Tag: H.R. McMaster

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National Security Adviser “Not Concerned” About Kushner/Russia Communications

So happy together…

Responding to reports that President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about setting up “secret lines of communication,” National Security Advisor Gen. H.R. McMaster said he’s “not concerned.”

From Politico:

McMaster told American reporters traveling with Trump at the G7 summit in Sicily that the U.S. frequently sets up backchannels to countries for discreet communications.

“We have backchannel communications with a number of countries,” McMaster said in response to questions.

“What that allows you to do is communicate in a discreet manner so I’m not concerned.”

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News Round-Up: May 18, 2017

(via Instagram)

Some news stories you may have missed:

• It may be Thursday, but no one’s throwing him back – photographer Frank Marando shoots Instastud Nick Sandell for Adon Magazine (above).

• Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn stopped a military plan Turkey opposed before he was fired. But – Flynn didn’t disclose until after he was fired that he received $500,000 from Turkey to represent their interests. #ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmm

• Wing-nut commentator Alex Jones says National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster’s bald head means he’s a “leather daddy” who looks like “he could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.” Homophobic much?

• The United States has denied visas to gay Chechen men who are trying to flee the country in light of the torture and murders of gays in the Russian country.

• Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a surprising statement underlining the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting bias-related crimes against transgender individuals. Sessions has had a worrisome history when it comes to LGBT rights and protections.

• Jimmy Kimmel Live takes a cue from School House Rock to musically explain how truth, or the lack of it, works in today’s White House:

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Sean Spicer Benched From White House Press Briefing

You can only guess that President Trump has lost faith in the answers and optics of Sean Spicer handling questions at the podium of White House press briefings.

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster held today’s on-camera press briefing at 11:30 AM, while Spicer will reportedly hold an off-camera briefing at 2PM with the White House press pool.

Last night, McMaster denounced the Washington Post‘s report that President Donald Trump revealed highly classified intelligence with Russian officials last week in the Oval Office.

Today, McMaster told the White House press pool that the conversation with the Russian Foreign Minister and Ambassador was “wholly appropriate,” even though President Trump didn’t even know where the information he shared came from.

Before that, however, Trump threw his national security team under the bus by tweeting he did indeed share the intel with Russia, adding he has the “absolute right” to do so.

According to Buzzfeed reporter Adrian Carrasquillo, White House staffers turned the TVs in the West Wing up to drown out the back-and-forth of a closed door meeting where Team Trump attempted to figure their way out of this latest misstep.