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WaPo: Robert Mueller Frustrated Attorney General’s Summary “Did Not Capture Content, Nature, Substance” Of 2-Year Probe

The Washington Post reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter to the Justice Department expressing his "frustration" that Attorney General William Barr's 4-page summary of his investigation “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the two-year probe.

The Washington Post reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter to the Justice Department expressing his “frustration” that Attorney General William Barr’s 4-page summary of his investigation “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the two-year probe.

At the time Mueller’s letter was sent to Barr on March 27, Barr had days prior announced that Mueller did not find a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian officials seeking to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. In his memo to Congress, Barr also said that Mueller had not reached a conclusion about whether Trump had tried to obstruct justice, but that Barr reviewed the evidence and found it insufficient to support such a charge.

Days after Barr’s announcement, Mueller wrote the previously undisclosed private letter to the Justice Department, laying out his concerns in stark terms that shocked senior Justice Department officials, according to people familiar with the discussions.

“The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office’s work and conclusions,” Mueller wrote. “There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.”

Mueller sent his letter on March 24. But in early April, Barr testified to Congress that he didn’t know why there were reports that Mueller’s team was privately frustrated by Barr’s summary.

Asked by Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) if he knew why Mueller’s team might be frustrated, Barr said, “No, I don’t.”

On April 20, Sen. Chris Van Hollen asked Barr, “Did Bob Mueller support your conclusion?” His answer was, “I don’t know whether Mueller supported my conclusion.”

We now know Mueller stated his concerns on March 27th, and that Barr totally misled Congress and the public.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told CBS This Morning that Barr should resign since the 4-page memo misled the American people in favor of Donald Trump.

“I think his statement is deliberately false and misleading, and yes, most people would consider that to be a lie,” said Schiff. “Look, there’s no sugar coating this, I think he should step down. It’s hard, I think, for the country to have confidence in the top law enforcement official in the country if he’s asked a direct question as he was and he gives a directly false answer, so this is serious business.”

“After two years and work and investigation implicating the president of the United States, for the attorney general to mislead the public for an entire month before releasing that report is inexcusable.”

Barr is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning. The WaPo report should make Barr’s morning that much more interesting.

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Podcast: Trolls Bungle Fake Buttigieg Smear, Mormon Valedictorian Comes Out At Graduation; 2019 Tony Award Nominations

In this week's podcast: • GOP trolls attempt to smear Mayor Pete Buttigieg • A valedictorian at Brigham Young University comes out during his graduation speech • The president of Brazil told gays not to come to his country • Disney cancelled its award-winning LGBTQ-inclusive series Andi Mack • The 2019 Tony Awards nominations are out including a Special Tony Award for Judith Light for her LGBTQ advocacy All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.

In this week’s podcast:

• GOP trolls attempt to smear Mayor Pete Buttigieg

• A valedictorian at Brigham Young University comes out during his graduation speech

• The president of Brazil told gays not to come to his country

• Disney cancelled its award-winning LGBTQ-inclusive series Andi Mack

• The 2019 Tony Awards nominations are out including a Special Tony Award for Judith Light for her LGBTQ advocacy

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.

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News Round-Up: April 30, 2019

Joel Green

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Joel Green (above) is looking for a coffee date in Madrid… who’s in? #MeMeMePickMe

• A new poll by Quinnipiac has found 70 percent of voters would be open to voting for a gay man as U.S. president. But, that same poll shows 52 percent believe the United States isn’t ready to elected a gay man to the White House.

• The West Virginia assistant principal who demanded a transgender male student step up to a urinal to “prove” he belonged in a boys restroom was fired, but has now been rehired.

• Robert Mueller wrote a letter to the attorney general objecting to his characterization that the Russia inquiry appeared to clear President Trump

• In a live TV interview on Fox News, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (a known homophobe) insinuated that Democratic White House hopeful Beto O’Rourke is secretly gay using a tired old slur. Patrick described O’Rourke as “so light in the loafers he floats off the ground at times.”

• A new CNN poll conducted after Joe Biden’s announcement on Thursday shows 39% of voters who are Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents saying he is their top choice for the nomination, which puts him more than 20 points ahead of his nearest competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont (15% support) and nearly 30 points ahead of the next candidate, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (8% support).

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The Daily Beast: Two Inept Fools Fail In Alleged Scam To Frame Mayor Pete

Jacob Wohl (L), Jack Burkman (R)

Yesterday I reported on some shady shenanigans by Republican operatives who attempted to smear Democratic presidential contender Mayor Pete Buttigieg by alleging false accusations of sexual assault.

The allegations were made in the name of Hunter Kelly, a Michigan college student, but more details have come to light about the right-wing trolls who plotted the scheme.

Kelly tells The Daily Beast that he had been communicating with known hoax-ster Jacob Wohl for several weeks. But last week, Wohl invited Kelly to the home of Jack Burkman in Baltimore to discuss gathering dirt on Mayor Pete as part of a “task force” set up by the Trump administration.

Wohl and partner Jack Burkman apparently paid for Kelly’s ticket to Baltimore and the duo picked him up shortly after midnight.

According to a statement posted on his Facebook, Kelly says the two revealed a “draft” of an article that was to be posted on Medium accusing Buttigieg of sexually assaulting Kelly. Kelly says he wasn’t feeling comfortable about the idea, but Wohl told him to sleep on it as they had talked until about 4am.

(statement via Hunter Kelly’s Facebook – click image to enlarge)

But when Kelly awoke the next morning, Wohl allegedly informed the Michigan college student that the article had already been posted in Kelly’s name. Burkman apparently told Kelly that he was a “star” and people were “eating” him up.

After a lunch of Subway sandwiches, Kelly writes that he was feeling regretful about the lie, but was told with the article already posted “turning back on what had been published would look bad.”

Kelly asserts that Burkman promised to buy him “any house I wanted” to stay involved with the scam. It was during those discussions that Kelly says he was pressured into signing a ‘script’ about the fake sexual assault which was to have taken place in February at “the fancy Mayflower Hotel” in D.C.

Kelly’s statement goes on to say he spent the next hours dodging “hate mail and reporters left and right while getting dozens of texts from friends and family asking why the media was contacting them.”

He eventually ‘escaped’ from Burkman’s home by faking a nap, and calling his family to come pick him up. When he was informed his family had arrived, Kelly says he rushed downstairs and left saying he couldn’t take part in the scheme because “that is not the type of person I am.”

Kelly says Wohl posted more fake tweets on an account Wohl and Burkman had created where Kelly appeared distraught.

This isn’t Burkman and Wohl’s first trip to the fake scandal rodeo.

Last year, the duo were accused of planning a busted scheme where they tried to pay a woman large sums of money to falsely accuse Special Counsel Robert Mueller of sexually harassing her in the 1970’s in an effort to discredit Mueller. That little escapade didn’t go any better than this.

Additionally, The Daily Beast reports a second man has come forward saying Burkman & Wohl approached him about a similar scheme. He says he not only met with the two, but recorded the conversation. The Daily Beastconfirms they’ve heard the recording.

Kelly says he traveled to meet with the conservative provocateurs with the intention of “seeing what LEGITIMATE dirt we could get on Buttigieg.”

In his statement, he says he was never in D.C. in February; never met Buttigieg; and never been a victim of sexual assault.

“Jack Burkman may have promised me a lavish lifestyle, but at a price that would cost me the two most important things to me: honesty and integrity,” writes Kelly. “Had I gone forward with this despicable scheme they concocted, I would have lost both of those things and became another one of their useless pawns.”

Kelly also calls Wohl and Burkman “the real danger to our country.”

In response, Burkman alleges that it was Kelly who reached out to him to meet.

Burkman posted a copy of the signed ‘script’ along with a photo of Kelly holding his ID with the caption, “1. Very first thing Hunter Kelly did is sign a statement attesting to his accusation 2. He was in full control of all public disclosures, even taking a selfie with his ID to confirm his identity to @MediumSupport MSM bullied him & his family into submission”

Burkman has also tweeted calling Kelly his “former client” who was “pressured out of telling his truth.”

The Twitterverse was not impressed:

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Music Video: Five Drag Queens Compete In “Walk Me Home”

Members of Sink The Pink perform to “Walk Me Home” by P!nk

The indomitable P!nk chose the track “Walk Me Home” as the lead single for her new album, Hurts 2B Human, which dropped last week.

She initially released a music video for the single that featured her twirling through deserted nighttime streets with a chorus of dancing shadows.

But on Monday, the 39-year-old Grammy Award winner made it clear she wasn’t done exploring the song’s storytelling potential.

In a completely different take, P!nk collaborated with queer collective Sink The Pink from the UK on a lip-sync competition-themed video.

On their official website, Sink The Pink describes themselves as “ a collective of queens, club kids, pop superstars, creative juggernauts, flamboyant dancers and acclaimed designers.”

At the beginning of the new video, one drag queen walks out onstage to lip sync the song “Walk Me Home” for a pair of judges in a night club.

But before she can finish, she’s interrupted by another member of the collective.

As each of five queens takes to the stage – all wearing red dresses, blond wigs and red boots – they keep upping the stakes for the biggest and best performance they can deliver.

P!nk took to Twitter to share the video announcing, “This is the BEST lip sync battle I’ve ever seen – feast your eyes!”

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The 2019 Tony Award Nominations Announced

The nominations for the 73rd Tony Awards, celebrating excellence in live Broadway theatre, were announced Tuesday morning with Anaïs Mitchell’s Greek myth-inspired musical, Hadestown, leads the pack with 14 nominations.

The nominations for the 73rd annual Tony Awards, celebrating excellence in live Broadway theatre, were announced Tuesday morning with Anaïs Mitchell’s Greek myth-inspired musical, Hadestown, leads the pack with 14 nominations.

The jukebox musical inspired by the music of the Temptations, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, scored 12 nods; and the musical adaptation of Tootsie garnered 11 nominations.

The Prom, a ground-breaking musical comedy about a midwestern high school student who is told she can’t bring her lesbian girlfriend to the prom received 7 nominations including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Director as well as Best Leading Actor/Musical for Brooks Ashmanskas and two Best Leading Actress/Musical noms for Beth Leavel and Caitlin Kinnunen.

The musical stage adaptation of the hit film Beetlejuice rounds out the Best Musical category.

The Cher Show, which chronicles the life and music of the one and only Cher, was shut out of the Best Musical category but received 3 nominations (Best Actress/Musical, Best Costumes/Musical and Best Lighting Design/Musical).

Choir Boy, a coming-of-age story that follows a gay choir leader at a boarding school for black men by Moonlight’s Tarell Alvin McCraney, received 5 nominations including Best Play and Best Leading Actor/Play (Jeremy Pope).

Also nominated for Best Play are The Ferryman, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, Ink and What the Constitution Means to Me.

Two acclaimed LGBTQ-themed revivals of plays – The Boys in the Band and Torch Song – were nominated for Best Revival of a Play. Even though Boyshad an all-star cast, only Robin De Jesús scored a nomination for his performance.

Additionally, Judith Light will be honored with the Isabelle Stevenson Award, which is given “to an individual from the theatre community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations, regardless of whether such organizations relate to the theatre.”

Already a two-time Tony Award winner for Other Desert Cities and The Assembled Parties, Light will receive the honorary award for her decades of work on behalf of the LGBTQ community and HIV/AIDS advocacy.

“The HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ communities are inspirations and demonstrations of how to be and live in the world; courageous, honorable, and uplifting,” said Light in a statement.

“They inspire me and it is my privilege to be of service to them,” she added. “I am humbled by this recognition from my theater family, whom I so respect, honor, and love.”

The 73rd Annual Tony Awards will be broadcast on CBS June 9, hosted by The Late Late Show’s James Corden.

Here’s the full list of nominations:

Best Play
Choir Boy
The Ferryman
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ink
What the Constitution Means to Me

Best Musical
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Beetlejuice
Hadestown
The Prom
Tootsie

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
The Boys in the Band
Burn This
Torch Song
The Waverly Gallery

Best Revival of a Musical
Kiss Me, Kate
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

Best Book of a Musical
Dominique Morisseau, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Scott Brown & Anthony King, Beetlejuice
Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown
Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin,The Prom
Robert Horn, Tootsie

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Joe Iconis, Be More Chill
Eddie Perfect, Beetlejuice
Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown
Matthew Sklar & Chad Beguelin, The Prom
Adam Guettel, To Kill a Mockingbird
David Yazbek,Tootsie

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Paddy Considine,The Ferryman
Bryan Cranston, Network
Jeff Daniels, To Kill a Mockingbird
Adam Driver, Burn This
Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Annette Bening, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Janet McTeer,Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Damon Daunno, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Santino Fontana, Tootsie

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Caitlin Kinnunen, The Prom
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Eva Noblezada, Hadestown
Kelli O’Hara, Kiss Me, Kate

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Bertie Carvel, Ink
Robin De Jesús, The Boys in the Band
Gideon Glick, To Kill a Mockingbird
Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This
Benjamin Walker, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Fionnula Flanagan, The Ferryman
Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird
Kristine Nielsen, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Julie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ruth Wilson, King Lear

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
André De Shields, Hadestown
Andy Grotelueschen, Tootsie
Patrick Page, Hadestown
Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Lilli Cooper, Tootsie
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Sarah Stiles, Tootsie
Ali Stroker, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Mary Testa, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, To Kill a Mockingbird
Bunny Christie, Ink
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Santo Loquasto, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Jan Versweyveld, Network

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Peter England, King Kong
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Laura Jellinek, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
David Korins, Beetlejuice

Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Clint Ramos, Torch Song
Ann Roth, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ann Roth, To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Michael Krass, Hadestown
William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long, Tootsie
Bob Mackie,The Cher Show
Paul Tazewell, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Ink
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Peter Mumford, The Ferryman
Jennifer Tipton, To Kill a Mockingbird
Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, Network

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, The Cher Show
Howell Binkley, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Bradley King, Hadestown
Peter Mumford, King Kong
Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini, Beetlejuice

Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, Ink
Scott Lehrer, To Kill a Mockingbird
Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
Nick Powell, The Ferryman
Eric Sleichim, Network

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, Beetlejuice
Peter Hylenski, King Kong
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Drew Levy,Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown

Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, Ink
Sam Mendes, The Ferryman
Bartlett Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird
Ivo van Hove, Network
George C. Wolfe,Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Best Direction of a Musical
Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown
Scott Ellis, Tootsie
Daniel Fish, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom

Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me, Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
David Neumann, Hadestown
Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Orchestrations
Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown
Simon Hale, Tootsie
Larry Hochman, Kiss Me, Kate
Daniel Kluger, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Harold Wheeler, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations

Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Rosemary Harris
Terrence McNally
Harold Wheeler

Special Tony Awards
Marin Mazzie
Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company
Jason Michael Webb

Regional Theatre Tony Award
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Palo Alto, CA

Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award
Judith Light

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
Broadway Inspirational Voices – Michael McElroy, Founder
Peter Entin
FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9
Joseph Blakely Forbess

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Michigan Man Accuses, Then Denies Accusing, Candidate Of Sexual Assault

Jacob Wohl

UPDATE: As many suspected, Republican losers operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman may have been behind the hoax.

From The Daily Beast:

The Daily Beast reached out to Kelly on a cell phone listed to him in the student directory at his Michigan college. Told we were reporting on apparent efforts by Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman to drum up false sexual assault allegations against Buttigieg, Kelly replied, “I was unaware this was happening. But yes it is true.”

Kelly wrote that he did not control the newly-created Medium and Twitter accounts that posted the allegations under his name. When asked if he could verify his identity, he texted the Daily Beast a selfie that matched the photo seen on Medium and on Kelly’s longstanding Facebook accounts.

“Here is a selfie of me, sorry I have been crying,” he wrote. “Today and the promises made didn’t go as planned.”

**************************************

So, not sure of the details at this point, but some seriously uncouth shenanigans were plied today against Democratic presidential candidate, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Someone using the name “Hunter Kelly” supposedly penned a letter on Medium (where anyone can post) that he was allegedly assaulted by Mayor Pete.

I was loath to give the piece any oxygen, but since no one believed it, including Republicans, I was asked to write it up for Instinct Magazine. I did making sure everyone understood folks knew it was completely shady.

Just an hour or so later, the guy – “Hunter Kelly” – posted on his Facebook:

I WAS NOT SEXUALLY ASSAULTED
It’s important for everyone to know that I was not sexually assaulted and would never falsely accuse anyone.
To keep it brief for now- I was approached by a political figure to come to DC to discuss political situations from the standpoint of a gay Republican. When I arrived they discussed Peter Buttigieg and started talking about how they would be working a campaign against him.
I went to bed and woke up to a fake Twitter @RealHunterKelly and an article that I in no way endorsed or wrote.
I have since left and am working on a formal statement to give to everyone including the Buttigieg family.
Thank you for standing behind me and knowing that I would never accept or allow any of this.

#shady

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Taron Egerton Covers Attitude Magazine

Taron Egerton covers Attitude Magazine’s June Issue
Taron Egerton, who plays pop superstar Elton John in the upcoming musical fantasy biopic Rocketman, shares with Attitude Magazine there was a time he wondered if he might be gay.

“When I was 14 or 15, I had a period of thinking I might be gay and I spoke to my mother about it,” says the 29-year-old. “It was a part of a period in my life where my mind was figuring things out.”

There’s something many of us can relate to.

Blaming the confusion on teenage hormones, Egerton admits it’s a time when “you question everything.”

“It was a very real feeling to me, and I was very panicked and upset about how I would be perceived,” the Welsh actor told Attitude. “That is not the same as going through it for real, but there is some understanding of what it might be like, and I remember feeling that acutely.”

The Kingsman star admits it’s not the same thing as coping with coming out himself, but “I guess there is a small kernel of that which I have experienced.”

Additionally, he shares that his roommate and bestie in drama school came out to him during that time, and he had a first-hand view of how the coming out process can impact a person.

“I’ve had someone cry in my arms about the fact that they were so terrified and at a loss at what to do,” he says.

When you add all that up, it’s not surprising that Egerton recently told GQ UK that he “always felt more at home in a gay club than at a football match.”

Still, Egerton is sympathetic that he landed a plum role that many gay actors would have relished.

“I completely understand why a gay actor would feel that this is an opportunity for which they would be better suited,” he acknowledged. “The way I feel about it is Elton asked me to play in a movie about his life. I am proud and privileged to be playing this person who happens to be gay.”

He also guarantees the film will not be ‘straight-washed,’ as many alleged the recent Bohemian Rhapsody hedged on the sexuality of Freddie Mercury.

“I would not have played this character if I didn’t think we could make a film the gay community would watch and feel a sense of ownership of,” he promises.

Check out Egerton’s full interview in Attitude’s June issue.

And check out more from his photo shoot below.

A post shared by Attitude Magazine (@attitudemag) on Apr 25, 2019 at 8:14am PDT

(Source: Attitude Magazine)

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Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon Advances To Top 6 On ‘American Idol’

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, the gay son of a Maryland pastor, scored last night as he performed in front of his parents for the first time on his journey with American Idol.
Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon on American Idol

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, the gay son of a Maryland pastor, scored last night as he performed in front of his parents for the first time on his journey with American Idol.

With coaching from none other than Queen frontman Adam Lambert, Harmon offered a emotional, stripped down version of “Who Wants To Live Forever,” which resulted in a standing ovation from the audience, the judges, and most importantly, his parents.

During his initial audition for the reality talent competition, he shared that he had recently come out as gay, and his parents responded by telling him it’s ‘not a path’ they approved of.

He sang an original song he’d written, titled “Almost Heaven,” which questioned if there is a place for him in heaven. The song choice put the tension with his family center stage.

Last night’s song choice of “Who Wants To Live Forever,” famously sung by openly bisexual rocker Freddie Mercury, made it clear Harmon wanted to send a message with his parents in attendance.

But, while many are referring to the 26-year-old’s family ‘shunning him,’ he recently told Out that portrayal of his family dynamic wasn’t quite accurate.

“I’ve never said that my parents have rejected me, or don’t accept me as me, their son,” he shared with Out. “And that in combination with my parents not being able to make it to the first couple performances and [not being] featured on the show yet, you know, it’s easy for people to take that and run with it … in reality, they’re just trying to integrate this experience and they’re processing it in their own way.”

Judge Katy Perry, who is also a ‘pastor’s kid,’ has championed Harmon from day one. After his haunting performance which showed off his effortless high notes, she had only praise.

“Jeremiah, you really embodied the spirit of Freddie Mercury with that performance,” said Perry. “It was so beautiful seeing you perform in front of your parents for the first time, and it’s so wonderful to see your journey.”

“And to see your parents come out here, and support you, and accept you, and know it’s a “come as you are” situation,” she continued. “God bless you.”

Luke Bryan remarked on Harmon’s ability to “take us on a complete journey.”

“That was a journey that built and built and built, and you just took it to the next level,” Bryan gushed. “I loved every second of it.”

And elder statesman Lionel Richie chimed in, “There’s something you just can’t teach – the ability to draw people in.”

“The dynamics of your voice, you’ve got a band that sounds like that much power coming behind you, and you take the band to the next level,” said Richie. “That means you’re doing something powerful.”

“Your voice is something to be reckoned with,” he finished, adding, “I’m very proud of you and keep up the good work. The best time to do it is in front of your parents.’

Stay tuned, folks, because Harmon made it to the Top 6 now.

Could we have our first openly gay American Idol?

Jeremiah’s parents gave him a standing ovation attending their first AI episode

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Trump Feuds With Fox News’ Judge Andrew Napolitano

Donald Trump (L) and Judge Andrew Napolitano (R)

File this under “Infighting is funny.”

Donald Trump is super-angry because Fox News contributor Judge Andrew Napolitano penned this for Fox News last week which doesn’t quite ‘exonerate’ Trump of obstruction of justice:

Obstruction is a rare crime that is rarely completed. Stated differently, the obstructer need not succeed in order to be charged with obstruction. That’s because the statute itself prohibits attempting to impede or interfere with any government proceeding for a corrupt or self-serving purpose.

The president’s job is to enforce federal law. If he had ordered its violation to save innocent life or preserve human freedom, he would have a moral defense. But ordering obstruction to save himself from the consequences of his own behavior is unlawful and condemnable.

In retribution, Trump tweeted an angry retort claiming Napolitano turned on him because the Trumpster refused to nominate the judge to the Supreme Court.

Note how the Donald also puts the word “pal” in quotes in referring to openly gay Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, who has also been critical of the president.

Napolitano clapped back over the weekend during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business clarifying the SCOTUS comment and asked out loud of the Donald, “This is the way you treat your friends?”

Via Mediaite:

Andrew Napolitano accused Donald Trump of mischaracterizing their conversations together when the president swiped at him over the weekend. Maria Bartiromo asked Napolitano about this when he joined her on Fox Business, but he shrugged it off and asked “This is the way you treat your friends? How do you treat your enemies?”

Napolitano said that when he described how Neil Gorsuch had the judicial qualities Trump was looking for, the president-elect supposedly turned to him and said: “sounds like you’re describing yourself.”

“I said ‘no, no, I’m not describing myself,’” Napolitano recalled. “‘I’m describing Neil Gorsuch because you have this list of people from which you want to choose, and Judge Gorsuch is the person that I think most of your advisers are going to point to.’”