that Gonzalo Curiel on the basis of his ethnicity, saying Curiel
information stream for combatting terrorism, and had been “extremely hostile to (Trump),” and that the
potentially put American lives at risk from the loss of judge had ruled against Trump because of his “Mexican
intelligence that could inform officials about future attacks heritage.” Since taking office, Trump has continued his
on Americans at home and abroad. unpresidential assaults on the federal judiciary, particularly
after repeatedly losing court battles over his travel bans. At
Article 3: Impairment and obstruction of inquiries by the one point, he described a member of the bench as a “so-
Justice Department and Congress into the extent of the called judge,” undermining the premise of an independent
Trump administration’s conflicts of interests and Russia judiciary. These statements also undermined both the
ties. The Trump administration has systematically dignity and power of the presidency, and threaten the rule
impeded, avoided, or obstructed the machinery of justice of law by attacking the integrity of the federal judiciary.
to obscure its business relationships, its Russia ties, and the
forces acting within the Trump White House to animate Article 6: Demeaning the integrity of government and its
policy. The most egregious and visible examples have public servants, particularly the military and intelligence
been Trump’s firings of Acting Attorney General Sally agencies, in contravention of his constitutional duties to
Yates and FBI Director James Comey. [Update, 6:18 p.m.: serve as chief executive and commander in chief of the
The New York Times reported on Tuesday afternoon on an armed forces. Trump swept into office with considerable
even more egregious case of apparent obstruction of disdain for the government and its military. Indeed, during
justice, wherein Trump allegedly directly asked Comey to his campaign, he insulted former prisoners of war, Purple
end the FBI's investigation of Michael Flynn.] Each Heart recipients, and Gold Star families; criticized the
termination had what appeared to be a lawful pretext; military for its performance in Iraq; and said today’s
subsequent statements or admissions have indicated each generals and admirals had been “reduced to rubble” during
had more to do with obstructing justice than holding the Obama administration. Trump carried this disdain into
leaders accountable. Alongside these sackings, the Trump the presidency, through his attacks on the “deep state” of
administration has also worked to starve Justice military and intelligence officials that he believed to be
Department inquiries of resources and refocus obstructing his agenda. He also demeaned the military and
investigators on suspected leaks instead of the White its apolitical ethos through use of military fora and
House’s own Russia intrigues. The Trump administration audiences as public spectacle—first to sign his
also interfered with congressional inquiries through immigration order in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes, and
attempting to block witnesses like Yates from appearing or then to deliver rambling speeches at military and
selective leaking of classified information to House intelligence headquarters suggesting that pro-Trump
Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, compromising Nunes elements in those agencies were grateful Trump had taken
so badly he had to recuse himself from the matter. power. Trump has also continued to wage political war
against his intelligence community, suggesting as recently
Article 4: Undermining of the American judicial system as Tuesday morning that it was sabotaging his
through felonious intimidation of potential witnesses. In administration through leaking and other nefarious
his desire to continue Comey’s public humiliation, and activities. In doing these things, Trump has undermined his
ensure Comey remained silent about Trump’s possible

375
constitutional office as president and commander in chief its failures. Together, the totality of Trump’s
of the armed forces. malfeasance—once proven after a rigorous investigation—
would likely make clear that he “warrants impeachment
Article 7: Dereliction of his constitutional duty to and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to
faithfully execute the office of president by failing to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the
timely appoint officers of the United States to administer United States,” to quote from the bill of impeachment
the nation’s federal agencies. Shortly after taking office, passed against President Clinton.
Trump administration strategist Stephen Bannon
articulated his plan for the “deconstruction of the The time has come for Congress to act and for leaders on
administrative state.” During its first four months in office, both sides of the aisle to put country before party and
the Trump administration’s neglect of governance politics. Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Mitch
illustrates how this strategy is to be executed: delay of McConnell ought to, in cooperation with Democratic
political appointments, failure to reach budget agreements leaders, begin the sequence of events that would likely
with Congress in a timely manner, and deliberate neglect lead to impeachment and removal proceedings for Trump.
of governance and government operations. These actions Given that this is unlikely, Democrats should make clear
and failures risk the health, welfare, and security of the of their intentions to do what is necessary under our
nation, and represent a dereliction of Trump’s Constitution should they win back control of the House of
constitutional duty to faithfully execute the office of the Representatives in 2018. This process should be as full,
presidency. fair, and transparent as our Constitution requires. Anything
less would demean and harm the country even more than
Any one of the offenses above could constitute the basis Trump has already done.
for rigorous investigation of the Trump White House and
.

376
 Banana Republic Antics in Washington
By Stephen Lendman
5-18-2017

What’s going on is shocking and appalling - how banana In appointing Mueller, Deputy Attorney General
republics operate. Rosenstein explained his

The term refers to politically unstable and repressive “decision is not the finding that crimes have been
countries where a privileged few have a disproportionate committed or that any prosecution is warranted. I
share of wealth and power, where ordinary people are have made no such determination.”
exploited, many persecuted, where a police state apparatus
enforces control, where nonbelievers face gulag No evidence suggests it, including a Comey memo, no one
imprisonment. outside the Justice Department has seen if it exists as
portrayed, alleging Trump asked the then-FBI director to
It’s a plutocracy run by a criminal class, bipartisan in drop the Michael Flynn investigation.
America, complicit with corporate predators. It’s
gangsterism run for personal gain at the expense of the A White House statement stressed
general welfare.
“the president has never asked Mr. Comey or
It’s what US governance is all about, fantasy democracy, anyone else to end any investigation, including
fundamental freedoms disappearing in plain sight - tyranny any investigation involving General Flynn.”
headed toward becoming full-blown.
In response to Mueller’s appointment, Trump said “a
Trump’s domestic and geopolitical policies warrant strong thorough investigation will confirm what we already
criticism. Instead he’s targeted for the wrong reasons, a know. There was no collusion between my campaign and
moving train heading toward removing him for office one any foreign entity. I look forward to this matter concluding
way or another if things continue on their present course - quickly.”
a shocking indictment of a debauched system.
Claims otherwise are
Russian expert Steven Cohen calls assaulting him a threat
to national security “beyond belief.” “not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the
conversation between (himself) and Mr. Comey.”
His Oval Office discussion with Sergey Lavrov and
ambassador Sergey Kislyak was part of his job - not Suggestions of obstruction of justice are way overblown. It
improper dealings with representatives of another country, involves attempting to impede or interfere with the judicial
not an act of treason. system and due process of law, including actions to
prevent disclosure of damaging or criminal information.
No transmittal of secret classified information occurred,
nothing justifying criticism and hysteria. Guilt depends on having knowledge of an investigation
and attempting to improperly influence it. No evidence so
During his Wednesday Coast Guard Academy address to far suggests it, just differing versions of what may or may
graduates, Trump was right, saying “(n)o politician in (US) not have happened.
history…has been treated worse and more unfairly” than
himself. In US judicial proceedings, beyond a reasonable doubt is
the highest standard of proof required - especially
The witch-hunt investigation into possible improper important in criminal cases where lives and welfare are at
dealings by him, his team, and/or campaign with Russia is stake.
an embarrassment to legitimate governance. So is falsely
accusing Moscow of US election hacking, no evidence Most important is the fate of the nation. Removing a
suggesting any of the above. president unjustly is how despotic banana republics
operate - America on course toward replacing the republic
Yet the witch-hunt persists, former FBI director Robert with full-blown tyranny.
Mueller appointed as special counsel to head it - part of the
scheme to remove Trump from office based on phony Maybe nuclear war on Russia, China and Iran will follow
allegations and accusations. under new leadership - the three leading independent states
dark forces in Washington want eliminated.

377
 Comey-Probing Congressman
Announces Early Resignation From Politics
By Tyler Durden
May 18, 2017 11:17 AM

Juat a month after comments that he had begun exploring

employment possibilities outside of Congress, Politico Multiple sources say he will leave Congress on June 30.
reports Rep. Jason Chaffetz is expected announce today
that he is resigning before the end of this congressional Chaffetz, 50, is chairman of the House Oversight and
term, according to three sources familiar with his plans. Government Reform Committee, the top investigative
body in the chamber.
He recently subpoenaed James Comey's
memos, and invited the fired FBI director to
testify next week before his panel.

Additionally, the U.S. prosecutor overseeing price-fixing

probes is said to step-down...(via Bloomberg)

Brent Snyder, the head of criminal enforcement at the U.S.

Justice Department’s antitrust division, is stepping down,
according to two people familiar with the matter.

As Politico details, Chaffetz did not respond to a request

for comment Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
.

378
 Putin Accused Of Bribing Trump
By Stephen Lendman
5-18-2017

You have to be delusional to believe it, neocon Senate supporting his ousting as president even though
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R. CA) making the Republican leadership maintains public support.
baseless accusation, saying:
For how long remains open to question. After balking for
“There’s two people I think Putin pays: (Rep. Dana) months, maybe they’ll agree with calls for a special
Rohrabacher and Trump,” according to a June 15, 2016 prosecutor and independent commission to investigate
recorded discussion with other Republicans, including alleged Trump/Russia ties - despite no evidence suggesting
Speaker Paul Ryan. any, baseless allegations and accusations alone.

It followed talks on Capitol Hill with putschist Ukrainian A Rohrabacher spokesman said he supports “working
prime minister Vladimir Groysman, bashing Russia closer with the Russians to combat radical Islamism. The
irresponsibly, claiming the Kremlin bribes politicians to congressman doesn’t need to be paid to come to such a
serve its interests. necessary conclusion.”

It was around the time Moscow was falsely accused of Anyone in Washington supporting improved relations with
hacking last year’s US presidential election, McCarthy Russia for any reason, including to combat terrorism,
joining the chorus of Russia bashers. automatically becomes targeted for vilification.

Irresponsibly saying Trump was bribed puts him on the Trump suggesting it got himself marked for removal. He’s
wrong side of good governance, maybe covertly fighting for his political life, a battle he may lose.
.

379
 Trump: Russia Probe Is Greatest
Witch Hunt Of A Politician In US History
Published Time: 18 May, 2017 12:03 Edited Time: 18 May, 2017 15:57

Trump reiterated his innocence on Wednesday, saying in a

statement that a

“thorough investigation will confirm what we

already know – there was no collusion between
my campaign and any foreign entity.”

Trump is also facing allegations that he leaked highly

classified information to Russian officials during a meeting
in the US capital last week.

The West Wing White House in Washington, US © Jonathan Ernst / That claim has been denied by both Washington and
Reuters Moscow, with Russian President Vladimir Putin offering
on Wednesday to release the records of the meeting, while
US President Donald Trump says he is the victim of the accusing the US of developing “political schizophrenia.”
“single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American
history,” in an apparent reference to the investigation 'No evidence Russia influencing voter tallies
regarding the president’s alleged ties with Russia. in...50 states' - US ex-intel chief
https://t.co/7FSbg5r1ni
This is the single greatest witch hunt of a
politician in American history! — RT America (@RT_America) May 8, 2017

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May Earlier this week, the Washington Post published a report
18, 2017 claiming that Trump had

He went on to speak about “illegal acts” that took place “revealed highly classified information to the
during Hillary Clinton’s campaign and throughout the Russian foreign minister [Sergey Lavrov] and
Obama administration, noting that there was ambassador in a White House meeting,”
allegedly related to Islamic State (IS, formerly
“never a special councel (sic) appointed.” ISIS/ISIL).

It comes just one day after the US Justice Department While Trump has said the “facts” discussed included
named former FBI chief Robert Mueller as special counsel terrorism and airline flight safety, which he had an
to investigate alleged Russian interference in the US “absolute right” to discuss with Russia, Lavrov on
election and possible collusion between Trump’s campaign Thursday was also asked to comment on the matter.
and Moscow.
“We do not comment on gossip, but we do read
Trump’s tweets follow similar words from the president on [US] newspapers,” Lavrov told the media in
Wednesday, in which he said that no politician Cyprus. “If I remember rightly, around a month-
and-a-half or two months ago, the Trump
“has been treated worse or more unfairly.” administration decided to ban passengers from
seven Middle Eastern countries from carrying
Mueller will have sweeping powers and the authority to any electronic devices on board... I don't
prosecute any crimes he uncovers during the investigation, understand where the secret is.”
according to AP.

380
 NYT Praise For
Witch-Hunt Investigations
By Stephen Lendman
5-18-17

Anti-Trump dark forces in Washington want him Times editors: Mueller is charged with revealing the truth
denigrated, weakened and ousted from office, puppet about suspicions that reach into the highest levels of the
leadership they control replacing him. Trump campaign and White House.”

That’s what the hysterical climate is all about, inventing Fact: Charges and allegations are baseless. No evidence
stuff to render him too damaged to continue as president - suggests wrongdoing.
an unrelenting, media supported, onslaught greater than
anyone can withstand. Time editors: Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein “has
done the nation a service in choosing Mr. Mueller one of
Media scoundrels support what demands condemnation. the few people with the experience, stature and reputation
The NYT is Trump’s leading antagonist, disgracing itself to see the job through.”
more than already, serving as press agent for powerful
interests at the expense of journalism the way it should be - Fact: Just societies reject witch-hunt investigations. The
absent on issues mattering most. FBI, CIA, NSA and DHS comprise the national Gestapo,
serving powerful interests at the expense of justice.
Its editors hailed the appointment of former FBI director
Robert Mueller as special counsel in charge of Times editors urge congressional witch-hunt investigations
investigating possible Trump/Russia ties. No evidence and a separate independent commission, along with what
suggests any, just phony allegations, including fabricated Mueller will pursue - part of the plot they hope will oust
claims of Russia US election hacking. Trump from office.

Deplorable events in Washington are unprecedented in US What’s ongoing is a national disgrace, the shame of the
history, an assault on the republic, on the remaining nation, how despotic regimes operate.
vestiges of freedom, things heading toward full-blown
tyranny - with full support and encouragement from dark The only solution is nonviolent revolution, the only way to
media scoundrels, notably The NYT - serving change America’s deplorable state - from the bottom up,
Machiavellian pure evil. never top down.

381
 Tapping Ex-FBI Head To Lead
Russia Probe Likely To Hurt Russia-US Ties
© REUTERS/ Jason Reed/File Photo - Politics
14:05 18.05.2017

Deplorable events in Washington are unprecedented in US

history, an assault on the republic, on the remaining
vestiges of freedom, things heading toward full-blown
tyranny - with full support and encouragement from dark
media scoundrels, notably The NYT - serving
Machiavellian pure evil.

Times editors: Mueller is charged with revealing the truth

about suspicions that reach into the highest levels of the
Trump campaign and White House.”

Fact: Charges and allegations are baseless. No evidence

The former FBI director's appointment as head of the US investigation
into Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 US election may
suggests wrongdoing.
negatively affect US-Russian relations if it leads to Donald Trump's
decision to deny any bilateral cooperation plans, including the fight Time editors: Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein
against terror, Russian senior lawmaker Victor Ozerov, told Sputnik
Thursday. “has done the nation a service in choosing Mr.
Mueller one of the few people with the
Anti-Trump dark forces in Washington want him experience, stature and reputation to see the job
denigrated, weakened and ousted from office, puppet through.”
leadership they control replacing him.
Fact: Just societies reject witch-hunt investigations. The
That’s what the hysterical climate is all about, inventing FBI, CIA, NSA and DHS comprise the national Gestapo,
stuff to render him too damaged to continue as president - serving powerful interests at the expense of justice.
an unrelenting, media supported, onslaught greater than
anyone can withstand. Times editors urge congressional witch-hunt investigations
and a separate independent commission, along with what
Media scoundrels support what demands condemnation. Mueller will pursue - part of the plot they hope will oust
The NYT is Trump’s leading antagonist, disgracing itself Trump from office.
more than already, serving as press agent for powerful
interests at the expense of journalism the way it should be - What’s ongoing is a national disgrace, the shame of the
absent on issues mattering most. nation, how despotic regimes operate.

Its editors hailed the appointment of former FBI director The only solution is nonviolent revolution, the only way to
Robert Mueller as special counsel in charge of change America’s deplorable state - from the bottom up,
investigating possible Trump/Russia ties. No evidence never top down.
suggests any, just phony allegations, including fabricated
claims of Russia US election hacking.
.

382
 Trump Team Knew About FBI
Probe Into Flynn Before Naming Him Top Security Aide
© AP Photo/ Drew Angerer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA - US
08:29 18.05.2017G

The newspaper suggested that the president-elect knew

about the investigation, which probed the Flynn Intel
Group’s contract with a Dutch firm owned by a Turkish
businessman to run a campaign to allegedly discredit US-
based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara
for staging the 2016 failed coup.

Flynn was forced to resign after only 24 days in office. He

has since been at the center of accusations against Trump
over his campaign’s alleged ties to Russia after he
purportedly discussed US sanctions on Russia with its
envoy to the United States, Sergey Kislyak.

Last week, Trump fired FBI director James Comey, raising

claims of a cover-up. An explosive report emerged in the
New York Times this Tuesday suggesting the US president
had asked Comey to close the probe into Flynn’s links
to Russia.
Donald Trump’s team knew about an FBI probe into Michael Flynn’s
lobbying work for the Turkish government before giving him the job of
the national security adviser, US media said Wednesday. Russia has repeatedly denied US claims that it meddled
in the 2016 presidential vote, calling such allegations
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Officials familiar with the matter absurd. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
told the New York Times that the disclosure was made Moscow did not have official contacts with Trump's team
to the transition team’s chief lawyer on January 4, two during the campaign.
weeks before Trump’s inauguration.
.

383
 Mike Flynn Refuses
To Honor Senate Subpoena
By Tyler Durden
May 18, 2017 1:55 PM

Just a few short days after receiving a subpoena from the

Senate Intelligence Committee, requesting documents CNN also reported that the FBI had also issued subpoenas
relevant to the Committee's investigation into Russian relating to Flynn's business records, so the ousted National
interference with the 2016 election, AP reports that Security Adviser is now at at the center of both
Senator Burr, the top Republican on the committee, says investigations, although as disclosed, he did not comply
that Michael Flynn's lawyers say he will not honor with the committee's earlier request.
subpoena.
And today we get confirmation from Senator Burr, via AP,
that Michael Flynn's lawyers say he will not honor
subpoena.

This is perhaps not entirely surprising given Yahoo's

reporting that late last month, fired National Security
Adviser Michael Flynn—under investigation by federal
prosecutors, with his lawyer seeking immunity for him to
testify to Congress–met with a small group of loyalists at a
restaurant in the northern Virginia suburbs.

Saddled with steep legal bills, Flynn wanted to reconnect

with old friends and talk about potential future business
opportunities. But one overriding question among those
present were his views on the president who had fired him
Last week, in a joint statement from Commttee chair as national security advisor. Flynn left little doubt about
Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and ranking member Mark Warner the answer.
(D-Va.) the committee disclosed that it had first requested
the documents in an April 28 letter to Flynn, but he Not only did he remain loyal to President
"declined" to cooperate with the request. Trump, he indicated he and the president
were still in communication. “I just got a
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence message from the president to stay strong,”
today issued a subpoena for former National Flynn said after the meal was over, according
Security Advisor Lieutenant General Michael to two sources who are close to Flynn and are
Flynn. The subpoena requests documents familiar with the conversation, which took place
relevant to the Committee's investigation into on April 25.
Russian interference with the 2016 election.
The Committee first requested these documents We are sure Democratic leadership will have some great
in an April 28, 2017 letter to Lieutenant soundbites soon (of course, forgeting Hillary-related
General Flynn, but he declined, through obfuscations of various government subpoenas during the
counsel, to cooperate with the Committee's election campaign).
request.
.

384
 US Air Strikes Pound Pro-Assad Forces In Syria
Fox News
Published May 18, 2017

The U.S. military launched fresh air strikes against pro- "We're not increasing our role in the Syrian civil
Assad troops in Syria after they ignored repeated warnings war but we will defend our troops, and that is a
from both coalition and Russian forces, officials told Fox coalition element made up of more than just U.S.
News Thursday. troops, and so we'll defend ourselves," Mattis
said. "If people take aggressive steps against us,
The Syrian forces, in several vehicles including at least and that's been a going in, a policy of ours for a
one tank, were near the Jordanian border and deemed a long time."
threat to coalition partners on the ground, a Pentagon
official said. They were repeatedly ordered to stop their The U.S. and Russia, which is allied with the pro-Assad
advance toward a de-escalation zone, but ignored the forces, have established buffer zones around their separate
warning, officials said. areas of operation to avoid collateral damage. Each side
has agreed to notify the other if the deploy forces within
"The coalition commander assessed the threat the buffer zones.
and after shows of force didn't stop the regime
forces and those forces refused to move out of In this case, an official told The Associated Press, Russia
the deconfliction zone, the commander on the tried multiple times to contact the Syrian forces. It was at
ground called for the air strike as a matter of that point that U.S. and coalition jets escalated their
force protection," a senior U.S. defense official warnings.
told Fox News.
"We conducted a show of force. We conducted
Another military source told The Associated Press it warning shots. All to no avail," the official said.
appeared the Syrian forces were poised to attack an area
that included U.S. advisers. The American strikes were the first against Assad
positions since the Pentagon rained 57 Tomahawk missiles
"They were building a fighting position" about 55 on the Shayrat air base near Homs. But the strikes
kilometers from a U.S.-coalition base close to At confirmed Thursday were believed to be the first targeting
Tanf, where advisers train members of the Syrian Syrian personnel.
Democratic Forces and Syrian Arab Coalition,
the second official said. The attack on forces does not reflect an escalation, the
Pentagon official said.
Defense Secretary James Mattis briefly addressed the
strikes Thursday during a meeting with Swedish Defense "There is no change in policy," the official said.
minister Peter Hultqvist.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
.

385
 Liberal Activists Organizing
Nationwide Impeachment Marches
Peter Hasson - Associate Editor
2:33 PM 05/18/2017

Liberal activists are ramping up the pressure on Congress “Donald Trump has been in violation of the
to impeach President Donald Trump. Constitution from the day he was sworn into the
office of President. The Constitution gives the
The increased pressure comes as the White House has been House of Representatives the sole power to
hit with a series of damaging leaks regarding Trump’s impeach an official, and it makes the Senate the
relationship with former FBI director James Comey, whom sole court for impeachment trials,” a description
Trump abruptly fired last week. for the Impeachment March reads. “It is time that
congressional representatives do their job and
start the process to impeach this president. We
Trump reportedly asked Comey to let go of his
believe president Trump has committed
investigation into former national security adviser Michael
constitutional breaches, consistently lied,
Flynn, according to a memo Comey authored after meeting
cheated, and enforces laws that primarily benefit
with the president in the Oval Office. Part of the memo
him and his billionaire friends at the expense of
was leaked to the New York Times by one of Comey’s
the country.”
associates after Trump fired the unpopular FBI director.

Other left-wing activist organizations are also pressuring

One group of activists is organizing nationwide
Congress to impeach the president, less than four months
“Impeachment Marches” on July 2 to pressure
into his term.
congressional representatives to “do their job and start the
process to impeach this president.”
“This latest move by the Trump administration is
too little, too late. With each passing day, we are
learning of new ways in which Donald Trump is
placing our country and our institutions in greater
danger. Mueller was appointed by the same man
who gave Trump cover for firing Comey, and his
chain of command leads back to Donald Trump
himself,” said Charles Chamberlain, executive
director of left-wing advocacy group Democracy
for America.
“We cannot afford to have Congress sit back and
watch this play out the same way it just did, with
Trump and his stooges obstructing another
investigation into their corruption and high
U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence (R) attend crimes. Congress needs to act now to impeach
a ceremonial swearing-in for U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Trump, the first step of which is empowering a
Kelly at Homeland Security headquarters in Washington, U.S., January committee to do its own investigation into
25, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst impeachable offenses.” (RELATED: Trump
Impeachment Talk Started Before He Was
The organizers of the Impeachment March were Even Nominated)
also behind the Tax Day protests against Trump’s
withholding of his tax returns. The marches are set to take Some Democratic representatives have already begun
place in at least 14 cities across the country, although that calling for impeachment.
number may grow as frustration continues to build with the
scandals surrounding the White House. The Impeachment
California Rep. Maxine Waters raised the impeachment
March in Los Angeles has already received more than
issue before Trump ever took office, and has continued to
11,000 confirmed attendees, according to the event’s
do so since then, even leading a crowd in a chant to
Facebook page.
impeach the president. Waters’ colleagues are beginning to

386
follow suit — 24 House representatives have now That same day, Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green became
discussed impeaching Trump, according to CNN’s count. the first congressman to call for Trump’s impeachment on
the House floor.
A spokesperson for New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat told
CNN that “Rep. Espaillat is calling for Trump’s “Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. I
impeachment.” rise today with a sense of responsibility and duty
to the people who have elected me, sense of
New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne Jr. said in a statement duty to this country, a sense of duty to the
Wednesday that “All options — including impeachment — Constitution of the United States of America,”
should be on the table for President Trump.” Green said. “I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to call for
the impeachment of the President of the United
States of America.”
.

387
 This email has also been verified by Google DKIM 2048-bit RSA key

Re: Wash Post story -- Sorry to write this on a Saturday night

From:[email protected] To: [email protected] CC: [email protected] Date: 2015-02-22 21:20 Subject:
Re: Wash Post story -- Sorry to write this on a Saturday night

I agree--when we have press staff, this will be MUCH easier. And I would love an example being made. On Sun, Feb 22, 2015
at 6:12 PM, John Podesta <[email protected]> wrote: > Agree. Happy to talk to the David's. Call me crazy, but I think
if we can > survive the next month, it will be possible, maybe even straightforward to > get our arms around this once there is
an actual campaign. I'm definitely > for making an example of a suspected leaker whether or not we have any real > basis for
it. > > JP > --Sent from my iPad-- > [email protected] > For scheduling: [email protected] > > On Feb 22, 2015, at
5:56 PM, Joel Benenson <[email protected]> wrote: > > John, > > We are in massive agreement that we need a strategy
and process now to > enable and disable as you say and I think this is worth spending some time > making it practicable. I
would strongly recommend either one of you or > both talking with Plouffe about he and Axe created that culture from the >
start in 07. > > > > Here are some thoughts but I realize this topic will take a dedicated > conversation to figure out what will
work. > > > > I do believe that this starts with alignment on our campaign culture and a > paradigm shift in the old Clinton
M.O. I know HRC believes the more > people you talk to the better but it simply isn’t. Especially for her. We > really need to
tighten who she talks to and make sure that Huma/schedulers > route most people through high level folks on the campaign
so that they are > being listened to. > > > > I think Robby rightly says that a lot of our leaks are coming through job > searches
we’re doing. I think every conversation has to either begin or > end by telling people if you’re name appears in print as a
result of the > conversations the job is off the table. > > > > I think we have to make examples now of people who have
violated the trust > of HRC and the rest of the team. People going forward need to know there > are stiff consequences for
leaking, self-promotion, unauthorized talking > with the press. No one – literally no one talked to the press in either > Obama
campaign without clearing it with campaign brass. > > > > Joel > > > > *From:* John Podesta [mailto:[email protected]
> <[email protected]>] > *Sent:* Sunday, February 22, 2015 10:47 AM > *To:* Joel Benenson > *Cc:* Robby Mook
2015 ([email protected]) > *Subject:* Re: Wash Post story -- Sorry to write this on a Saturday night > > > > Joel, > >
I generally agree with the point, but we need a strategy on this that goes > beyond internal discipline. This story could have
been written without any > of these big mouths blabbing. The mere involvement of Wendy gave them > license to write this.
The only thing in the story that indicated that > someone on the inside was talking was the reference to the H, although one >
of Peter Sealey's big clients is Coke so we probably know where that came > from. We can and should try to shut this down,
but it is going to be tough > until we get to a point where someone can actually talk on behalf of the > campaign. One
particular challenge is Spence. He's worked with them for 40 > years. He's like Harold Ickes-Reporters will think he's inside
even if he's > not. We need a strategy to enable people who are real and disable those > that aren't. > > John > > JP > > --Sent
from my iPad-- > > [email protected] > > For scheduling: [email protected] > > > On Feb 21, 2015, at 10:12 PM,
Joel Benenson <[email protected]> wrote: > > But this is by far the most damaging story and most damaging type of >
story we can have. > > > > The press will love writing these. I did when I was a reporter. > > > > I think we need a paradigm
shift in how this world operates we have to > convince HRC and probably WJC that her meeting with 200 people doesn’t >
help her. Hiring corporate wizards has never been a successful strategy in > campaigns. And anyone whose name is in the
paper 48 hours after they meet > with her needs to be cut off completely from her campaign. . > > > > Almost everyone on
this team that has been assembled has been busting > their tail to make this work and to work against this kind of stuff and >
it’s going to get demoralizing in a hurry. > > > > I’m open to all and any alternatives on how to truly solve this but I > really feel
that when she is back from CA we have to solve this. > > > > Thanks, > > Joel > > > > > > >
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-making-of-hillary-50-marketing-wizards-help-reimagine-clinton-
brand/2015/02/21/bfb01120-b919-11e4-aa05-1ce812b3fdd2_story.html > >
.

388
 Impeachment Odds: Record Bets
Online That Trump Won’t Last Until Year-End
Published Time: 18 May, 2017 10:34 Edited Time: 19 May, 2017 08:37

“We’ve been betting on impeachment for all

recent US presidents but, even at the height of
the Lewinsky scandal, Bill Clinton was only ever
6-1 to be impeached,” Price said, as cited by
brocker.org. Clinton, of course, ultimately was
impeached, though he survived trial and finished
his presidency.

British betting firm Ladbrokes also noted that the bookies

had to cut the price of a Trump impeachment from 11-10
to 4-5, following controversies over Comey’s dismissal.

“Political punters are wondering how many more

scandals can Trump overcome [sic],” Ladbrokes
US President Donald Trump © Yuri Gripas / Reuters spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said in a
statement.
Online wagering sites are taking bets on whether Donald
Trump, mired in controversies over the dismissal of FBI “And despite the short price on offer, money has
Director James Comey, will serve out a full term as the poured in for the president to be impeached,
45th US president or will be impeached before year-end. leaving us with little option but to cut the odds,”
she added.
Political stock market PredictIt is seeing record bets on
contracts about whether Trump would still be president at On Wednesday, US House Oversight Chairman Jason
the end of the year. Chaffetz demanded that the FBI turn over all documents
about communications between Trump and Comey. His
The contract “Will Donald Trump be impeached in request came after the New York Times reported that
2017?” saw its popularity skyrocket after reports of a Trump allegedly asked Comey to shut down the FBI's
memo written by Comey that said Trump had allegedly investigation into national security adviser Michael Flynn,
asked him to shut down the FBI’s inquiry into ties between who stepped down in February over his phone talks with
former NSA Advisor Michael Flynn, national security the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey
adviser to Trump, and Russia. Kislyak.

At its peak on Wednesday, the price of a ‘yes’ contract on Flynn was forced to resign after he “inadvertently
the impeachment question reached a record 33 cents, briefed the Vice President-elect and others with
implying a 33 percent probability that Trump would be incomplete information regarding his phone calls
impeached, as compared to only 7 percent last week. with the Russian Ambassador,”

The UK-based bookmaker Paddy Power said its customers he wrote in his resignation letter. His 24-day run on the
had staked over £5,000 (US$6,470) Trump’s early National Security Committee was the shortest- ever stint as
departure. The odds are currently at 21-10 that Trump is national security adviser.
impeached in 2017.
“If true, these memoranda raise questions as to
Impeachment aside, odds are at 4-6 against Trump's whether the president attempted to influence or
survival of a full first term, Paddy Power spokesman Lee impede the FBI's investigation as it relates to Lt.
Price said. Gen. Flynn,”Chaffetz wrote to acting FBI Director
Andrew McCabe.

389
 How To Impeach The President (Or Not)
It's More Complicated Than You Think And One Method Involves A
Constitutional Amendment Invoked When Presidents Get Colonscopies.
Austin Bragg
May 18, 2017

The vice president and a majority of the cabinet can invoke

the 25th amendment and present a written declaration to
Congress that the president is "unable to discharge the
powers and duties of his office." So what does that mean?
In the past it's been used for things like, "Hey, I'm getting a
colonoscopy, can you cover for me for ,a few hours?" but
now some people want it to mean "I just think this guy is
an asshat." Regardless of the rationale, once those articles
are invoked, the magic wand is waved and the president is
immediately stripped of power. No trial, no witnesses, no
evidence, no votes, just gone.

Of course, the president is going to say, "Hey, I'm totally

Want to get rid of the president? fit for office, get out of my chair." But if the vice president
won't budge, then it goes back to Congress, which will
There are two ways, basically. have three weeks to decide who gets to run things. This
time though, you need two-thirds of the Senate and two-
thirds of the House. Or maybe it's two-thirds of the total
First, find an impeachable offense. According to the
number of members of both the Senate and the House.
Constitution an impeachable offense: treason, bribery, or
Nobody really knows because it's never happened before
"Other High Crimes and Misdemeanors." What counts for
and it'll probably end up going to the Supreme Court
that last part? Nobody knows. Some people say it means
anyway.
bad things only people in high office can do—like
misusing public assets, dereliction of duty, or having sex
and then lying about it. Others say it's any crime or Anyhoo, if enough of them agree that the president is an
misdemeanor at all, even if it has nothing to do with a asshat or whatever, the vice president stays put and the
president's position or power. Did you steal a pen from president is never heard from again. Or, more likely, the
work? Petty theft is a misdemeanor. You should no longer former president goes on twitter and says this was an
be president. extra-judicial coup by Washington insiders and starts a
new civil war. Only this time with bigger guns and planes
and bombs and stuff.
Once you get an impeachable offense, get a majority of
House members to vote in favor of the motion and then go
to trial in the Senate, with the chief justice of the Supreme So maybe we shouldn't decide to get rid of presidents just
Court presiding. After the highest-rated programming in because we hate them and then afterwards figure out how
C-SPAN history, the senators vote. If 67 senators find the to pretend it's the law.
president guilty, he's gone.
About 2 minutes. Written and produced by Austin Bragg.
There is another way, however, without all that messy
legal stuff.
.

390
 Trump: Where Was Special Counsel
For Hillary and Obama?
May 18, 2017

President Trump fired off a series of tweets in which he the Times, Kushner, who had urged Trump to fire FBI
called the investigation into his campaign’s links with Director James Comey, suggested a “counterattack” after
Russia “the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in the announcement.
American history!” He posted, “With all of the illegal acts
that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama When Trump was informed at 5:35 p.m., and his team,
Administration, there was never a special councel [sic] including Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Communications
appointed!” His furious response overturned the White Director Michael Dubke, Kushner, Chief of Staff Reince
House’s spin effort, which claimed that he was reacting Priebus, longtime aide Hope Hicks, Senior Adviser
calmly to the announcement of a special counsel. Kellyanne Conway, and Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon
were all summoned to his office, the Times reports.
A New York Times report published early Thursday
described an account of Trump’s initial response to the Nearly everyone, except Kushner, suggested that Trump
news. Just 30 minutes before the rest of the world knew, take a conciliatory stance and publicly accept Deputy
the White House was informed the Justice Department Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s decision. In the end,
would be appointing a special counsel—with the the White House released a statement declaring the
president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said to be one of the president’s innocence and its hope for a quick
only advisers who wanted to put up a fight. According to investigation.
.

391
 The Ghost Of Mike Flynn
The Retired General’s Short Tenure As National-Security Adviser
Continues To Haunt The White House.
Rosie Gray
May 18, 2017

“Stay strong.”

Trump has exhibited a remarkable amount of loyalty to

Flynn, despite ultimately firing him. Flynn’s ouster came a
full 18 days after the acting attorney general at the time,
Sally Yates, warned the White House that his talks with
Russia made him susceptible to blackmail. Trump was
“stampeded into” firing Flynn, said Roger Stone, a
longtime Trump confidant who is himself under scrutiny in
the Russia probe.

“I think he likes Flynn, and he thinks he did him a

disservice,” Stone said. “On the other hand we
don’t know what Flynn has done, if anything, in
addition to the things we know.”
The ghost of Michael Flynn haunts this White House.
“They got so close during the campaign,” said a
He only served as national-security adviser for 24 days.
senior White House official who was brought on
But Flynn propelled Donald Trump’s fledgling presidency
by Flynn and has stayed after his departure.
into a constant state of accelerating crisis. Some of the key
When Flynn left, “the real person who probably
events of the last two weeks—the firing of FBI Director
took it hardest was the president because
James Comey, Trump’s reported ask to Comey to stop
General Flynn was the person closest to him on
investigating Flynn—lead back directly to the melodrama
national-security matters.”
of Flynn’s brief tenure.
Flynn was asked to resign on February 13 after it was
And the Flynn shoes have continued to drop, one after publicly revealed that he had lied about his contacts with
another: Last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee the Russian ambassador, including to Vice President Mike
issued a subpoena for documents related to Flynn’s contact Pence, who had gone on television defending him. He was
with Russian government officials. NBC News reported on replaced by H.R. McMaster, a decorated and respected
Wednesday evening that Flynn and former Trump
general who cleared out some Flynn appointees but kept
campaign chairman Paul Manafort are now subjects of a others on the National Security Council.
criminal investigation as part of the FBI’s probe into
Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
But Flynn has continued to percolate around the edges of
this administration. On March 31, his lawyer Robert
Also on Wednesday night, a New York Times story Kelner released a statement saying that Flynn would testify
revealed that the Trump transition team knew Flynn was in exchange for immunity. “General Flynn certainly has a
under federal investigation for his clandestine lobbying
story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the
work for the Turkish government even before Trump’s circumstances permit,” Kelner wrote.
inauguration. And McClatchy reported that Flynn, before
the inauguration, was looped into the Obama
Trump “has questioned whether he should have
administration’s plan to partner with Kurdish forces to
fired Flynn,” a source close to the White House
retake Raqqa—and told them to delay it, which happened
told The Atlantic last week. “They don’t know
to align with the wishes of his Turkish clients. Then on
what Flynn's going to say."
Thursday, Yahoo reported that Flynn told friends late last
month that Trump had reached out to him with a message:
Flynn had joined the campaign at a time when many other
Republicans were still steering clear. He wholeheartedly
392
embraced Trumpian politics, famously leading a “lock her perspective to move on—but the institution has
up” chant at the Republican convention. Flynn had come moved on,” the official said.
on to advise the campaign during the primaries, and was
even considered for the running-mate slot. Publicly, at least, it has. But it’s clear that the Flynn story
has not died, and may not anytime soon. Since Flynn’s
In some ways, it was an unlikely relationship; Flynn had firing, there has been a series of negative leaks about
been a registered Democrat, and although he had had a McMaster and Deputy National-Security Adviser Dina
long and storied career in the military, he had left under Powell, a McMaster hire, to the far-right pro-Trump
less-than-stellar terms after then-President Barack Obama media. Flynn remains popular among the online Trump
dismissed him from his post as head of the Defense base, which includes his son Michael Flynn Jr.
Intelligence Agency.* In recent years, Flynn had shown a
tendency toward Islamophobic sentiment and a weakness Mike Cernovich, the “new right” blogger and tweeter
for conspiracy theories. But Trump’s affinity for Flynn (whose Twitter biography now identifies him as a “White
appears to have been unshaken. Trump has shown a House correspondent”), has written critically about
fondness for generals, and has picked several for his McMaster. Cernovich has broken stories that were later at
administration: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Secretary least partially confirmed by other outlets; his information
of Homeland Security John Kelly, and, after Flynn was appears to have come from sources either within or close
given the boot, McMaster. to the White House. The notorious troll Charles C.
Johnson’s website GotNews cited two NSC sources in a
The Trump people can’t say they weren’t warned. (Indeed, negative story about McMaster just this week.
Obama is reported to have explicitly warned Trump not to
hire Flynn in a meeting during the transition.) “We all “Flynn still is beloved,” Cernovich said. “Beloved
knew Flynn had issues,” a senior White House official told by the base. The base wasn’t happy when he
me last month. During the transition, Flynn became a was fired. Flynn was at all the Trump rallies.
frequent story, especially when news outlets discovered his Jared wasn’t; Ivanka wasn’t.”
son’s Twitter account which pushed Pizzagate conspiracy
theories and interacted with figures on the alt-right. He was circumspect about who within the White House
may be leaking him information.
By the time he was appointed, the transition team had been
made aware of the FBI investigation, according to the “The only thing I would say is that my work
Times. Flynn’s paid trip to a Russia Today gala at which stands on its own,” Cernovich said. He said he
he dined with Vladimir Putin was known at that point. uses burner cell phones to communicate with his
sources. “Most of my sources, I don’t know their
“You have to admit that taking half a million names and I don’t want to know their names.”
dollars from the Turks or meeting with the
Russian ambassador does not sound very As for Flynn himself, he seems to be laying low. After the
savvy,” Stone said. report that Trump had asked Comey to stop investigating
him, sources close to Flynn told Fox News that he had
Flynn’s ouster, and the ascension of McMaster, led to never asked Trump to intervene on his behalf.
some changes on the National Security Council: Some
Flynn hires were moved elsewhere, and Deputy National- Michael Ledeen, Flynn’s co-author on the book The Field
Security Adviser K.T. McFarland is expected to leave soon of Fight, said he had had lunch with Flynn recently and the
for the ambassadorship to Singapore. But others have topic of the investigation and related scandals didn’t come
stayed, and they are integrating. up.

“The president certainly misses General Flynn Ledeen said it’s not clear what Flynn will do next.
and of course he didn’t want him to resign but I
think he’s pretty happy with H.R.,” the senior “The current thing has to end first I think,” he
White House official said, adding that Trump is said. “All this nonsense about he’s a Russian
pleased that McMaster had been “been front and agent—that’s nonsense. People just made it up.”
center” and “put his reputation on the line” to
defend Trump after an explosive Washington What’s clear is that the issue remains unresolved, and may
Post story this week revealed he had shared for some time. Why is Trump so loyal? Despite his “you’re
classified information in a meeting with Russian fired” catchphrase, Trump is known not to enjoy sacking
officials. people. But the sheer number of Flynn-related scandals
raises questions about just why the president ever brought
“Obviously the ongoing investigations and the him on board, let alone why he kept him even after the
interest in [Flynn] make it very hard from a public White House had been warned by Yates.

393
In the course of his lobbying work, though it wasn’t
disclosed at the time, Flynn wrote an op-ed about Turkey.
Its final line offers one answer, and captures the siege * This article originally identified Mike Flynn as director
mentality now on display at the White House: “In this of national intelligence. We regret the error.
crisis, it is imperative that we remember who our real
friends are.”
.

394
 McCain Questions Rationality
Of Calls To Impeach US President
© AP Photo/ J. Scott Applewhite - US
06:22 18.05.2017

Rep. Al Green reiterated the call in a House floor speech

on Wednesday after he accused the president
of obstructing justice.

"I don't think very many people take that very

seriously," McCain told reporters, as quoted
by the Washington Examiner. "Every day, we are
all surprised by some other twist and turn of this
issue so I can only respond now and now I do
not think that is a rational approach."

Pressure has built on Trump since he fired FBI chief James

Comey last week amid an investigation into Russia’s
alleged meddling in the US electoral process. A memo
reportedly penned by Comey after a February meeting
Republican Sen. John McCain, a critic of President Donald Trump, said
with Trump suggested the president had asked him to halt
Wednesday impeaching him would not be rational, according to local a probe into former national security adviser Michael
media. Flynn's ties to Russia.

Russia has repeatedly denied US claims that it interfered

in the presidential vote, calling such allegations absurd.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Some Democrats in the US Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow did not
Congress have suggested filing an impeachment motion have official contacts with Trump's team during the
against Donald Trump over his alleged links to Russia. electoral campaign.

395
 The Washington Post:
America's #1 Source Of Mass Hysteria
Robert Bridge
Published Time: 18 May, 2017 15:33 Edited Time: 18 May, 2017 15:36

The Post article in question was polluted with wholly

subjective comments sprinkled with some half-baked
truths:

"For almost anyone in government, discussing

such matters with an adversary would be illegal.
As president, Trump has broad authority to
declassify government secrets, making it unlikely
that his disclosures broke the law."

The most widely circulated publication in Washington DC,

a weapon of mass distribution, has sparked a political
firestorm with an unsubstantiated report leveled against -
any guesses? - President Donald Trump and his supposed
bromance with Putin's Russia.

Dear reader, if that opening summary gives you a sense of

déjà vu, you're not alone. We’ve been down this dark road
before; it’s not a bad dream. It's just The Washington
Post’s latest addition to the steaming compost pile,
featuring lies, fabrication and fake news aimed at
protecting the Swamp monsters at all cost.

"President Trump revealed highly classified

information to the Russian foreign minister and
ambassador in a White House meeting last
week, according to current and former U.S. First, some fact-checking. Russia is only an "adversary" of
the United States to the degree the American media
officials, who said Trump’s disclosures
proclaims it to be. After all, Russia has taken upon itself
jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the the unenviable task of routing Islamic State in Syria, and
Islamic State," the Bezos-owned Post reported, with stunning success. Major Syrian cities, like Palmyra
blatantly bereft of a single verifiable source. and Aleppo, have been liberated from the terrorist yoke.
And let's not forget that before Russia appeared on the
Thus was launched the latest salvo in The Post’s non-stop scene, ISIS somehow found the time to run a profitable oil-
export business through a loophole on the Turkish border.
fake news campaign, apparently to compromise the 45th
What next? ISIS issuing IPOs on Wall Street? Russia put
President of the United States to such a degree that calls an end to that startup venture in short order. All things
for his impeachment will be a foregone conclusion considered, one would think Washington would be seeking
(Incidentally, The Post, judging by a Trump hit-piece that more "enemies" like Russia, which seems to be Trump’s
appeared just one day before the latest bombshell, seems to rationale.
be at the forefront of that movement).
Concerning allegations that Trump somehow was wrong to
share intelligence with Russia that involved Islamic State,
even The Post admitted that
396
 "Trump has broad authority to declassify getting all misty-eyed at the "beauty of our weapons" -
government secrets." Yet, several lines later, it must start reviling him all over again.
performed a perfect flip-flop into the shallow end,
saying: "At a more fundamental level, the History of Fakery
information wasn’t the United States’ to provide
to others."
Since 2013, when the Graham family sold the newspaper
to Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos for $250 million in
Then, to conceal its tracks into the jungle of fake news, cash, the publication has morphed into some sort of
The Post was forced to ratchet up the intrigue, alleging that political parody knockoff of the National Enquirer. It's new
"the partner" who had provided the intelligence (the motto, "Democracy Dies in Darkness," emblazoned below
identity of the "partner" - like so much in this story - its title, seems to serve more like a funeral epitaph than
remains a source of speculation) any guiding principle that it dutifully follows.

"had not given the United States permission to Albert Einstein famously defined insanity as "doing the
share the material with Russia." same thing over and over again and expecting different
results." If so, then a lot of readers of The Washington
Really? Let's be honest. Would any other US Commander- Post must be insane, unless they are not expecting a
in-Chief aside from Donald J. Trump be blamed for not different result, which would be fact-based reporting
sitting on smoking intelligence if it meant thwarting an without some political ax to grind. In that case, regular
ISIS attack? Probably not. So why the double-standards readers of The Post who don't expect different results are
when it comes to The Donald? not necessarily clinically insane, but rather happily
delusional.
There is another serious matter here that few are
mentioning, and that is the identity of these serial leakers. Since the public has a rather notorious short memory when
As Trump could be practically heard screaming over it comes to news, here’s a quick trip down the Memory
Twitter, where is the investigation into these high-level Road of WaPo Fake News.
loud mouths? More importantly, why is the media not
using more discretion when quoting such sources? Which 1. Comey goes Begging?
leads us to the real question: are these “leaks” in reality
nothing more than fake news dressed up like bonafide
facts? After Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, The
Washington Post reported Comey had just sought more
funds from the Justice Department to investigate Trump’s
I have been asking Director Comey & others, alleged ties to the Russians.
from the beginning of my administration, to find
the LEAKERS in the intelligence community.....
However, apparently, The Post never bothered to ring up
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May the Department of Justice, because as it turned out Comey
16, 2017 never requested more funds.

Whatever the case may be, the US mainstream media in https://twitter.com/BretBaier/status/86234110596

general and The Washington Post, in particular, are 6346241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A
ramping up domestic tensions to levels rarely seen before. %2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2017%
The stakes are high. The reason is because Trump refuses 2F05%2Fwashington-post-just-publish-4th-
to do the bidding of the Deep State, not to mention the
major-fakenews-story-last-week%2F
'media industrial complex, which is hell-bent on war in
Syria. Proof of that assertion was readily available when
Trump bombed a desolate Syrian airfield in early April. 2. DOJ hissy fit?

Establishment cheerleader Fareed Zakaria led the round- The Post, quoting a “person close to the White House
table rabble when he gleefully gushed, “I think Donald (perchance a lost tourist?),” reported that Deputy Attorney
Trump became President of the United States” following General Rod J. Rosenstein, the man to whom Comey
the Syrian fireworks display. Really, Fareed? All it took reported, threatened to resign following the decision to fire
was that little rusty hook - the promise of another US Comey.
military invasion - to drag you over to Team Trump? Now
that Trump is showing a willingness to cooperate with Yet here we have a video of Rosenstein himself denying
Russia, thereby dashing the fantasies of those media that he had considered resigning.
warmongers who - like MSNBC anchor Brian Williams

397
 Deputy AG #Rosenstein says he didn't threaten “a sophisticated Russian propaganda campaign
to quit over #Comey#FBI firing that created and spread misleading articles
online with the goal of punishing Democrat
Hillary Clinton, helping Republican Donald Trump
https://t.co/s4ODR9Qkme@MichelleMacTV@Le
and undermining faith in American democracy...”
andraB_sbgpic.twitter.com/x4U3pjJePo
— Liz McKernan (@LizMcKernan) May 11, 2017 PropOrNot issued a report identifying more than 200
websites that, in its opinion, "echoed" Russian
3. Spicer in the bushes? propaganda.

Following news of Comey's firing, The Post, apparently in So next we'll be banning echos, I guess.
some lame effort to sound like a Saturday Night Live
episode, reported that Sean Spicer, the White House *WaPo's Editorial Note that accompanies the
spokesman, was "hidden in the darkness and among the above-mentioned 'scoop' is so lengthy I must,
bushes" trying to avoid reporters. regrettably, refer the reader to The Washington
Post to read it online.
When that was proven to be yet another steaming pile of
horse manure, The Post was forced to add this note to the Meanwhile, it is worth noting that The Post’s latest bit of
fake story insanity against Trump and Russia comes at a time when
an ongoing investigation into the murder of Seth Rich, the
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated Democratic National Committee staffer who was gunned
to more precisely describe White House Press down on July 10 on a Washington, DC street, has taken a
Secretary Sean Spicer’s location late Tuesday very interesting and disturbing turn.
night in the minutes before he briefed reporters.
Spicer huddled with his staff among bushes near Rod Wheeler, a retired Washington homicide detective and
television sets on the White House grounds, not Fox News contributor, said his efforts are pointing to Rich
“in the bushes,” as the story originally stated. having made contact with WikiLeaks before his untimely
death.
4. Russians turned off the lights?
Reward for the killers of Seth Rich is now
And then there was the time The Post reported that a $130,000 https://t.co/KAiNFJusIb
“Russian operation” was responsible for hacking into the
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 19, 2017
state of Vermont’s power grid? The story is still sitting
there, in fact, carrying the same scaremongering headline,
positioned over yet another Editor’s Note divesting Why is this important? Because of all the possible suspects
Russian hackers of any blame: to have leaked DNC emails to WikiLeaks, thus possibly
sidetracking Hillary Clinton's hopes for the White House,
it seems that Mr. Rich, who was the Voter Expansion Data
Editor’s Note: "An earlier version of this story
Director at the DNC, was far ahead of Russia on that
incorrectly said that Russian hackers had
score.
penetrated the US electric grid. Authorities say
there is no indication of that so far. The
computer at Burlington Electric that was hacked Yet US media scoffed at any attempt to make a connection
was not attached to the grid." between Mr. Rich and the DNC leaks, even after
WikiLeaks decided in August to issue a US $20k reward
for information leading to conviction for the murder of the
5. The Post decides what's fake
young staffer. It's important to note that WikiLeaks never
said Rich was the source of the leaked emails. And
Finally, the mother of all ironies. The Post’s crown gem of Washington metropolitan police reported his killing was
all fake news was essentially a fake news story blaming related to a robbery gone awry.
Russia – and a host of alternative websites – for spreading
fake news. I kid you not. In fact, much of the unfounded
hysteria over “Russia hacking American democracy” Nevertheless, Wheeler's recent comments are raising some
resulted from a now debunked Post article that used eyebrows. In fact, The Washington Post would have
material from a group called PropOrNot, which, despite performed much more of a public service by examining
proclaiming to gauge the media on behalf of the public, this story rather than seeing a Russian behind every tree.
shuns the public spotlight, preferring anonymity. The Post
article by one Craig Timberg alleged “My investigation up to this point shows there
was some degree of email exchange between
Seth Rich and WikiLeaks,” Wheeler said. “I do
398
 believe that the answers to who murdered Seth Coincidence or not, The Washington Post story on Trump
Rich sits on his computer on a shelf at the DC allegedly passing intelligence to the Russians was
police or FBI headquarters.” published less than an hour after the Seth Rich story broke.

399
 Comey Admits Under Oath That
Obstructions To Investigations "Never Happened"
By Tyler Durden
May 19, 2017 3:40 AM

Update: Citi's Aerin Williams notes that the USD is COMEY: Not in my experience. Because it would be a
higher on the Comey video below: big deal to tell the FBI to stop doing something like that
-- without an appropriate purpose.
DXY is rallying as traders pass around a CSPAN video of
Comey testimony from May 3. This is not a new I mean where oftentimes they give us opinions that we
testimony. Under oath, he suggests that there have been no don't see a case there and so you ought to stop investing
obstructions by saying that a President did not seem to be resources in it. But I'm talking about a situation where
telling Comey to stop investigations for political reason. we were told to stop something for a political reason,
that would be a very big deal.
One could imagine that the deputy Attorney General saw
this testimony before appointing a special prosecutor, but it It's not happened in my experience.
adds to the puzzle investors are trying to put together.
Caught on tape?
Bloomberg Dollar Index:

Note - 10Y Yields are not moving on this.

Some have pointed out that Comey is responding
* * * specifically to a question whether someone at the
Department of Justice or the Attorney General had
As we detailed earlier, next week's James Comey hearing ever asked him to halt an investigation.
is certainly setting up as a 'grab yr popcorn' moment with
Democrats lining up for their 5 minutes of fame to ask the That is true, however, his response is not specific. His
question that 'proves' Trump deserves impeachment. response is general...

However, it appears there is no need for the " it would be a big deal to tell the FBI to stop doing
hearing as Mr. Comey already confirmed - something like that -- without an appropriate purpose... I'm
under oath - that "he has not been pressured talking about a situation where we were told to stop
to close an investigation for political something for a political reason, that would be a very big
purposes." deal... It's not happened in my experience."

Testifying under oath in front of the Senate Judiciary It seems like ANY "pressure" to stop an
Committee on May 3rd, Comey states that he has not been investigation is a "big deal" and that's "not
pressured to close an investigation for political purposes, happened."
"not in my experience."
.
400
 Deep State Cover-Ups,
Conspiracies & Lies
By Patrick J McShay
5-19-2017

Never before in our history has it been easier to spot the As I write this the State of Oregon is threatening forced
traitor's in our Government. The truth is that most of our spraying of Poisonous Glyphosate on the crops of Organic
Congress and Senate are threatened, blackmailed or on the Farms and threatening them with a court order unless they
payroll of big pharma, big banks, big oil, big Defense comply. This is outrageous! Is Dr Gottlieb behind this?
Firms or some other big conglomerate like Monsanto or
GlaxoSmithKline. The food we eat is Genetically What will Trumps pick for the FCC Ajit Pai do on Net
Modified and filled with poisons, Toxins and Carcinogens. Neutrality. Net Neutrality activists are calling for the FCC
A recent study determined that 80% of Processed food sold to ban Alternative News websites. Banning free speech is
in the US would be banned in other countries. Activist Erin always a must in a totalitarian Police State. Trump is a big
Brockovich recently said that there are over 100 cities supporter of the Men in Blue but says nothing about the
who's Water supply is as bad or worse than Flint Michigan. roughly thousand people a year murdered by the Police,
Most Americans would be shocked to learn that $10 Most of whom were unarmed and posed no threat. Oh and
Trillion Dollars are missing at the Pentagon. No dopey Jeff Sessions wants to restart the War on Marijuana.
explanation has yet been given by our clueless politicians . He maintains there is no medical benefit from Cannabis in
These Congressmen and Senators don't write the bills they spite of the Government holding several Patents for for
vote on and in most cases don't even read the bills before Medicinal Cannabis. Go back to the 50's Jeff. And earlier
they vote. this year a number of Jewish groups were successful in
persuading Amazon, the World's largest bookseller, to ban
Donald Trump is a Nationalist and is surrounded by nearly a hundred books that they disapproved of. How can
Globalist Traitors. This is bigger than Democrat vs a people that represent less than 0.2% of the World's
Republican. Many of the never Trumpers are Republicans population have so much power over the rest of us?
who are for everything Trump is against. John McCain and
Paul Ryan head a long list of Neo Con's and globalist trolls We are at a dangerous crossroad in our country's history.
who represent a party that purports to advocate for strong Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich says the Deep State
border security, less gun control, stopping the flow of is out to destroy Trump. These Globalist scum and the
illegals/ refugees, Tax reform and less Federal Regulation illegal Aliens they are allowing to flood our borders, don't
and control over the American People. care one bit for the American People, traditions or our
culture. Our Economy has shown little or no growth in
The Republican leadership are unashamed globalist years and is getting worse every day while we spend $150
traitors. Paul Ryan has to go. He enthusiastically worked billion a year on Illegals. Few understand how bad things
with Obama on his agenda and is clearly not on the same have gotten. Our Congress has stolen trillions of Dollars
page as Trump or "We the People". There is much from Social Security over the years and now our
evidence that "Traitor" McCain runs ISIS to pursue regime politicians tell us it is unsustainable.We are illegally spied
change in Syria for his masters in Israel. Billions of barrels on and lied to at every turn.
of Oil have been found in The Golan Heights on Syrian
land stolen by Israel that they have no intention of ever I don't trust Robert Mueller to do much but take a long
returning. A never Trumper, McCain has masqueraded as a time to do little or nothing. How will Trump govern in the
Republican for years and after 10 years of living in middle of this circus of distractions? Mueller has long been
Arizona I didn't talk to a single person who supported him. thought of as a fixer for the Deep State, or as the great
McCain was formally reprimanded by his own party in Journalist Sherman Skolnick called them The
Arizona in 2014 for his liberal voting record and working "Bush/Clinton Crime Family". Many people have accused
to closely with the Democrats. What does it say about a him of cover-ups at Waco, Ruby Ridge and the Oklahoma
man whos own State Party thinks he's a rat. City Bombing. Mueller also worked on covering up Bush
Sr's involvement in the BCCI and BNL Banking Scandals
I certainly don't support everything Trump has done. His as well as the Bush/Daniel Noriega criminality and the
pick for the FDA Dr Scott Gottlieb has a long relationship numerous cover ups before and after 911.
with GlaxoSmithKline and his frightening support of strict
enforcement of State mandatory vaccination laws are If James Comey had a mentor it would be Robert Mueller.
unconstitutional and a violation of the Nuremberg Code. They are cut from the same cloth. Comey's involvement in
401
a number of cases are troubling. You Might recognize Laws. James Comey lied to Congress and has been caught.
some of them. Whitewater, the Illegal surveillance on Will this make any difference? Don't hold your breath.
Americans, the Benghazi gun running, the Fast and Traitor James Clapper lied to Congress about the illegal
Furious gun running, the IRS targeting of Conservatives spying and it was no big deal. In a time of universal deceit
and a dozen more. He worked as a Director at HSBC when telling the truth is a revolutionary act. The Fact that John
they were caught laundering money for Drug Cartels, and McCain and Lindsey Graham approve of Mueller should
most importantly refused to enforce existing Immigration give Patriots everywhere cause for concern.
.

402
 Fmr. Rep. Kucinich Says The ‘Deep State’
Is Trying To Destroy Trump And Associates
Fmr. Congressman Tell It Like It Is, Calls Ou The 'Deep State'
By Shepard Ambellas -
05.20.2017 @2:48 PM EDT

(INTELLIHUB) — Fmr. congressman Dennis Kucinich

told Fox News recently that the federal government has
been salted by the deep state and seeks to destroy Donald
Trump’s presidency.

The former congressman wouldn’t characterize a particular

agency but said the C.I.A. was involved.

“We’ve got to protect the presidency,” Kucinich

said. “[…] when these agencies become
politicalized it is deadly for this country.”
“This goes way beyond politics,” he said. “There
has to be a cleaning out from top to bottom of
these agencies.”
.

403
 Internet Freedom Fighter Kim Dotcom
Questions Why Seth Rich’s Murder Is Not Solved,
Presents Camera Locations To Be Checked
Mega Upload Founder Kim Dotcom Takes Seth Rich
Investigation One Step Further Than Police
By Shepard Ambellas -
05.20.2017 @10:43 AM EDT

Why have murderers of #SethRich not been

identified? The crime area is littered with
cameras. Several cam locations identified by PI.
pic.twitter.com/BlHkiVQcBZ
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 18, 2017

Posobiac appeared on Infowars Live 2-5 stream Friday

where he explained a few overlooked details in the Seth
Rich case.

Mega Upload founder Kim Dotcom (Sam Churchill/Flickr)

WASHINGTON (INTELLIHUB) — Internet freedom

fighter and Mega Upload founder Kim Dotcom has been
putting the pressure on D.C Metro Police who were
reportedly given an order to ‘stand down’ on the Seth Rich
murder case.

The information came to light earlier this week after a

private investigator who was hired on behalf of the family
to solve the case told the press the shocking details, as
reported on March 16, 2017, in the Intellihub article titled: The famed D.C. operative said that he plans on traveling to
a few of the businesses and locations next week where a
“Murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich was the number of cameras were present during the time of Rich’s
“DNC emails” Wikileaker: Confirmed.” murder in an attempt to gain valid information on the
matter.
Following up on Thursday, the Mega-millionaire tweeted:
“We are going to find out if they specifically had
information on these cameras or if that
“Why have murderers of #SethRich not been
information was turned over to the D.C. police,”
identified? The crime area is littered with
Posobiac said. “Even if it’s grainy footage we can
cameras. Several cam locations identified by PI.”
tell so much from that […] number of people,
size, appearance.”
A screen capture listing various camera locations near the
murder scene was included with Dotcom’s tweet which
Kim Dotcom was raided while at his New Zeland
was also delivered to D.C. Meto Police by political
residence by 17 armed agents of the elite Special Tactics
operative Jack Posobiac who claims to be in contact with
Group in January of 2012 over his revolutionary file
Dotcom.
sharing enterprise known as Mega Upload.

404
 Dotcom said that during the raid he was “scared and
worried” as he hid by a pillar in an upstairs room where he
was apprehended by agents some 13-minutes later.

“I had a punch to the face, I had boots kicking me

down to the floor, I had a knee into the ribs, my
hands were on the floor and one man was
standing on my hands,” the Mega Upload
founder revealed in a 2012 television interview.

Subsequently, Dotcom’s mother’s residence was raided

where a number of items which were listed on a warrant
were taken by police.
.

405
 Kim Dotcom Confirms May 16, Intellihub Report:
Murdered DNC Staffer Seth Rich Was
The “DNC Emails” Wikileaker
Seth Rich Is The DNC Wikileaker
By Shepard Ambellas -
05.20.2017 @2:25 PM EDT

(INTELLIHUB) — Mega-millionaire freedom fighter Kim “You have evidence??” Hannity tweeted,
Dotcom has a bone to pick with the deep state after his questioning Dotcom.
New Zeland residence was raided in 2012 by 17 special
You have that evidence??
agents.
https://t.co/l96B0jSQEr
Friday the larger than life business mogul tweeted: “If — Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) May 20, 2017
Congress includes #SethRich case into their Russia probe
“I am the evidence,” Dotcom responded. “I knew Seth
I’ll give written testimony with evidence that Seth Rich
Rich. I know he was the @Wikileaks source. I was
was @Wikileaks source.”
involved.”
If Congress includes #SethRich case into their I'm the evidence!! https://t.co/w9WHrC4yW8
Russia probe I'll give written testimony with — Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 20, 2017
evidence that Seth Rich was @Wikileaks source.
I knew Seth Rich. I know he was the @Wikileaks
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 19, 2017 source. I was involved. https://t.co/MbGQteHhZM
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 20, 2017
Judging by his tweets, Dotcom appears to be fed up with
the democrats “pay4play” activity which runs rampant in “I’m meeting my legal team on Monday. I will issue a
Washington. statement about #SethRich on Tuesday. Please be patient.
This needs to be done properly,” Dotcom tweeted.
“Democrats destroyed my business, attacked my I'm meeting my legal team on Monday. I will
family, stole my assets in a pay4play strike for issue a statement about #SethRich on Tuesday.
the @MPAA,” he tweeted. Please be patient. This needs to be done
properly.
Democrats destroyed my business, attacked my family, — Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 20, 2017
stole my assets in a pay4play strike for the @MPAA
Kim Dotcom’s statements confirm a May 16, 2017,
Counterstrike: Intellihub report titled:

Trump Presidency “Murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich was the

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 19, 2017 “DNC emails” Wikileaker: Confirmed.”

Even more interesting is the fact that Fox News anchor Kim Dotcom follows Intellihub’s Shepard Ambellas on
Sean Hannity responded to Dotcom’s original tweet twitter @ShepardAmbellas.
regarding Dotcom’s testimony on Seth Rich.

406
 Trump Shakes Hands With Saudi Leader,
Doesn't Bow As Obama Appeared To Do
Fox News
Published May 20, 2017

consistent with custom for foreign dignitaries visiting

Saudi Arabia.

The 81-year-old King Salman greeted Trump at the airport.

The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and Trump said it
was "a great honor" to be there.

“Two things need to happen,” Zuhdi Jasser,

founder of the American Islamic Forum for
Democracy, told Fox News on Saturday about
Trump’s trip. “President Trump needs to shore up
our alliance with the Sunnis who feel abandon,
President Trump upon arriving in Saudi Arabia on and that starts with Saudi Arabia. And in the
Saturday did not bow to the Gulf leader as former short-term, he needs to create a coalition that will
President Barack Obama appeared to do -- a move decimate and defeat ISIS.”
interpreted as American weakness.
Obama critics said the former president suggested several
In 2009, Obama appeared to bow to then-Saudi leader times in 2009, just after getting elected, that the United
King Abdullah at a G-20 summit in London. States owed the Arab world an apology.

Videos show Obama bending at the waist toward the king. “There have been times when America has
The White House at the time purportedly denied that the shown arrogance … even dismissiveness,”
president had bowed, with a source saying Obama was Obama said that year in France.
taller than the king, so he had to lean.
Saudi Arabia offered Trump the elaborate welcome ahead
Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia marks the start to his nine- of his two-day stay. Billboards featuring images of Trump
day, overseas tour that will also take him to Israel and and the king dotted the highways of Riyadh, emblazoned
Europe. The international trip is Trump’s first since taking with the motto "Together we prevail."
office in January.
Trump's luxury hotel was bathed in red, white and blue
Trump was greeted at the Saudi airport with an elaborate lights and, at times, an image of the president's face.
ceremony, punctuated by a military flyover and a
handshake from Saudi King Salman. Trump and the king met briefly in the airport terminal for a
coffee ceremony before the president headed to his hotel
First lady Melania Trump wore a black pantsuit with a before the day's other meetings.
golden belt and did not cover her head for the arrival,
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
.

407
 Latest Anti-Trump Media Assault
By Stephen Lendman
5-20-17

At the start of his first foreign trip, departing Friday, are all about Kremlin bashing and a plot to oust the
lasting nine days, returning home next weekend, president from office.
America’s two leading broadsheets sent him on his way
with denigrating reports. The Times lied claiming Trump “disclosed (classified)
intelligence” to Lavrov and Kislyak. No such disclosure
Along with other media scoundrels, it’s part of their occurred.
sinister plot to weaken, delegitimize, and oust him from
office for wrongheaded reasons, not warranted ones. Nor was justice obstructed for firing Comey, as The Times,
other media scoundrels and many Democrats suggested.
The deplorable NYT headlined “Trump Told Russians
That Firing ‘Nut Job’ Comey Eased Pressure From The neocon/CIA house organ Washington Post headlined
Investigation,” saying: “Russia Probe Reaches Current White House Official,
People Familiar With The Case Say,” claiming:
During Sergey Lavrov’s Oval Office visit, along
with ambassador Sergey Kislyak, Trump An unnamed “significant person of interest” was
reportedly said “ ‘I just fired the head of the FBI. identified, “someone close to the
He was crazy, a real nut job,’ ” according to an president…Current administration officials who
unnamed US official, the president allegedly have acknowledged contacts with Russian
adding: officials include President Trump’s son-in-law,
Jared Kushner, as well as Attorney General Jeff
“I faced great pressure because of Russia, That’s Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.”
taken off. I’m not under investigation.”
Contacts are customary practices, nothing suggesting
The Times has no credible evidence of what Trump said, improper or criminal activities. Since investigations into
just unverified allegations, using them to jump all over alleged Russia US election hacking and possible improper
him, saying: Trump team dealings with Russia, no corroborating
evidence was found. None exists.
Firing Comey
Breitbart News was right, saying
“reinforces the notion that the president
dismissed him primarily because of the bureau’s “(t)he common element in nearly all the major
investigation into possible collusion between (his) New York Times and Washington Post stories
campaign and Russian operatives.” about President Donald Trump this week is that
they are based on source documents the outlets
According to press secretary Sean Spicer, cannot authenticate, do not possess, admit are
partial, and refuse to share.”
“(b)y grandstanding and politicizing the
investigation into Russia’s actions, James Maybe they don’t exist or perhaps what’s in them is much
Comey created unnecessary pressure on our different than reports suggest. If hard evidence of Russia
ability to engage and negotiate with Russia.” US election hacking and/or Trump team improper dealings
with Moscow existed, it would have been publicly reported
“The investigation would have always continued, with credible documentation.
and obviously, the termination of Comey would
not have ended it. Once again, the real story is Instead just baseless accusations, allegations, innuendo,
that our national security has been undermined distortions, disinformation and damn lies - the stuff
by the leaking of private and highly classified propaganda is made of, rubbish media scoundrels feature
conversations.” daily, polar opposite responsible journalism, why their
reporting lacks credibility. Ignore them!
Accusations of Russian US election hacking, along with
alleged improper activities by Trump team with Moscow
.

408
 Kushner ‘Person Of Interest’
In Russia Probe: Report
Sat May 20, 2017 2:4AM

White House Senier Adviser Jared Kushner (at the back) listens as FBI Director James Comey (Photo by AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with business
leaders in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, Trump has admitted that Comey’s firing had to do with
DC, January 23, 2017. (Photo by AFP)
“the Russian thing,” raising the possibility that his son-in-
Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior law might have pushed him to dismiss the FBI chief.
adviser, Jared Kushner, has become a
“person of interest” in the ongoing If true, this won’t be the first time that Kushner is using his
investigation into the new US president and influence in the White House to take down people he
his team’s ties with Russia, according to a doesn’t feel comfortable working with.
report.
He reportedly persuaded Trump to remove Chief White
Investigators are believed to have questioned Kushner with House Strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security
regards to the case, the New York magazine reported on Council‘s principals committee in early April.
Friday.
Trump has seemingly assigned Kushner with taking care
Earlier, The Washington Post reported that a senior adviser of Washington’s affairs in the Middle East.
to Trump was being investigated. It said the person under
investigation was close to the President, but did not
identify them. He has negotiated with Saudis over $100 billion of arms
deals, which Trump is expected to sign during his trip to
the kingdom.
“It’s Jared Kushner. Have confirmed this with four
people. I’m not speculating,” Yashar Ali, a New
Trump has also tasked Kushner, who lacks political
York magazine reporter, said in a tweet.
experience, with brokering a peace deal between Palestine
and Israel.
Kushner, who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter
Ivanka, went to Washington earlier on Friday to
accompany Trump on his first foreign trip. Trump relieved after firing ‘nut job’ Comey

Trump’s critics say the trip, which involves stops in Saudi Meanwhile, The New York Times reported Friday that
Arabia, Israel and Vatican respectively, is designed to take Trump had discussed Comey’s firing with Russian
away attention from the chaos that swept the White House officials.
following Trump’s decision to fire FBI chief James
Comey. "I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a
real nut job," the Times quoted Trump as saying,
citing a document summarizing the Republican
409
 president’s last week meeting with Russian "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the White taken off," he said at the meeting, which was
House. also attended by Russian ambassador Sergey
Kislyak.
.

410
 Trump Comes To Israel Citing
A Palestinian Deal As Crucial
By PETER BAKER And IAN FISHER
MAY 22, 2017

“There is a growing realization among your

Arab neighbors that they have common
cause with you in the threat posed by Iran,
and it is indeed a threat, there’s no
question about that,” Mr. Trump said.

President Trump at a welcoming ceremony in Tel Aviv on Monday.

Credit Amir Cohen/Reuters

JERUSALEM — President Trump began a two-day visit The president has backtracked on several issues that are key to
to Israel on Monday with a blunt assessment for Prime Israel, including the location of the U.S. Embassy and settlement-
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: If Israel really wants peace building.
with its Arab neighbors, the cost will be resolving the
generations-old standoff with the Palestinians. The president has backtracked on several issues that are
key to Israel, including the location of the U.S. Embassy
For years, Mr. Netanyahu has sought to recalibrate and settlement-building.
relations with Sunni Arab nations in a mutual bid to
counter Shiite-led Iran, while subordinating the Palestinian The president’s arrival here opened a new chapter in
dispute as a secondary issue. But as Mr. Trump arrived in Middle East peacemaking, one that will test whether a
Jerusalem after meetings in Saudi Arabia, the president career of business-deal-making can translate to success in
indicated that he and those Arab states see an agreement the world of international diplomacy.
with the Palestinians as integral to that new regional
alignment. Mr. Trump sought to showcase his friendship with Mr.
Netanyahu as the two shared dinner with their wives and
“On those issues, there is a strong called each other “Donald” and “Bibi,” the prime
consensus among the nations of the world minister’s nickname.
— including many in the Muslim world,” Mr.
Trump said. “I was deeply encouraged by But neither publicly cited any concrete steps in pursuing a
my conversations with Muslim world peace agreement. Mr. Trump did not formally recognize
leaders in Saudi Arabia, including King Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as some Israeli officials
Salman, who I spoke to at great length. hoped he would do since he has shelved his promise to
King Salman feels very strongly and, I can move the American Embassy here from Tel Aviv. Nor for
tell you, would love to see peace with Israel that matter did he publicly press Israel to curb settlement
and the Palestinians.” construction in the West Bank as Palestinians hoped.

Mr. Trump added that line to the remarks prepared for Mr. Netanyahu offered nothing more than a few modest
him, in effect tying the future of the anti-Iran coalition to gestures like extending the hours at the border crossing
the Palestinian issue despite Mr. Netanyahu’s longtime between the West Bank and Jordan, recycled from
efforts to unlink the two. previous moments in the long-running dispute with the
Palestinians. During his most extended comments, toward

411
the end of the day, Mr. Netanyahu skipped right over the “The regional opportunity is ready and
Palestinian question to focus on Iran. ripe,” Isaac Herzog, head of the opposition
Labor Party, said in an interview after
He, too, saw the possibility of an accommodation with meeting Mr. Trump in the same receiving
Arab neighbors but did not tie it to the Palestinian dispute. line. “I was very pleased as one who leads
the Israeli opposition and the peace camp
in Israel. We were very pleased that the
“For the first time in my lifetime, I see a real
president showed he is trying to break the
hope for change,” he told Mr. Trump. “The
impasse.”
Arab leaders who you met yesterday could
help change the atmosphere, and they
could help create the conditions for a Mr. Trump arrived on what was believed to be the first
realistic peace.” open, direct flight to Israel from Saudi Arabia, which do
not have diplomatic relations, a sign of the possibility he
sees for what he has called “the ultimate deal.”
Even as they talked, the pressures that underscore the
complexities of any negotiation were evident. More than
1,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank marched to
the Qalandiya checkpoint from Ramallah, carrying posters
of Palestinian inmates on hunger strike in Israeli prisons,
and setting off clashes with Israeli soldiers, who fired tear-
gas containers, rubber bullets and live ammunition.

In a separate episode, Israeli authorities reported that a

Palestinian teenager who tried to stab police officers near a
Palestinian town on the outskirts of Jerusalem was shot to
death.

On the other side of the equation, Mr. Netanyahu came

under continuing pressure from the right wing of his Mr. Trump at a bilateral meeting with Mr. Rivlin in Jerusalem.
Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
governing coalition not to make concessions. Naftali
Bennett, a pro-settler cabinet minister, used the
opportunity of meeting Mr. Trump in an airport receiving After meeting with Reuven Rivlin, who holds the largely
line to press him to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. ceremonial position of president of Israel, Mr. Trump
toured the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, home of what is
believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ. He then became
the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall, the
holiest site for Jewish prayer, where he donned the
traditional skullcap and left a note in a crevice.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump is to travel the short distance to

Bethlehem, in the West Bank, to meet with President
Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Trump
is then scheduled to return to Jerusalem to lay a wreath at
Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance center, and to
deliver a speech at the Israel Museum.

At the airport arrival ceremony, Mr. Netanyahu repeated

President Trump, center, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
his longstanding position that he “shares the commitment
right, and President Reuven Rivlin of Israel. Credit Jim to peace” but with the same conditions as always.
Hollander/European Pressphoto Agency
“He can be the one who goes into history,” “Israel’s hand is extended in peace to all
Mr. Bennett told an Israeli radio station. Mr. our neighbors, including the Palestinians,”
Trump’s reported reply was noncommittal. he said. “The peace we seek is a genuine
“Trump said, ‘That’s an idea,’” Mr. Bennett and durable one, in which the Israeli state
recalled. is recognized, security remains in Israel’s
hands and the conflict ends once and for
To some on the political left, the president’s message all.”
linking an anti-Iran coalition to peace with the Palestinians
seemed a chance that Mr. Netanyahu should seize.
412
No previous American president has come to Israel this
early in his tenure. Bill Clinton visited in his second year
in office and Jimmy Carter in his third, while Richard M.
Nixon, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all waited
until their second terms to make the trip.

Mr. Trump at the Western Wall. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New

York Times

The stories did not report that he had mentioned Israel by

Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, visiting the Church of the Holy name. Instead, they quoted current and former intelligence
Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Monday. Credit Stephen Crowley/The officials as saying that he had mentioned enough details
New York Times about the intelligence to potentially expose the source.

But a visit that was once anticipated as a powerful The $110 billion in arms sales that Mr. Trump announced
expression of solidarity between two like-minded leaders, in Saudi Arabia was also a source of concern in Israel.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu, has become more Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson sought to reassure the
complicated amid a series of logistical and political stress Israelis. “There has been nothing entered into with the
points. arms sales agreements with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia
or any of the other countries that do not fully allow us to
Among other things, Mr. Trump last week disclosed to fulfill our commitments to Israel and the longstanding
Russia’s foreign minister and ambassador some classified security arrangements we have with Israel,” he told
information that came from Israel about an Islamic State reporters on Air Force One.
plot, potentially jeopardizing the Israeli intelligence source
and deeply angering some Israeli security officials. Still, much as he was in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Trump was
greeted by many in Israel as a welcome change from Mr.
Determined not to spoil the visit, Mr. Netanyahu had Obama, whose relationship with Mr. Netanyahu soured
resolved not to mention the intelligence breach publicly. early on after Mr. Obama called for a settlement freeze,
When a reporter asked the two leaders about it on Monday, and only worsened when he struck an agreement with Iran
the prime minister brushed it off. intended to curb its nuclear program.

“Intelligence cooperation is terrific,” he said. Mr. Trump repeated his criticism of the nuclear deal on
“It’s never been better.” Monday with Mr. Netanyahu standing by his side. He also
credited Mr. Netanyahu with being serious about peace
Mr. Trump, who said last week that he had every right to with the Palestinians, an assessment the prime minister’s
disclose the information, denied identifying Israel as the critics do not share, and expressed optimism about
source. reaching an agreement.

“I never mentioned the word or the name “I’ve heard it’s one of the toughest deals of
Israel,” he said. “Never mentioned during all,” he said, “but I have a feeling we’re
that conversation. They’re all saying I did, going to get there eventually. I hope.”
so you have another story wrong. Never
mentioned the word Israel.”
.

413
 Washington Post Exposed
As A CIA Front Propaganda Rag Working
To Overthrow The Trump Administration And Install
Political Puppets
By: JD Heyes
Date: May 22, 2017

WASHPOST owner personally motivated in

bloodsport after Trump threat of AMAZON
monopoly breakup. Follow the clicks!
MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) May 16,
2017.

But others see more chicanery on the part of the Bezos-

owned WaPo.

The same year Bezos bought the Post, 2013, he was

awarded a $600 million contract from the CIA (more than
two times what the ailing Post cost him),
It’s become very obvious that the discredited Washington
media is helping to lead the Deep State establishment
“a conflict of interest which Bezos’ paper to
effort to overthrow President Donald J. Trump, our duly
this day never discloses per universal
elected president who has angered the D.C. swamp by
journalistic protocol when reporting on U.S.
promising to drain it.
intelligence,” writes Caitlin Johnstone on
her Medium site.
One of the major media players in this effort is the
Washington Post, a once-respected broadsheet that, in the
Before then, she noted, Bezos
Age of Trump, has become little more than a fake news
outlet filled with #trumphate innuendo and allegations.
Owned by Amazon founder and multi-billionaire Jeff “proved his loyalty to America’s unelected
Bezos, it has to be said that he’s no fan of the president, power establishment” by taking WikiLeaks
especially after Trump made a threat to break up what he off Amazon’s computer servers in 2010.
called the Amazon “monopoly.”
Not surprisingly, she further notes, the WaPo has become
“He thinks I’ll go after him for antitrust,” the biggest cheerleader for the Washington establishment
Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in May and Deep State — which of course includes the vast
2016. “Because he’s got a huge antitrust intelligence community led primarily by the CIA, as well
problem because he’s controlling so much, as that agency’s preferred outlet for leaks on the Trump
Amazon is controlling so much of what they administration. What’s more, the paper has been out front
are doing. pushing the false narrative that the Russians “colluded”
with the Trump campaign to “steal” the election from the
“He’s using the Washington Post, which is hapless Hillary Clinton, a charge for which there is
peanuts, he’s using that for political absolutely no evidence to support.
purposes to save Amazon in terms of taxes
and in terms of antitrust,” Trump added.
“So I think it’s understandable if people
want to take it with a teensy weensy grain
In recent days Matt Drudge, founder of the insanely high- of salt when this glorified CIA trade rag tells
trafficked news aggregator website bearing his name, the us that anonymous sources say Donald
Drudge Report, reminded all of us in a tweet of this Trump is colluding with those darn
potentiality: Russians again. In fact, I think it’s
understandable if, knowing what we know
414
 about the CIA’s massive surveillance the source of the DNC emails; that they were sent to the
systems, we all found the timing of this whistleblower website by a disgruntled DNC staffer upset
release to be highly suspicious,” wrote at how the organization was rigging the Democratic
Johnstone. nomination against Sen. Bernie Sanders in favor of Hillary
Clinton.
She points to the burgeoning story that emails from the
Democratic National Committee published by WikiLeaks The WaPo has been pushing that lie, as well, by the way
were leaked to the site and not hacked by the Russians as — that Russia is the root of all Election 2016 evil — that
proof that the narrative is losing its validity, if it ever had is, when former FBI Director James Comey wasn’t being
any. Fox News reported earlier this week that murdered blamed.
DNC staffer Seth Rich was found to have been in contact
with WikiLeaks via email, and that he made contacts with But now, it’s all falling apart. Stay tuned.
Gavin MacFadyen, an American investigative reporter
who is now deceased.
Stay informed at Wapo.news and newsfakes.com.

In December, Natural News — citing a report by the

U.K.’s Daily Mail, noted also that the Russians were not
.

415
 Donald Of Arabia:
A Disgusting Spectacle
This Is The Worst Yet
By Justin Raimondo
May 22, 2017

Has there been a more disgusting spectacle during the four Does Trump know who are our friends and who are our
months of this presidency than the sight of Donald Trump enemies?
slobbering all over the barbarous Saudi monarch and his
murderous family of petty princelings? It’s enough to While the US government, under both Trump and Obama,
make any normal American retch, especially when one has routinely maintained that Iran is the biggest exporter of
remembers what Trump said about them during the terrorism, that is utter nonsense: the Saudis easily outdo
election: the mullahs of Tehran. Riyadh funds radical madrassas
throughout the world that preach pure hatred of the West:
“Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast they are incubators of terrorism, and have been wreaking
amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women havoc from one end of the globe to the other for decades.
as slaves and to kill gays. Hillary must return all money The terrorist groups that have destroyed Syria are the
from such countries!” progeny of the Saudis, and their allies among the Gulf
states.
And then there was this tweet:
Most shameful of all, the Saudis have invaded nearby
“Tell Saudi Arabia and others that we want (demand!) free Yemen, slaughtering children and women with impunity,
oil for the next ten years or we will not protect their bombing funeral processions, and causing a famine that
private Boeing 747s. Pay up!” will kill hundreds of thousands of noncombatants: the very
young, the sick, and the old. And they’re doing it with US
Now Trump’s son in law, Jared Kushner, is calling up assistance, a pact signed in blood under the Obama
Lockheed-Martin to get a discount for the Saudis, administration, now continued and beefed up under
Trump.
personally brokering the biggest arms deal in US history.
What a difference a presidency makes!
In all fairness, this is nothing new as far as the US is
The old Trump told us that the Saudis were “mouth pieces, concerned: our relationship with the Saudi monarchy goes
all the way back to Franklin Roosevelt, who cemented the
bullies, cowards,” who were “paying ISIS,” but now
alliance in 1943 by declaring that the defense of their
they’re our partners in the “war on terrorism.” Why it
medieval dictatorship was “vital” to our national security:
seems like only yesterday that he was calling out Saudi
US taxpayer dollars flowed into the Saudi treasury via the
princes like Alwaleed bin Talal for thinking they can
“control our US politicians” – today he’s kowtowing to Lend-Lease giveaway. The flow hasn’t stopped since that
them. time: indeed, it has only increased.

And the flow will turn into a torrent if Trump’s wacky idea
Most tellingly, it was Trump who made a campaign issue
of an Arab NATO ever comes to fruition. We’ll be paying
out of the missing 28 pages redacted from the Joint
congressional report on the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In calling their “defense” bills unto eternity, while they send their
for their release, he painted a scenario in which the Saudi army of head-chopping assassins out to murder infidels on
a global scale – and US arms dealers rake in cash hand
royals assisted the hijackers and said:
over fist.
“You know, it’s sort of nice to know who your friends are,
and perhaps who your enemies are.”

416
 immigration issue, at the very least. The whole thing is a
public relations disaster waiting to happen, and a testament
to the very bad advice Trump is getting from his clueless
advisors.

The mawkish idea of visiting the sites of the world’s three

major religions is more appropriate for a television special
than for a President on his first major trip abroad. Quite
aside from the fact that it leaves out the Hindus, the Greek
Orthodox, and the Buddhists, the whole concept is typical
of the way this administration thinks in terms of mindless
clichés, catchphrases without context or real meaning.

Speaking of which, the less said about Trump’s speech in

Riyadh the better: it was a farrago of falsehood,
kowtowing, and brazen hypocrisy. To top it off, he
announced that a new “Global Center for Combating
Extremist Ideology” is to be opened in the Kingdom –
which is, itself, the world capital of extremist ideology,
Yes, the US-Saudi relationship is one of the central pillars having done more to spread religious hatred than any
of our globalist foreign policy – but wasn’t Trump country on earth.
supposed to be different? Wasn’t he supposed to be putting
America first? Of all the betrayals we’ve had to endure Of all Trump’s many betrayals – and they’re piling up at
since he took the White House, his pilgrimage to the such a rate that he’s creating a veritable Mountain of
epicenter of world terrorism has got to be the absolute Mendacity – this Saudi trip has got to be the one that will
worst. As he kneels before the Saudi king, he humiliates demoralize and alienate even his hardcore supporters.
all of us. After rising to power on the strength of portraying Islam as
inherently violent and dangerous, he’s now joining hands
Trump’s next stop is Israel, and that’s no accident: the with the leaders of what he once described as “the hateful
Jewish state is Saudi Arabia’s main ally in the region, ideology of radical Islam.” It’s as if Mother Theresa had
although the relationship is supposed to be covert. They embraced the Church of Satan.
don’t even bother to keep it under wraps anymore. While
the Saudis fund the head-chopping barbarians who have It’s been a very long four months – that seems more like
destroyed Syria, the Israelis succor them in their hospitals four years. In voting for Trump, many of his supporters –
and then set them free to kill and maim again. Israeli some of whom are now among Antiwar.com’s regular
officials openly state their preference for ISIS over Bashar readers and supporters – were hoping for a return to
al-Assad. If and when Trump’s loopy “Arab NATO” ever normalcy. What they got instead was a descent into
comes to pass, Israel will be a silent partner. Bizarro World.

The third leg of Trump’s trip will be the Vatican, and there
an ambush awaits him. This Pope is no friend of the White
House, and he is likely to issue a public rebuke on the
.

417
 D.C. Surgeon Who Operated On Seth Rich:
‘The DNC Staffer Was Alive And Well After Surgery,
Before A Group Of Leos Showed Up To The ICU’
DNC Staffer's Plug Pulled In ICU?
By Shepard Ambellas -
05.22.2017 @9:17 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (INTELLIHUB) — A 4-year resident dozens of worse cases than this which
surgeon at Washington Hospital Center claims that Seth survived and nothing about his injuries
Rich was alive and recovering well in facility’s Intensive suggested to me that he’d sustained a fatal
Care Unit (ICU) after being treated for a total of 3 routine wound.
gunshot wounds — that is until a number of law
In the meantime he was transferred to the
enforcement officers arrived eight hours later kicking most ICU and transfused 2 units of blood when
everyone out of the ICU and physically barring doctors his post-surgery crit came back ~20. He
and others from attending to Rich.
was stable and not on any pressors, and it
seemed pretty routine. About 8 hours after
The surgeon who witnessed this bizarre behavior decided he arrived we were swarmed by LEOs and
to come forth with the information despite the fact that he pretty much everyone except the attending
or she may be easy to identify. and a few nurses was kicked out of the ICU
(disallowing visiting hours -normally every
Posted on May 17, to 4chan under the anonymous ID: odd hour, eg 1am, 3am, etc- is not
“rhotYJAg,” the surgeon wrote: something we do routinely). It was weird as
hell. At turnover that morning we were
4th year surgery resident here who rotated instructed not to round on the VIP that
at WHC (Washington Hospital Center) last came in last night (that’s exactly what the
year, it won’t be hard to identify me but I attending said, and no one except for me
feel that I shouldn’t stay silent. and another resident had any idea who he
was talking about).
Seth Rich was shot twice, with 3 total
gunshot wounds (entry and exit, and entry). No one here was allowed to see Seth
He was taken to the OR emergently where except for my attending when he died. No
we performed an exlap and found a small code was called. I rounded on patients
injury to segment 3 of the liver which was literally next door but was physically
packed and several small bowel injuries blocked from checking in on him. I’ve never
(pretty common for gunshots to the back seen anything like it before, and while I
exiting the abdomen) which we resected can’t say 100% that he was allowed to die,
~12cm of bowel and left him in I don’t understand why he was treated like
discontinuity (didn’t hook everything back that. Take it how you may, /pol/, I’m just
up) with the intent of performing a washout one low level doc. Something’s fishy
in the morning. He did not have any major though, that’s for sure.
vascular injuries otherwise. I’ve seen

418
 Via 4chan archive

Was Seth Rich set up by DC Metro Police and left to die or murdered in the hospital as the post claims?

419
 ‘Spirit Cooking Creep’ John Podesta
Bashes Trump, One Obvious Reason Why
Dawn Luger
May 22, 2017

described Obama’s presidency, while changing the

buzzwords from “democrats” to “republicans,” and
“Obama” to “Trump.”

“The problem in the Trump White House is

they have no one who really stands up to
him,” Podesta says. “He’s impetuous, he’s
impulsive, he fires things off and if
anything, they enable him rather than trying
to contain what are moves that in any other
context would seem, you know, absolutely
crazy. … If they’re going to try to right this
place and be able to be effective, I think
they need a much stronger team who can
John Podesta, the original source of the 60,000 leaked resist his impulses and tell him that he’s
emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign released by wrong.”
WikiLeaks, has decided to go on a rampage against
Donald Trump. As the irony in politics continues as the Obama got away with being a war monger and shoving
disturbed human who is Podesta is now taking shots at the Obamacare through the government simply because the
man who beat his horribly constructed campaign. But left-leaning media (who was determined to lessen the blow
there’s probably a good reason for his anger. of the communism they so lovingly adore) covered his
indiscretions.
Podesta, who was Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair last
year, is saying that we shouldn’t expect an impeachment of “It’s laughable, really laughable that Donald
Donald Trump anytime soon. The “spirit cooking creep” Trump would fire Jim Comey because of
said that Republican congressional leaders Paul Ryan and his interference which damaged Hillary
Mitch McConnell have chosen to “Velcro their own Clinton. I mean, it was laughable from the
political fate” to Trump’s. According to Podesta, the right very beginning,” Podesta says. “Just a
won’t pursue allegations against the president of their own complete misreading of reality.”
party unless forced to do so by a 2018 midterm election
debacle or further revelations. If more people had read the Podesta emails, he would be
holed up somewhere not showing his face in public. But
“It is clear to me that Republicans on again, partisan politics and the political elites are in charge,
Capitol Hill are not going to begin to turn on not the voters. At this time, it’s easy to point out Podesta
him at this point,” Podesta says. has egg on his face. The long-winded rant against Trump
was what was laughable. John Podesta having any sort of
It’s almost like Podesta finally decided to publicly trust from the left is actually hilarious at this point. He
announce that partisan politics are being used to divide the clearly rigged the primary election against Bernie Sanders.
sheep into two groups. But it’s only OK when the
democrats do it. Were conservatives to expect an It seems like no one wants to say it, so I will:
impeachment of Obama for the bombing of more countries
than George W. Bush? No, of course not. That’s not how Let’s face it. Podesta is just ticked off that
political games are played. he lost a rigged election. That’s probably
whey he feels so burned. Of course, that’s
He also let out a barrage of other simple statements hardly speculation, because liberals and the
rooted in fact, yet designed to gin up an emotional leftists in the media won’t bother reading
response from his and Hillary’s followers. He basically Hillary Clinton and Podesta’s leaked emails

420
 without their (D) filters on, so we’ll never
know how deep the rigging truly goes –
only that it does, in fact, exist. Take this
email,(which can be read in full here) for
example:

This one is even earlier than the last email, written around
September 5, 2008. Again, don’t take my word for it. Read
the entire email here on WikiLeaks website (WikiLeaks ID
46340). To know the left rigged the election for Obama,
yet assume they didn’t for Hillary after knowing they
rigged the primaries against Sanders is willful ignorance at
Notice that the date on this email discussion begins on this point. Podesta is pissed he lost a rigged election. It’s
September 18, 2008 (WikiLeaks ID 33374). That’s nearly pretty simple to put these pieces together, but he preys on
two months before the election, yet politicians are the gullibility of the left and unfortunatly, they continue to
chomping at the bit for a chance to write Obamacare and comply.
be a part of Barack’s transition team. How did these
democrats know Obama would beat McCain two months
It isn’t a secret that elections are rigged, and Podesta is
ahead of the election? But that’s just one email, what about
extremely upset. It doesn’t take a genius to see that the left
this one also declaring Obama the winner:
controls the vast majority of the media and that there are
very few non-partisan sources from the outside looking in.
Trump is running the White House like a total baboon, but
it’s nothing different than what Barack Obama did during
his tenure as president. The only difference is the letter
behind his name. It’s all the same. It’s all politics.

421
 Coulter: If Trump Doesn't Keep His Promises,
Dems Will Win Big In 2018 & Impeach Him
May 22, 2017

"Unfortunately, we're not getting what we voted for,"

Coulter said.

She acknowledged, however, that much of the "vicious and

violent" criticism of Trump is unfair.

"Both political parties for years and years have been

pushing whatever Wall Street and the elites want. Trump
was the only candidate who was going to put Americans
first," Coulter said. "I just want him to get back to his
campaign promises."

Ann Coulter was one of President Donald Trump's most She said if he fails to do that, then the Democrats will
outspoken supporters during the 2016 election, but so far destroy the Republicans in the 2018 midterms, and they
she's been underwhelmed by his presidency. "absolutely" will impeach him.

On "Varney & Co." today, Coulter said that the American "The left-wing base is just obsessed with that, so Trump
people elected Trump to build a wall along the U.S.- better keep his promises," Coulter said.
Mexico border, enforce immigration laws, end NAFTA
and end our role as the world's police. She noted that there's still plenty of time for Trump to get
it together, but she's still waiting to see the "bull in a china
shop" that he promised to be in Washington, D.C.
.

422
 Kim Dotcom Tweets:
I Was Involved With Seth Rich.
Public Statement Tuesday #Wikileaks
May 22, 2017

the United States. He called himself Panda. I now know

that Panda was Seth Rich.

Panda advised me that he was working on voter analytics

tools and other technologies that the Internet Party may
find helpful.

I communicated with Panda on a number of topics

including corruption and the influence of corporate money
in politics.

He wanted to change that from the inside.

KiwiYouTube phenom Ed, creator of both “The Outer
Dark” and “The Outer Light” channels is reporting here on I was referring to what I knew when I did an interview
tweets made by fellow Kiwi, Internet impresario, Kim with Bloomberg in New Zealand in May 2015. In that
Dotcom who claims that he was personally involved in interview I hinted that Julian Assange and Wikileaks
DNC staffer Seth Rich’s leaks, which were published by would release information about Hillary Clinton in the
WikiLeaks and helped throw the US Presdential upcoming election.
Electionand that he will be making an official
announcement about this on “Tuesday”, which is May The Rich family has reached out to me to ask that I be
23rd for Kiwis and May 22 for people in the Western sensitive to their loss in my public comments. That request
Hemisphere, depending on one’s location in reference to is entirely reasonable.
the International Dateline.
I have consulted with my lawyers. I accept that my full
Kim will apparently be appearing on Sean Hannity’s radio statement should be provided to the authorities and I am
and TV broadcasts. prepared to do that so that there can be a full investigation.
My lawyers will speak with the authorities regarding the
In response to this, Julian Assange tweeted: “WikiLeaks proper process.
has never disclosed a source. Sources sometimes talk to
other parties but identities never emerge from WikiLeaks. If my evidence is required to be given in the United States
#SethRich” I would be prepared to do so if appropriate arrangements
are made. I would need a guarantee from Special Counsel
(Which sounds a lot like he’s disclosing a source to me!) Mueller, on behalf of the United States, of safe passage
from New Zealand to the United States and back. In the
Here is Kim Dotcom’s preliminary statement: coming days we will be communicating with the
appropriate authorities to make the necessary
#SethRich was a hero arrangements. In the meantime, I will make no further
I know that Seth Rich was involved in the DNC leak. comment.

I know this because in late 2014 a person contacted me Statement from

about helping me to start a branch of the Internet Party in Kim Dotcom
.

423
 Fox Drops Seth Rich Murder
Story As Sean Hannity Attacks 'Liberal Fascism'
Fox Says Report That DNC Staffer Had Been In Contact With Wikileaks
Prior To His Fatal Shooting Was Not Given A ‘High Degree Of
Editorial Scrutiny’
Sabrina Siddiqui In Washington
Tuesday 23 May 2017 23.27 EDT

“We will continue to investigate this story

and will provide updates as warranted.”

Hours later, Hannity addressed the controversy at the top

of his program and was largely unapologetic, but said he
would back down from the story for the time being.

“Out of respect for the [Rich] family’s

wishes, for now, I am not discussing this
matter at this time,” Hannity said.

In the wake of the Fox News report, law enforcement officials

Even so, the characteristically bombastic anchor blamed
disputed that Rich’s laptop had even been in possession of, or what he dubbed as “liberal fascism” amid a campaign
examined by, federal authorities. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP targeting Hannity’s advertisers in the wake of his
promotion of the false report.
Fox News has retracted a story on the 2016 murder of
Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich, which “I promise you I am not going to stop doing
was roundly condemned for perpetuating conspiracy my job,” Hannity said. “I am not going to
theories, while host Sean Hannity said he would cease stop trying to find the truth.”
further discussion of the subject on his show in the
network’s evening lineup. Rightwing websites and commentators have sought to tie
Rich’s murder to the release of the hacked DNC emails
Both Fox and Hannity invited a torrent of criticism for a ahead of the party’s convention last July, as well as to
report on 16 May that Rich, a 27-year-old staffer at the Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, despite no
DNC, had been in contact with the website WikiLeaks evidence to support such a link.
prior to his fatal shooting in Washington in July of 2016.
The unsubstantiated report was published and promoted on In an emotional op-ed published on the Washington Post
both Fox News, most heavily on Hannity’s primetime on Tuesday, Rich’s family said he was in fact excited
show, and the network’s local Washington affiliate, about an opportunity to join Clinton’s campaign on the day
WTTG-TV. he was killed.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Fox News said the “Every day we wake up to new headlines,
article in question new lies, new factual errors, new people
approaching us to take advantage of us
“was not initially subjected to the high and Seth’s legacy,” his parents, Mary Rich
degree of editorial scrutiny we require for and Joel Rich, wrote.
all our reporting”.
“It just won’t stop. The amount of pain and
“Upon appropriate review, the article was anguish this has caused us is unbearable.”
found not to meet those standards and has
since been removed,” the statement read. Following Hannity’s broadcast, his family’s spokesman
said:
424
 “We hope that Mr Hannity will join Fox Rich’s family pleaded with the network and host to
News in their rededicated commitment to suspend its promotion of a conspiracy theory.
editorial integrity.”
Brad Bauman, a spokesman for the Rich family, told CNN
Rich’s case remains unresolved, but the Metropolitan earlier on Tuesday they were grateful for the retraction.
police department of Washington have said the evidence
suggests the murder resulted from a botched robbery. “The family would like to thank Fox News
for their retraction on a story that has
Fox News falsely alleged federal authorities had found caused deep pain and anguish to the family
thousands of emails between Rich and Wikileaks, when in and has done harm to Seth Rich’s legacy,”
fact law enforcement officials disputed that Rich’s laptop Bauman said in a statement.
had even been in possession of, or examined by, the FBI.
“We are hopeful that in the future Fox
Fox nonetheless continued to feature the report, which was
News will work with the family to ensure the
widely characterized as an example of the “fake news”
highest degree of professionalism and
phenomenon. scrutiny is followed so that only accurate
facts are reported serving this case.”
.

425
 The Republic Has Fallen:
The Deep State’s Plot To Take Over America
Has Succeeded
By John W. Whitehead
May 23, 2017

No doubt about it. taxpayer where it hurts the most—will continue to grow,
thanks to Trump.
The coup d’etat has been successful.
This is how you keep the Deep State in power.
The Deep State—a.k.a. the police state a.k.a. the military
industrial complex—has taken over. The rich will get richer, the poor will get poorer, the
military will get more militaristic, America’s endless wars
The American system of representative government has will get more endless, and the prospect of peace will grow
been overthrown by a profit-driven, militaristic corporate ever dimmer.
state bent on total control and global domination through
the imposition of martial law here at home and by As for the terrorists, they will keep on being played for
fomenting wars abroad. pawns as long as Saudi Arabia remains their breeding
ground and America remains the source of their weapons,
When in doubt, follow the money trail. training and know-how.

It always points the way. Follow the money. It always points the way.

Every successive president starting with Franklin D. As Bertram Gross noted in Friendly Fascism: The New
Roosevelt has been bought—lock, stock and barrel—and Face of Power in America, “evil now wears a friendlier
made to dance to the tune of the Deep State. face than ever before in American history.”

Enter Donald Trump, the candidate who swore to drain the Writing in 1980, Gross predicted a future in which he saw:
swamp in Washington DC.
…a new despotism creeping slowly across America.
Instead of putting an end to the corruption, however, Faceless oligarchs sit at command posts of a corporate-
Trump has paved the way for lobbyists, corporations, the government complex that has been slowly evolving over
military industrial complex, and the Deep State to feast on many decades. In efforts to enlarge their own powers and
the carcass of the dying American republic. privileges, they are willing to have others suffer the
intended or unintended consequences of their institutional
Just recently, for instance, Trump agreed to sell Saudi or personal greed. For Americans, these consequences
Arabia more than $110 billion in military weapons. include chronic inflation, recurring recession, open and
hidden unemployment, the poisoning of air, water, soil and
bodies, and, more important, the subversion of our
Meanwhile, Trump—purportedly in an effort to balance constitution. More broadly, consequences include
the budget in 10 years—wants to slash government widespread intervention in international politics through
funding for programs for the poor, ranging from health economic manipulation, covert action, or military
care and food stamps to student loans and disability invasion...
payments.
We’ve been losing our freedoms so incrementally for so
The military doesn’t have to worry about tightening its long—sold to us in the name of national security and
belt, however. No, the military’s budget—with its trillion global peace, maintained by way of martial law disguised
dollar wars, its $125 billion in administrative waste, and its as law and order, and enforced by a standing army of
contractor-driven price gouging that hits the American
426
militarized police and a political elite determined to on its hands. Instead, the American people have been given
maintain their powers at all costs—that it’s hard to the boiling frog treatment, immersed in water that slowly
pinpoint exactly when it all started going downhill, but is heated up—degree by degree—so that they’ve fail to
we’re certainly on that downward trajectory now, and notice that they’re being trapped and cooked and killed.
things are moving fast.
“We the people” are in hot water now.
The “government of the people, by the people, for the
people” has perished. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War
on the American People, the Constitution doesn’t stand a
It will not be revived or restored without a true revolution chance against a federalized, globalized standing army
of values and a people’s rebellion the likes of which we protected by legislative, judicial and executive branches
may not see for a very long time. that are all on the same side, no matter what political views
they subscribe to: suffice it to say, they are not on our side
America is a profitable business interest for a very select or the side of freedom.
few, and war—wars waged abroad against shadowy
enemies and wars waged at home against the American From Clinton to Bush, then Obama and now Trump, it’s as
people—has become the Deep State’s primary means of if we’ve been caught in a time loop, forced to re-live the
income. same thing over and over again: the same assaults on our
freedoms, the same disregard for the rule of law, the same
After all, war is big business. subservience to the Deep State, and the same corrupt, self-
serving government that exists only to amass power, enrich
its shareholders and ensure its continued domination.
In order to maintain a profit margin, one would either have
to find new enemies abroad or focus on fighting a war at
home, against the American people, and that’s exactly The republic has fallen to fascism with a smile.
what we’re dealing with today.
Elections will not save us.
 Wars waged abroad to the tune of trillions of
dollars since 9/11. Learn the treacherous lessons of 2008 and 2016:
presidential elections have made a mockery of our
 Military equipment sold to foreign enemies. constitutional system of government, suggesting that our
votes can make a difference when, in fact, they merely
serve to maintain the status quo.
 Local police transformed into a standing army in the
American homeland through millions of dollars’ worth of
grants to local police agencies for military weapons, Don’t delay.
vehicles, training and assistance.
Start now—in your own communities, in your schools, at
your city council meetings, in newspaper editorials, at
 The public acclimated to the sights and sounds of
protests—by pushing back against laws that are unjust,
martial law through urban training exercises and
police departments that overreach, politicians that don’t
domestic military training drills timed and formulated to
listen to their constituents, and a system of government
coincide with or portend actual crises.
that grows more tyrannical by the day.
 The citizenry taught to fear and distrust each other and
If you wait until 2020 to rescue our republic from the
to welcome the trappings of the police state.
clutches of the Deep State, it will be too late.
Had the government tried to ram such a state of affairs
down our throats suddenly, it might have had a rebellion
.

427
 Partisan WashPost Editor
Convicts Trump: This ‘Feels Like’ Watergate
By Scott Whitlock
May 23, 2017 | 12:28 PM EDT

The Washington Post’s executive editor has convicted She wondered, “Help us understand the leak process, how
Donald Trump. One would assume the only solution is it operates at your place. How can you trust the people that
impeachment. Appearing on CBS This Morning, Marty are leaking stories to you?” King then followed up by
Baron touted the Post’s war against the President. He cheering, “And don't you double check, triple check? It's
concluded, not like you rely on just one source.”

“When I was coming out of high school,

there was Nixon and Watergate. And so,
I wasn't in the middle of that, obviously.
But this feels like that in many ways.”

Richard Nixon was driven from office in the wake of

impeachment inquiries and The Washington Post's
reporting. Baron admitted this might not be a “perfect
analogy, but what does his comment suggest the
newspaper has in mind for Trump?

Nowhere in the fawning interview were examples of the

Post getting things wrong when it came to investigating
Trump. The MRC’s Brent Bozell and Tim Graham
explained on May 16:

Since Trump won the election, the Post has

been caught in a string of over-aggressive
anti-Trump stories that were based on
anonymous sources and turned out to be
untrue. Just last week, the Post reported
deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein
The interview included a lot of journalistic self-love as the offered to resign in the wake of the firing of
CBS hosts thrilled over the “stunning” Post, saying it has FBI director James Comey. Rosenstein
“never been better.” Gayle King noted that the paper has denied ever doing such a thing. The Post
been scooping its liberal competitor, The New York Times: also reported the FBI asked for additional
resources for its probe of Trump campaign
collusion with the Russian government.
This has got to be a very satisfying feeling The acting FBI director testified under oath
for you. You're very calm and very that was not true. It's a shame Congress
controlled. Aren't you guys over there doesn’t get to put the media’s anonymous
doing the hula about what is sources under oath.
happening?
At one point, Baron asserted,
Assume for a minute that the Post has the goods on Trump
and he’s actually guilty of crimes. “Satisfying?” “Doing
the hula?” Would that be the reaction for such a “This is an administration, like every
tumultuous, difficult time for the country? administration, requires scrutiny and we
have more people probably covering the
White House now than I think The
The best the CBS reporters could manage was for King to Washington Post ever has had.”
lightly broach the topic of relying on anonymous sourcing.
428
Where was that scrutiny during the Obama administration? like every administration, requires scrutiny and we have
Where were all those investigative reporters over that eight more people probably covering the White House now than I
year span? think The Washington Post ever has had.

This type of fawning coverage of other journalists is GAYLE KING: Have you ever seen this many leaks, Marty,
common for CBS. On May 16, the hosts talked to the the President has called you all fake media, leaks that the
publisher of Rolling Stone about the magazine’s 50th media is out to get him. Help us understand the leak
anniversary. King explained away the publication’s fake process, how it operates at your place. How can you trust
claim of rape at the University of Virginia, excusing the the people that are leaking stories to you?
false reporting, “It happens so rarely to you.”
BARON: Well, look, there are a lot of people in government
A transcript of the segment is below: who are concerned about what's happening. They feel it's
information that the public needs and deserves to know. Our
CBS This Morning reporters have a lot of experience. Over the many years
5/23/17 they've cultivated sources in government. People who know
8:32am ET them. They know the source. These are reporters on our
staff who have a lot of experience and expertise. And so,
when people want to talk they talk to us.
CHARLIE ROSE: Political news has dominated headlines
from the 2016 campaign into the beginning of President
Trump's administration. The Washington Post has been KING: And don’t you double check, triple check? It’s not like
behind several of the biggest stories. They include the you rely on just one source.
leaked Access Hollywood video and the Justice
Department's concern about Michael Flynn. The paper won BARON: Absolutely. We do not rely on one source. We
a Pulitzer Prize for its investigation into Mr. Trump's always have to have extra confirmation of anything. In many
charitable donations. The newspaper also broke the story instances, the White House has said something that was not
about President Trump's revelation of highly classified true and then a day later or two days later who confirms it?
information to Russian official. And yesterday, the Post The President of the United States actually confirmed our
reported that Trump asked top intelligence officials to deny reporting.
evidence that his campaign colluded with Russia. Marty
Baron is executive editor of The Washington Post and we’re NORAH O’DONNELL: Marty, this is another stunning piece
pleased to have him at this table. Welcome. of reporting, an excellent original reporting about the
president asking his intelligence chiefs to deny collusion.
MARTY BARON: Thank you. One of the things I read between the lines is he asked them
to do it just days after Comey testified. So there's this very
ROSE: What’s happened to The Washington Post? I mean, short period of time where the President is ramping up his
everybody is saying it's never been better and you’ve got activity, not only against Comey, but the intelligence chiefs.
remarkable reporting. On the question of leaks, though, just to contextualize about
that, people are not calling The Washington Post giving you
information. Your reporters are asking questions and then
BARON: Well, thank you. We appreciate that we have a
they give up information, correct?
great team. Great team in the newsroom. Very proud of
what they are doing.
BARON: Yes. For the most part. These are reporters who
have a lot of experience, a lot of expertise. They talk to a lot
ROSE: Has the addition avenue ownership made a
of people over many, many years. They developed their
difference?
confidence. Earned their confidence because of the quality
reporting they've done. Now people are willing to talk to
BARON: Yeah. Jeff Bezos is now our owner. He's owned us them.
for about three and a half years. He's brought not only
financial capital, but intellectual capital. I think he has helped
O’DONNELL: And they trust them. So, let me ask you this:
us adjust to the digital age and that’s been — He’s been a
You're the editor. What questions remain unanswered for
tremendous owner and stood behind us.
you?
ROSE: Look at today's news. I mean, how does a paper
BARON: Well, there are a lot and that's why there's an
cover this kind of story?
investigation taking place. And obviously we want to know
all the same things that the FBI is investigating. That the
BARON: Well, we have a tremendous team that covers committees in Congress are investigating. We want to know,
politics and policy and The Washington Post, of course, has obviously, whether there was obstruction of justice, what
done that for a very long time. And this is an administration, constitutes obstruction of justice? We do want to know if
429
 there was collusion between the Trump campaign and the BARON: Well, look, when I was coming out of high school
Russians. We can't say for sure at the moment. there was Nixon and Watergate. And so, I wasn't in the
middle of that, obviously. But this feels like that in many
O’DONNELL: And yet, on Friday your paper, the Post, ways. Now, that's not to say that it's a perfect analogy. We'll
reported that a current White House official is a significant have to see. We need to see the evidence. We need to do
person of interest in the Russian investigation. But you didn't more investigating. The law enforcement officers, the FBI
name who that person is. Do you know who that person is? and the congressional committees need to do more
investigating and we in the journalism community need to do
more investigating as well.
BARON: Well, we didn't name the person. I don't plan to
name the person because we haven't confirmed who that is.
KING: I like Charlie's question, though, because I think there
seems to be such a competition between The New York
KING: If you could just give us the initials, please.
Times and The Washington Post. Norah pointed out in the
green room that it's something The New York Times is
BARON: If we can confirm — this is what we do. When we quoting The Washington Post. This has got to be a very
can't confirm, we don't report. satisfying feeling for you. You're very calm and very
controlled. Aren't you guys over there doing the hula about
ROSE: So what do you need to confirm? what is happening?

BARON: We need an additional source or two. BARON: No. We really don't do that. We're very serious
about what we do.
ROSE: So you do have sources that said it's a certain
person. You need that to be confirmed by other people. KING: I understand that. I understand that.

BARON: We need more confirmation. That’s about all I can KING: People know that we're held to account like
say. everybody else is held to account like everyone else is held
to account. But we need to make sure our information is
O’DONNELL: What does that mean? There's a single accurate.
person who is a person, a significant person of interest?
KING: And you do that. That takes a lot of hard work. With
BARON: Well, it's a person who is the subject to regard to The New York Times, great. We do not coordinate
investigation. Someone who the FBI and others are looking with The New York Times, great. We compete with The New
at very closely to see whether there was a particular York Times. I think it's to the public benefit that there are two
connection to the Russians that had some influence in what news organizations, and other news organizations as well,
the Russians that had some influence in what the Russians that are vigorously pursuing this story. That's what the
meaning of the First Amendment is. The press and public,
KING: Are you close to confirming that person? I know you by the way, supposed to hold their government to account.
said you’re still looking. Are you close? That's the meaning of self-governance.

BARON: I really can’t — I really can't say any more about it. ROSE: Great to have you.

ROSE: A broader question, what is this feel like for you? O’DONNELL: Your speech at Penn State is a must read for
You're in Boston where they made a remarkable movie of everybody and for certainly journalists. Thank you for being
what happened when you were editor there. Think about here. Congratulations to all the great reporters at the Post.
this: I mean in terms of — you've lived through a lot of
political drama. Has it ever been, in your feeling, in you
judgment, anything like this?

430
 Why Trump Is On Track
To Disappoint Israel’s Netanyahu
By Ishaan Tharoor
May 23 At 1:00 AM
Benjamin Netanyahu. (Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse via Getty
Images)
But no matter the comparatively good
vibes surrounding Trump's trip to Israel,
Netanyahu may grow disappointed in
the coming months and years.

Trump's election lifted hopes among Israeli right-wingers

and ultranationalists that Washington would shelve talk
about the two-state solution and look the other way as vast
settlement expansion took place in the West Bank. But,
Even by their standards, the bromance between President just a few months later, Trump seems genuinely eager to
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin strike a peace accord and has slow-pedaled his promise to
Netanyahu seemed particularly deep in Jerusalem on move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, a gesture that would
Monday. Netanyahu, relaxed and beaming, welcomed the enrage Palestinians and infuriate the Arab statesmen
American president to the “united capital of the Jewish Trump hopes to enlist in his peace efforts. That has some
state,” the second stop on Trump's overseas tour. on the Israeli right grumbling already.

“I think we quote each other,” said There's also no indication so far that the president is
Netanyahu, with Trump grinning at his side. moving to scrap the nuclear deal, which Netanyahu and his
“We understand each other and so much of allies hoped would be jettisoned soon after Trump took
the things that we wish to accomplish for office.
both our countries.”
It was a marked change in atmosphere Sure, Trump did offer up the sort of harsh language on Iran
from meetings with Trump's — Israel's regional foe — that Netanyahu wanted to hear.
predecessor. The United States would work with Israel to roll back “the
threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region
Netanyahu and former president Barack Obama clashed and causing so much violence and suffering,” Trump said.
over the American role in brokering a nuclear deal with He also took the unprecedented step of visiting the
Iran, which Netanyahu actively lobbied against — Western Wall, something no sitting American president
including during a 2015 speech to Congress. The has ever done because of the sensitivities around the site
American refusal to veto a U.N. Security Council and Jerusalem's disputed status. Netanyahu celebrated the
resolution on Israeli settlements in the waning weeks of the act, telling Trump that the “people of Israel applaud you
Obama presidency led to howls of fury from the Israeli for it” — but Trump pointedly did not bring any Israeli
government. Now all is sunny again. politicians along on his visit.

“The bottom line is that not only does

Trump have no intention of jeopardizing his
relations with Sunni Arab leaders by
moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, he
won’t even make the tiniest gesture in that
direction by allowing Netanyahu to join him
for a few minutes in the Old City,” wrote
Haaretz journalist Anshel Pfeffer.
Instead of breaking from the past,
Trump seems to be taking the
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump with Sara and
equivocating posture of his
predecessors.
431
 “The early perceptions that Trump would
reverse all of Obama’s policy decisions and
The big question is whether Trump will
never challenge Israel very quickly proved
follow through on his stated zeal to fix
inaccurate,” wrote Daniel Shapiro, the
the problem, especially when the status
former U.S. ambassador to Israel under
quo seems to serve his friend
Obama. “So far, his administration has
Netanyahu's interests.
embarked on a much more traditional
approach of seeking to restrain Israeli “Both the Israelis and Palestinians are
settlements, curtail Palestinian violence aware that even a more traditional
and incitement, and revive Israeli- American president is unlikely to have the
Palestinian negotiations toward a two-state political will to do what is necessary to
solution, with the support of key Arab broker a just peace agreement,” wrote
states.” Yousef Munayyer, a scholar at the Middle
East Institute.
On Tuesday, Trump will travel to Bethlehem to meet “With Trump, they know the chances are
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a even more remote. At the same time,
politician who is increasingly unpopular at home but still neither can afford to alienate Washington.
championed by foreign leaders as a key interlocutor for So they must carefully play along as Trump
Mideast peace. engages the issues, and they will likely
seek opportunities to get whatever they can
Trump “has built up Abbas by treating him from him in the process.”
with respect. And his envoy is pressing the
Israelis to take meaningful steps to allow Ilan Goldenberg, a Middle East expert at the Center for a
the Palestinians to grow their economy,” New American Security, suggested Netanyahu is now
“freaked out because Trump seems serious about peace.”
said Martin Indyk, a former U.S. envoy for Israeli- That means he “will have to produce” at the risk of
Palestinian negotiations, in an interview with the Atlantic. antagonizing key right-wing allies — and likely losing
votes to their parties.
“It’s almost exactly what Bill Clinton did
when he was president.” “With Obama, Israelis may not always have
gotten everything they wanted,” wrote
Shapiro. “But they always got consistency.”

With Trump, it appears, Netanyahu may get neither.

Anti-Trump demonstrators protest near the American Consulate in

Jerusalem. (Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)
.

432
 Chris Cuomo Defends Illegal Leaks,
Dismisses Any Damage Done, Blames The President
By Alex Xenos
May 23, 2017 | 1:22 PM EDT

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo defended the illegal leaks with Michael Flynn. We wouldn't have
aimed at the Trump administration Tuesday morning on heard about these Comey memos, we
CNN’s New Day. He dismissed any possible damage done wouldn’t have heard these
to national security by these unlawful acts. In an interview conversations with the DNI and the
with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), he asked: NSA. Are the leaks the problem here?

“You know Marco Rubio was just on. Manchin went on to urge that leakers not release sensitive
material to the press but rather to the Senate Intelligence
He said I'll tell you what concerns me,
Committee.
it’s not just these reports but their
source, the leaks, could be
compromising national security, could Earlier on the program, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
make foreign leaders not want to work provided one of the dangers that comes with these leaks:
with us. What has come out that has
compromised national security or chill a “And by the way, related to that are these
foreign leader?” leaks that are coming out. Again, I
understand that the public wants to
know. But I also think we have an
environment now in the Executive
Branch where the President and the
people around them are potentially
cautious or afraid because they don't
know what the people -- they don't trust
the people around them. They know
someone in that room or someone in
that building is leaking things to the
press, sometimes selectively. So we've
got a broader issue here, and that is the
ability of the intelligence community to
function for its most important client,
Manchin explained: the President of the United States.”

“Well, I guess the old saying that ’loose Co-host Alisyn Camerota quickly changed the subject to
lips sink ships’ and people are possible obstruction of justice committed by the President,
concerned, can they trust us with upon hearing Rubio’s accurate point.
information, can they trust us with the
intel?”
The media has been doing their best to dismiss any
concerns about the leaking of sensitive information, since
Cuomo was clearly offended by the suggestion that the information has been harmful to President Trump.
material that helped his network and damaged his enemy However, to deny the harm done by leaks is dishonest.
in the White House, could be harmful to the country.
Leaks of private conversations disrupt the Executive
CUOMO: Right, but that applies to the Branch and inhibits their ability to conduct their business,
President, sir. He's the one that may or as Senator Rubio pointed out. This is especially true when
may not have leaked sensitive it comes to the intelligence community. Additionally, by
information in the media. Not the media. leaking conversations the President and other American
If not for these leaks, who knows officials have with foreign leaders/officials, they are
whether or not the White House would endangering the country’s ability to communicate and
have operated on what was going on
433
gather intelligence from other nations. If someone is MANCHIN: Let me say this to those people who have
concerned with what the President or any other official is this information that the so-called leaks are coming
doing, they can go to superiors, Congress, or an IG. They from, come and leak it to the intelligence
should go to other places within the government, not the committee. Come and leak it to the professionals,
dishonest media. come and leak it to the staff that has the ability to
go through the sources to find out if they are
As we have seen, the media is completely blowing the credible or not. Don't play them out in the news
information they have received from anonymous sources media, which they are and you all are doing your job
out of proportion. None of the requests President Trump and that's exactly what you should be doing. But if
made to officials were examples of obstructions of justice, they really want to get to the source of the problem
even if they were inappropriate. In respect to the sharing of and clear this mess up and get some confidence back
classified information with Russia, we haven’t the slightest in the American public that this government can
clue whether any wrong doing was actually committed. function and protect them, we took an oath. All of us
We know National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster has took the same oath. So I would say to all those who
claimed it was “wholly appropriate.” McMaster, of course, have sensitive information come to us. We'd love to
is a respected Lt. General in the United States Army. have it. If you want to come before us, come before
us. If you want to give us the information, give it to us
and let us sort it out. But we have a professional
The bottom line is that the media has an agenda and any
staff that can do this job.
information given to them will be spun to fit their
narrative.
(...)
rd
See below for a more complete transcript of the May 23
interviews: 8:23 AM

CHRIS CUOMO: You know Marco Rubio was just on. MARCO RUBIO: And by the way, related to that are
He said I'll tell you what concerns me, it’s not just these leaks that are coming out. Again, I understand
these reports but their source, the leaks, could be that the public wants to know. But I also think we
compromising national security, could make have an environment now in the Executive Branch
foreign leaders not want to work with us. What has where the President and the people around them
come out that has compromised national security are potentially cautious or afraid because they
or chill a foreign leader? don't know what the people -- they don't trust the
people around them. They know someone in that
room or someone in that building is leaking things
JOE MANCHIN: Well, I guess the old saying that
to the press, sometimes selectively. So we've got a
“loose lips sink ships” and people are concerned,
broader issue here, and that is the ability of the
can they trust us with information, can they trust
intelligence community to function for its most
us with the intel?
important client, the President of the United
States.
CUOMO: Right, but that applies to the President,
sir. He's the one that may or may not have leaked
ALISYN CAMEROTA: But is it an obstruction of justice
sensitive information in the media. Not the media.
in your mind? If this happened as reported, is it an
If not for these leaks, who knows whether or not
obstruction of justice?
the White House would have operated on what
was going on with Michael Flynn. We wouldn't
have heard about these Comey memos, we (...)
wouldn’t have heard these conversations with the
DNI and the NSA. Are the leaks the problem here?
.

434
 Kim Dotcom Releases New
Statement On Seth Rich And It May Shock You
Kim Dotcom Smashes Deep State Narrative
By Shepard Ambellas -
05.23.2017 @1:39 PM EDT

(INTELLIHUB) — Internet freedom fighter and Mega Julian Assange and Wikileaks would
millionaire Kim Dotcom came forth Tuesday with his full release information about Hillary Clinton in
statement on Seth Rich as promised. the upcoming election.
The Rich family has reached out to me to
In the statement, Dotcom claims that he knows that Seth ask that I be sensitive to their loss in my
Rich was involved in the DNC leak. public comments. That request is entirely
reasonable.
Dotcom writes: I have consulted with my lawyers. I accept
that my full statement should be provided
I know this because in late 2014 a person to the authorities and I am prepared to do
contacted me about helping me to start a that so that there can be a full investigation.
branch of the Internet Party in the United My lawyers will speak with the authorities
States. He called himself Panda. I now regarding the proper process.
know that Panda was Seth Rich.
If my evidence is required to be given in the
Panda advised me that he was working on United States I would be prepared to do so
voter analytics tools and other technologies if appropriate arrangements are made. I
that the Internet Party may find helpful. would need a guarantee from Special
I communicated with Panda on a number of Counsel Mueller, on behalf of the United
topics including corruption and the States, of safe passage from New Zealand
influence of corporate money in politics. to the United States and back. In the
coming days we will be communicating with
“He wanted to change that from the inside.” the appropriate authorities to make the
I was referring to what I knew when I did an necessary arrangements. In the meantime,
interview with Bloomberg in New Zealand I will make no further comment.
in May 2015. In that interview I hinted that
.

435
 Did Several Democratic IT Staffers
Under Investigation Just Flee To Pakistan?
Michael Krieger
Posted Tuesday May 23, 2017 At 1:40 Pm

Today’s post is a little different than most, and highlights With that out of the way, here’s some of what The Daily
the very strange case of a few Democratic IT Staffers who Caller reported yesterday:
have apparently fled to Pakistan while under investigation.
If what The Daily Caller reported yesterday is accurate, A criminal suspect in an investigation into a major
it’s certainly something to keep your eye on. security breach on the House of
Representatives computer network has abruptly left the
First a little background. Politico reported the following country and gone to Pakistan, where her family has
back in March. significant assets and VIP-level protection, a relative
and others told The Daily Caller News Foundation’s
Two House Democrats this week fired technology Investigative Group.
staffers linked to an ongoing criminal investigation,
more than a month after the couple in question was Hina Alvi, her husband Imran Awan, and his brothers
barred from House computer networks. Abid and Jamal were highly paid shared IT
administrators working for multiple House Democrats
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) confirmed to Politico that Hina until their access to congressional IT systems
Alvi’s last day as an IT support staffer in his office was was terminated Feb. 2 as a result of the investigation.
Tuesday. Her husband, Imran Awan, was working for Rep. Capitol Police confirmed the investigation is ongoing,
Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) as of Tuesday evening, but a but no arrests have been reported in the case.
spokeswoman for Fudge said midday Wednesday that Awan
was no longer an employee. The Awans are “accused of stealing equipment from
members’ offices without their knowledge and committing
As of Wednesday, Awan was still working as a serious, potentially illegal, violations on the House IT
technology adviser for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz network,” according to Politico. Many of the Democrats who
(D-Fla.), although he’s been blocked from accessing the employed the Awans are members of the House Committee
House computer system since early February. on Homeland Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs
and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. (A list
of potentially compromised members is listed below.)
Alvi, Awan and three other House aides, including Abid
Awan and Jamal Awan, relatives of Imran Awan, and Rao
Abbas, are all linked to the criminal investigation being Their positions gave them access to members’ emails and
conducted by the U.S. Capitol Police. confidential files. In addition, Imran was given the password
for an iPad used by then-Democratic National Committee
Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida
The five current and former House staffers are accused
Democrat. The five came to the U.S. from Pakistan.
of stealing equipment from members’ offices without
their knowledge and committing serious, potentially
illegal, violations on the House IT network, according to Since the investigation became public, the Awans have
multiple sources with knowledge of the probe. abruptly moved from longtime homes in Lorton and
Springfield, Va.
Awan made nearly $2 million since starting as an IT support
staffer for House Democrats in 2004, according to public Imran and Hina recently withdrew their children from their
salary data. Alvi, who worked for House Democrats schools, according to members of the Holly Elementary and
beginning in 2007, earned more than $1.3 million as an IT Lorton Station Middle school communities. Multiple people
staffer during that time. said Hina told them she was headed to Pakistan where the
family has significant property.
As shared employees, Awan, Alvi and their relatives worked
for dozens of House Democrats at a time, meaning no one Real estate records show Hina listed both the Lorton house
lawmaker was responsible for paying their full salary. and an apartment she owns for sale.

436
 “I came to know from one of their relatives that Hina Alvi and Imran, who has worked for Wasserman Schultz since
her daughters are moved to Pakistan, Hina Alvi saying ‘we 2005, “boasted he had many contacts in USA and
have moved here in Pakistan permanently,’” the Awans’ Pakistan also. He also said that if [I called even] the
stepmother, Samina Gilani, told TheDCNF. whole United States police on them,” he would not face
consequences, Gilani told TheDCNF. “Imran Awan
Two other sources close to the family, who requested threatened that he is very powerful” and would use that
anonymity because they believe it is a “national security power to have people kidnapped in Pakistan, she said in
issue,” also said that Hina has gone to Pakistan. court documents.

Gilani said in court documents the Awan brothers have I’m not sure what to make of this, or if all of the above is
convinced Pakistani officials that they are VIPs and travel even true, but the entire saga seems like something we
the country with a police motorcade — an assertion that should be aware of.
seemingly gives them a major incentive to seek protection
there, as well as raising questions about how the computer
jockeys obtained that status.

437
 New Cracks In Russia-Gate ‘Assessment’
By Robert Parry
May 23, 2017
coordinated among the 17 agencies, and for good reason
because of the nature and the sensitivity of the information
trying, once again, to keep that tightly compartmented.”

But Brennan’s excuse about “tightly compartmented”

information was somewhat disingenuous because other
intelligence agencies, such as the State Department’s
Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), could have
been consulted in a limited fashion, based on their areas of
expertise. For instance, INR could have weighed in on
whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would have
taken the risk of trying to sabotage Hillary Clinton’s
Former CIA Director John Brennan at a White House meeting campaign, knowing that – if she won as expected and
during his time as President Barack Obama’s counterterrorism learned of the operation – she might have sought revenge
adviser.
against him and his country.

Exclusive: President Obama’s ex-intelligence chiefs admit

The Jan. 6 report argued one side of the case – that Putin
they limited input into the Russia-gate “assessment,”
had a motive for undermining Clinton because he objected
which was handled by “hand-picked” analysts, raising the
to her work as Secretary of State when she encouraged
specter of politicized intelligence, Robert Parry reports.
anti-Putin protests inside Russia – but the report ignored
the counter-argument that the usually cautious Putin might
At the center of the Russia-gate scandal is a curious U.S. well have feared infuriating the incoming U.S. President if
intelligence “assessment” that was pulled together in less the anti-Clinton ploy failed to block her election.
than a month and excluded many of the agencies that
would normally weigh in on such an important topic as
A balanced intelligence assessment would have included
whether Russia tried to influence the outcome of a U.S.
not just arguments for believing that the Russians did
presidential election.
supply the Democratic emails to WikiLeaks but the
reasons to doubt that they did.
The Jan. 6 report and its allegation that Russia “hacked”
Democratic emails and publicized them through
Pre-Cooked Intelligence
WikiLeaks have been treated as gospel by the mainstream
U.S. media and many politicians of both parties, but two
senior Obama administration intelligence officials have However, the restricted nature of the Jan. 6 report –
provided new information that raises fresh doubts about limiting it to analysts from CIA, NSA and FBI – blocked
the findings. the kind of expertise that the State Department, the
Defense Department, the Department of Homeland
Security and other agencies might have provided. In other
On Tuesday, former CIA Director John Brennan told the
words, the Jan. 6 report has the look of pre-cooked
House Intelligence Committee that only four of the 17 U.S.
intelligence.
intelligence agencies took part in the assessment, relying
on analysts from the Central Intelligence Agency, the
National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of That impression was further strengthened by the admission
Investigation, under the oversight of the Office of the of former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper
Director of National Intelligence. before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on May 8 that “the
two dozen or so analysts for this task were hand-picked,
seasoned experts from each of the contributing agencies.”
Brennan said the report “followed the general model of
how you want to do something like this with some notable
exceptions. It only involved the FBI, NSA and CIA as well Yet, as any intelligence expert will tell you, if you “hand-
as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It pick” the analysts, you are really hand-picking the
wasn’t a full inter-agency community assessment that was conclusion. For instance, if the analysts were known to be
438
hard-liners on Russia or supporters of Hillary Clinton, they
could be expected to deliver the one-sided report that they
did.

President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney receive

an Oval Office briefing from CIA Director George Tenet. Also
present is Chief of Staff Andy Card (on right). (White House photo)

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (right) talks with Because of that, the American people were repeatedly –
President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, with John Brennan and and falsely – informed that the findings about Russian
other national security aides present. (Photo credit: Office of “hacking” reflected the collective judgment of all 17 U.S.
Director of National Intelligence)
intelligence agencies, making anyone who dared question
the conclusion seem like a crackpot or a “Russian
In the history of U.S. intelligence, we have seen how this apologist.”
approach has worked, such as the determination of the
Reagan administration to pin the attempted assassination Yet, based on the testimonies of Clapper and Brennan, we
of Pope John Paul II and other acts of terror on the Soviet now know that the ICA represented only a hand-picked
Union. selection of the intelligence community – four, not 17,
agencies.
CIA Director William Casey and Deputy Director Robert
Gates shepherded the desired findings through the process There were other biases reflected in the ICA, such as a
by putting the assessment under the control of pliable bizarre appendix that excoriated RT, the Russian television
analysts and sidelining those who objected to this network, for supposedly undermining Americans’
politicization of intelligence. confidence in their democratic process.

The point of enlisting the broader intelligence community This seven-page appendix, dating from 2012, accused RT
– and incorporating dissents into a final report – is to guard of portraying “the US electoral process as undemocratic”
against such “stove-piping” of intelligence that delivers the and offered such “proof” as RT’s staging of a debate
politically desired result but ultimately distorts reality. among third-party presidential candidates who had been
excluded from the Republican-Democratic debates
Another painful example of politicized intelligence was between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.
President George W. Bush’s 2002 National Intelligence
Estimate on Iraq’s WMD that removed INR’s and other
“RT broadcast, hosted and advertised third-
dissents from the declassified version that was given to the
party candidate debates,” the report said,
public. as if allowing political figures in the United
States who were not part of the two-party
Lacking Evidence system to express their views, was
somehow anti-democratic, when you might
The Jan. 6 report – technically called an Intelligence think that letting Americans hear
Community Assessment (or ICA) – avoided the need to alternatives was the essence of
remove any dissents by excluding the intelligence agencies democracy.
that might have dissented and by hand-picking the analysts “The RT hosts asserted that the US two-
who compiled the report. party system does not represent the views
of at least one-third of the population and is
However, like the declassified version of the Iraq NIE, the a ‘sham,’” the report continued.
Russia-gate ICA lacked any solid evidence to support the
conclusions. The ICA basically demanded that the Yet, polls have shown that large numbers of Americans
American public “trust us” and got away with that bluff would prefer more choices than the usual two candidates
because much of the mainstream U.S. news media wanted and, indeed, most Western democracies have multiple
to believe anything negative about then-President-elect parties, So, the implicit RT criticism of the U.S. political
Trump. process is certainly not out of the ordinary.
439
The report also took RT to task for covering the Occupy In other words, “assessing” in intelligence terms often
Wall Street movement and for reporting on the equates with “guessing” – and if the guessers are hand-
environmental dangers from “fracking,” topics cited as picked by political appointees – it shouldn’t be surprising
further proof that the Russian government was using RT to that they would come up with an “assessment” that would
weaken U.S. public support for Washington’s policies please their bosses, in this case, President Obama and his
(although, again, these are topics of genuine public appointees at CIA, NSA, FBI and ODNI.
interest).
The timing and speed of the Jan. 6 report also drew some
Assessing or Guessing attention at Tuesday’s House Intelligence Committee
hearing, where Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, noted
But at least the appendix offered up some “evidence” – as that President Obama requested the ICA on Dec. 9 and the
silly as those examples might have been. The main body of last entry was dated Dec. 29.
the report amounted to one “assessment” after another with
no verifiable evidence included, at least in the unclassified “This report was produced in just 20 days
version that the American people were allowed to see. in December,” Stefanik said, adding:
“It’s of concern to me that there was a two-
month lag” between when Obama’s
intelligence agencies first alleged Russian
“hacking” of Democratic emails and when
Obama ordered the ICA.

Of course, the ICA’s flaws do not mean that Russia is

innocent or that WikiLeaks is telling the truth when it
asserts that the two batches of Democratic emails – one
from the Democratic National Committee and the other
from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta – did not
come from the Russians.
President Donald Trump delivering his inaugural address on Jan. 20,
2017. (Screen shot from Whitehouse.gov) But the Jan. 6 report has served as the foundation for a
series of investigations that have hobbled the Trump
The report also contained a warning about how unreliable administration and could lead to the negation of a U.S.
these “assessments” could be: presidential election via the impeachment or forced
resignation of President Trump.
“Judgments are not intended to imply that
we have proof that shows something to be The seriousness of that possibility would seem to demand
a fact. Assessments are based on collected the most thorough examination and the fullest vetting of
information, which is often incomplete or the evidence. Even just the appearance that the ICA might
fragmentary, as well as logic, be one more case of politicized intelligence would do more
argumentation, and precedents.” to destroy Americans’ faith in their democratic system
than anything that Putin might dream up.

440
 Want Donald Trump Impeached?
Be Careful What You Wish For
Lily Dane The Daily Sheeple
May 23, 2017

President of the United States in the event that neither a

President nor Vice President is able to “discharge the
powers and duties of the office.” The current Act was
adopted in 1947.

Some of you out there really, really hate President Trump.

Here’s how the Succession Lineup looks under Trump:
Some of you despise the guy so much you want him
impeached, and are looking for any reason to make that 1. Vice President Mike Pence
happen. 2. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan
3. Senate President Pro Tempore Orrin Hatch
Heck, some of you were talking about impeaching him 4. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
before he was the Republican nominee. 5. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin
6. Secretary of Defense James Mattis
7. Attorney General Jeff Sessions
But there’s an old saying, and I think it applies here…
8. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke
9. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue
Be careful what you wish for. 10. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross
11. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta
Take a deep breath and step away from your social media 12. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price
rantings for a few minutes to learn how impeachment 13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben
actually works, and what would happen if Trump were to Carson
be removed from office. 14. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao *
15. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry
First, watch this short video from Reason that explains 16. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos
how impeachment works (crude humor warning – for the 17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin
transcript, click here): 18. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly

Second, consider who would replace Trump if he were *Chao is not a natural-born US citizen, and is therefore
removed from office (Do you want Mike Pence? Because ineligible.
impeaching Trump is how you get Mike Pence).
Impeaching Trump would send us down
There are eighteen (yes, eighteen!) people in the queue for a succession rabbit hole…
the job.

The Presidential Succession Act establishes the line of

succession to the powers and duties of the office of
441
 Republicans moved to impeach Bill Clinton
back in the 1990s, it was the same thing
and it didn’t exactly work out that well for
many of the main conspirators, or for the
country at large. Among other things, the
impeachment push indirectly led to the
ouster of Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the
House, which eventuated in an actual child
molester being way high up in the
presidential line of succession.

The impeachment of Bill Clinton was one of the major

mileposts in the long, ongoing shift of America from a
high-trust to a low-trust country, one in which faith, trust,
and confidence in most of our major public, private, and
civic institutions have taken a massive beating for decades
now.

And, as Steve Chapman explains,

Forcing a president from office is among

the gravest tasks members of Congress
As you can see, it isn’t like impeaching Trump would lead can undertake, and they should refrain
to the candidate of your choice (Hillary and Bernie unless he gives them no choice. To attempt
supporters, I am looking at you) miraculously being placed it with so many questions yet unanswered
in the throne Oval Office, suddenly making everything would look like partisan revenge — not just
right with the world. against Trump but against the people who
voted for him.
And, speaking of popular candidates…technically,
“Nobody” won the election anyway: …

It’s crucial for impeachment to reflect more than a

campaign against a president by the opposition party.
Effectively overturning the result of a democratic election
demands a national consensus that the president is guilty of
serious offenses. Abusing his powers, behaving corruptly
or violating his oath of office qualify. Ineptitude, folly and
malignance don’t.

Under the best of circumstances, impeachment is a

national trauma with lasting consequences, for good or ill.
Trump made it to the White House because the nation was
so divided. If he is removed, it should be because the
nation is united.
Nick Gillespie of Reason offers some words of caution to
those who are throwing the I word around:
It is important to understand that no matter how despicable
you may find Trump (and perhaps rightfully so – I am
But impeachment talk this soon and this certainly not defending him; I am one of the 46.9% who
thick is coming not from a place of did not vote), impeaching him will have consequences –
seriousness but pure partisanship and potentially disastrous ones.
ideology masquerading as disinterested
belief in the public good. When the
.

442
 Pastorum Group Spokesperson
In Seth Rich Case Tied To Democrat Propaganda Chief
William Craddick
May 24, 2017

Brock’s organizations have been active in harassing and

attacking journalists looking into the Seth Rich story.
Affiliates of Brock have taken to Change.org to attack
companies advertising with Fox 5 DC. The boycott
campaign is organized by Karl Frisch, a former senior
fellow at propaganda group Media Matters for America
who spent his time at the organization helping develop
“long-term strategy to target Fox News as a political
actor.” Media Matters has also targeted Fox News anchor
Sean Hannity for discussing the case.

David Brock’s personal involvement with Brad Bauman

only serves to intensify speculation about political
The acting spokesperson for the Rich family, Brad interference in attempts to uncover answers concerning the
Bauman, is connected to Democratic propaganda czar death of Seth Rich. Disobedient Media has previously
David Brock according online observers. The discovery is noted an August 2016 tweet from Wikileaks which
the latest in a long line of revelations showing deep revealed that Bauman is a crisis public relations consultant
Democratic National Committee (DNC) involvement in working with the Pastorum Group. A media release from
the Seth Rich case. the Pastorum Group reveals that Bauman previously
worked for the DNC and the Service Employees
International Union (SEIU). The SEIU is the client of a
Earlier today, independent investigators discovered that group founded by Democratic operative Robert Creamer.
Bauman runs a foundation in his name. The Bauman In 2016, Creamer was implicated in footage obtained by
Foundation’s Board of Directors includes David Brock, the journalist James O’Keefe which revealed that Creamer was
one time Republican operative who went on to become the engaging in voting fraud and violent disruption of political
founder of multiple DNC-affiliated propaganda outlets events, sometimes using his connections to unions who
including Media Matters, Correct the Record and were as clients of his. Legal representatives sending cease
Shareblue. Brock’s ventures have been criticized by and desist letters on behalf of the Rich family also have
Democrats as causing more harm than good due to his ties to the law firm at the center of the Whitewater
heavy reliance upon online harassment and censorship. controversy.
Disobedient Media has previously reported that Brock and
his affiliated organizations have ties to the Chinese
government, foreign special interests and organized crime. Brad Bauman has in the past week insisted that anyone
Brock’s ties to foreign interests may mean that he is in who continued to push the story either had a “transparent
violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act, 22 U.S.C. political agenda,” or were a sociopath. But given the
§ 614. The Bauman Foundation’s Board also includes intense attacks which organizations tied to David Brock
Deepak Bhargava, who acts as the executive director of the have engaged in against any journalists discussing the Rich
Center for Community Change for George Soros’ Open case, Brock’s connections to Bauman intensifies questions
Society Foundation. about whether or not the DNC has become involved in the
Seth Rich case out ulterior motives.

443
 Caught On Tape: Wasserman Schultz Threatens
Police Chief For Investigating Her IT Staff's Crimes
By Tyler Durden
May 24, 2017 1:30 PM

Something stinks here. make sure everybody is entitled to due

process,” Meeks said.
February we first reported on the Anwan brothers, the “They had provided great service for me.
(Not-Russian) IT Staff Who Allegedly Hacked Congress' And there were certain times in which they
Computer Systems. had permission by me, if it was Hina or
someone else, to access some of my data.”
Imran Awan seen below with Bill Clinton
Fudge told Politico on Tuesday she would employ Imran
Awan until he received “due process.”

“He needs to have a hearing. Due process

is very simple. You don’t fire someone
until you talk to them,” Fudge said.

On Wednesday, Lauren Williams, a spokeswoman for

Fudge, wouldn’t provide details about Imran Awan’s firing
but did confirm he was still employed in Fudge’s office as
of Tuesday afternoon.
The brothers were barred from computer networks at the
House of Representatives Thursday, The Daily Caller The bottom line is simple - these House
News Foundation Investigative Group has learned. Democrats decided it was better to be at
risk of hacking and extortion than to be
accused of racism.
Three members of the intelligence panel and five members
of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs were among
the dozens of members who employed the suspects on a
shared basis. The two committees deal with many of the
nation’s most sensitive issues, information and documents,
including those related to the war on terrorism.

The brothers are suspected of serious violations, including

accessing members’ computer networks without their
knowledge and stealing equipment from Congress.

The three men are “shared employees,”

meaning they are hired by multiple offices,
which split their salaries and use them as
needed for IT services.
Then yesterday we reported that
Then in March, we noted that House Congressional Aides Fear Suspects In
Democrats decided to delay the firing IT Breach Are Blackmailing Members
(until today) because their Muslim With Their Own Data...
background, some with ties to Pakistan,
could make them easy targets for false The baffled aides wonder if the suspects are blackmailing
charges. representatives based on the contents of their emails and
“I wanted to be sure individuals are not files, to which they had full access.
being singled out because of their
nationalities or their religion. We want to
444
 “I don’t know what they have, but they equipment when the Member is not under
have something on someone. It’s been investigation,” Wasserman Schultz said in
months at this point” with no arrests, the annual police budget hearing of
said Pat Sowers, who has managed IT the House Committee On Appropriations’
for several House offices for 12 years. Legislative Branch Subcommittee.
“Something is rotten in Denmark.”
“We can’t return the equipment,” Police
Chief Matthew R. Verderosa told the
A manager at a tech-services company that works with Florida Democrat.
Democratic House offices said he approached
congressional offices, offering their services at one-fourth “I think you’re violating the rules when you
the price of Awan and his Pakistani brothers, but the conduct your business that way and you
members declined. At the time, he couldn’t understand should expect that there will be
why his offers were rejected but now he suspects the consequences,” Wasserman Schultz said.
Awans exerted some type of leverage over members.
As one of eight members of the Committee on
“There’s no question about it: If I was Appropriations’ Legislative Branch subcommittee,
accused of a tenth of what these guys Wasserman Schultz is in charge of the budget of the police
are accused of, they’d take me out in force that is investigating her staffer and how he managed
handcuffs that same day, and I’d never to extract so much money and information from members.
work again,” he said.
In a highly unusual exchange, the
And today, The Daily Caller's Luke Rosiak Florida lawmaker uses a hearing on the
reports Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Capitol Police’s annual budget to spend
threatened the chief of the U.S. Capitol three minutes repeatedly trying to
Police with “consequences” for holding
extract a promise from the chief that he
equipment that she says belongs to her will return a piece of evidence being
in order to build a criminal case against used to build an active case.
a Pakistani staffer suspected of massive
cybersecurity breaches involving “If a Member loses equipment and it is
funneling sensitive congressional data found by your staff and identified as that
offsite. member’s equipment and the member is
not associated with any case, it is
The Florida lawmaker used her position
supposed to be returned. Yes or no?” she
on the committee that sets the police said.
force’s budget to press its chief to
relinquish the piece of evidence Police tell her it is important to “an
Thursday, in what could be considered ongoing investigation,” but presses for
using her authority to attempt to its return anyway.
interfere with a criminal investigation. The investigation is examining members’
data leaving the network and how Awan
managed to get Members to place three
relatives and a friend into largely no-
show positions on their payrolls, billing
$4 million since 2010.
The congresswoman characterizes the
evidence as “belonging” to her and
argues that therefore it cannot be seized
unless Capitol Police tell her that she
personally, as opposed to her staffer, is a
target of the investigation.

The Capitol Police and outside agencies are pursuing When TheDCNF asked Wasserman Schultz Monday if it
Imran Awan, who has run technology for the Florida could inquire about her strong desire for the laptop, she
lawmaker since 2005 and was banned from the House said “No, you may not.” After TheDCNF asked why she
network in February on suspicion of data breaches and wouldn’t want the Capitol Police to have any evidence
theft. they may need to find and punish any hackers of
government information, she abruptly turned around in the
middle of a stairwell and retreated back to the office from
“My understanding is the the Capitol Police which she had come.
is not able to confiscate Members’
445
Her spokesman, David Dameron, then emerged to say Wasserman Schultz resigned as Chairman of the
Democratic National Committee in 2016 after Wikileaks
“We just don’t have any comment.” published thousands of internal emails obtained by an as-
yet unidentified hacker.
Though on the surface Wasserman
Schultz would have been a victim of
The last 30 seconds of the exchange can also be seen
Awan’s scam, she has inexplicably
here...
protected him, circumventing the
network ban by re-titling him as an
“adviser” instead of technology
administrator.

Politico described him and his wife, Hina Alvi, as having a

“friendly personal relationship” with both Wasserman
Schultz and Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York.

That baffled a Democratic IT staffer, who said

“I can’t imagine why she’d be that good

of friends with a technology provider.”
“Usually if someone does bad stuff, an As we said at the start - something stinks
office is going to distance themselves” here!! But do not expect the mainstream
rather than incur political fallout for a media to report on it. One can't help but
mere staffer. wonder if anything related to Seth Rich is
lurking on that laptop?
.

The Pope is not happy.

446
The Mime Goes Wild

447
448
449
450
 Key Democratic Officials Now Warning Base
Not To Expect Evidence Of Trump/Russia Collusion
Glenn Greenwald – The Intercept_
May 24, 2017 2017, 10:41 A.M.

“In the intelligence business, we would say

that Mr. Putin had recruited Mr. Trump as
an unwitting agent of the Russian
Federation.”

From MSNBC politics shows to town hall meetings across

the country, the overarching issue for the Democratic
Party’s base since Trump’s victory has been Russia, often
suffocating attention for other issues. This fixation has
persisted even though it has no chance to sink the Trump
presidency unless it is proven that high levels of the Trump
campaign actively colluded with the Kremlin to
manipulate the outcome of the U.S. election — a claim for
which absolutely no evidence has thus far been presented.

The principal problem for Democrats is that so many

media figures and online charlatans are personally
benefiting from feeding the base increasingly unhinged,
fact-free conspiracies — just as right-wing media
polemicists did after both Bill Clinton and Obama were But on Wednesday night, Morell appeared at an
elected — that there are now millions of partisan soldiers intelligence community forum to “cast doubt” on
absolutely convinced of a Trump/Russia conspiracy for “allegations that members of the Trump campaign
which, at least as of now, there is no evidence. And they colluded with Russia.”
are all waiting for the day, which they regard as inevitable
and imminent, when this theory will be proven and Trump “On the question of the Trump
will be removed.
campaign conspiring with the
Russians here, there is smoke, but
Key Democratic officials are clearly worried about the there is no fire at all,” he said, adding,
expectations that have been purposely stoked and are now
“There’s no little campfire, there’s no
trying to tamp them down. Many of them have tried to
little candle, there’s no spark. And
signal that the beliefs the base has been led to adopt have
there’s a lot of people looking for it.”
no basis in reason or evidence.

Obama’s former CIA chief also cast serious doubt on the

The latest official to throw cold water on the MSNBC-led
credibility of the infamous, explosive “dossier” originally
circus is President Obama’s former acting CIA chief
published by BuzzFeed, saying that its author, Christopher
Michael Morell. What makes him particularly notable in
Steele, paid intermediaries to talk to the sources for it. The
this context is that Morell was one of Clinton’s most vocal
dossier, he said,
CIA surrogates. In August, he not only endorsed Clinton in
the pages of the New York Times but also became the first
high official to explicitly accuse Trump of disloyalty, “doesn’t take you anywhere, I don’t think.”
claiming,

451
Morell’s comments echo the categorical remarks by Smith added:
Obama’s top national security official, James Clapper, who
told Meet the Press last week that during the time he was “It is also a simple fact that while news of
Obama’s DNI, he saw no evidence to support claims of a Russian actions on Trump’s behalf is clear,
Trump/Russia conspiracy. hard details of coordination between his
aides and Putin’s haven’t emerged.”
“We had no evidence of such collusion,”
Clapper stated unequivocally. And Smith’s core warning is this:

Unlike Morell, who left his official CIA position in 2013 Trump’s critics last year were horrified at the rise of “fake
but remains very integrated into the intelligence news” and the specter of a politics shaped by alternative
community, Clapper was Obama’s DNI until just seven facts, predominantly on the right. They need to be careful
weeks ago, leaving on January 20. now not to succumb to the same delusional temptations as
their political adversaries, and not to sink into a filter
Perhaps most revealing of all are the Democrats on the bubble which, after all, draws its strength not from
Senate Intelligence Committee — charged with conservative or progressive politics but from human
investigating these matters — who recently told BuzzFeed nature.
how petrified they are of what the Democratic base will do
if they do not find evidence of collusion, as they now And those of us covering the story and the stew of real
suspect will likely be the case. information, fantasy, and — now — forgery around it need
to continue to report and think clearly about what we know
“There’s a tangible frustration over what and what we don’t, and to resist the sugar high that comes
one official called ‘wildly inflated’ with telling people exactly what they want to hear.
expectations surrounding the panel’s
fledgling investigation,” BuzzFeed’s Ali For so long, Democrats demonized and smeared anyone
Watkins wrote. trying to inject basic reason, rationality, and skepticism
into this Trump/Russia discourse by labeling them all
Moreover, Kremlin agents and Putin lovers. Just this week, the Center
for American Progress released a report using the language
“several committee sources grudgingly say, of treason to announce the existence of a “Fifth Column”
it feels as though the investigation will be in the U.S. that serves Russia (similar to Andrew
seen as a sham if the Senate doesn’t find a Sullivan’s notorious 2001 decree that anyone opposing the
silver bullet connecting Trump and Russian war on terror composed an anti-American “Fifth
intelligence operatives.” One member told Column”), while John McCain listened to Rand Paul
Watkins: “I don’t think the conclusions are express doubts about the wisdom of NATO further
going to meet people’s expectations.” expanding to include Montenegro and then promptly
announced:
What makes all of this most significant is that officials like
Clapper and Morell are trained disinformation agents; “Paul is working for Vladimir Putin.”
Clapper in particular has proven he will lie to advance his
interests. Yet even with all the incentive to do so, they are But with serious doubts — and fears — now emerging
refusing to claim there is evidence of such collusion; in about what the Democratic base has been led to
fact, they are expressly urging people to stop thinking it believe by self-interested carnival barkers and partisan
exists. As even the law recognizes, statements hacks, there is a sudden, concerted effort to rein in the
that otherwise lack credibility become more believable excesses of this story. With so many people now doing
when they are ones made “against interest.” this, it will be increasingly difficult to smear them all as
traitors and Russian loyalists, but it may be far too little,
Media figures have similarly begun trying to tamp down too late, given the pitched hysteria that has been
expectations. Ben Smith, the editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed, deliberately cultivated around these issues for months.
which published the Steele dossier, published an article Many Democrats have reached the classic stage of
yesterday warning that the Democratic base’s expectation deranged conspiracists where evidence that disproves the
of a smoking gun theory is viewed as further proof of its existence, and those
pointing to it are instantly deemed suspect.
“is so strong that Twitter and cable news
are full of the theories of what my colleague
Charlie Warzel calls the Blue Detectives —
the left’s new version of Glenn Beck, digital
blackboards full of lines and arrows.”
452
 needed. That’s true primarily so that conspiracies no
longer linger and these questions are resolved by facts
rather than agenda-driven anonymous leaks from the CIA
and cable news hosts required to feed a partisan mob.

It’s certainly possible to envision an indictment of a low-

level operative like Carter Page, or the prosecution of
someone like Paul Manafort on matters unrelated to
hacking, but the silver bullet that Democrats have been led
to expect will sink Trump appears further away than ever.

But given the way these Russia conspiracies have drowned

out other critical issues being virtually ignored under the
Trump presidency, it’s vital that everything be done now
to make clear what is based in evidence and what is based
in partisan delusions. And most of what the Democratic
base has been fed for the last six months by their unhinged
stable of media, online, and party leaders has decisively
A formal, credible investigation into all these questions, fallen into the latter category, as even their own officials
where the evidence is publicly disclosed, is still urgently are now desperately trying to warn.
.

453
 Trump In Rome
By Stephen Lendman
5-24-2017

On Wednesday, he arrived following his Riyadh and Israel

visits. He and the pontiff are more alike than dissimilar, Mixing religion with politics, Roman Catholicism and
despite Vatican pretense. other hard-right faiths spread ideological extremism to
mass audiences, claiming to serve God’s will.
Papal history isn’t pretty. Pontiffs notoriously meddle Fundamentalism dominates, liberal theology favoring
where they don’t belong. Liberation theology supporting equity and justice for everyone shut out.
social justice is verboten.
Before becoming archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998,
Pope Francis’ high-minded rhetoric belies papal tradition, then a cardinal in 2001, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope
supporting wealth and power interests, paying lip service Francis) supported Argentina's military dictatorship
alone to popular needs and welfare. (March 1976 - December 1983) - a brutal dirty war period
backed by Washington.
The papacy is notoriously ultraconservative. In his book
titled “God and His Demons,” Michael Parenti exposed Thousands were disappeared, held in detention centers,
the myth of organized religions being above reproach, tortured and killed. Anyone expressing dissent or
criticizing Old and New Testament dogma. considered an ideological or political threat was
vulnerable.
He challenged notable religious figures, exposing their
dark side. Author John Allen blasted Pope Benedict XVI, Communists, socialists, independent journalists, human
saying he rights supporters, trade unionists, priests endorsing social
justice, and students were targeted.
“believe(d) the best antidote to political
totalitarianism is ecclesial totalitarianism.” In his earlier capacity, Pope Francis was complicit in what
went on, supporting instead of denouncing it responsibly.
He and other pontiffs exercised dictatorial powers,
governing as they wished, their decrees having final say. His rhetoric belies his business as usual agenda.
Welcoming Trump to the Vatican for a private audience
Pope John Paul II was involved in counter-revolutionary ignores his war on humanity at home and abroad.
activities, supporting right-wing dictatorships, calling them
Later on Wednesday, he’ll fly to Brussels to meet with EU
“bulwarks against communis(m).” and NATO leaders, then a Sicily G7 summit on Friday
before heading home over the weekend.
Greed isn’t just good on Wall Street. Holy See self-
enrichment comes at the expense of the faithful. Papal
policies pursue reactionary goals.
.

454
 Seth Rich Likely Murdered Over Hillary Clinton’s
Uranium One Ties, The Offloading Of 20%
Of America’s Uranium Supply To The Russians
Seth Rich Murder Case Deepens As Podesta-Clinton Russian Ties Emerge
To Forefront
By Shepard Ambellas –
05.24.2017 @10:26 PM EDT

The report makes it clear that the DNC staffer was

“conscious and breathing” when he was transported to a
local area hospital.

Based on a May 16 Intellihub report by Shepard Ambellas

titled: “D.C. surgeon who operated on Seth Rich: ‘The
DNC staffer was alive and well after surgery, before a
group of LEOs showed up to the ICU’,” Rich was taken to
Medstar Washington Hospital Center which is located just
3 minutes away from where he was shot.

US Embassy Kabul Afghanistan/Flickr

WASHINGTON (INTELLIHUB) — Crucial information

obtained by Intellihub regarding the murder of DNC
staffer Seth Rich can not be overlooked and shall serve as
a starting point in solving the case once and for all. The
information contained herein this article is considered
sensitive and needs to be shared with everyone, including
high-level officials of the Trump Administration until the
case is closed once and for all and the perpetrators are
behind bars.

According to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Location A: Crime scene; Location B: Medstar Washington Hospital
Center (Via MapQuest)
Public Incident Report CCN #16113797 Seth Rich was
shot at 4:20 a.m. on July 10, 2016.
According to Ambellas’ report, “A 4-year resident surgeon
at Washington Hospital Center claims that Seth Rich was
The public narrative reads as follows: “CIC reports the
alive and recovering well in facility’s Intensive Care Unit
sound of gunshots at 2134 Flagler Pl. NW. Upon arriving
(ICU) after being treated for a total of 3 routine gunshot
to the scene, the decedent was laying in the Southwest
wounds — that is until a number of law enforcement
corner of the intersection of W St. and Flagler Pl. NW. The
officers arrived eight hours later kicking most everyone
decedent was conscious and breathing with apparent
out of the ICU and physically barring doctors and others
gunshot wound(s) to the back. The decedent was
from attending to Rich.”
transported to local area hospital and was pronounced by
attending physician at 0557 hours.”

455
So who was attending to Rich as all of this was taking in a January 2016, report titled: “Clinton Foundation took
place? massive payoffs, promised Hammond Ranch and other
publicly owned lands to Russians along with one-fifth of
MedStar Health’s website states: “Jack Sava, MD, is our uranium ore.”
director of the Gold Surgery team at MedStar Washington
Hospital Center. Dr. Sava’s team manages a broad The Hill reported in December 2011: “Kountoupes
spectrum of urgent general surgical conditions (including Consulting has been hired by Uranium One Inc. to lobby
problems of the intestine, gallbladder, on “issues related to uranium mining and the uranium
stomach, liver, and other abdominal organs) and staffs the market.” Uranium One is more than half-owned by
MedStar trauma unit, a Level-1 trauma center.” Atomredmetzoloto of Moscow. Lisa Kountoupes, former
policy adviser to the chairman of the Energy and
As director of the Gold Surgery team, Dr. Sava should Commerce Committee, and Shawn Whitman, a former
have been in charge of the operation and would have been chief of staff to Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), are working
privy to access Rith’s room at all times. on the account.”

Dr. Jack Alfred Sava, a.k.a. Jack A Kountoupes, a.k.a. Kountoupes also appears on a participants list for a
Jack A Ateljevich, is related to Lisa M Kountoupes, January 2017 Nuclear Fuel Supply Forum.
according to Radaris records.
Lisa Kountoupes also visited the White House 23 times
Additionally, the name “Sava Ateljevich” appears on the since 2009 and her last visit was on May 31, 2016, as
2008 Bohemian Grove guest list. posted on archive.is.

Both Jack Sava and Lisa Kountoupes appeared on the MV Lisa M. Kountoupes’s visit occurred on Tuesday, May 31,
DSCC 2015 guest list. 2016. Kountoupes made appointment number U16748 at
12:00 pm on May 26, 2016 through caller Jaime Kreager.
The appointment was scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm with
Moreover, Lisa Kountoupes was a co-host for the Kate
Jaime Kreager in the Eisenhower Executive Office
McGinty “Democrat for United States Senate fundraiser,”
along with the Podesta brothers which took place on Feb. Building 276 and included a group of one person.
22, 2016, which can be found in the Wikileaks “Podesta
Originally scheduled to end at 11:59 pm, this visit should
emails.”
have lasted approximately 9 hours and was one of
Kountoupes’s 23 total visits since 2009. The appointment
is described in the records as “Request (Sf) Merge with
Appointment # 656188”.
John Podesta visited the White House just 3-days later on
May 26, 2016, according to archive.is.

John D. Podesta’s visit occurred on Thursday, May 26,

2016. Podesta made appointment number U15174 at 12:00
pm on May 24, 2016 through caller Zealan Hoover. The
appointment was scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm with
Zealan Hoover in the White House West Wing and
included a group of one person.

Originally scheduled to end at 11:59 pm, this visit should

have lasted approximately 9 hours and was one of
Podesta’s 140 total visits since 2009.

Keep in mind that the last leaked email occurred on May

Lisa Kountoupeswas one of the Hill’s top lobbyists in 25, 2016.
2016 and also reportedly lobbied for the Clinton’s.
All of this signifies that Seth Rich quite possibly was
murdered over information he obtained regarding
Kountoupes also worked for the U.S. Department of Clinton’s dealings with the Russians.
Energy and has known ties to Uranium One, a Russian
proxy company that Hillary Clinton offloaded 20% of the
U.S. uranium supply to during her tenure in the State Please share this with everybody and comment below!
Department, as reported by Intellihub’s Shepard Ambellas This key information must get out.

456
 Comey’s Upcoming Senate
Testimony Much Ado About Nothing
By Stephen Lendman
5-24-2017

He’ll testify in open Senate hearing about investigations

into nonexistent Russia US election hacking and alleged Warner added he hopes Comey will clarify why he was
improper Trump team connections to Russia. sacked. Does it matter? Presidents have a right to choose
administration officials, some subject to Senate
Months of investigations found nothing - so what is there confirmation like a new FBI director.
for Comey to explain? Democrats, media scoundrels and
Republicans want Trump weakened, delegitimized and Firing Comey didn’t obstruct justice as the deplorable New
ousted from office. York Times and other media scoundrels claimed. It didn’t
impede or undermine continuing investigations going
Comey is a prop toward this objective, wanting him used nowhere because nothing improper exists to be found.
to advance Trump’s political demise, heading like a
moving train in this direction. On Friday, commenting on Comey’s firing, press secretary
Sean Spicer said
His testimony is scheduled after the Memorial Day holiday
weekend, Senate Intelligence Committee chairman “(b)y grandstanding and politicizing the
Richard Burr (R. NC), saying: investigation into Russia’s actions, James
Comey created unnecessary pressure on
“The Committee looks forward to receiving our ability to engage and negotiate with
testimony from the former Director on his Russia.”
role in the development of the Intelligence
Community Assessment on Russian “The investigation would have always
interference in the 2016 US elections, and I continued, and obviously, the termination of
am hopeful that he will clarify for the Comey would not have ended it. Once
American people recent events that have again, the real story is that our national
been broadly reported in the media.” security has been undermined by the
leaking of private and highly classified
Committee vice-chairman Mark Warner (R. VA) said conversations.”
Comey
He referred to last week’s spurious NYT and WaPo
“deserves an opportunity to tell his reports, coincidental with Trump leaving on a 9-day
story…(T)he American people deserve an foreign trip, sending him off on a sour note.
opportunity to hear it.”
Putin has proof no secret classified information was shared
What has he got to tell? No evidence suggests Russia US by Trump with Sergey Lavrov and ambassador Sergey
election meddling, despite baseless claims otherwise. Kislyak during their Oval Office visit. Congress declined
to see it. He blasted what’s going on in Washington as
Nothing indicates improper or wrongdoing Trump team “political schizophrenia.”
connections with Russia. Allegations and accusations are
part of a fabricated hoax to continue longstanding Russia It’s mostly a sinister coup d’etat plot to oust a sitting
bashing and replace Trump with easily-controlled Pence, a president - what goes on in banana republics, never in
right-wing hardliner, a deep state puppet, a coup d’etat democratic ones - America very much the former, not the
president-in-waiting. latter.
.

457
 "Secret" Russian Document Influenced
Comey's Probe Into Hillary Clinton: Report
By Tyler Durden
May 24, 2017 6:41 PM

As part of Wednesday's late day bombshell dump, the and according to people familiar with its
Washington Post has revealed that former FBI Director contents, possibly even a fake sent to
James Comey’s decision to unilaterally announce the confuse the bureau. The Americans
closure of the investigation into whether Hillary Clinton mentioned in the Russian document
intentionally mishandled classified information was insist they do not know each other, do
inspired by a "secret, dubious" Russian document, that not speak to each other and never had
FBI officials now believe was “bad intelligence.” any conversations remotely like the
ones described in the document.
The secret document, which purported to be a piece of
Russian intelligence, claimed that former Attorney General Whil FBI Investigators have long doubted the document's
Loretta Lynch had privately assured someone in the veracity, by August the FBI had concluded it was
Clinton campaign that the investigation into Clinton’s unreliable.Comey
handling of classified information would go nowhere, "a
conversation that if made public would cast doubt on the The “document” in question is an email allegedly written
inquiry’s integrity." by disgraced former DNC Chairwoman Debbie
Wasserman Schultz and sent to Leonard Benardo, who is
The document in question is referenced in the following an official with the George Soros organization Open
clip: Society Foundations. According to the document,
Wasserman Schultz claimed Lynch had assured senior
Clinton campaign staffer Amanda Renteria that the
investigation would not go too far

Here’s WaPo:

Current and former officials have said that

document played a significant role in the Supporters of Comey claim that the document gave him
July decision by then-FBI Director James good reason to take the microphone in July, without
B. Comey to announce on his own, without consulting with Lynch, to announce the close of the
Justice Department involvement, that the Clinton probe in great detail.
investigation was over. That public
announcement — in which he criticized
“It was a very powerful factor in the decision to go
Clinton and made extensive comments
forward in July with the statement that there shouldn’t be a
about the evidence — set in motion a chain
prosecution,” a person familiar with the matter told the
of other FBI moves that Democrats now
Post. “The point is that the bureau picked up hacked
say helped Trump win the presidential
material that hadn’t been dumped by the bad guys
election.
involving Lynch. And that would have pulled the rug out
of any authoritative announcement.”
But according to the FBI’s own assessment, the document
was bad intelligence —
458
As the Post explains, that decision set off a chain of events has revealed that the director's strategy for publicizing
that Democrats believe contributed to Clinton’s shocking information about nature of the Clinton investigation -
loss in November. The White House has also cited something liberals believe cost her the election - was based
Comey's handling of the close of the probe in its official on unreliable Russian intelligence.
rationale for the former director's dismissal earlier this
month. Comey's decision to announce the closure
of the Clinton investigation back in July set
In other words, this is reportedly yet off a chain of events that eventually led
another angle which casts the blame for to him announcing, just a week before
Hillary's loss on Russia, even if in this the Nov. 8 vote, that the FBI had
case it was mediated by alleged FBI reopened the investigation after finding
incompetence. some of Clinton's emails on a laptop
owned by Anthony Weiner,
The report is the second within a week’s time to raise
serious doubts about the competence of U.S. intelligence the then-husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, the
agencies, paper reported. Wapo also notes that the veracity of the
document was under suspicion from the moment the
the first being the NYT report about how bureau received it in early March 2016.
China’s Communist Party murdered or
imprisoned nearly two dozen CIA But as is typical of the leaks that have trickled out from the
operatives between 2010 and late 2012 intelligence agencies since the election, this one too
while outspoken Clinton Supporter MIke contains an important caveat. To wit:
Morell was in charge of the agency.
Comeys defenders still insist that there is reason to believe
According to WaPo, Comey believed he had “little choice” the document is legitimate and that it rightly played a
but to announce the closure of the Clinton investigation major role in the director's thinking.
and detail the nature of the evidence against her without
the involvement of the AG because if the document Earlier today, the Daily Caller reported that DWS
leaked, he feared that the legitimacy of any announcement reportedly threatened the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police
by the AG would be questioned. with “consequences” for holding on to a laptop she says
belongs to her. The police are holding the computer as
It's hard to imagine the outpouring of support and evidence in a case against a Congressional staffer accused
sympathy for Comey that Democrats exhibited following of wide-ranging data breaches. So a parallel question is:
his firing by President Trump will continue now that WaPo what is on that laptop that DWS doesn't want us to see?

459
 Egyptian President Calls Out Trump
And Saudi Arabia For Aiding And Abetting Terrorism
Isaac Davis, Staff Writer
May 24, 2017

Speaking at the high-profile Arab Islamic American INTERPOL.” ~Egyptian President Abdel
Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, president of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Fattah el-Sisi made comments directly to Mr. Trump and
Saudi King Salman, which in effect call out Saudi Arabia
and the United States for supporting international terrorism
and contributing to its proliferation. A fact that is
extremely relevant under the completion of another
massive arms deal between the two nations.

His translated comments, as presented before President

Trump and Saudi King Salman at the summit, are
transcribed below:

“Comprehensive counter terrorism means

confronting all terrorist organizations
without differentiation. It is not possible to El-Sisi is not alone with his subtly veiled allegations that
reduce the confrontation to a terrorist terrorism would not be possible without the material and
organization or two. Who provides terrorists financial support of Western nations and Middle East
with media and financial support is a super powers. Ron Paul has pointed this out, and
partner in their crimes. The criminal is not Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has even introduced
only the militant, but also those who legislation to stop funding terrorist organizations such as
finance, train and arm them. And provides ISIS.
them with political and ideological cover.
Let me ask you frankly: Where are the safe Russian President Putin has also said as much in public,
havens to train these terrorists? And outing ISIS’s G20 financiers, yet astoundingly the message
medical treatment of injured terrorists? The does not seem to have gone mainstream, and Western
replacement of military equipment and media still maintains that ISIS is an organic phenomenon.
militants? Who buys from them the natural
materials that they control, such as the oil? Some of President Trump’s comments at the summit are a
Who colludes with them in trading signal that nothing will change. He is still framing this
archaeological monuments and drugs, from issue in the simplest of terms, good vs. evil, without giving
where they get financial support? And how heed to the full breadth of the complicated story of how
do they get media support by media outlets international terror was created and is sustained by the
acting as mouthpieces of the terrorist major geo-political players today.
organizations?
Anyone who does this is a genuine partner “This is not a battle between different
in terrorism. Unfortunately, there are faiths, different sects or different
countries that have been involved in civilizations. This is a battle between
supporting and financing terrorist barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate
organizations, and providing safe havens human life, and decent people of all
for them. There are also countries that religions who seek to protect it. This is a
refuse to provide intelligence information battle between good and evil.” ~President
and database on foreign fighters, even with Donald Trump
.

460
 Anti-Trump Media Bias
By Stephen Lendman
5-25-2017

Trump’s complaint about unprecedented media bias is  The BBC: 74% negative
justified.
In covering Trump, Fox News alone was balanced, a near-
Campaigning he said 50-50 split between positive and negative stories. The
report stated:
“I’m not running against crooked Hillary. I’m
running against the crooked media.” “President Trump dominated media
coverage in the outlets and programs
As president, he criticized analyzed, with Trump being the topic of 41
percent of all news stories - three times the
“dishonest media…fake news…publish(ing) amount of coverage received by previous
one false story after another, with no presidents. He was also the featured
sources, even though they pretend to have speaker in nearly two-thirds of his
them.” coverage.

“They just don’t want to report the Republican voices accounted for 80
truth…They’re…part of the problem. percent of what newsmakers said about the
(They’re) part of the corrupt system.” Trump presidency, compared to only 6
percent for Democrats and 3 percent for
A new Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on those involved in anti-Trump
Media, Politics and Public Policy report, analyzing news protests.
coverage of his first 100 days, bears him out.
European reporters were more likely than
Analysis was based on NYT, WaPo, and WSJ broadsheet American journalists to directly question
reports, plus ones from CBS, CNN, Fox News, NBC, the Trump’ fitness for office.
BBC, Financial Times and Germany’s ARD.
Trump has received unsparing coverage
Reports about Trump were overwhelmingly negative, 98% for most weeks of his presidency, without a
of the time from one news sources, significantly more single major topic where Trump’s
hostile than the last three administrations, bias more coverage, on balance, was more positive
extreme than any administration since Nixon’s second than negative, setting a new standard for
term. unfavorable press coverage of a president.

Here’s the scorecard: Fox was the only news outlet in the study
that came close to giving Trump positive
 CNN: 93% negative coverage overall, however, there was
 NBC: 93% negative variation in the tone of Fox’s coverage
 CBS: 91% negative depending on the topic.”
 NYT: 87% negative
 WaPo: 83% negative Media scoundrels despise Trump, few exceptions
 WSJ: 70% negative supporting or at least giving him balanced coverage. He’s
 Fox News : 52% negative right challenging unfair media bias, inventing ways to bash
 Germany’s ARD: 98% negative him - for the wrong reasons, not the right ones.
 The Financial Times: 84% negative .

461
 The Latest Deceptive NYT
Deep State Press Release
By Stephen Lendman
5-25-17

Deep state fake news and press releases are NYT

specialties. In Tuesday testimony before House Intelligence
Committee members, former FBI director John Brennan
They’re daily features, instead of legitimate journalism, lied, saying
absent on major issues, mainly geopolitical ones, notably
on US imperial policies, especially anything about Russia “I know what the Russians try to do. They
and phony allegations of its ties to Trump. try to suborn individuals and try to get
individuals, including US individuals, to act
Made up stuff, or claims without credible evidence from on their behalf, wittingly or unwittingly.”
the usual dubious unnamed sources, substitute for
scrupulous truth-telling - verboten in Times reports, He lied accusing Putin of trying to influence the outcome
publishing propaganda, not real news, information and of America’s 2016 presidential election - in his entire
analysis. testimony presenting no evidence supporting his spurious
accusations.
On May 24, it headlined “Top Russian Officials Discussed
How to Influence Trump Aides Last Summer,” saying: Trump correctly calls what’s going on a “witch hunt”
featuring “fake news,” insisting no improper contacts
“American spies collected information last between his team and Russia occurred - nothing disproving
summer revealing that senior Russian him.
intelligence and political officials were
discussing how to exert influence over Contacts by officials of one country with others is standard
Donald J. Trump through his advisers, practice, certainly not improper or illegal.
according to” unnamed US sources.
Claims otherwise attempting to connect Trump’s team
NYT accusations without evidence are baseless, part of its nefariously with Russia are entirely spurious, without
diabolical campaign to delegitimize Trump, wanting him credible evidence proving otherwise.
ousted from office for the wrong reasons.
None exists or it would have been revealed long ago - just
It’s so-called sources are likely Obama administration baseless accusations and allegations, a steady drumbeat of
holdovers, leaking or inventing things to bash Trump Russia and Trump bashing, the self-styled newspaper of
relentlessly. record the leading scoundrel media culprit.

If solid evidence existed, it would have been revealed long According to The Times, its dubious unnamed sources
ago. Instead, strategy appears to be a plot to destroy his
presidency by a steady drip of denigrating claims - nothing “agreed to discuss (their claims) only on
credible supporting them. the condition of anonymity because much
of it remains highly classified, and they
No evidence suggests Russian US election hacking. could be prosecuted for disclosing it.”
Nothing indicates improper or criminal Trump team’s ties
to Moscow. Nothing proves any Russian activities to What rubbish! No one with any sense would leak classified
influence America’s political system. information, risking prosecution.

The Times claimed information in its latest report was Making baseless accusations to bash Russia and Trump is
“collected last summer,” allegedly “pass(ed) to the FBI.” another matter entirely - The Times conspiratorially
Yet nothing published until now suggests it’s just the latest involved in the denigrating plot.
distorted accusation to bash Trump and Russia.
.

462
 MRC’s Brent Bozell Condemns
CNN As ‘National Disgrace’ For Trump Coverage
By NB Staff
May 25, 2017 | 11:46 AM EDT

Media Research Center President Brent Bozell on

Thursday condemned CNN as a “national disgrace” for the A transcript is below:
networks coverage of Donald Trump. Appearing on the
Fox Business Network, he assailed the network for Varney and Co.
5/25/17
“blam[ing] Donald Trump. He gets credit for 9:15am ET
nothing. He gets blamed for everything.”
[Clips of Montana incident and Don Lemon talking about
Bozell continued, attacking, it.]

“I think that CNN is something like 37, CHARLES PAYNE: Joining us now Brent Bozell with the
38 years old and it has become a Media Research Center. All right, Brent, what are your
national disgrace.” thoughts? CNN now blaming — Don Lemon at least is
blaming Donald Trump for something that happened in
Regarding the President’s international trip, the MRC Montana while he is in Europe.
President reasoned,
BRENT BOZELL: Donald Trump is responsible for
everything that is wrong in the world today. I’m frankly
“If Donald Trump had made a mistake,
sick and tired of the fact that it’s been raining in
instead of doing well as he is doing... you
Washington D.C. for the last four days. I blame Donald
know full well it would be blanket coverage.
Trump. And this is the mind set that you have from CNN.
But he's not making mistakes. So, they're
Remember, this is a network that has been covering him
ignoring him.”
with 97 percent negativity since he became president.
This is a network that is committed to his removal. This
is a network that finds any excuse and invents excuses
to come after him. I was thinking about this. It’s not a
Kevin Bacon, Six Degrees of Separation where you
eventually blame Donald Trump, it’s a one degree of
separation. You immediately blame Donald Trump. He
gets credit for nothing. He gets blamed for everything.

Bozell issued this challenge to CNN on the Russia story:

I'm going to issue a challenge to CNN:

CNN loves doing special reports, these one
hour specials. I want to challenge them to
put on the air a documentary, a one hour
documentary: Trump/Russia Connection:
The Evidence. As a matter of fact, they
only need five minutes.
He added that “there is no evidence”
and called CNN "disgraceful."

463
 PAYNE: But here’s the thing though. It's one thing if you Russia/Trump connection. And now, on that note,
disagree on policy and ideology. When you start talking Charles, I’m going to issue a challenge to CNN: CNN
about a sort of responsibility for any sort of violent scene loves doing special reports, these one hour specials. I
or episode, I think that’s taking us down a path that can want to challenge them to put on the air a documentary,
get very dangerous, Brent. And that's where journalists, I a one hour documentary: Trump/Russia Connection: The
would suspect, have an even bigger responsibility to Evidence. As a matter of fact, they only need five
their audience. minutes.

BOZELL: Well, but I would consider where the news PAYNE: I was going to say, could it be a one-hour
media are concerned, you shouldn't participate in a special? Sounds like it probably be between commercial
discussion on policy or politics. That’s not your job. Your breaks.
job is to report the news and nothing but that. And you've
got CNN and MSNBC — look, I think that CNN is BOZELL: They can't do it and do you think about the
something like 37, 38 years old and it has become a thousands of stories that have been run on these
national disgrace. It does nothing but attack Donald networks and the hundreds of hours they've spent. And
Trump. He goes overseas, do you think, do you think, yet, there's nothing, there's no evidence of this. It’s
Charles, for a moment that they've been ignoring his trip disgraceful.
overseas. If Donald Trump had made a mistake instead
of doing well as he is doing, if he had made a mistake,
PAYNE: Brent Bozell, thank you very much. You’re the
you know full well it would be blanket coverage. But he’s
ultimate straight shooters and always appreciate being
not making mistakes. So, they’re ignoring him. So, what
able to talk to you.
do they talk about? The Russia connection and the
.

464
 Judiciary Now Attempting To Nullify The Presidential
Election With Ridiculous Ruling On Trump’s Travel Ban
By: JD Heyes
Date: May 25, 2017

“untiring sentinel for the protection of one of

our most cherished founding principles,”
adding that the travel ban order “in text
speaks with vague words of national
security, but in context drips with religious
intolerance, animus and discrimination.”

In other words, all these judges who so far have blocked

Trump’s two travel orders are doing so on the premise
that they can somehow read his mind, which is as absurd
as it is preposterous (and never mind that Trump’s first
foreign trip as president was a visit to the heart of Islam
Another ruling from a federal appeals court signifies once — Saudi Arabia).
again why President Donald J. Trump must focus anew on
filling judicial vacancies with constitutional originalists “Congress granted the President broad
who are not Left-wing political hacks dressed in black power to deny entry to aliens, but that
robes. power is not absolute,” Gregory wrote.

An en banc panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Yes, it is. The “broad power” is very clearly stated in the
Fourth Circuit upheld a lower court’s ruling that Trump’s Immigration and Nationality Act that all presidents,
travel ban on persons entering the country from terrorism- including the last one, have used to block entry of certain
infested countries is somehow unconstitutional not based aliens, for a variety of reasons. Section 212(f) of the
on law and the president’s statutory and constitutional Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 states:
authority to issue such orders, but on what he said during
the campaign. “Whenever the President finds that the
entry of any aliens or of any class of
As reported by Breitbart News, the 10-3 ruling is very aliens into the United States would be
likely to set up a showdown over presidential powers and detrimental to the interests of the United
actual written statutes at the U.S. Supreme Court, where States, he may by proclamation, and for
there are more constitutional jurists than there are Left- such period as he shall deem
wing ideologues (allegedly). necessary, suspend the entry of all
aliens or any class of aliens as
The appeals court, in a 67-page ruling, essentially said that immigrants or nonimmigrants, or
impose on the entry of aliens any
restrictions he may deem to be
“even an executive order that makes no
appropriate.”
mention of Islam in its text can be
invalidated for violating the First
Amendment’s Establishment Clause Very clearly then, national security can be just one of
because of comments Trump and his multiple reasons why a president would want to block
associates made during and after the 2016 entry by aliens.
presidential election,” Breitbart News
reported. To underscore the insanity of the reasoning behind the
court’s ruling, the majority cited several quotes from
Writing for the appeals court, Chief Judge Roger Gregory Trump and his advisers as well as the campaign’s website
called the Establishment Clause an as ‘proof’ that the president’s travel ban is really just a way
of favoring one religion over another.

465
The court also relied on an Establishment Clause precedent Even more than that, to confer meaning into Peirson’s
that has never once been applied in the context of an statement without context is not simply disingenuous, it’s
immigration-related order, deciding that Trump’s pledge to wholly inappropriate.
keep Americans safe from terrorism is a BS excuse to keep
more Muslims out of the country. There is more, and you can read the ruling here. But the
fact is, the Obama-appointed federal judiciary is
One of the quotes used by the majority to reinforce their attempting to overturn the results of a valid presidential
phony narrative was that of one-time Trump campaign election one court ruling at a time, undermining a president
spokeswoman Katrina Peirson, who said on CNN, whose principal duty is to protect the country.

“I think Islam hates us… [W]e can’t allow Let it be said as clearly as possible:
people coming into this country who have
this hatred… [w]e’ve allowed this Presidents have the constitutional and
propaganda to spread all through the statutory authority to keep anyone they
country that [Islam] is a religion of peace.” want out of the country, for any reason
they deem necessary.
And yet, every terrorist attack that has occurred in the U.S.
and the West since 9/11 has been conducted by Islamic Period.
extremists. (RELATED: Two liberal activist judges
block Trump’s revised travel ban)
They don’t have to ask federal courts for permission.

466
 Still No Proof Of Trump/Russia Collusion,
Economic Update, MSM Is Fake News
By Greg Hunter
May 26, 2017

reason for the wild calls both up and down,

according to Mannarino.
There is a new Harvard poll out, and it
proves the mainstream media’s (MSM)
biased reporting is nothing more than
propaganda and “fake news.”

According to the new Harvard-Harris poll,

“65% of voters believe the MSM

publishes fake news.”

That poll says it all and proves the MSM is killing its own
business with its biased political reporting.
Former CIA Director John Brennan testified on Capitol
Hill this week and told Congress that he was “concerned” Join Greg Hunter as he looks at these stories and more in
and “aware of information and intelligence that revealed the Weekly News Wrap-Up.
contacts and interactions between Russian officials and . . .
the Trump campaign.” The big headline buried in the (There is much more in the video newscast.)
mainstream media (MSM) reporting was Brennan
admitting in the same hearing,

“I don’t know whether or not such

collusion . . . existed. I don’t know.”
That means there is still zero evidence
that anyone in the Trump campaign
colluded with the Russians. The “Witch
Hunt” continues.

The Fed warns of “vulnerabilities” from elevated asset

prices. Noble Prize winner in economics Robert Shiller
opines the stock market could go up “50%” from here.
Legendary investor Asher Edelman admits on CBNC, “I After the Wrap-Up:
have no doubt” the Plunge Protection Team in the federal
government is propping up the stock market. What gives? The guest for the “Early Sunday Release” will be Chris
Martenson from PeakProsperity.com. Martenson says it’s
Why all the wild predictions? Gregory Mannarino of a mathematical certainty that the central bank controlled
TradersChoice.net says, global financial system will crash. He warns,

“Nobody can get their head around the “Somebody is going to eat the losses.”
magnitude of the distortions in the markets.
. . . They are off the charts.” This is the Guess who is going to “eat” them? Hear what he says you
can do to protect yourself now.
.

467
 Trump's Right About Germany
His Diagnosis Is Imprecise But Merkel's Economic Policies
Really Are Hurting The U.S.
By Danny Vinik
05/26/2017 12:47 PM EDT

of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, given Congress official

notice of his intent to renegotiate NAFTA and promised to
eliminate the U.S. trade deficit. He has criticized South
Korea’s trade practices, targeted cheap Chinese steel, and
slapped a large tariff on Canadian lumber.

It’s a protectionist trade agenda the likes of which the U.S.

has not seen for decades and it has left many economists,
who generally oppose tariffs for restricting the free flow of
goods, scratching their heads. But when it comes to
Germany and its economic policies, they say, Trump is
President Donald Trump had harsh words for Germany at a aiming in the right direction, although his diagnosis still
NATO meeting in Belgium this week, where he reportedly misses the mark.
referred to the Germans as “bad, very bad.” Gary Cohn,
the president’s top economic adviser, later clarified that At the NATO summit on Thursday, Trump focused on
Trump was referring to Germany’s trade practices. Washington’s $65 billion trade deficit in goods with
Berlin, the U.S.’s fifth largest with any country, and
The criticism of a close U.S. ally at a typically pre- German tariffs on American-made cars and trucks. Trump
programmed diplomatic conference raised eyebrows across has a point when he criticizes the U.S.-Germany trade
Europe, as world leaders sought to understand the new, deficit: German exports really are artificially inflated.
unpredictable American president. But to many Contrary to Trump’s focus on automobile tariffs, though,
economists, such criticism was long overdue. They believe this isn’t because of any specific German trade policy. In
Germany’s economic policies really have hurt global fact, Germany doesn’t even have its own trade policy.
economic growth, especially in Europe whose recovery Instead, the European Union sets trade policy for its
from the 2008 financial crisis has been very slow — much members and Germany is a part of it.
slower than in the United States.
“The European Union is a full customs
“They are valid criticisms, certainly of the union — lock, stock and barrel,” said Brad
German macroeconomic policies,” said Setser, a former senior official in the
Gary Hufbauer, a trade expert who worked Treasury Department under Obama.
in the Treasury Department in the 1970s. “Germany is one voice amongst many in
setting the common European tariff policy."
The U.S.-German relationship is one of the strongest in the
world and was especially close over the past eight years, as How are German exports inflated then? It has to do with
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former U.S. Germany’s fiscal policy and the European Union’s
President Barack Obama formed a tight personal bond that currency. For years, German rules and regulations have
led to increased cooperation on national security issues. held down wage growth. With productivity growing faster
But Obama also was reticent to publicly criticize Merkel, than workers' pay, German manufacturers have developed
even as many economists warned that Germany was a competitive advantage against their international
holding back European growth and dragging down the counterparts. Furthermore, this slow wage growth, in
global economy. combination with tight fiscal policy, has led to less
German consumer demand, an especially large problem for
Trump and Merkel have no such close personal ties and countries like Spain, Greece and Italy that have suffered
the president has shown little hesitancy to break long-held because of lower consumer demand since the financial
diplomatic norms, especially on trade policy, one of his top crisis. In other words, German citizens could be buying
campaign issues. Already, Trump has pulled the U.S. out Greek wines and Italian pastas, providing an influx of
money into those countries. But German economic policies
468
have choked off such consumer spending, holding back The Germans have also exported these macroeconomic
both the recovery of their weaker neighbors as well as the policies to the rest of the Eurozone by forcing nations like
global economy. Greece to adopt tight fiscal policy in exchange for bailouts.
Such policies have benefited German manufacturers which
“By not encouraging a stronger domestic have maintained their economic competitiveness, but it has
demand, Germany continues to be reliant led to a very slow recovery across Europe, which has
on trade and exports to maintain their weighed on the global economy.
economic strength,” said Bruce Hirsh, a
former assistant U.S. trade representative. The Obama administration pressured Germany to ease its
“They would, of course, claim that’s just fiscal policy and support looser monetary policy at the
good economics. Whether that’s the case ECB, including through semi-annual Treasury Department
or not, it’s certainly having that impact.” reports on foreign exchange rate policies and privately
during international forums. It’s tough to tell how much
Germany has also benefited from the euro. The value of those entreaties actually accomplished; economists still
the euro is based on international trade and capital flows of hold that German economic policy is too tight, although
the 18 countries that use the currency. Because Germany the European economic recovery appears to be
has a relatively stronger, more productive economy than its accelerating.
EU counterparts, the euro is effectively undervalued for
Germany. In other words, if Germany was still using the Will Trump’s blunt language have a stronger effect?
deutschmark, the currency would be stronger, reducing Economists are skeptical. After all, Trump in targeting
exports and increasing imports. Germany would be less German carmakers is missing the true problems with
competitive internationally if it had a national currency. German economic policies and by focusing on German
According to an International Monetary Fund report from tariffs, he is getting basic facts wrong about European
last year, German’s inflation-adjusted exchange rate is trade policy. In addition, his broader protectionist stance
undervalued by 10 percent to 20 percent, up from 5 percent on trade has not engendered much goodwill with European
to 15 percent in 2014. And in 2016, Germany’s dollar- leaders and the fate of the U.S.-EU trade deal, the
denominated current account surplus — the amount Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, remains
savings exceed investment — was $300 billion, the largest unknown. None of this gives Merkel, who is up for
in the world. reelection later this year, any reason to change course.

“When the euro is weak, Germany will be Said Hufbauer,

exceptionally competitive globally,” said
Setser. “That’s a byproduct of participation “The Germans are quite happy with their
in the euro.” surplus with Europe and surplus with the
U.S. So what can really be done?”
.

469
 FBI Refuses To Hand Over
“Comey Memos” To Congress
Zero Hedge
May 26, 2017

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said

today that the FBI had decided to withhold documents,
including memos, notes, summaries, and recordings,
requested by his committee in regards to the ongoing
Russia probe. This was revealed in a letter sent by Chaffetz
to the FBI responding to the agency’s decision to withhold
documents requested by the Committee on May 16, 2017.

The FBI’s denial to cooperate is presented below:

470
According to a statement by the Oversight Committee, Counsel is conducting a criminal or
counterintelligence investigation that will
“Chaffetz requested memos, notes, occur largely behind closed doors, the
summaries, and recordings to assist in Committee’s work will shed light on matters
the Committee’s investigation of the of high public interest, regardless of
FBI’s independence, and which are whether there is evidence of criminal
outside the scope of the Special conduct.
Counsel’s investigation.” “The focus of the Committee’s investigation
is the independence of the FBI, including
The documents are due June 8, 2017, but that may not conversations between the President and
happen as it appears the FBI is suddenly unwilling to Comey and the process by which Comey
cooperate. was removed from his role as director. The
records being withheld are central to those
As Chaffetz elaborates, after a New York Times report that questions, even more so in light of
former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey’s decision not to testify before the
Corney memorialized the content of phone calls and Committee at this time.”
meetings with the President in a series of memoranda, he “I am seeking to better understand
requested those memoranda and any related notes, Comey’s communications with the White
summaries, and recordings. House and Attorney General in such a way
that does not implicate the Special
The FBI is withholding those Counsel’s work.”
documents, citing to the appointment of
Robert Mueller as Special Prosecutor. As Chaffetz concludes,

According to a letter from your staff: “In light of this “Congress and the American public
development and other considerations [the Bureau] is have a right and a duty to examine this
undertaking appropriate consultation to ensure all relevant issue independently of the Special
interest implicated by your request are properly evaluated. Counsel’s investigation. I trust and hope
you understand this and make the right
The letter states: decision-to produce these documents to
the Committee immediately and on a
“The Committee has its own, voluntary basis.”
Constitutionally-based prerogative to
conduct investigations. But the Committee The American public is certainly looking forward to the
in no way wants to impede or interfere with FBI’s release of the full content of the Comey’s memos,
the Special Counsel’s ability to conduct his not only those relating to his meetings with Trump, but just
investigation. In fact, the Committee’s as importantly, with Loretta Lynch, as well as Barack
investigation will complement the work of Obama and/or Hillary Clinton.
the Special Counsel. Whereas the Special
.

471
 Trump Will Be IMPEACHED: Clinton Returns To Her
University To Launch All-Out Attack On President
 Hillary Clinton Returned To Wellesley, Where She Gave The First Student Speech To
Graduating Students In 1969
 She Immediately Invoked The Issue Of Impeachment And Richard Nixon
 She Mentioned 'Obstruction Of Justice' And Referenced The Saturday Night Massacre
 Brings Up 'Authoritarian' Regimes
 'Some Were Even Denying Things We See With Our Own Eyes, Like The Size Of Crowds'
 Early In Her Remarks, She Lost Her Voice, As She Did Several Times On The Campaign
Trail
 She Asked For A Lozenge As She Tried Managed To Gain Control Of Her Cough
 She Joked About Her Loss, Mentioning 'Long Walks In The Woods. Organizing My
Closets. I Won’t Lie, Chardonnay Helped A Little Too'
By Geoff Earle, Deputy U.S. Political Editor For Dailymail.Com
Published: 12:15 EDT, 26 May 2017 | Updated: 13:48 EDT, 26 May 2017

Hillary Clinton suggested her campaign rival President

Trump will get impeached, in sharp remarks in a Hillary Clinton addressed graduates at Wellesley and
commencement address Friday where she brought up brought up impeachment and obstruction of justice
'obstruction of justice' and warned of the steps to
authoritarianism.
Both were obvious shots at Trump, who fired FBI Director
James Comey in the midst of an agency probe of Russian
Speaking to gowned graduates at the school where she meddling in the U.S. elections. The move brought parallels
addressed students in 1969, Clinton referenced the to Nixon's 'Saturday Night Massacre,' when Nixon got rid
resignation of President Richard Nixon and a House of independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox.
committee's impeachment investigation – but it was clear
to graduating students what she was really talking about. As she addressed students, Clinton also pointed to the
evolution of 'authoritarian' regimes, in a criticism of
'We were furious about the past Trump's constant attacks on the media and his critics.
presidential election of a man whose
presidency would eventually end in
'When people in power invent their own
disgrace with his impeachment for
facts and attack those who question them,
obstruction of justice,' the defeated
it can mark the beginning of the end of a
presidential candidate said – as members
free society,' she warned. 'That is not
of the crowd at the liberal campus erupted
hyperbole, it is what authoritarian regimes
into cheers.
throughout history have done.'

Then she brought up Nixon's 'firing the the person running 'You are graduating at a time when there is
the investigation into him at the Department of Justice' – a a full-fledged assault on truth and reason,'
line that brought laughs and more cheers. she told graduates, referencing White
House counselor Kellyanne Conway's
defense of 'alternative facts.'

472
 She didn't mention that her husband Bill Clinton was
impeached during his second term, in an event that brought
blowback for the Republicans who went after him.

'We were furious about the past

presidential election of a man whose
presidency would eventually end in
disgrace with his impeachment for
obstruction of justice'

In yet another shot at Trump, Clinton said:

'Some were even denying things we see Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives for
with our own eyes, like the size of crowds.' Commencement at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts,
U.S., May 26, 2017

Clinton began with remarks about the 'amazing futures' of

school grads. She encouraged them to seek office and take
other steps to make the world better.

It didn't take long for her to break into a coughing fit,

something that happened frequently during her campaign.

'And I’ve gotta get a lozenge,' she said, as

the crowd clapped in support.

'Whatever your path, you dreamed big,' she told graduating

Clinton joked about her loss, but said she has had time for students.
grandchildren and long walks in the woods.
Back in 1969, Clinton spoke about the push and pull of
'Chardonnay helped a little too,' she politics to fellow graduates of her school.
quipped
'We got through that tumultuous time,' she 'We've had lots of empathy; we've had lots
told the students, as she described the of sympathy, but we feel that for too long
social conflicts during the late 1960s when our leaders have viewed politics as the art
she graduated. of the possible,' she said. 'And the
'We revved up the engine of imagination challenge now is to practice politics as the
and innovation. We turned back a tide of art of making what appears to be
intolerance and embraced inclusion,' she impossible possible.'
said.

'It was millions of ordinary citizens, especially young

people, who voted, marched and organized' to bring
changes, she said.

Clinton served as a young staffer when the House

Judiciary drew up articles of impeachment against Nixon
and investigated his actions during Watergate.

473
Clinton started her remarks with a familiar coughing fit, 'You may have heard that things didn’t go
then took out a lozenge exactly the way I’ve planned. But you know
what, I’m doing okay,' she said to laughs.
'I’ve gotten to spend time with my family,
especially my amazing grandchildren,' she
said.
'Long walks in the woods ... Organizing my
closets ... I won’t lie, Chardonnay helped a
little too,' she quipped.

Clinton brought up her 'Onward together' PAC, but

provided little information about how it would work. She
said it would involve recruiting candidates and other
organizing.

Even as she went after President Trump by alluding to

crimes, she also made light of her defeat.
.

474
 Lone Congresswoman Calls Out Trump For Insane Arms
Deal With Human Rights Violator Saudi Arabia
Isaac Davis, Staff Writer
May 26, 2017

The deal was signed during President

Trump’s meeting today in Saudi Arabia with
the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud,
Crown Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, and
Deputy Crown Prince Mohamed bin
Salman. It is the first foreign trip of the
Trump presidency.” [Source]

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s comments regarding this

development are so far the only remarks from a U.S.
Congressperson which actually honor the truth in how
turmoil in the Middle East is perpetuated by Western
governments, especially through arms deals.
As Western nations are being told to brace for more terror
attacks like Manchester, mainstream media continues to Gabbard, a Democrat, blasted the deal – which she said
simplify the narrative for public consumption, hoping that includes an additional $350 billion over the next 10 years –
the general public will believe this is just a simple struggle saying Saudi Arabia is
between good and evil, black and white, right and wrong.
There are some, however, who are telling the whole story. “a country with a devastating record of
human rights violations at home and
Hawaii State Representative Tulsi Gabbard however, has abroad, and a long history of providing
been working to expose the truth and strike the roots of support to terrorist organizations that
international terror. After actually traveling to Syria she threaten the American people.”
introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, which
“Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest sponsor
acknowledges that ISIS and other terror organizations
and propagator of the extremist Wahhabi
would not exist without our financial and material support.
Salafist ideology that fuels terrorist groups
Now she has condemned Trump’s recent arms deal with
like ISIS and al-Qaeda,” a media release
Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s most egregious human
from Rep. Gabbard stated. “Based on
rights violators.
Saudi Arabia’s history and track record,
there is a significant likelihood these
President Trump, who during his campaign said he would weapons will be used against innocent
hold Saudi Arabia accountable for 9/11 and would put civilians or end up in the hands of terrorist
them in their place, just signed the largest arms deal ever, groups.”
promising to outfit the House of Saud with some $350
billion worth of arms over the next decade. “Saudi Arabia has spent hundreds of
billions of dollars spreading their extreme
Wahhabi Salafist ideology around the
“The agreement included an arms deal;
world, creating fertile ground for terrorist
almost $110 billion worth of defense
organizations like ISIS and al-Qaeda to
capabilities, the White House reports. “This
recruit, while simultaneously providing
package of defense equipment and
direct support to terrorist groups who pose
services supports the long-term security of
a direct threat to US interests and who are
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the
fighting to overthrow the Syrian
face of malign Iranian influence and Iranian
government. The hypocrisy in the Trump
related threats,” wrote the Trump
administration’s actions toward Saudi
administration officials.
Arabia began in February 2017 with the
newly-appointed CIA Director Mike
475
 Pompeo presenting Saudi Crown Prince militants who are allied with al-Qaeda, ISIS
bin Nayef with the George Tenet Award in and other terrorist groups, and it will
recognition of Prince bin Nayef’s ‘excellent prohibit the U.S. government from
intelligence performance, in the domain of funneling money and weapons through
counter-terrorism and his unbound other countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey,
contribution to realise world security and and Qatar who are directly or indirectly
peace.’ This hypocrisy continues now as supporting terrorists.”
the Trump administration talks tough
against ISIS and terrorism, while selling Gabbard says she recently sent a letter to Defense
weapons to, supporting, and praising a Secretary Jim Mattis
country that beheads dissidents, oppresses
women, persecutes religious minorities,
“urging an end to the United States’ military
atheists, and LGBT people, and is the
participation in Yemen’s civil war, where 19
greatest supporter of terror groups like al-
million people need emergency support
Qaeda and ISIS in the world today. This
and which has never been authorized by
arms deal will enable Saudi Arabia to use
Congress, and calling for a Congressional
U.S.-made weapons in their war crimes
briefing on the White House’s strategy in
against Yemeni civilians in a brutal civil
Yemen.” [Source]
war, and continue perpetuating human
rights atrocities at home and abroad,” said
Final Thoughts
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

The arms deal runs contrary proposed bipartisan legislation As ISIS takes credit for bombings like we just witnessed in
supported by Gabbard: H.R. 608, the Stop Arming Manchester, it is critical that we connect the dots on this
Terrorists Act, which Gabbard says international terror organization, and Gabbard’s comments
remind us that these organizations are the result of our
actions in the Middle East which continually inflame the
“would prohibit any Federal agency from region by supplying weapons and finances. Even President
using taxpayer dollars to provide weapons, El-Sisi of Egypt recently called out Trump and King
cash, intelligence, or any support to armed Salman of Saudi Arabia for aiding and abetting ISIS.
.

476
 How Team Obama
Tried To Hack The Election
By Paul Sperry
May 26, 2017 | 7:44pm

Further, the number of NSA data searches about

Americans mushroomed after Obama loosened rules for
protecting such identities from government officials and
thus the reporters they talk to.

The FISA court called it a

“very serious Fourth Amendment issue”

that NSA analysts — in violation of a 2011
rule change prohibiting officials from
searching Americans’ information without a
warrant — “had been conducting such
queries in violation of that prohibition, with
much greater frequency than had been
previously disclosed to the Court.”

New revelations have surfaced that the Obama A number of those searches were made from the White
administration abused intelligence during the election by House, and included private citizens working for the
launching a massive domestic spy campaign that included Trump campaign, some of whose identities were leaked to
snooping on Trump officials. the media. The revelations earned a stern rebuke from the
ACLU and from civil liberties champion Sen. Rand Paul.
The irony is mind-boggling: Targeting political opposition
is long a technique of police states like Russia, which We also learned this week that Obama intelligence
Team Obama has loudly condemned for allegedly using its officials really had no good reason attaching a summary of
own intelligence agencies to hack into our election. a dossier on Trump to a highly classified Russia briefing
they gave to Obama just weeks before Trump took office.
The revelations, as well as testimony this week from
former Obama intel officials, show the extent to which the Under congressional questioning Tuesday, Obama’s CIA
Obama administration politicized and weaponized chief John Brennan said the dossier did not “in any way”
intelligence against Americans. factor into the agency’s assessment that Russia interfered
in the election. Why not? Because as Obama intel czar
James Clapper earlier testified,
Thanks to Circa News, we now know the National
Security Agency under President Barack Obama routinely “We could not corroborate the sourcing.”
violated privacy protections while snooping through
foreign intercepts involving US citizens — and failed to
disclose the breaches, prompting the Foreign Intelligence But that didn’t stop Brennan in January from attaching its
Surveillance Court a month before the election to rebuke contents to the official report for the president. He also
administration officials. included the unverified allegations in the briefing he gave
Hill Democrats.
The story concerns what’s known as “upstream” data
collection under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence In so doing, Brennan virtually
Surveillance Act, under which the NSA looks at the guaranteed that it would be leaked,
content of electronic communication. Upstream refers to which it promptly was.
intel scooped up about third parties: Person A sends Person In short, Brennan politicized raw
B an email mentioning Person C. Though Person C isn’t a intelligence. In fact, he politicized the
party to the email, his information will be scooped up and entire CIA.
potentially used by the NSA.

477
Langley vets say Brennan was the most politicized director Brennan isn’t just a Democrat. He’s a
in the agency’s history. Former CIA field operations radical leftist who in 1980 — during the
officer Gene Coyle said Brennan was height of the Cold War — voted for a
Communist Party candidate for president.
“known as the greatest sycophant in the
history of the CIA, and a supporter of When Brennan rants about the dangers of strongman
Hillary Clinton before the election. I find it Vladimir Putin targeting our elections and subverting our
hard to put any real credence in anything democratic process, does he not catch at least a glimpse of
that the man says.” his own reflection?

Coyle noted that Brennan broke with his predecessors who What he and the rest of the Obama gang
stayed out of elections. Several weeks before the vote, he did has inflicted more damage on the
made it very clear he was pulling for Hillary. His deputy integrity of our electoral process than
Mike Morell even came out and publicly endorsed her in anything the Russians have done.
the New York Times, claiming Trump was an “unwitting
agent” of Moscow.
.

478
 CNN Reporter Admits: We Report From
Progressive 'Arc Of History' As Defined By Obama, Hillary
By Tim Graham
May 27, 2017 | 11:02 AM EDT

Soopermexican at The Right Scoop caught an amazing

admission in the midnight hour on Friday morning, as But a second thing has happened, too, which is, on
CNN was beginning to mourn another Democratic loss in a occasion, more than the media would like to admit, we
special election for the House of Representatives. Media have not told the story of conservative Americans,
reporter Dylan Byers lamented that voters in Montana disenfranchised Americans, who believe that they are
weren't even really paying attention to their incessant losing their country.
coverage of GOP candidate Greg Gianforte's violent
treatment of Ben Jacobs, a reporter for the leftist British The story we have largely been telling is
newspaper The Guardian, on the night before the election. a story that is more or less in step with
the arc of history as defined by Barack
Obama and Hillary Clinton. It does not
mean we favor them to win.

It just means that sort of vision of a progressive future, a

global future, and that is not one that resonates with so
many conservative American voters.

And so there is this chasm, and no one exploited as well as

Donald Trump did, and no one made it as violent and
aggressive and sinister as Donald Trump did, and that laid
the foundation for the sorts of incidents that happened saw
last night.
DYLAN BYERS: There’s this conversation
that’s happening among people following
Soopermexican writes:
the news industry, which is how can we
bridge the sort of gap between all of those
conservatives who don’t trust the media, "I mean you have to hand it to him that he
and get them to start knowing that, you at least admits most reporters are stuck
know, we’re acting in good faith, with good telling the story of the progressive future as
intentions? Maybe you can’t, because envisioned by Obama and Hillary – that is
they’re not even listening. From the an insight that most in the media seem
second, it’s not as though they’re reading physiologically incapable of making."
the article and considering it, or listening
the audio and considering it. They’re just Except Byers is half-admitting it, that they tilt ever so
not paying attention to it, because they slightly toward their "arc of history" bias, but it doesn't
don’t trust us. mean they favor Democrats. That they tilt away from
"telling the story" of conservative Americans, when in
And this, by the way, you look at the tapes of Trump there. reality they demonize conservative Americans with all the
Two things have happened. One, over the course of several "isms" and "phobias" you can list. And worst of all, Byers
decades, says conservatives have "capitalized on waning trust" of
the liberal media, instead of admitting that conservatives
have exposed the liberal media, reported on and captured
the conservatives have done a masterful
job at capitalizing [on] the waning trust the liberal media inside their bubble.
in media and using it to their advantage.
.

479
 Report: Sean Hannity To Be Fired
By Fox News Over Seth Rich Murder Coverage
The Purging Of Anyone Who Questions The Seth Rich Murder Continues
By Alex Thomas -
05.27.2017 @11:20 PM EDT

(INTELLIHUB) — Over the last several weeks we have “I had a conversation with a source close to
seen a massive corporate media operation targeting anyone Hannity who showed me an internal email
who dares to cover the possible connection between at fox where Adam Housley spoke to Sean
hacked DNC emails, Wikileaks, and the murder of Seth and he said he believes he will be fired
Rich. next week sometime by Fox News for his
coverage of the Seth Rich murder,”
The media, with help from leftist groups like Media reported Biggs.
Matters, has gone into overdrive attacking any news outlet
or reporter that even considers the possibility that Rich was The report also claims that a source within the FBI may
murdered because he was the person who gave the emails soon provide documents that prove that Rich was indeed in
to Wikileaks in the first place. direct contact with Wikileaks.

Now, one of the more prominent voices who have If Hannity is fired it would prove once again that the entire
questioned the official story may soon pay for it with his establishment is unbelievably scared about the real details
job. surrounding the horrific death of Rich and essentially
wants the entire story squashed for good.
According to a report by independent journalist Joe
Biggs, a source close to Hannity has revealed that the Stay tuned as Intellihub will continue to cover the Seth
popular Fox News host will be fired sometime next week Rich murder story regardless of any threats or attacks by
as a result of his coverage of the Seth Rich conspiracy. the deep state shills throughout the media.

480
 WSJ’s Strassel Destroys Stacked
Anti-Trump Panel on ‘Meet the Press’ With Facts
By Nicholas Fondacaro
May 28, 2017 | 3:13 PM EDT

The liberal network shows were all busy Sunday morning

pushing accusations and speculation about President Reid then leaned on more anonymously sourced claims
Trump and his adviser Jared Kushner. Their discussion and raised questions about Kushner trying to negotiate
was driven by more anonymous sources telling The business deals with the Russians for Trump. But Strassel
Washington Post that Kushner tried to set up a deflated Reid’s enthusiasm, noting that
backchannel discussion between Trump and the Russians
to talk about Syria. CNN even accused the action of being “we don’t know the answers to any of those
“treasonous.” The hysteria was also present on NBC’s questions because what we’re getting here
Meet the Press, but theirs was shattered by The Wall Street are half leaks and anonymously by
Journal’s Kimberley Strassel after she introduced facts to sources.”
the discussion.

“I think we are having a discussion that is

absolutely divorced from reality this week.
It is astonishing,”

she quipped as she reminded them of how then candidate

Obama (not President-elect Obama) set up a highly covert
back channel with the Iranians:

Let me set the scene for you: It’s 2008, we

are having an election and candidate
Obama, he’s not even president elect,
sends William Miller over to Iran to “You have to follow the money, you have to
establish a backchannel, and let the follow the meetings, the lies, the attempts
Iranians know should he win the election to derail this investigation,” loudly
they will have friendlier terms. Okay? So exclaimed former conservative talk show
this is a private citizen going to foreign soil, host turned token anti-Trump Republican,
obviously in order to evade U.S. Charlie Sykes.
intelligence monitoring and establishing a
backchannel with a sworn enemy of the He seemed to have conveniently forgotten how acting FBI
United States who was actively disrupting Director Andrew McCabe and former FBI Director James
our efforts in the military in the Middle East. Comey had previously testified to Congress that there had
been no attempts made to interfere with the investigation.
Joining Strassel on the panel was MSNBC’s loony Joy
Reid who’s normally wildly triggered by anything outside After Strassel had noted that perhaps the Trump transition
of her worldview. She lived up to expectations and didn’t want Obama officials listening into those
completely dismissed Obama’s back channeling with the conversations, Reid jumped to the defense of Obama’s
radical Iranians. administration.

“In October, the collective judgment of the “Are you telling me that the now elected
17 intelligence agencies had been: Russia Trump administration did not trust John
had been taking active measures to Brennan that somehow these straight
interfere with our elections. Quite a arrow guys in our intelligence services
difference. We don’t think that Iran was were going to now work to actively
doing that,” she argued.
481
 undermine, are they now seeing them as Iran to establish a backchannel, and let the Iranians know
some sort of dissidents,” she wondered. should he win the election they will have friendlier terms.
Okay? So this is a private citizen going to foreign soil,
Strassel again ripped Reid’s “these straight arrow guys” obviously in order to evade U.S. intelligence monitoring and
argument to tatters with the facts, this time about the establishing a backchannel with a sworn enemy of the
unconstitutional actions of Obama’s NSA: United States who was actively disrupting our efforts in the
military in the Middle East.
One of the most interesting pieces of news
that actually came out this week, was the So, is that bad judgment? Is that a bad thing that happened?
FISA court revelation that they said that the Backchannels are completely normal, they happen all the
Obama administration had been actively time. Reagan did them, Obama did them, everyone did. So,
engaged in abusing fourth amendment I am not quite sure why, supposedly having at least the
protections by unmasking people’s President is now elected setting up a backchannel with the
identities on a routine basis, which they did Russians, it is somehow out of bounds.
not acknowledge to the court. And which
they said, brought up major, major JOY REID: Well, here is one key difference. In October,
concerns. So maybe you wouldn’t trust that months before this latest meeting and it was 18 separate
team in fact. contacts that we know of between the Trump Campaign and
Russia, our primary adversary in the world.
This is the first time that story had made its way onto any
network news program. They and the liberal cable STRASSEL: And a major super power.
channels seem to be having a total blackout since
Wednesday. REID: In October, the collective judgment of the 17
intelligence agencies had been: Russia had been taking
“Who said that? Who is the source of that active measures to interfere with our elections. Quite a
information,” demanded Reid frantically. difference. We don’t think that Iran was doing that. So we
“The FISA court,” Strassel calmly know that was happening in October. So in December, the
responded. Reid’s only reaction was to now President-Elect decides he's going to name Jim Mattis
blurt out the tired and untrue line that FISA his secretary of defense. But he doesn’t open a
warrants were hard to get. Strassel called backchannel, he sends his real estate developer son-in-law
Reid’s nonsense out, saying: “You are not supposedly-- or the real estate development son-in-law
talking about what I just mentioned.” decides to open this backchannel.

Moderator Chuck Todd saved Reid some of the

embarrassment by cutting off discussion and going to a
commercial.

The showing by Strassel demonstrates how the liberal

media is constantly craving news stories that are damaging
to the Trump administration, no matter the facts behind
them. In their minds, Trump is guilty beyond doubt and
they’re itchy for a conviction despite the public evidence
or lack thereof.

Transcript below: …

NBC REID: Then, if it is a channel about opening up negotiations

Meet the Press in terms of something realistic-- in terms of something about
May 28, 2017 foreign policy. Why are they also back-channeling with a
11:10:00 AM Eastern bank? A Kremlin-connected Russian bank and why is the
Reuters report saying that part of the discussion was a
possibility of opening up opportunities for financing for
KIMBERLEY STRASSEL: I think we are having a discussion Trump-related – Trump-related—
that is absolutely divorced from reality this week. It is
astonishing. Let me set the scene for you:
STRASSEL: But we don’t know the answers to any of those
questions because what we’re getting here are half leaks
It’s 2008, we are having an election and candidate Obama, and anonymously by sources.
he’s not even president elect, sends William Miller over to

482
 [Crosstalk] REID: In December, the election was over. In this country,
we have a continuity of government, we hand over peaceful
CHARLIE SYKES: You have to follow the money, you have power from one party to another all the time and have done
to follow the meetings, the lies,— so for more than 240 years. Are you telling me that the now
elected Trump administration did not trust John Brennan that
somehow these straight arrow guys in our intelligence
STRASSEL: And we don’t have any of that information.
services were going to now work to actively undermine, are
they now seeing them as some sort of dissidents?
SYKES: --the attempts to derail this investigation! Don't have [Crosstalk] That has never happened in the history of the
any of that information. And the reality here is Jared United States.
Kushner and the Trump administrations apparently trusted
the Russians more than the intelligence community. Look,
STRASSEL: One of the most interesting pieces of news
how could this not be suspicious?
that actually came out this week, was the FISA court
revelation that they said that the Obama administration had
STRASSEL: Why would you trust—I’m sorry, by the way. been actively engaged in abusing fourth amendment
We can’t forget that the intelligence services and also the protections by unmasking people’s identities on a routine
Defense Department were being run by the Obama basis, which they did not acknowledge to the court. And
administration. They had plenty of reasons not to want which they said, brought up major, major concerns. So
administrations. maybe you wouldn’t trust that team in fact.

REID: Who said that? Who is the source of that information?

STRASSEL: The FISA court.

REID Do you know how difficult it is to get a FISA warrant

against an American citizen—an American person.

STRASSEL: You are not talking about what I just

mentioned.

…
.

483
 What Did Trump Accomplish On His First Foreign Trip?
Some Firm Handshakes, Forced Smiles, And Awkward Sword Dances.
In Short, Nothing.
Eliot A. Cohen
May 28, 2017

lops the hands off thieves and the heads off apostates. The
commerce secretary, in one of his more witlessly thuggish
remarks, observing complacently about urban Riyadh:
“There was not a single hint of a protester anywhere there
during the whole time we were there.” And then there were
the video clips: Melania flicking away her husband’s
groping hand and the Leader of the Free World giving the
prime minister of little Montenegro a good hard shove.

It is proof of how low our standards are for judging

Trump’s competence that he got high marks for delivering
speeches more or less accurately, if woodenly, from
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at the teleprompters and scripts. He did not declare war on Islam.
airport. He spent only 15 minutes at Yad Vashem and left a semi-
Let’s hear it for the Rainbow Tour literate note there, but at least said nothing egregiously
It’s been an incredible success stupid. He was polite to the Pope. He said that the
We weren’t quite sure, we had a few doubts Germans were “bad, very bad” on trade but admired
Egyptian president Sisi’s shoes. His motorcade was not
Will Evita win through? stormed by angry European leftists. But what did he
But the answer is yes accomplish?

There you are, I told you so Normally, a president’s first overseas trips are to
Makes no difference where she goes America’s immediate neighbors Canada or Mexico. Maybe
The whole world over just the same to Europe, to engage with close allies like Britain or
Just listen to them call her name Germany. A daring move might have been to meet with
And who would underestimate the actress now? similarly close partners like Australia and Japan; it might
—Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Evita have been more audacious yet to go to India, whose
burgeoning cooperation with the United States is the
biggest geopolitical fact in our favor in Asia. In any case,
Like Donald Trump, Juan and Eva Perón were populists. the purpose is to cement the relationships that are our
They seem to have shared Trump’s understanding of the greatest source of international strength.
purposes of philanthropy (for more, read up about the Eva
Perón Foundation) and the importance of fiscal probity.
And like Eva in 1947, Donald Trump has just completed a Instead, some tin-horn Talleyrand in the president’s
glitzy overseas trip. entourage thought that this serial and unrepentant swindler,
fornicator, and prevaricator was the man to bring together
the three Abrahamic faiths by going to Riyadh, Jerusalem,
It had ample farcical episodes: the Saudi king, the dictator and the Vatican. This conceit must strain Christian charity,
of Egypt, and the president of the United States placing let alone more austere Jewish and Muslim moralism.
their hands on a glowing orb that evoked for some a
lampoon of Lord of the Rings. The secretary of state
assuring us that no one overseas was paying attention to It was foolish to begin the trip in Saudi Arabia, of all
Trump’s domestic troubles (palpably, indeed laughably, places. It is an ally, to be sure, but was also the home of
untrue) even as his spokesman excluded the American roughly three-quarters of the 9/11 terrorists, and the source
press from a briefing attended by the considerably more (from private funding) of terrorist financing, and far worse,
docile reporters of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The of the teaching of Wahhabi doctrines inimical to the
national-security adviser insisting, “The entire trip is about moderate forms of Islam that once prevailed around the
human rights, about all civilized people coming together to world. Saudi and Gulf-funded religious schools, preachers,
fight the hatred”—an odd remark to make in a country that textbooks, and travel are a critical part of the story of the
484
last several decades of violent jihad. The kingdom about how unfair they were to American taxpayers and
represses non-Muslim faiths and women, and it tolerates then quite reasonably nagged them about defense
the barbarous treatment of foreign nationals. We forget spending, as have his predecessors, and likely with as little
those facts at our peril. result. He punted on deciding whether or not to endorse the
Paris climate accords. Following this he attended a few
While there Trump, in effect, put the United States more meetings, made a few more churlish remarks, and
squarely in the camp of Arabs against their Persian came home.
enemies. This also largely put the U.S. in the camp of
Sunni versus Shia Islam, which is profoundly unwise. Like He inked some big arms deals in Saudi Arabia. In a very
the Saudis, the Gulf kingdoms, too, are indeed our allies, Middle Eastern (or Peronist) way, $100 million will now
but it is not in America’s long term interest to take sides in come sloshing in to one of Ivanka’s favorite charities. He
the bitter sectarian divide that is now afflicting Islam. Iran got firm handshakes, glum looks, forced smiles, and
is hostile, but in the long-term—although only after the awkward sword dances. In short, he got nothing serious.
revolutionary regime collapses or is overthrown—Iran will Actually, less than nothing. He made it clear, yet again,
probably be more important to us than the Arab states, as it that his administration relegates issues of human rights and
was before Khomeini toppled the shah. A quiet set of decent governance to the rank of tertiary concerns. This, in
diplomatic missions would have sufficed. turn, is anything but realistic, because without necessary
reforms those Arab authoritarian regimes will blow up
The visit to Israel was merely silly. President Trump sooner or later. Meanwhile, walking away from American
declared that he had not mentioned the word “Israel” in his values in the Middle East and Europe also diminishes what
now infamous session with Messrs. Lavrov and Kislyak in the United States is, has been, and should be.
which he blew Israeli secrets to the Russians. In so doing
he acted like the 8-year-old who, his hand caught in the jar During these spectacles, at home the scandal news came
filled with chocolate-chip cookies, adamantly insists that not in drips but spattering gouts. We learn that a “person of
he has not filched a single oatmeal cookie. The Israelis interest” close to the president is a focus of the Russia
welcomed his protestations of friendship, shrugged their investigation, and that this is apparently is none other his
shoulders at his chumminess with Bibi Netanyahu, quietly son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Making matters worse,
resolved to be more judicious in the future about what Kushner was reported to have requested a communications
intelligence they share with the Americans, and after likely channel directly through the Russian Embassy, to avoid
heaving a sigh of relief when Trump’s plane took off, went U.S. government surveillance. We discover that the
about celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1967 president had improperly asked the director of the National
victory. Security Agency and the director of National Intelligence
to clear his late campaign of Russian connections. His
What Trump certainly did not do, because it is impossible, former National-Security Adviser Michael Flynn decided
is advance a long-term Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. to take the 5th, which from a judicial point of view means
At the moment, no Palestinian leader will accept an that one cannot infer his guilt, but from a common-sense
agreement that does not re-divide Jerusalem and provide point of view makes it look highly probable.
for a right of return, but will acknowledge the legitimacy
of the Jewish claim to the land of Israel. No Israeli leader Meanwhile, in non-scandal news, the courts again threw
can accept the former or conclude an agreement without out Trump’s Muslim travel ban, Republican politicians
the latter. Moreover, no sane Israeli, looking at the chaos vied for the most creative way of saying “dead on arrival”
engulfing Syria, the ominous pressures building in Jordan, about his budget, and the Congressional Budget Office
and the active terrorist threat in Egypt can think that this is unhelpfully observed that Trumpcare would deprive some
the right moment to put Ben Gurion airport within easy 23 million Americans of healthcare.
range of rockets and surface-to-air missiles from a new
Palestinian state. For Trump, like other presidents—Richard Nixon most
notably—foreign travel may have seemed an escape from
The Pope and the President were cordial, which was nice. domestic troubles. But like Evita’s Rainbow Tour, such
Trump skipped the bits about common values with our junkets end sometime, yielding no result save to show us,
NATO allies, or gratitude for their invoking the mutual- yet again, how little there is beneath the façade of this
defense provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty on our paper mâché presidency.
behalf in the wake of 9/11. He did however complain
.

485
 McCain: Russia Is A Bigger Threat Than ISIS;
Comey Investigated Clinton Over 'Fake News'
Source: iBankCoin.com
Published: May 29, 2017

Writing about McCain is like writing about Maxine document detailing an implicit deal between Clinton’s
Waters. Both are disconnected from reality, crooked as the campaign and the Justice Department regarding the inquiry
day is long. Both have an agenda that runs counter to the into her private email server, the paper said.
goals of ordinary American plebs. In this case, McCain
clearly has an agenda in the Ukraine. He panders to them The document, obtained by the FBI, described how the
and uses their internal struggles vs Moscow to foment anti- Attorney General at the time, Loretta Lynch, had privately
Russian rhetoric in the United States. assured a Clinton campaign member that the email
investigation would not go too far, the Post reported.
How many US marines have the Russians killed over the
past 10 years? Receipt of the document then allegedly helped influence
the July decision by then-FBI Director James Comey to
How many public beheadings have the Russians announce on his own, without the Justice Department’s
undertaken and how much clay have they taken from Iraq involvement, that the investigation into Clinton was
and Syria? finished and that no charges against Clinton would be
forthcoming.
Even suggesting that Russia is a greater threat than ISIS is
absurd. But, this is John 'Fucking' McCain, so don't expect The public announcement set off an uproar on both sides
normal to come out of his mouth. of the political spectrum.

Towards the end of this clip, McCain, incredulously, stated According to The Post, the FBI later determined that the
that Comey investigated Hillary based upon 'fake news' document was illegitimate. It may have been a fake sent to
disseminated by the Russians. What part of Hillary's confuse the bureau, people familiar with its contents told
unprotected email server and destruction of evidence fake the paper.
news? Moreover, how was the then acting AG Lynch
meeting with Bill Clinton on the tarmac for a secret 30 The Americans mentioned in a purported email exchange
minute meeting fake news? in the document have since insisted that they don’t know
each other, don’t speak to one another and never had
According to the Washington Post, the prime driver behind conversations like those detailed in the document.
Comey closing the Hillary investigation was because he
had received a fake document stating that AG Lynch told a By August, the month after Comey’s public
Clinton staffer that the investigation wouldn't go too far, announcement, the FBI had concluded that the document
not to worry. was bogus, the Post said.

Former FBI Director James Comey's investigation into

Hillary Clinton was shaped by a bogus Russian document,
according to a new Washington Post report.

A phony Russian document influenced the way the FBI

handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s server,
according to The Washington Post.

During the middle of the 2016 presidential primary season,

the bureau received a purported Russian intelligence
.

486
 Truth About Seth Rich Murder May Expose The
Establishments ‘Russian Hacking’ Propaganda
May 29, 2017

On July 10, 2016, DNC staffer Seth Rich was murdered in Some have speculated that this is the reason for his
Washington D.C. murder.

Was Rich the source who provided Wikileaks with the If true, what becomes of the mantra “Russia did it?”
DNC’s internal emails?

487
.

488
 Huge Piece Of The Seth Rich Murder Puzzle - Report: FBI
Memo Connects Seth Rich To Wikileaks After His Murder
But Before Wikileaks Released Leaked
DNC/Podesta Emails
By Susan Duclos - All News Pipeline
May 29, 2017

Fox News was forced to remove the story. Sean Hannity

who highlighted it, was forced to stop talking about it and
now there is talk of him either leaving Fox News or being
fired because of it. Seth Rich's cousin even tweeted that he
was killed because he knew something, just to be
reprimanded publicly by another member of the family,
then deleting his tweeted assertion, but screen shots were
captured before it could be disappeared.

A HUGE PUZZLE PIECE HAS JUST BEEN

PUBLISHED - IT IS A SMOKING GUN
There always seemed to be something sinister about how
the MSM and law enforcement went out of their way to One of the conflicting pieces of information was that the
avoid investigating how a DNC data analyst was murdered FBI somehow had some type of part in the investigation,
just days before Wikileaks started publishing internal specifically in finding files on Rich's computer that
emails leaked from the DNC and the Hillary Clinton directly connected him to being the source of the DNC
campaign, where any mention or logical questions as to leaks to Wikileaks, yet the media reported the FBI was not
whether Rich was involved with the leaks were treated as investigating the case.
insane "conspiracy" theories.
Well, Joe Biggs, over at Borerland Alternative Media just
It was called a robbery attempt yet nothing was taken from solved that conflict after obtaining heavily redacted FBI
the victim. Wikileaks offered a 20K reward for memo, where the majority of it is blacked out but the
information leading to an arrest in the Rich murder, the portions that can be seen clearly show the date, July 15th,
very same day that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange just five days after Richs murder, and just days before
spoke publicly about the "risks" leakers take, right before Wikileaks started releasing the leaked emails. The memo
using Rich as an example of those risks. also references Wikileaks, the DNC, "src" laptop, (the
victims name was Seth Conrad Rich= SCR) as well as the
The case being investigated by the DC police seemed to go letters "set" with three spaces blacked out (redacted) then
cold until a former homicide detective, Rod Wheeler, hired "ich."
as a private investigator to run a parallel investigation into
the murder went on Fox News and said that there were tens According to Biggs, it is true the FBI was not investigating
of thousands of emails on Rich's computer that he had sent Rich's murder at that time, but the FBI was called in by the
to Wikileaks, immediately followed by a Washington Post DC police to unlock the lap top and obtained the
story that was meant to discredit any talk of a information held on it for the DC police, which in turn
Rich/Wikileaks connection by labeling it a "conspiracy," generated a technician's memo regarding the work done.
but instead blew up the Internet.
.

489
490
Via Biggs:
The DC story indicates their assertion that the laptop in
At the bottom right it has code that can be question pertains to the investigation of the IT staffer
used to look up the official FBI memo comes from a
SCRDC-408
"federal employee with knowledge of the
What that code means is name of person situation and who requested anonymity,"
being looked into. “SCR” Seth Conrad telling the DC "that as House authorities
Rich. Location “DC” with “408” documents. closed in on Imran Awan and his brothers,
Any FBI Memo, if it’s a target of an a laptop used by Imran was hidden in an
investigation will show a code that can be unused crevice of the Rayburn House
used by journalists to request a FOIA. So Office Building. Wasserman Schultz’s office
FOIA experts can use that code and obtain is in Longworth House Office Building, a
a less redacted version. separate structure.

On July 15, the date on the FBI memo, Wikileaks had not The laptop was later found by Capitol
started releasing the DNC emails yet, emails which it is Police and seized because it was relevant
prudent to mention, resulted in former DNC chair Debbie to the criminal investigation, the source
Wasserman-Schultz being forced to step down from her said."
DNC position.
It is interesting that the only connection between the
Related: Seth Rich Timeline Reveals Questions That Wasserman-Schultz attempted intimidation of the DC
Haven't been Annswered Police Chief and the "laptop" in question, and the IT staff
member's investigation, is an anonymous "federal
WHAT IS ON THE LAPTOP WASERMAN- employee," when we consider just how hard the MSM and
SCHULTZ WANTS BACK SO BADLY law enforcement has been pushing any connection bewteen
Rich and Wikileaks as a "conspiracy."
Which brings us to another recent revelation, where
Schultz was captured on camera threatening the DC police We have to wonder at this point how
Chief for his refusal to return a "laptop" that was in police truthful any "federal employee" is going to
custody because it was part of an ongoing investigation. be with the media in this matter.

According to "official" reports the laptop in question is Could Wasserman-Schultz be so desperate in the video
assumed to be part of an investigation into a criminal case above to have a "laptop" returned to her because it would
against a Pakistani staffer suspected of massive provide conclusively that Seth Rich was murdered because
cybersecurity breaches involving funneling sensitive he was the DNC leaker?
congressional data offsite, as reported by The Daily Caller.

After listening to the exchange between Wasserman-

Schultz and the DC Police Chief though, there is no
specific mention of what the investigation regarding the
laptop is about.

.
491
 White House Slams "False & Unverifiable"
CNN Claims Of Intercepted Russian Trump Threats
By Tyler Durden
May 30, 2017 11:11 AM

Seemingly dredging up old 'fake' news as new bombshells, "The reality is, a review of the President's
CNN reports that Russian government officials income from the last ten years showed he
reportedly talked about having possibly "derogatory" had virtually no financial ties at all. There
information about President Trump and some of his top appears to be no limit to which the
aides during the 2016 presidential race. President's political opponents will go to
perpetuate this false narrative, including
illegally leaking classified material."
The spokesman said the story plays "into
the hands of our adversaries and put
our country at risk."

But CNN itself admits this is all bluster...

...sources said the Russians claims

"could have been exaggerated or even
made up."

Sources declined to say specifically which aides were

As The Hill details, the officials' discussions were being discussed.
intercepted by U.S. intelligence, CNN reported, citing two
former intelligence officials and a congressional source.
"The Russians could be overstating
their belief to influence," said one of the
A source told CNN the information was sources.
related to finances.
Russians appeared to think "they had the Still, when has anonymous sourcing of unverifiable claims
ability to influence the administration held the liberal media back from penning another
through the derogatory information," the Democrat narrative-confirming article to spoon-feed to the
source said. echo-chamber?

However, not only is The White House slamming the

suggestions...

"This is yet another round of false and

unverified claims made by anonymous
sources to smear the President," a White
House spokesman told CNN.

492
 DNC Lawsuit Exposes Corruption,
Data Breaches, Raises Questions About
Death Of Shawn Lucas
Elizabeth Vos
May 30, 2017

“There’s no right to not have your

candidate disadvantaged or have another
candidate advantaged. There’s no
contractual obligation here,” Spiva
further stated that the party had the right to
select its candidate in any way it chooses
and was “not bound by pledges of
fairness.”

Spiva’s defense has proved controversial, as it effectively

admits the DNC primary process was rigged, but argues
that this was not illegal. Jared Beck told US Uncut that he
In June of last year, attorneys Jared Beck and Elizabeth believed their suit would prove successful based on Article
Beck of law firm Beck and Lee filed a class action law suit 5, Section 4 of the DNC charter which explicitly requires
against the DNC and former chairwomen Debbie the chair of the DNC to remain impartial during the
Wasserman Schultz. The suit claims that the DNC acted primary.
against its charter when it showed demonstrable favoritism
towards Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, and The New York Times reported that the DNC leaks that
failed to secure the data of DNC donors. The suit could formed the impetus for the DNC lawsuit had suggested the
have massive significance for the Democratic Party and DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, and
could have an even wider impact if the origin of the DNC other officials “favored Hillary Clinton over Mr. Sanders.”
leaks are disclosed in the proceedings. The DNC leaks have also raised serious questions
regarding DNC funding methods.
Attorney Elizabeth Beck described the lawsuit to US
Uncut:

“We think that the DNC has been running

absolutely out of control and completely
disregarding their responsibilities, rights,
and duties to the public.”

The DNC lawsuit has so far received very little press

coverage, despite revealing blatant corruption in the Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a defendant in the DNC lawsuit.
Democratic establishment. The death of Shawn Lucas, a (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
process server who would have been a federal witness for
the Becks, added further fuel to speculations of corruption Disobedient Media spoke with Jared Beck, who said that
surrounding the case. Jared Beck has also stated that Seth the initial momentum for the case stemmed from the
Rich would have been a potential witness in their case. rigging of the primary, but added:

The lawsuit has so far revealed an absolutely unabashed “There’s another aspect to this case that
level of corruption in the Democratic Party establishment. deals with why information leaked into the
Attorney Bruce Spiva stunningly argued in defense of the public domain, and that’s also part of this
DNC during the latest April 25th hearing on the case: very intense mystery… that a lot of us are
very concerned about right now.”

493
Beck told Disobedient Media that in addition to the claims Adding further questions surrounding the lawsuit was the
based on donations made to the Bernie Sanders campaign, unexpected death of Shawn Lucas, who was filmed serving
and to the DNC, he also believed that there is a claim defendants in the suit last July. Police reports describe how
based on the DNC’s negligent failure to secure the data of Luca’s girlfriend found him unconcious on the bathroom
its donors. This may be an important claim in terms of floor in early August. Paramedics were unable to revive
establishing why that data was released into the public him. The Becks have indicated Shawn Lucas was to be a
(due to DNC negligence, in Beck’s view). Beck stated that Federal witness in the proceedings.
he thought his team might be able to get discovery on this
issue and specifically how it came to be that the data was
released. Beck said that he believed the topic to currently
be a very important issue right now given public interest
about who leaked the DNC documents.

Beck also discussed how the DNC lawsuit’s claims

regarding DNC negligence with donor data may be
especially important as it relates to the unsolved murder of
Seth Rich. Rich was a staffer for the DNC who died in an
unsolved murder last July. In August last year Fox News
reported that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had
strongly hinted that Seth Rich was the source for the DNC
leaks. The Washington Post also reported that Wikileaks
Jared Beck told Disobedient Media that Lucas would have
had offered a reward for information leading to a
served as a witness in order to rebut the defendant’s
conviction in Seth Rich’s murder. Jared Beck
contention that process was incorrectly served. This would
has stated via twitter that Seth Rich would have been a
have included a sworn declaration from Lucas; Beck
potential witness in the DNC lawsuit.
stated that footage of Lucas serving process had
been introduced as evidence in the case in his stead, due to
the unexpected death.

The Becks have provided Disobedient Media with copies

If the Becks successfully gain the right to discovery on the
of their communications with Washington D.C. police that
origin of the DNC documents, the mystery regarding include discussion regarding the body cameras worn by
whether Seth Rich leaked the information might police as well as Shawn Lucas’ death report. Lucas’ cause
potentially be resolved. If Rich did indeed leak the DNC of death was described by the Office of Chief Medical
emails to Wikileaks, the ‘Russian hacking’ narrative would Examiner of Washington D.C as “Combined adverse
be utterly negated. effects of fentanyl, cyclobenzaprine, and mitragynine,”
with the manner of death listed as “accident.” Fentanyl is a
The Becks based their lawsuit on Guccifer2.0’s release of strong opioid pain medication, sometimes used as part of
the information, which occurred in June last year, before anaesthesia. Cyclobenzaprine is a muscle relaxant, while
Wikileaks had announced they would be releasing DNC mitradynine is a substance found in Kratom.
documents. Guccifer2.0’s role in the DNC leaks was
discussed in a previous report by Disobedient Media.
As the case continues to be a developing story,
There has been speculation that Guccifer2.0’s early release Disobedient Media will provide further coverage of the
of the information was intended to smear Wikileaks and DNC lawsuit should new facts emerge.
potentially Seth Rich as the leaker, by intentionally
fabricating evidence of ‘Russian hacking’ in the earliest
available version of the data.
.

494
 Trump's White House
Communications Director Has Resigned
By Tyler Durden
May 30, 2017 7:35 AM

Two days after Trump returned from his first international also adds that Trump is considering much broader changes,
trip, and confirming media reports of an imminent shale up including the possibility of bringing in David Urban, a
within the White House communication team (and away prominent GOP lobbyist who was a senior adviser on the
from it) moments ago NBC and ABC reported that campaign, as chief of staff.
Trump's communications director, Mike Dubke has
resigned and is leaving the White House. Friends say Urban, 53, who's credited with helping Trump
win his crucial upset in Pennsylvania, brings seasoned
political judgment and no personal agenda. He's a West
Point graduate, has a master's in government
administration from Penn, and a law degree from Temple.
Urban was on Trump's plane and in his green rooms during
frequent campaign stops in the Keystone State, and the two
became cellphone buddies.

Trump met yesterday with two top officials from his

campaign, Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, about
Dubke, 47, had been tasked with helping to shape the
joining the crisis-communications war room he's setting
president's message, a process that Trump became
up, perhaps as part of an outside-inside duet.
increasingly frustrated with in recent weeks. According to
Axios which first reported Dubke's departure, the veteran
Republican served for just three months before tendering And a list of the likely changes to take place at the White
his resignation May 18. He offered to stay through the House over the coming days:
overseas trip, and Trump accepted. He has been trying to
help restructure the press and communications operation,  Sean Spicer will stay as press secretary, but will do
and is parting on good terms, a senior administration fewer on-camera briefings (although he's on-camera
official said, which probably suggests he is not suspected today at 2 p.m.)
of leaking Trump confidential information.  More briefings will be on-record but off-camera.
 Trump is likely to travel more — at least once a
Dubke is still coming into work, and his last day has not week, some top officials hope.
yet been set. Previously, he had helped found Crossroads  Trump may take a few questions from the press
Media, a Republican media services firm. when he's on the road, and will take more questions
when he's appearing at photo ops with foreign leaders.
Dubke's resignation may serve as an opportunity to revamp  An official explained why Trump will do more of the
Trump's communications team, which has frequently come talking for the White House: "He says things exactly the
under criticism during the early months of the president's way he wants them to be said."
term.  Translation: When he says it, he can't second-guess
his staff.
The high profile departure is the start of a wave of changes
as the West Wing struggles to cope with burgeoning
scandals and a stalled agenda, according to Axios which
.

495
 New Evidence Suggests Seth Rich Was DNC Leaker
Rich Had Access To Leaked DNC Emails - Part 1 Of In-Depth,
Investigative Report Into Rich's Murder
Jerome Corsi | Infowars.Com
May 30, 2017

“But clearly it wasn’t sufficient to keep a

determined hacker out. In a campaign
everything is always rushed, a crisis, so
until after there was a data breach, nobody
prioritized data security. I never spent
much of my time thinking about it.”

Starting in 2015, the DNC and the Clinton campaign

experienced a series of computer hacks that appear to have
originated from more than one attacker.

This article is Part 1 in a series of three articles In addition, Seth Rich’s breach of data security was a leak,
investigating the Seth Rich murder. Hillary’s campaign not an attack, in that Seth Rich reportedly stole emails off
was lax on cybersecurity, inviting cyberattacks, hacks and a DNC computer, whereas hackers were external agents
leaks. By conspiring with the DNC to make sure Sanders attacking the DNC computer from the outside.
did not have a chance of winning, Hillary invited backlash
from Sanders-supporters within the DNC. This series of
articles explores the evidence that Seth Rich, a young,
progressive operative hired to an IT position by the DNC,
leaked to WikiLeaks thousands of John Podesta’s emails.

The breakthrough in this series of articles is the attempt to

apply intelligence analytical techniques to sort out the
various known cybersecurity attacks on the Democrats
during the 2016 presidential campaign to determine the
rogue agent responsible for each separate known
cybersecurity attack.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The investigation of the Seth Sanders hires the “Garbage Man”
Rich murder begins with understanding the complex
network of progressive data managers that were In August 2015, Bernie Sanders’ campaign hired Zack
involved in the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential Exley, a George Soros-sponsored labor-union organizer
campaign. and computer hacker to run his nationwide ground game.

“There was a culture of really bad security, Exley was dubbed by George W. Bush as “the garbage
weak security, among progressive data man” after hacking Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign
practitioners in the 2016 Democratic website, tracing back to a “political satire” campaign
presidential campaign,” a trusted source website Exley had created in 1999, georgewbush.com, on
from within the Sanders campaign told which Exley had posted a hacked photograph of Bush,
Infowars.com on deep background, under a with a straw up his nose, inhaling white lines in an obvious
promise of anonymity. parody designed to suggest Bush had a history of cocaine
“There was some security at the DNC use.
(Democratic National Committee) such that
you had to have passwords and credentials Bush charged the mock website was produced by a
to access certain data files,” he explained. “garbage man,” when he filed a Federal Election
496
Commission complaint, threatening to sue Exley for using In May 2009, the State Department employed Pagliano as
photographs hacked from Bush’s official campaign a special adviser.
website.
The record shows Pagliano lied to the State Department to
After serving as the director of online communications and hide continued payments from the Clintons to maintain the
online organizing for the unsuccessful 2004 presidential Chappaqua e-mail server.
campaign of Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards, Exley in
2015 co-founded the New Organizing Institute, NOI, as a Even after he became a State Department employee, the
think tank to produce computer-savvy field operatives for Clintons continued paying Pagliano privately to maintain
left-oriented Democratic Party political campaigns. the server for Hillary Clinton.

Serving with Exley on the advisory board of NOI was Pagliano, however, neglected to list the outside income in
Nathaniel G. Pearlman, another leftist political operative. the required financial disclosures he filed with the State
Department each year until concluding his full-time
In 1997, Pearlman founded NGP Software Inc., a employment in February 2013, coincident with Hillary
computer-oriented company organized to provide political Clinton’s departure as secretary of state.
software identifying Democratic voters.
Enter NGP VAN
Pearlman also served as the chief technology officer for
Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign. In 2010, NGP (National Geographical and Political
Software, supposedly not an acronym based on Pearlman’s
Clinton hired Pearlman and his then-fledgling NGP initials), the voter data company created in 1997 by
Software in her first 1999 Senate election campaign to Pearlman in Washington, D.C., acquired with the Voice
clean up campaign data on donors that had contributed Activation Network, VAN, created by Mark Sullivan in
some $30 million. 2001, to form NGP VAN.

As chief technology officer for Clinton’s 2008 presidential According to the NGP VAN website, NGP VAN is the
campaign, Pearlman supervised the campaign’s Internet architect of the DNC “Vote Builder” database that
technology director, Bryan Pagliano. developed originally for the Obama presidential campaign

As I first reported for WND in March 2016, Pagliano’s NGP, still today headquartered in Washington, D.C.,
résumé on Linkedin.com notes he worked for Clinton from operates exclusively to manager donor contributions.
2006-2009.
VAN, headquartered today in Somerville, Massachusetts,
In 2008, he operates to manage voter databases.

“headed the design and build of the More specifically, voter records are seeded into VAN from
campaign headquarters’ data center and various sources, Catalyst, a progressive voter database
orchestrated the continuous movement of company that maintains data on virtually every adult in the
technical equipment and staff among United States, from the Democratic National Party, and
nationwide field officers in response to from each campaign using the VAN system.
ever-changing organizational needs.”
It is important to understand the NGP VAN system during
When Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign disbanded, the 2016 presidential campaign was installed in the DNC.
Pagliano moved to working for her political action
committee. So, even though the Clinton and Sanders campaign each
had their own databases for donors and for prospective
In March 2009, Bryan Pagliano installed Hillary’s private voters, both campaigns had to access the DNC to use the
email server in the basement of the Clintons’ Chappaqua, NGP VAN system to manage their donor and voter
NY home; Bill and Hillary Clinton personally paid databases.
Pagliano $5,000 for “computer services” prior to his
becoming a State Department employee, according to a In December 2015, software technology expert Will
financial disclosure form Pagliano filed in April 2009. Conway explained the DNC’s relationship to the NPG-
VAN technology as follows:
The payment evidently was for establishing a private
server for the Clintons in their home in Chappaqua, New NGP VAN has a contract with the
York. Democratic National Committee in which
497
 their customers’ data is owned and within Hillary’s campaign) realized the DNC under Debbie
retained by the DNC. In exchange, the Wasserman Schultz was implementing a plan developed in
DNC provides data to NGP VAN conjunction with Clinton campaign top operatives to steal
customers  —  those using NGP VAN get the Democratic Party nomination from Sanders by rigging
the data of every previous NGP VAN user the primary contests and subsequent delegate count in
and the DNC, which basically covers every Clinton’s favor.
Democrat to run for office in modern
history.

Conway noted there is also the following problem:

… campaigns don’t actually own the

relationships they build in the software. The
Democratic National Committee does. The
deal struck with the DNC ensures an
incredible competitive advantage for NGP
VAN: use our software, or be cut off from
all Democrats’ data. Moreover, if you break
our rules, we’ll kick you off the platform and
cut you off from your own data. DNC hires Seth Rich

Also note, the private email server Pagliano established for In March 2012, Rich came to Washington from his
Clinton at the State Department involved email technology hometown Omaha, Nebraska, to work as a Research Data
that was separate and distinct from the NGP VAN Associate for the Greenberg Quinlan, Rosner, a
technology that both the Clinton and Sanders campaigns Democratic Party political operative organization that
used to manage their donor and voter databases. posed as an opinion research and public relations firm.

Ultimately, though the course of the 2016 campaign, The background for Rich’s hire involved a meeting
Hillary’s personal email server was hacked, the NGP VAN arranged by Democratic Party operative Amy Dacey
system was hacked, the DNC was hacked, the Sanders (subsequently CEO of the DNC from January 2014 until
campaign was hacked, and the Clinton campaign was August 2016), attended by John Podesta and Progressive
hacked. Insurance billionaire Peter Lewis, on Sept. 27, 2007, in
New York City at the Fifth Avenue offices of the Soros
Seth Rich was reportedly a leaker, not a hacker, and his Fund Management, followed by dinner at the Fifth Avenue
sole offense was to steal and leak documents out of the home of George Soros.
Clinton campaign.
The purpose of the meeting was to develop a new voter
As we shall see in the second article in this series, mobilization contact methodology for the DNC – a
identifying and distinguishing each hacking incident that purpose which ultimately became Seth Rich’s job at the
plagued the Democrats during the 2016 presidential DNC when he was hired there in June 2014 as the DNC’s
campaign is critical in unraveling the mystery of Seth Voter Expansion Data Director, where his job was to adapt
Rich’s murder. the “Voter Builder” component of VAN such that a
prospective voter could print out a map of their nearest
polling location.
The Democrats could have avoided all the hacking
problems in 2016 had the progressives managing
Democratic data been more diligent about cybersecurity While reporting for WND, I investigated Greenberg,
issues. Quinlan, Rosner in 2010.

But the Democrats could not prevent leaks from Here is what I found:
employees from within the DNC and the Clinton campaign
who became disaffected with Hillary Clinton. 1. Emanuel lived for five years rent-free in an apartment
owned by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and her
The leaks that plagued the DNC and Hillary’s campaign husband, Stanley Greenberg, whose consulting firm
stemmed from internal conflicts of interest. was a prime architect in BP’s efforts to recast itself as a
“green” corporation and recipient of hundreds of
thousands of dollars awarded through a committee
These conflicts developed when the Sanders campaign
chaired by Emanuel.
(and Sanders loyalists working in the DNC and even

498
 2. 
The Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR) consulting the Democrat could brand the GOP opponent exactly as
“helped BP plan and evaluate its successful re- McAuliffe cast Cuccinelli during the Virginia 2013
branding campaign, focusing the company’s branding gubernatorial contest – a prediction that turned out right as
on energy solutions, including the development of solar McAuliffe won the votes of unmarried women by 67
and other renewable energy sources,” according to a percent to 25 percent for Cuccinelli, while Cuccinelli beat
webpage that has since been removed from the GQR McAuliffe among married women by a much narrower
website. margin, 51 percent to 42 percent.
3. Greenberg Quinlan Rosner’s research also contributed
to a $200 million advertising campaign in which British Brian Pagliano and Seth Rich: A case study in loyalty
Petroleum attempted to shorten its name to “BP” and
redesign its corporate insignia to emphasize a “Beyond Seth Rich shared much with Brian Pagliano – with both
Petroleum” theme. majoring in political science in college, neither were IT
4. Critics have characterized the BP advertising campaign specialists – with Seth Rich graduating with a B.A. in
prompted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner research as political science from Creighton University in Omaha,
“greenwashing,” a process in which corporations Nebraska, in 2011.
disingenuously portray their efforts as fitting into a
politically correct, “green,” environment-oriented
Like Pagliano, Rich was committed to progressive
sensitivity to alternative energy.
Democratic Party politics, as evidenced by Pagliano
5. Greenberg Quinlan Rosner is also tied heavily to the
joining Pearlman, the father of NGP VAN software used
Democratic Party, as it created a sister political
exclusively in Democratic Party election campaigns, and
consulting company named “GCS,” an acronym based
by Seth Rich coming to Washington to work for GQR, an
on the last names of the principals – Stanley
opinions research and public relations firm that works
Greenberg of GQR, James Carville, the long-term
exclusively for Democrats, when it comes to election
adviser of Bill Clinton, and Bob Schrum, the campaign
manager for Sen. John Kerry’s unsuccessful 2004 campaigns.
presidential campaign.
But while Pagliano was firmly committed to Hillary
Emanuel served as chairman of the Democratic Clinton, Seth Rich joined the DNC, an organization he
Congressional Campaign Committee, which gave may have presumed (or wanted to make sure) would be
Greenberg polling contracts worth $239,996 in 2006 and equally fair to all Democratic Party presidential
$317,775 in 2008. candidates, treating Bernie Sanders as fairly as Hillary
Clinton, despite Hillary being the party’s presumed
nominee from the moment the 2016 presidential campaign
In 2011, GQR was hired by Kenyan Prime Minister Raila began.
Odinga, a self-proclaimed communist who had
accompanied then Sen. Barack and Michelle Obama in
their 2006 tour of Kenya, setting the stage for Obama’s Perhaps the most important point of comparison is that
2008 presidential run. both Brian Pagliano and Seth Rich were implicated in
breaches of email systems – for Pagliano, emails on
Hillary’s private email server were hacked by the first
Odinga hired GQR to assist him in a planned second Guccifer, the Romanian hacker currently in U.S. prison;
attempt to win the presidency in Kenya, after Obama had for Rich, emails of Podesta and several other key members
assisted him become Kenyan prime minister in a complex of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign were
power-sharing agreement Obama negotiated in 2008, after leaked, ultimately to be published on WikiLeaks.
Odinga disputed the results of a presidential election he
narrowly lost.
Neither Pagliano nor Rich were involved in the hacking of
Hillary Clinton voter data that demanded a breach of the
In 2013, while Rich was working for GQR, the firm’s VAN system – Pagliano never had access to the NGP
research was central to creating a strategy that Democratic VAN computer system, and Rich worked only indirectly
candidate Terry McAuliffe implemented to beat GOP with VAN, given that his job at the DNC was not IT
gubernatorial challenger Ken Cuccinelli. manager, but a subordinate responsible to develop a way
the Vote Builder system could print out poling locations
McAuliffe championed “women’s rights” issues to appeal for prospective Democratic voters.
to unmarried women voters by running a series of
controversial television ads designed to frame Cuccinelli The point is this: In 2016, Hillary Clinton’s cybersecurity
as a right-wing zealot on contraception and abortion issues. was so notoriously lax that many hackers – both known
and not yet disclosed – freely hacked Hillary Clinton’s
GQR’s research showing a Democrat running for election private email server, the DNC email server, as well as the
could beat a generic Republican candidate by winning campaign files and voter databases of the DNC and its
two-thirds of the votes cast by unmarried women, provided various operations during the campaign.
499
 The first sub-point is this: Hillary Seth Rich remained loyal to his progressive ideals, finding
Clinton and the DNC left themselves himself at growing odds with Clinton as it became clear to
open to leaks from within once Debbie him the DNC had rigged the primaries so Bernie Sanders
Wasserman-Schultz and Donna Bazile at would lose.
the DNC decided to throw the primary
elections for Hillary – all email leaks in Editor’s Note: Imran Awan, Debbie
2016 involved Hillary Clinton, not Bernie Wasserman Schultz’s IT staffer who is
Sanders. under investigation for data breaches,
The second sub-point is this: No had easy access to internal DNC emails.
information of any importance was ever Schultz was caught on tape threatening
hacked or leaked out of the Bernie the Chief of Capitol Police to return one
Sanders campaign – certainly no emails, of Awan’s laptops secured as evidence.
no campaign files, and no voter data. Awan recently fled to Pakistan. If he had
easy access, Rich would’ve as well, and
As we shall see in the second article in this series, the only Rich, a progressive idealist, had more
way to distinguish who was hacking into Hillary’s emails, motive to leak DNC emails, as the article
Hillary’s campaign files, and Hillary’s voter databases, or above reveals.
who was leaking from within Hillary’s campaign and/or
from within the DNC can only be distinguished by the
content of what they stole and made public, plus what we
can conclude from what we know of the various
methodologies the hackers/leakers utilized to get their
hands on the goods.

Pagliano remained loyal to Hillary, refusing to provide

evidence against her, even after he was granted immunity
by the FBI.

500
 Seth Rich Mystery: DNC Leaks
Came From Inside, Not Russian Hackers
Evidence Reveals Emails Leaks An Inside Job Not Due To Hacking
Jerome Corsi | Infowars.Com
May 30, 2017

To sort this out, we begin with the first hack attack on

Clinton emails, the hack that began with Guccifer in
March 2013.

March 2013: Guccifer, the first hacker

In March 2013, a Romanian hacker Marcel Lazar, who

went by the username “Guccifer,” a combination of
“Gucci” and “Lucifer,” shocked the world by the
revelation Hillary Clinton had utilized a private email
server while secretary of state.
This article is Part 2 in a series of three articles
investigating the Seth Rich murder. Read Part 1 HERE. On March 15, 2013, the Smoking Gun broke the story,
disclosing that Guccifer had spent the past several months
Part 1 developed the following: Hillary’s campaign, lax on “breaking into the e-mail accounts of family, friends, and
cybersecurity and working with the DNC to make sure political allies of the Bush family,” only to “cross party
Sanders did not have a chance of winning, invited multiple lines” and illegally access the AOL account of a former
attacks from both hackers on the outside and from leakers senior White House advisor to former President Bill
on the inside. Clinton, then 64-year-old Sidney Blumenthal, a longtime
confident of Hillary Clinton.
Part 2 makes clear the multiple hacks and multiple leaks
that plagued Hillary’s 2016 presidential campaign came Guccifer entertained himself by reading the cache of
from multiple sources. Blumenthal emails that went back to 2005, with emails
sent to “an array of Washington insiders, including
political operatives, journalists, and government officials.”
The breakthrough in this series of articles is the attempt to
apply intelligence analytical techniques to sort out the
various known cybersecurity attacks on the Democrats
during the 2016 presidential campaign to determine the
rogue agent responsible for each separate known
cybersecurity attack.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Hillary’s 2016

presidential campaign was hit by so
many hack attacks and so many leaks,
the CSI problem is almost impossible to
decipher.

By election day, Hillary Clinton’s electronic campaign

began to resemble a corpse killed by multiple gunshot When he realized some of the emails between Blumenthal
wounds. and Hillary involved an email address Hillary used,
[email protected] — causing Guccifer a “WOW”
The pattern of wounds upon wounds evident in the corpse moment when he realized the initials matched Clinton’s
were so combined and so confused, it is today hard to tell – maiden name, Hillary Diane Rodham – and the email
if not impossible – how precisely many shooters there address “clintonemail.com” revealed the use of a private,
were or who fired the fatal round. unsecured email server.
501
During an interview given in Romania in 2015, Guccifer Guccifer was arrested in Romania on Jan. 22, 2014, and
then in prison commented to a reporter that he accessed in convicted to four years in prison, where he remained until
Hillary’s hacked emails memos that Clinton got as he was extradited to the United States in March 2016 to
secretary of state, with CIA briefings attached. face U.S. federal criminal charges.

“I used to read her memos for six or seven On Sept. 1, 2016, a U.S. district judge in Alexandria,
hours then I’d get up and do the gardening Virginia, sentenced Guccifer to four years in federal
in the yard,” Guccifer said. prison, after he pleaded guilty to one count each of
aggravated identity theft and unauthorized access to a
Guccifer never published a trove of Clinton emails, protected computer.
tending to be more malicious than politically motivated, as
demonstrated in March 2013, when he hacked Colin What this timeline makes clear is that
Powell’s AOL email account and defaced Powell’s the Podesta emails dating through May
Facebook page with an anti-Bush diatribe. 25, 2015, published by WikiLeaks
starting in October 2016, could not
In June 2013, after Clinton had left office as secretary of possibly have resulted from Guccifer’s
state, the private server was moved from the Clintons’ 2013 hacking efforts, if only because
Chappaqua home to a data center in northern New Jersey, Guccifer/Marcel Lazar has been in
where it was maintained by Platte River Networks in prison non-stop since he was arrested
Denver; in early 2014, Platte River Network staff uploads in Romania in January 2014.
Hillary’s emails to a Gmail account and then transfers
them over to a Platte River Network server. It should also be clear that the source of the Podesta emails
published by WikiLeaks in October 2016 could not have
That Hillary had used a private server at the State resulted from someone hacking the Pagliano server.
Department was largely ignored until the New York Times
ran a front page article on March 2, 2015, reporting that The Pagliano server remained unplugged in storage in
Clinton had turned over 55,000 pages of emails from her New Jersey from June 2013 until the FBI seized it in
personal server to comply with federal record-keeping August 2015.
practices as required by the Federal Records Act.
In late-March 2015, the Platte River Network servers were
In the period March 25-31, 2015, Platte River Staff scrubbed of all Hillary emails making it impossible for
member Paul Combetta realized he forgot to wipe Podesta emails dated in May 2015 to have been hacked
Hillary’s email archive from the Platte River Network from that source.
server, as he had been advised to do by Hillary aide
Monica Hanley the previous December. The “Russian Hack” and Guccifer 2.0

Now desperate, Combetta decided to use BleachBit On June 14, 2016, the Washington Post reported Russian
software to wipe Hillary’s emails from the Platte River government hackers had penetrated the DNC computer
Network server, despite a subpoena Hillary received from network, gaining access to the entire database of
the House Select Committee on Benghazi on March 4, opposition research on GOP candidates – an article that
2015, instructing Clinton to preserve and deliver all emails cited unnamed “U.S. officials” who claimed the intrusion
from her personal servers. into the DNC was one of several targeting “American
political organizations,” including the computer networks
The thousands of Hillary Clinton’s State Department of the Clinton and the Trump campaign “targeted by
emails that have been made public have resulted not from Russian spies,” as well as computers of various GOP
Guccifer’s hacking efforts in 2013, or from the private PACs.
email server Pagliano set up for Clinton in Chappaqua, or
from the Platte River Network server) to which Hillary’s
State Department-era emails were transferred.

All Hillary Clinton emails from her term as Secretary of

State that are public today have come either from Judicial
Watch FOIA requests, or from various subpoenas Clinton
was issued in Congressional investigations.

The Clinton emails that have been made public were

archived as they were being released on the Judicial Watch
website and on the U.S. Department of State website.
502
 “I completely rule out a possibility that really believe it? Here are just a few docs
the(Russian) government or the from the many thousands I extracted when
government bodies have been involved in hacking into the DNC’s networks.”
this,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin
spokesman told Reuters in Moscow, on the On June 15, 2016, Guccifer 2.0 published on WordPress
same date. an opposition research report the DNC wrote on Donald
Trump, marked “Confidential,” and dated Dec. 19, 2015;
The next day, June 15, 2016, cybersecurity firm several pages of donor lists, suggesting Guccifer 2.0 may
CrowdStrike, Inc. posted a notice on its website that two have breached the NGP database; but no emails.
separate Russian intelligence-affiliated adversaries began
hacking DNC computers in May 2016. Guccifer 2.0 claimed he sent the main part of the hacked
documents, “thousands of files and mails,” to WikiLeaks,
The CrowdStrike posting noted that on June 15, 2016, a bragging that WikiLeaks “will publish them soon.”
blog post to a WordPress site “authored by an individual
using the moniker Guccifer 2.0” claimed credit for From June 15, 2015, through Oct. 18, 2016, Guccifer 2.0
breaching the DNC. published a series of documents, making it clear he had
extensive access to DNC internal memorandums and donor
“Whether or not this posting is part of a lists.
Russian Intelligence disinformation
campaign, we are exploring the documents’ But what was missing in the Guccifer
authenticity and origin,” CrowdStrike 2.0 publication of DNC hacked
commented. documents were emails, suggesting
“Regardless, these claims do nothing to Guccifer 2.0 had not penetrated the DNC
lessen our findings relating to the Russian email server, or the private email
government’s involvement, portions of archives of John Podesta and other
which we have documented for the public Clinton campaign officials.
and the greater security community,”
CrowdStrike concluded. Also absent from the Guccifer 2.0 publications of DNC
hacked documents were any documents prepared by the
In the June 15, 2016 posting on WordPress, Guccifer 2.0 Clinton campaign.
revealed he had advance warning of the CrowdStrike
conclusions ready to be posted the next day. The Guccifer 2.0 controversy flared again when the Wall
Street Journal published on May 25, 2017, published an
“Worldwide known cyber security company article claiming Guccifer 2.0 had sent Aaron Nevins, a
CrowdStrike announced that the GOP Republican consultant in Florida, 2.5 gigabytes of
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (housed
servers had been hacked by ‘sophisticated’ in the same building with the DNC) documents, some of
hacker groups,” Guccifer 2.0 wrote under which Nevins published on a blog HelloFLA.com that
the heading “DNC’s Servers Hacked by Nevins ran using a pseudonym.
Lone Hacker.”
Nevins told the Wall Street Journal he set up a Dropbox
Guccifer 2.0 bragged that hacking the DNC’s servers was account
“easy, very easy.”
“so whoever was using the Guccifer 2.0
“Guccifer (Marcel Lazar) may have been name could send large amounts of
the first one who penetrated Hillary material.”
Clinton’s and other Democrats’ mail
servers,” Guccifer 2.0 noted. “But he This episode confirms that Guccifer 2.0 had hacked only
certainly wasn’t the last. No wonder any the DNC computers, the donor data in the VAN computer
other hacker could easily get access to the servers in Massachusetts, and the data in the NPG
DNC’s servers.” computer servers in Washington.

Then Guccifer 2.0 bragged: Guccifer 2.0 confirms this in a post to his WordPress site
posted on Jan. 12, 2017, in which Guccifer 2.0 wrote the
“Shame on CrowdStrike: Do you think I’ve following:
been in the DNC’s networks for almost a
year and saved only 2 documents? Do you

503
 “I already explained at The Future of Cyber and “Fancy Bear” can be reliably be attributed to Russian
Security Europe conference that took place intelligence operatives.
in London in last September, I had used a
different way to breach into the DNC On March 7, 2017, WikiLeaks released 8,761 documents
network. I found a vulnerability in the NGP on the CIA’s “global covert hacking program” that
VAN software installed in the DNC system.” included documents from a project called “Umbrage”
proving the CIA could launch “false flag” cyberattacks and
Note also that Guccifer 2.0 is a different person than the make them look as if they originated from other countries,
first Guccifer, Marcel Lazar, whose hacking capabilities such as Russia.
have been severely limited during his continuing
imprisonment that began with his arrest in Romania in “The CIA’s Remote Devices Branch’s
January 2014. UMBRAGE group collects and maintains a
substantial library of attack techniques
Give that the WikiLeaks publication of hacked documents ‘stolen’ from malware produced in other
that began in October 2016 – the hacked document dump states including the Russian Federation,”
the Clinton campaign, the FBI, and the U.S. intelligence WikiLeaks noted.
agencies want to blame on Russia – consists almost
“When UMBRAGE and related projects the
entirely of emails from Podesta and others related to the
CIA cannot only increase its total number
Clinton campaign and/or the Clinton Foundation, it is
of attack types but also misdirect attribution
extremely unlikely Guccifer 2.0 was the source, regardless
by leaving behind the ‘fingerprints’ of the
how many assertions U.S. intelligence makes that Guccifer
groups that the attack techniques were
2.0 was a Russian agent – something Guccifer 2.0 stolen from,” WikiLeaks continued.
continues to deny.
In December 2016, after Clinton had lost the election, John
Podesta said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the first time
he was contacted by the FBI was two days after Oct. 7,
2016, the date WikiLeaks started dropping his emails.

If the FBI had no reason to believe the

then-known hacks of Clinton’s private
email server and the DNC had also
breached Podesta’s email files until
after WikiLeaks began publishing
Podesta’s emails, this strongly
suggests the person who leaked
Podesta’s emails was not Guccifer,
U.S. intelligence blames WikiLeaks on Russians Guccifer 2.0, “Cozy Bear,” or “Fancy
Bear,” but a separate and distinct
The CrowdStrike post dated June 15, 2016, explained their incident, likely carried off by someone
experts had identified the “sophisticated adversaries” not previously identified.
attacking the DNC computers as “Cozy Bear” and “Fancy
Bear” – both identified by CrowdStrike as “Russian- Yet, to date, the U.S. intelligence agencies have insisted on
based.” lumping together all hacks of the Democrats during the
2016 presidential, blaming the Russians for every hacking
On Jan. 6, 2017, the office of the Director of National incident, regardless of the content released by the hack or
Intelligence released a report entitled, “Background to the target data source known to have been hacked.
‘Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent
U.S. Elections’: The Analytic Process and Cyber Incident What seems likely is the FBI had no idea Podesta emails
Attribution.” had been hacked (or leaked) until WikiLeaks started
publishing them.
This report concluded “with high confidence” that Russian
military intelligence “used the Guccifer 2.0 persona” to Yet, despite this intelligence failure, U.S. intelligence
release the Podesta files to WikiLeaks, but the report also agencies took their fallback position, concluding the
admitted the identification of the origin of a cybersecurity Russians must have hacked Podesta’s emails too.
attack was “difficult” based only on “tradecraft” that relies
on circumstantial evidence at best, presuming a hacker On Dec. 30, 2016, after the presidential election was over,
leaves a signature, such that cyberattacks like “Cozy Bear” then-President Obama took a step to implant the “Russian

504
interference” meme into the U.S. mainstream media, by But there is well-documented proof the Russians had been
expelling 35 Russians from the United States and ordered paying Hillary Clinton through the Clinton Foundation for
sweeping new sanctions as retaliation, stressing that U.S. her decision as secretary of state to support the Frank
intelligence services believe Russia had ordered Giustra ploy that resulted in Russia getting control of 20
cyberattacks on the DNC. percent of the uranium in the United States, while Russia
was using a shell company in the Netherlands to pay
Interestingly, there was an earlier expulsion of Russian Podesta in stock for supporting the “technology transfer”
diplomats during the 2016 presidential convention. to Russia the Obama administration had authorized under
Secretary Clinton’s “reset” initiative.
On July 8, 2016, the Obama administration expelled two
Russian diplomats from the United States supposedly in How would Russia know in advance that hacking Hillary,
retaliation for a Russian police guard who had tackled a Podesta, and the DNC would turn up sufficiently damaging
U.S. diplomat outside the American Embassy in Moscow documentary evidence to throw the election for Trump?
in a scuffle that was captured on security footage and
broadcast on Russian television. Why would Putin want Trump to be
president, when the Russians had
Anonymous, in a video released May 24, 2015, provides invested millions during the Obama
an alternative explanation why these two diplomats were administration to establish their
expelled. blackmail potential to control the
actions of both Clinton and Podesta,
starting the minute Hillary took the oath
Anonymous claimed Mikhail Fradkov, the head of
of office as president of the United
Russia’s SVR intelligence agency from Oct. 6, 2006 to
States?
Oct. 5, 2016, authorized an emergency contact with the
U.S. State Department on July 7, 2016, to reveal the details Despite all the U.S. intelligence and
of Seth Rich’s breach of Podesta’s emails and the Democratic Party hoopla, the fact
subsequent danger to his life, only to find themselves remains there is no irrefutable proof the
expelled immediately. Russians hacked Hillary Clinton or the
DNC during the 2016 presidential
Fox News host Sean Hannity got suspended over the campaign, nor is there any proof the
Memorial Day holiday following a series of broadcasts Russians accessed John Podesta’s
beginning March 12, 2017, in which Hannity appeared to email account.
be advancing what is being termed the “WikiLeaks’
conspiracy theory.” So far, the “Russian Collusion” meme implicating Trump
in a supposed Russian hacking scheme is nothing more
This theory suggests U.S. intelligence agencies hacked than a lame Clinton excuse for losing.
Hillary’s email server, the DNC, the VGP-VAN database,
and Podesta’s emails, in a “false flag” that used tradecraft In the final analysis, if Hillary and the DNC had not
leaving cyberattack “fingerprints” that traced back to the conspired to steal the nomination from Sanders, and if
Russians. Podesta’s emails were not so filled with dark brooding and
scheming (often aimed at HRC herself), it would not have
On the broadcast March 12, 2017, two former U.S. mattered their documents were hacked, leaked, and
intelligence operatives, Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer and former published.
NSA official William Binney, told Hannity that retired
NSA intelligence officers were responsible for hacking the The dark, dirty truth is that Hillary Clinton could not
DNC. sustain the revelation to the American people of the truth
Podesta and the DNC spoke in private, almost every day,
“Sean, we did it [hack the DNC], not me, as they schemed to put Hillary in the White House.
but our guys—former members of NSA,
retired intelligence officers used these tools Hillary even today refuses to acknowledge the problems
to break in there and get the information that continue to dog her White House ambitions, ranging
out. That’s what the Democrats don’t want from Benghazi, to the Clinton Foundation, to her handling
to talk about because it doesn’t fit their of classified material transmitted over her private email
narrative,” Shaffer explained. server, to name just a few.

The U.S. Intelligence agencies have assumed the Russian

government hacked the Democrats because Vladimir Putin
wanted Donald Trump to win.

505
 Evidence Backs Claim
Pro-Bernie Seth Rich Was DNC Leaker
Wikileaks Emails An Inside Job To Get Back At Hillary,
Evidence Suggests
Jerome Corsi | Infowars.Com
May 30, 2017

of emails that WikiLeaks began

publishing on Oct. 7, 2016.

The first hurdle is to determine if Seth Rich had a motive

to harm Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. The
precipitating incident establishing Seth Rich’s motive
demands an investigation of the December 2015 incident
in which four IT specialists in Sanders’ campaign were
proven to have breached the DNC voter database to
transfer Clinton campaign proprietary voter data to their
Sanders’ campaign computers.
This article is Part 3 in a series of three articles
investigating the Seth Rich murder. Seth Rich: Motive

Part 1 developed the following: Hillary’s campaign, lax on On Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, NGP VAN, the software
cybersecurity and working with the DNC to make sure system operated by the DNC that provided donor data
Sanders did not have a chance of winning invited multiple (NGP based in Washington) and voter data (VAN based in
attacks from both hackers on the outside and from leakers Somerville, Massachusetts) released a software
on the inside. modification that contained a bug that dropped a firewall,
opening a window of approximately 40 minutes, during
which IT specialists in Bernie Sanders’ campaign were
Part 2 makes clear the multiple hacks and multiple leaks
allowed to view and copy voter data proprietary
that plagued Hillary’s 2016 presidential campaign came
from Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
from multiple sources.

A DNC email released by WikiLeaks made clear Amy

This Part 3 makes the case that Seth Rich was the likely
Dacey, Communications Director for the Clinton
source of both the WikiLeaks DNC emails published
Campaign, had concluded the data breach was serious.
starting on July 22, 2016, and of the “Podesta File” of
emails that WikiLeaks began publishing on Oct. 7, 2016.
“As a result of this analysis, NGP VAN
found that campaign staff on the Sanders
The breakthrough in this series of articles is the attempt to
campaign, including the campaign’s
apply intelligence analytical techniques to sort out the
national data director, had accessed
various known cybersecurity attacks on the Democrats
proprietary information about which voters
during the 2016 presidential campaign to determine the
were being targeted by the Clinton
rogue agent responsible for each separate known
campaign – and in so doing violated their
cybersecurity attack.
agreements with the DNC,” Dacey found.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The purpose of “These staffers [in the Sanders campaign]
this third and last article in the three- then saved this information in their
part series is to determine if Seth Rich personal folders on the system, and over
is a likely suspect for having leaked to the course of the next day, we learned that
WikiLeaks the DNC emails that at least one staffer appeared to have
WikiLeaks emails published starting on generated reports and exported them from
July 22, 2016, and of the “Podesta File” the system,” Dacey charged.

506
The New York Times in reporting on the data breach Because of this incident, there is evidence to suggest Seth
quoted an unnamed Clinton staffer who compared the data Rich, a Bernie supporter, felt Amy Dacey, his boss on the
breach to “the opposing general getting your battle plans,” voter mobilization campaign, used the incident to
in that the DNC through the VAN system provides all embarrass the Sanders campaign.
Democratic presidential campaigns with Democratic
voters’ names, phone numbers, and addresses, along with Bernie supporters HATED Hillary during the 2016
managing proprietary data each Democratic campaign campaign:
maintains in the VAN system protected by firewalls from
view by competing Democratic campaigns.

On Dec. 18, 2015, a Twitter user “Iowa Starting Line”

posted the log-book data from NPG VAN documenting by
name four Sanders campaign staffers, including Sanders’
National Data Director Josh Uretsky, who accessed
various Clinton campaign data files that were saved by the
Sanders campaign staffers into their own computers,
appearing to steal the data from the Clinton campaign.

The log book entries show the files the Sanders campaign
took from Clinton’s proprietary VAN voter data was
potentially useful tactical information, with lifted files
Infowars.com has established by interviews with various
identified, for instance, “Turnout 60+” from folder
DNC and Sanders campaign staff that Seth Rich felt
“Ranged Targets,” and “Turnout 40-60” and “Not
Dacey, a staunch Clinton loyalist and spirited Sanders
Sanders,” both also from folder “Ranged Targets.”
critic, had overreacted, blaming Uretsky for purloined data
instead of accepting responsibility that a glitch in a NGP
The log book entries showed four Sanders IT specialists VAN patch had opened a firewall that allowed the Sanders
spent two hours in the data without notifying NPG VAN of campaign to view the proprietary Clinton voter database.
the firewall being down, calling up information from about
a dozen states, downloading data that included a “turnout”
In the DNC organizational chart, Seth Rich reported to
variable showing on a scale of 1 to 100 how likely a
Technology Director Andrew Brown, the person Sanders
person is to vote, with the goal of establishing a high
identified as having recommended he hire Uretsky as the
“Priority” score to someone the campaign should make an
national data director for the Sanders campaign.
effort to contact and persuade.
In the aftermath of the incident, Sanders went so far as to
David Atkins, a campaign consultant and county official in
charge the breach of the Clinton voter data may have been
the California Democratic Party, told Politfact.com the
a “false flag” attack staged by the DNC and carried off by
information would give the Sanders campaign a view of
a “plant,” namely Uretsky, who Sanders hired on the
how the Clinton campaign was targeting voters, as well as
recommendation of Andrew Brown, the DNC’s National
a view of polling data indicating how well Clinton was
Data Director, and Bryan Whitaker, the former COO of
doing in various states.
NGP VAN.

When the breach became known, a huge controversy

“I mean here we are being attacked for the
developed in which the DNC cut off Sanders from DNC
behavior of an individual [Uretsky], which
proprietary data in the NPG VAN system, forcing Sanders
we ultimately fired,” Sanders said. “We
to sue the DNC.
agree he acted improperly, but it’s just
amazing to me that this … individual that
The matter was resolved acrimoniously but quickly, in a actually caused this trouble in our
midnight settlement on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, that allowed campaign was recommended by these
Sanders to regain access to VAN, both for the shared DNC guys. It’s not as if we conjured this guy
historical Democratic voters. Josh from thin air.”

On Dec. 18, 2015, as the settlement was being reached, Sanders insisted his campaign had not hacked the DNC’s
Sanders fired Uretsky, who maintains even today his NGP VAN system, but had taken advantage of a computer
intervention into the Clinton campaign proprietary glitch, yet the result was the Sanders campaign was being
database was aimed only at doing his job, being diligent to attacked by both the DNC and by NGP VAN.
document the seriousness of the breach, so NPG VAN
could make sure they never again installed a patch that
But as the incident resolved, Sanders loyalists seethed that
compromised a firewall.
NGP VAN provided the Clinton campaign audit of the
507
data breach that the Clinton team made sure was released If obtaining the DNC emails was an “inside job,”
to the media, while the Sanders’ team was kept in the dark. downloading the emails would have been as simple as
accessing each official’s email account and downloading
“It’s easy to speculate how Seth Rich could all emails listed there.
have become disgruntled after witnessing
the DNC attempt to sabotage the Sanders Unless each DNC official made sure emails on the DNC
campaign. As such, it’s not a stretch to email server were erased (not simply that the emails were
imagine that Rich – a guy with access to erased as viewed within a downloading computer), the
sensitive emails and technical skills, did in leaker could have downloaded conceivably every email
fact communicate with WikiLeaks in order that user had written and/or received from the first email in
to expose and root out the DNC’s the system.
misdeeds,” a poster identified as
“ZeroPointNow” posted on the If the email theft was a leak (as opposed to a hack from the
ZeroHedge.com blog on May 19, 2017. outside), the DNC officials exposed may have been less
attentive to cybersecurity in their choice and use of
July 22, 2016: WikiLeaks starts publishing DNC emails usernames and passwords, as well as less well trained on
the hazards of failing to delete emails on the server.
Starting on Friday, July 22, 2016, WikiLeaks began
releasing over 2 publications 44,053 emails and 17,761 The New York Times, reporting on Friday, July 22, 2016,
attachments from seven key figures in the DNC, none of commented the DNC emails released by WikiLeaks
whom included then-DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman showed top officials at the DNC
Schultz.
“criticized and mocked Senator Bernie
By far, the largest number of emails came from DNC Sanders of Vermont during the primary
Communications Director Luis Miranda (10,520 emails), campaign, even though the organization
who had approximately three-times the emails released for publicly insisted it was neutral in the race.”
the next highest on the list, National Finance Director
Jordon Kaplan (3,799 emails) and Finance Chief of Staff The New York Times noted that in an email dated May 21,
Scott Corner (3,095 emails). Mark Paustenbach, a committee communications official,

“wrote to a colleague about the possibility

of urging reporters to write that Mr.
Sanders’s campaign was ‘a mess’ after a
glitch on the committee’s servers gave it
access to Clinton voter data.”
“Wondering if there’s a good Bernie
narrative for a story, which is that Bernie
never ever had his act together, that his
campaign was a mess,” Mr. Paustenbach
wrote to Luis Miranda, the communications
director for the committee.

The emails covered the period from January 2015 until The WikiLeaks emails, released the Friday before the
May 2016, with the last email dated May 25, 2016. Monday, July 25, 2016, start of the Democratic National
Convention had the immediate impact of forcing DNC
The emails have in common that one or more of the Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign under fire on
“From,” “To,” and or “CC” listings indicate the email was Sunday, July 24 – a move that threw the national
sent by or to an addressee using the DNC email server, nominating convention into disarray.
identified as @dnc.org.
Recall that in June 2016, the DNC had acknowledged its
While the DNC email server could have been hacked, what computer network had been breached, a conclusion that led
is equally plausible is that someone on the inside (perhaps the DNC to hire cybersecurity expert CrowdStrike that
an employee with their own @dnc.org email address) investigated and reported the Russian government had had
could have discerned the usernames (possibly identical used two separate hacker groups, identified as “Cozy
with the person’s email address) and the password for each Bear” and “Fancy Bear,” to hack the DNC computer.
of the seven DNC officials included in the WikiLeaks
release.

508
As reported in the second article on this series, the Again, an insider familiar with Podesta’s use of his
CrowdStrike report appears to have been the basis the @gmail.com account for virtually all his campaign email
DNC and U.S. intelligence used to conclude incorrectly correspondence would only need to know (or guess at) his
that Guccifer 2.0 was responsible for providing the DNC password to gain access to all undeleted Podesta emails
emails WikiLeaks started making public on July 22, 2016, that remained on the gmail.com email server, possibly
despite the fact there is no evidence Guccifer 2.0 ever back to the very first Podesta sent or received.St.
hacked into any Democratic email server.
When WikiLeaks began publishing the Podesta emails in
Recall, Guccifer 2.0 only ever published hacked internal October 2016, the Democrats reacted once again to claim
documents from the DNC and the DCCC, as well as donor the Russians had used Guccifer 2.0 to hack Podesta’s
data apparently hacked from the NGP database. emails.

Still, on July 22, 2016, DNC officials in interviews with

the Washington Post blamed the WikiLeaks publication of
DNC emails on Guccifer 2.0, citing the CrowdStrike
investigation as proof.

Oct. 7, 2016: WikiLeaks begins publishing Podesta

emails

WikiLeaks began publishing the Podesta emails on Oct. 7,

2016, less than one hour after the Washington Post
published the lewd Access Hollywood video with Trump
making lewd comments to Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush. “We are not going to confirm the
authenticity of stolen documents released
WikiLeaks continued publishing a total of 57,153 Podesta by Julian Assange who has made no secret
emails in a series of drops, with the final “Part 34” of his desire to damage Hillary Clinton,”
published on Nov. 7, 2016, three days after Election Day. Clinton spokesman Glen Caplin told the
press on Oct. 7, 2016.
The last date of a Podesta email published by WikiLeaks “Guccifer 2.0 has already proven the
was March 21, 2016, approximately two months earlier warnings of top national security officials
than the last date of the DNC emails published by that documents can be faked as part of a
WikiLeaks in July. sophisticated Russian misinformation
campaign,” Caplin continued.
Of the 57,153 Podesta emails, 48,862 contain “Podesta@”
making it clear the key breach producing the emails That the last date of the Podesta emails precedes the last
WikiLeaks began releasing Oct. 7, 2016, was one John date of the DNC emails released by WikiLeaks suggests an
Podesta’s email @gmail.com – the email Podesta appeared internal operative seeking to leak emails damaging to
to use almost exclusively, shunning the use of a Clinton Hillary may have accessed Podesta’s @gmail.com account
campaign email address. first.

That Podesta was lax about cybersecurity is obvious from That the last date of the DNC emails was May 25, 2016,
emails in the cache indicating Podesta lost his cell phone suggests events may have influenced the internal operative
in a taxicab, fell victim to a phishing attack, and shared that the emails should be released right then.
with an assistant his Apple ID and password.
What happened in May 2016?
Given that Podesta used
[email protected] as his Apple The Democratic Party Indiana Primary took place on May
ID (username) and “Runner4567” as his 3, 2016.
password, it is likely Podesta (given his
apparent disregard for Internet security)
Sanders achieved a 5 point victory upset over Clinton in
may have used this username and
Indiana, winning 52.46 percent to 47.54 percent, but the
password for all, or most, of the Internet
“superdelegates” swung to Clinton, giving Clinton a total
websites to which he subscribed, as
of 46 delegates from the Indiana primary, compared to 44
well as using the password for other
to Sanders.
transactions, maybe even including
credit card or ATM transactions.

509
What in May was clear was that the Democrats had “WikiLeaks never sits on material,” even though Assange
stacked the deck for a DNC-preferred candidate to win the had previously said WikiLeaks yet ha more material
nomination, with the clear majority of the 712 related to the Hillary Clinton campaign that had yet to be
superdelegates (about 15 percent of all delegates) would published.
vote for Clinton, such that Sanders could earn a majority of
the 1,670 delegates up for grabs in popular voting during Then, on his own initiative, without
the primaries, and still lose the nomination. being specifically asked, Assange
began talking about Seth Rich.
By June 7, 2016, in the early hours of counting the ballots
“Whistleblowers go to significant efforts
in the Democratic Party California primary, the Associated
to get us material, and often very
Press declared that Hillary Clinton had won enough
significant risks,” Assange volunteered.
delegates and superdelegates to win the Democratic Party
nomination for president. “There’s a 27-year-old that works for the
DNC who was shot in the back,
The likely scenario is that a leaker internal to the murdered, just a few weeks ago, for
Democratic Party released to WikiLeaks both the DNC unknown reasons, as he was walking
emails and the Podesta emails at one time in late May or down the streets in Washington,”
early June 2016. Assange continued.

The final determination of how to sort out the emails and Van Rosenthal objected that the murder of DNC staffer
when to publish them remained a decision WikiLeaks Seth Rich was a robbery.
would reserve exclusively to itself.
“No, there’s no findings,” Assange
Even President Obama in his final news conference answered.
appeared to concede the DNC emails were leaked to “What are you suggesting?” Van Rosenthal
WikiLeaks, not the result of a hacking attack from the interjected.
outside.
“I’m suggesting that our sources take risks
– and they become concerned to see
“The conclusions of the intelligence things occurring like that,” Assange
community with respect to the Russian responded.
hacking were not conclusive as to whether
WikiLeaks was witting or not in being the
There was no reason for Assange to have spontaneously
conduit through which we heard about the
brought up Seth Rich in the context of the risks his leakers
DNC e-mails that were leaked,” President
take if Rich were not the leaker involved in the DNC and
Obama said.
Podesta emails that WikiLeaks published.
“I don’t pay a lot of attention to Mr.
Assange’s tweets, so that wasn’t a On Aug. 9, 2016, WikiLeaks offered a $20,000 reward
consideration in this instance,” he
continued. “And I’d refer you to the Justice
“for information leading to the conviction for
Department for any criminal investigations,
the murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich.”
indictments, extradition issues that may
come up with him.”
Again, why would WikiLeaks do this if Seth Rich were not
the leaker in question?
The strongest evidence Seth Rich leaked the WikiLeaks
emails
Repeatedly, Assange has denied that the Russians “or any
state party” supplied WikiLeaks with the DNC and/or
The strongest indication that Seth Rich leaked the DNC
Podesta emails.
and Podesta emails to WikiLeaks comes from Julian
Assange himself.
The attempt to distinguish is disingenuous, suggesting the
Russians may have been responsible for the hack, turning
In an interview broadcast on Dutch television on Aug. 9,
the information to a third party, not the Russians or a state
2016, the host Eelco van Rosenthal asked Assange,
actor, who handed WikiLeaks the emails and thus became
“the source.”
“The stuff that your sitting on, is an October
Surprise in there?”
Speaking plainly, Assange – a political operative with an
established reputation of telling the truth – has denied the
Assange insisted, Russians or any state actor was involved, knowing he was
510
leaving the clear impression the DNC and Podesta emails There appears to be some 2 ½ hours unaccounted time
traced back to a leaker internal to the DNC – the same between 1:15 a.m. when Rich left a local bar and 4:25 a.m.
conclusion President Obama suggested in his final press when he was shot near his home, even considering the time
conference. Rich would have required to walk home.

Why the cover-up in the Seth Rich murder Sorting through the thin evidence is unlikely to produce a
investigation? conclusive break-through in the case, as long as the
Washington Police Department withhold all investigative
The next most convincing reason to believe Seth Rich is reports and the Democratic National Party continue to
the leaker revolves around the way the Washington Police dismiss the Seth Rich murder as a “conspiracy theory,” so
Department and the Democratic Party have perpetrated a as to deflect any threat to their determination to advance
cover-up of key evidence of his murder investigation. the “Russian collusion” meme that itself lacks evidence.

About all the Washington Police Department have released These articles have argued a tighter,
with certainty is that Sean Rich was shot to death in the forensic case, premised on examining
Bloomingdale section of Washington, D.C., in the early the content and context of each known
hours of Sunday, July 10, 2016. cyberattack against the Clinton
campaign so as to determine the most
To date, the Washington Police have refused to release any likely means required to pull the
cyberattack off successfully and, from
investigative report or autopsy that precisely described the
there, to determine the most likely
wound.
perpetrator.
Despite intensive research efforts by Internet sleuths, we The conclusion of these three articles is
do not know for certain which hospital in D.C. the that the DNC and Podesta emails
Washington Police took Rich for treatment after the published by WikiLeaks during the 2016
shooting. presidential campaign were stolen and
leaked by an operative within the
Democratic Party, with the likely
Was there any identification of the shooting suspects, or
perpetrator of the leak being Seth Rich.
results from a subsequent police investigation?
.

511
 Chris Cuomo Thinks CNN Needs
To Hear From More Anti-Trump Voices
By Alex Xenos
May 30, 2017 | 11:22 AM EDT

CNN’s New Day anchor Chris Cuomo is frustrated that we Although Cuomo’s statements may have been strange and
are not hearing enough from those who oppose Trump. absurd, they certainly are not surprising (see previous
Sad! On Tuesday morning, he grumbled: antics here). This incident highlights the media’s habit of
sharing false personal views when they are supposed to be
CUOMO: He does have a blessing among his base of impartially sharing the news.
people really believing the President wants to do the
right thing and giving him the benefit of every See the more complete transcript below:
doubt. Though every time I see one of these panels now,
I want you to sit with the people who are not MAY 30 6:41 AM
for Trump.
CHRIS CUOMO: He does have a blessing among his
base of people really believing the President wants
to do the right thing and giving him the benefit of every
doubt. Though every time I see one of these panels now,
I want you to sit with the people who are not
for Trump.

ALISYN CAMEROTA: Who are not for trump?

CUOMO: They are the bigger part of the country. They

are trying to organize themselves.

CAMEROTA: We hear from them a lot.

This statement came off as a bit strange seeing how we are
constantly hearing from people who oppose Trump. He CUOMO: I know, but the Trump people say, well
then went on to state that there is “a base that's that's the media. But you have a base that's
equally upset with the media about how they are equally upset with the media about how they are
covering Trump but for the exact opposite reasons of covering Trump but for the exact opposite reasons of
the Trump folks.” That view is even more deranged the Trump folks.
considering how the media’s purpose is to take down
Trump. In fact, 80 percent of media coverage on Trump (...)
has been negative. One only needs to examine any recent
MRC study to find proof.

512
513