Tag: Donald Trump

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Trump’s Pre-Super Bowl Interview Falls Far Short Of Obama’s Ratings

The Donald will not be pleased to hear that, once again, he got beat in the ratings by President Obama.

According to Variety,  President Trump’s pre-Super Bowl interview with Bill O’Reilly drew 12.2 million viewers.

President Obama’s first pre-Super Bowl interview, back in 2009 with NBC’s Matt Lauer, garnered 21.9 million viewers. That’s 9.7 million more than Trump.

In 2011, fresh off his re-election win, Obama’s 2011 pre-game chat with Bill O’Reilly drew 17.3 million. That’s still more than 5 million more than Trump.

Even during non-election years, Obama pulled better numbers than the Trumpster.  In 2016, Obama’s interview drew 14.9 million; in 2015, 16.4 million; in 2014, 18 million.

Cue the Twitter rant in 3, 2, 1…

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News Round-Up: February 6, 2017

Some news items you may have missed:

• It’s a grey day here in Las Vegas, but Eliad Cohen and friends have clearly found the sun in Playa del Carmen.

• White House press secretary Sean Spicer thinks Melissa McCarthy’s impression of him this past weekend on “Saturday Night Live” was a little over the top. Missing the point there, Sparky. Satire works best when it’s “over the top.”

• According to the New York Times, President Trump often spends evenings watching cable news shows in his bathrobe, and wandering around his new abode.

• Last night’s historic overtime Super Bowl game pulled in 113.7 million viewers.

• The U.S. Supreme Court will hear transgender student Gavin Grimm’s case on March 28.

• Elton John says Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl performance was “the most spectacular performance ever seen during Super Bowl half time.” Watch the video below if you missed it!

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Trump: “Dishonest Press” Isn’t Reporting Terrorist Attacks

President Trump, speaking to the U.S. Central Command today, attacked the media yet again. This time, he made the extraordinary claim that the media is intentionally covering up terrorist attacks around the world.

“You’ve seen what happened in Paris, and Nice. All over Europe, it’s happening,” he said to the military leaders. “It’s gotten to a point where it’s not even being reported. And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons, and you understand that.”

I’m not sure what the goal would be for the media to NOT cover a terrorist attack…?

This would seem to underline a new narrative coming out of the White House. Last week, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told MSNBC host Chris Matthews, “I bet it’s brand-new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized and were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre,” she said. “Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered.”

Of course, it is true the media didn’t cover the “Bowling Green Massacre.” Since it never happened…

Watch Trump’s comments below:

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Trump Angry Over Low Approval Numbers

President Trump took to Twitter this morning to rant about so-called “fake news” and “negative polls:”

It seems the president isn’t interested in any opinions that oppose his own. And the “call my own shots” comment would seem to be related to recent reports (like a big TIME Magazine cover story) that White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has been directing Trump’s activities behind the scenes.

The latest CNN/ORC poll shows the president continues to be mired in low approval numbers. From job approval (44% approve, 53% disapprove) to his executive order on immigration (47% approve, 53% oppose).

Additionally, he compares unfavorably to his predecessors in terms of approval at this point in a presidential term.

More from CNN:

Trump’s tweet seemed to be motivated by a Monday morning segment on CNN’s “New Day.” (The president frequently watches cable news in the morning.)

At 6:31 a.m. ET, CNN political director David Chalian showed CNN/ORC’s latest poll results, starting with 44% approval and 53% disapproval of Trump’s job performance.

Then he said, “What about that travel ban policy? How’s the country reacting to that? A majority are opposed. Slim majority. 53% of Americans oppose the travel ban, 47% in favor.”

Trump’s tweet provoked widespread criticism on Monday morning. “This is bizarre behavior. Something is not right,” Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from Texas, responded.

Another vocal Trump critic, the activist Deray McKesson, tweeted, “‘Negative news = fake news’ is the beginning of tyranny.”

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Almost 100 Major Tech Companies File Briefs Opposing Trump’s Travel Ban

As the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals awaits arguments regarding Donald Trump’s immigration executive order, almost 100 major tech companies have filed friend-of-the-court briefs against the travel ban.

Twitter, Uber, Google and Apple were among 97 companies to file a friend-of-the-court brief early on Monday with a federal appeals court hearing challenges to President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration.

“The order effects a sudden shift in the rules governing entry into the United States, and is inflicting substantial harm on U.S. companies,” the amicus curiae brief, filed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, read. “It hinders the ability of American companies to attract great talent; increases costs imposed on business; makes it more difficult for American firms to compete in the international market- place; and gives global enterprises a new, significant incentive to build operations—and hire new employees—outside the United States.”

The brief also calls the order “a significant departure from the principles of fairness and predictability that have governed the immigration system” and argues that it violates 1965 immigration legislation, signed into law by former President Lyndon Johnson, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of national origin when granting asylum to foreign travelers.

An estimated 37.4 percent of Silicon Valley employees are foreign born, according to the 2016 Silicon Valley Index (PDF) released by think tank Joint Venture.

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Viral: “How New Yorkers Deal With Swastikas On The Subway”

Going viral across social media today. Shared over 256,000 times on Facebook alone.

From Gregory Locke:

I got on the subway in Manhattan on Saturday night, February 4, only to find a Swastika on every advertisement and every window. The train was silent as everyone stared at each other, uncomfortable and unsure what to do.

One guy got up and said, “Hand sanitizer gets rid of Sharpie. We need alcohol.” He found some tissues and got to work.

I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and Purell.

Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone.

Nazi symbolism. On a public train. In New York City. In 2017.

“I guess this is Trump’s America,” said one passenger.

No sir, it’s not. Not tonight and not ever. Not as long as stubborn New Yorkers have anything to say about it.

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Trump Compares US To Russia: “You Think Our Country’s So Innocent?”

In an interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly set to air today on FOX before the Super Bowl, President Trump was asked about his views on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At one point, as Trump says that he respects the Russian president, O’Reilly interjects “But Putin’s a killer.”

“There are a lot of killers. There are a lot of killers. What, you think our country is so innocent? ” replied Trump.

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9th Circuit Court Of Appeals Denies Trump Stay On Immigration Ruling

(image via Instagram)

Does this mean the 9th Circuit  is now a “so-called” appeals court?

Instead of staying U.S. Federal Judge Robart’s temporary restraining order on Trump’s immigration EO, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals requested arguments from both sides by Monday to fully consider the motion.

From the New York Times:

A federal appeals court early Sunday rejected a request by the Justice Department to immediately restore President Trump’s targeted travel ban, deepening a legal showdown over his authority to tighten the nation’s borders in the name of protecting Americans from terrorism.

In the legal back and forth over the travel ban, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco said a reply from the Trump administration was now due on Monday.

The ruling meant that refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — who were barred by an executive order signed by the president on Jan. 27 would, for now, continue to be able to enter the country.

President Bannon Trump won’t be pleased.

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Trump On Voter Fraud: “Many People Have Come Out And Said I Am Right”

In a preview of his upcoming interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, President Trump defends his claim that 3-5 million illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton in California and New York, saying, “Many people have come out and said I am right.”

It’s worth noting many, many people have come out and said he is dead wrong.

Just saying.