LGBTQ news and entertainment
Donald Trump attempted to drag Hillary Clinton back into the fray by suggesting she run again for president in 2020 – on the ‘condition’ that Clinton “explain all of her high crimes and misdemeanors.” But Hillary clapped back tweeting, “Don’t tempt me. Do your job.” #FTW
Don’t tempt me. Do your job.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 8, 2019
Rudy Giuliani (screen capture)
Giuliani said Tuesday that he would not testify in front of the House Intelligence Committee and that he “can’t imagine” that anyone from the Trump administration would appear before the panel led by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) either.
“The position I’m stating is now the position of the administration,” Giuliani said in an interview in which he revealed that the administration has written a letter that will be released soon saying that Schiff’s committee is illegitimate.
“I wouldn’t testify in front of that committee until there is a vote of Congress and he [Schiff] is removed,” Giuliani said, referring to Republican calls for a full House vote on an impeachment inquiry and the removal of Schiff as the committee’s chairman.
That’s a little like saying, “I will play your team as long as LeBron does not play…” In related news, three House committee chairmen announced that they will issue a subpoena to compel testimony from U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, hours after learning he failed to appear for a deposition. Sondland was apparently ordered by the State Department not to appear. “We consider this interference to be obstruction of the impeachment inquiry,” the three committee chairmen said in a statement Tuesday. “We will be issuing a subpoena to Ambassador Sondland for both his testimony and documents.” Shortly before he was scheduled to appear before Congress, Trump blocked Sondland’s testimony calling the committee’s “a kangaroo court.” Although Sondland’s position does not involve Ukraine officially, recent reports of text messages indicate he was central to the conversations between the White House’s request to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and the newly-elected president of Ukraine.
People got upset on Sunday when a photo of Ellen DeGeneres surfaced sharing some laughs with former President George W. Bush at this weekend’s Dallas Cowboys/Green Bay Packers football game. DeGeneres addressed criticisms that appeared on social media during the opening segment of her talk show on Tuesday. 
“Here’s the thing: I’m friends with George Bush,” she began, using the controversy to push for openness across social and political divides. “In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have. We’re all different and I think we’ve forgotten that that’s OK that we’re all different.” Here’s Ellen’s full statement:
Yes, that was me at the Cowboys game with George W. Bush over the weekend. Here’s the whole story. pic.twitter.com/AYiwY5gTIS
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 8, 2019
According to a Washington Post-Schar School poll, a solid majority of Americans support the decision by House Democrats to begin an impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump. The breakdown of the survey shows: • 58% support the launch of the impeachment inquiry; 38% oppose the inquiry • 49% of those that support the inquiry also endorse removing Trump from office; 6% of those that support the inquiry are not in favor of removing Trump from office at this time • 56% disapprove of how House Republicans have handled the impeachment inquiry; 33% approve • 57% of Independents support the impeachment inquiry, and 49% of those believe Trump should be removed from office The Post notes that earlier Post-Schar School or Post-ABC News polls indicated the majority of Americans opposed the launch of an impeachment proceeding, with 37 percent to 41 percent saying they favored such a step.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Have heard on numerous occasions disturbing allegations by @RudyGiuliani about corruption in Ukraine and the many improprieties surrounding the firing of former Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. (1/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 8, 2019
Given the House of Representatives’ behavior, it is time for the Senate to inquire about corruption and other improprieties involving Ukraine. (2/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 8, 2019
Therefore I will offer to Mr. Giuliani the opportunity to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee to inform the committee of his concerns. (3/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 8, 2019
Good. I have questions. https://t.co/Ty8QMQzAp4
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 8, 2019
Fitness model Anthony Varrechia (via Instagram)
WATCH: Former President Carter, the oldest living former president in US history, helps lead a build of Habitat for Humanity homes in Nashville one day after falling at his home and receiving stitches above his eye.https://t.co/CB1TSLeaMh pic.twitter.com/oh0jiv4IXY
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 7, 2019
NBC News reports that a dozen House Democrats have called for Donald Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, to resign in the aftermath of reports regarding his role in the ongoing Ukraine scandal.
The calls for his ouster come as Sondland prepares to be deposed Tuesday by House committees as part of their impeachment inquiry into the president. The list includes one presidential candidate — Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio.
Sondland, a Trump political appointee, has emerged as a central player in Trump’s bid to persuade Ukraine’s new government to commit publicly to investigate corruption and the president’s political opponents.
Text messages given to Congress show Sondland and another diplomat explicitly tying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s willingness to announce an investigation to whether he would be granted a coveted White House visit.
Sondland, a Republican megadonor, came by his ambassadorship after donating over $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee. He’s spent the bulk of his life developing high-end, luxury hotels. Because, that’s what qualifies you to be an ambassador for the United States, yes? (photo: GordonSondlandPortrait.png” by EdiTHORial is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
In this week’s podcast: • Allegations of sexual battery have led to the cancellation of a California high school’s football season • A federal judge has struck down Tampa Florida’s ban on so-called conversion therapy • The FDA has approved a second drug to be prescribed for PrEP • A Russian man is suing Apple for $15k because his iPhone made him gay? • And a Tennessee teen honored as part of his school’s homecoming royalty, graciously accepted in a sequin gown All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
L-R Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani (screen captures)
“From the perspective of Ukrainian legislation, he did not violate anything,” former Ukrainian prosecutor general Yuri Lutsenko told The Washington Post in his first interview since the disclosure of a whistleblower complaint alleging pressure by President Trump on Ukraine’s president, Volodymr Zelensky.
Lutsenko’s comments about Hunter Biden — which echo what he told Bloomberg News in May — were significant, because Trump and his personal attorney Giuliani have sought to stir up suspicions about both Hunter and former vice president Joe Biden’s conduct in Ukraine in recent weeks. Joe Biden is leading Trump in many opinion polls ahead of the 2020 election.
Hunter Biden has denied any wrongdoing, and there is no evidence he was involved in any lawbreaking in his work in Ukraine with the country’s largest private gas company.
Giuliani has alleged that Hunter Biden was involved in corruption during his nearly five years on the board of Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company. Giuliani has not offered any evidence.
Burisma’s owner came under scrutiny by Lutsenko’s predecessors for possible abuse of power and unlawful enrichment, but Hunter Biden was never accused of any wrongdoing in the investigation.
“Hunter Biden cannot be responsible for violations of the management of Burisma that took place two years before his arrival,” Lutsenko said.
Donald Trump defended his decision today to pull support for America’s Kurdish allies in northern Syria saying it was “time for us to get out” and let others “figure the situation out.” From the Washington Post:
President Trump faced a swift torrent of Republican criticism Monday as lawmakers rebuked his plan to withdraw troops from northeast Syria, a move Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said would undermine America’s national security and potentially bolster Islamic State terrorists.
McConnell (R-Ky.), in a rare public split with Trump, said that a supermajority in the Senate disagreed with the president’s abrupt withdrawal announcement, raising the specter of veto-proof action to oppose the decision.
“A precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria would only benefit Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime,” McConnell said in a statement Monday. “And it would increase the risk that ISIS and other terrorist groups regroup.”
McConnell’s statement, in which he called on Trump to “exercise American leadership” and reconsider his plan to withdraw troops from Syria’s border with Turkey, echoes the comments of other Republicans who have condemned the president’s decision Monday.
The Donald took to Twitter to try and defuse the criticism:
….the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2019
Great and unmatched wisdom. pic.twitter.com/V6dcejDexg
— Jon Fish 🐠 (@lionel_jon) October 7, 2019
Great and unmatched wisdom. pic.twitter.com/7DitlVKQng
— Jon Fish 🐠 (@lionel_jon) October 7, 2019
It would also be DISGRACEFUL if we sat idly by while Turkey slaughters the Kurds, as public reports suggest that Turkish leader Erdogan explicitly told President Trump he intends to do. Kurds risked their lives—for many years—to fight alongside us.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 7, 2019
Mr President: I am a SEAL who served as an assault element commander at SEAL Team Six. Twice in my life of service I have been embarrassed for my country. Once, when I dug bodies out the rubble of the Marine Barracks in Beirut. And this morning, when you abandoned the Kurds. pic.twitter.com/a4HjYfmfDN
— Chuck Pfarrer (@ChuckPfarrer) October 7, 2019
Pat Robertson is “appalled” by Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria: “The President of the United States is in great danger of losing the mandate of Heaven if he permits this to happen.” pic.twitter.com/YGeNYpbGrF
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) October 7, 2019
Turkey is killing Kurds. Right now. Our allies in the fight against ISIS are dying. Because Trump – the unethical, stupid, delusional, megalomaniac – decided without input it was a neat idea to leave them at Turkey’s mercy.
The peace zone is gone. Here come Iran and Russia. — Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) October 7, 2019
Abandoning the Kurds to the tender mercies of the Turkish government — a government led by Islamist dictator Erdogan — is a foreign policy disaster.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 7, 2019