LGBTQ news and entertainment
Donald Trump raised eyebrows today in posting a graphic boasting how he is “reshaping the media.”
The image hails departures in legacy media by pointing out outlets and media personalities who are now “gone” in part due to his rantings about “fake news.” Continue reading “Trump Boasts About ‘Reshaping The Media’”
In this week’s episode of The Randy Report podcast: Donald Trump ordered serial liar and former gay Republican Rep. George Santos released from prison after less than three months of his 7+ year sentence. Plus… Continue reading “Podcast: George Santos Released From Prison + More LGBTQ News”
Some news items I thought worth your time:
• LGBTQ Nation: 56-year-old Frank Hobbs Jr. was caught on camera stealing pro-LGBTQ yard signs last June, eventually claiming that local officials had given him permission to remove “pedophile symbols.” But now he’s being charged with violating state civil rights laws and could face thousands in fines.
• Gay Times: Amazon MGM has announced the highly-anticipated sequel to “Red, White & Royal Blue” has been officially greenlit via a short teaser posted to social media. Continue reading “Caught On Camera Stealing LGBTQ Signs, Now Faces $$$ In Fines + More News”
NBC News anchor Lester Holt (screen capture)
L-R Donald Trump, Joe Biden
From NBC News: The town hall, moderated by “TODAY” anchor Savannah Guthrie, will take place on the same evening — and at the same time — that Joe Biden is doing his own town hall event in Philadelphia on ABC News at 8 p.m. ET.
Trump and Biden were supposed to hold their second debate on Thursday night, but Trump pulled out after organizers announced it was going to be conducted virtually. The last presidential debate is scheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 22.
During the one-hour town hall with Trump on Thursday, Guthrie will moderate a conversation between Trump and a group of Florida voters.
I know Trump loves to hear about his ratings. Because his NBC News town hall will be simulcast on CNBC and MSNBC, I’ll go ahead and predict he’ll probably get more viewers given the wider reach of three networks. But in the end, I doubt these events will change any voter’s mind.
Former Vice President Joe Biden (image via campaign)
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| Josh Earnest |
Former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest has inked a deal to join NBC and MSNBC as a political analyst.
Earnest spent 10 years with President Obama in several roles concluding with 3 years as Press Secretary from 2014-2017.
He began his new job this morning on NBC’s TODAY talking about the failure of President Trump and House Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
It’s common for former Press Secretaries to move into analyst positions on networks.
Jay Carney and Robert Gibbs, who both worked for Obama, signed on with CNN and MSNBC, respectively, after their time in the White House.
Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary for President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003, joined CNN as a contributor.
More details about the new Megyn Kelly deal at NBC News:
It looks like Kelly will be taking over the 9AM hour of The TODAY Show, settling in between the highly rated 7-9AM block, hosted by Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie, and the fun & fluffy 10AM slot hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.
Also – the new show will be Kelly-branded, not a component of the TODAY Show banner.
A network source said that timing on everything involving Kelly is still up in the air, including when she will join NBC News and when her new shows will debut. Speaking Tuesday evening on her Fox News Channel show, The Kelly File, Kelly said her last show would air Friday. Her contract with Fox News runs through July though, so she may not be able to officially join NBC News until that contract expires.
Besides hosting her own daytime program, Kelly also will anchor a Sunday night news magazine and jump in on breaking news and political stories.
The 9 a.m. hour of Today has been a trouble spot for NBC. It tries to be a take on the panel talk show, with Al Roker and Tamron Hall leading a discussion of pop culture and light news with multiple hosts. Last August, the hour suffered a further setback when Today brought on Billy Bush to lead the hour, and soon Bush and Roker were clashing on air about Bush’s kid-gloves interview of Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. Bush was then fired in October after video leaked of him and now-President-elect Donald Trump speaking lewdly about women.
“After more than a dozen years at Fox News, I have decided to pursue a new challenge …. I’ll be leaving Fox News at the week’s end and starting a new adventure, joining the journalists at NBC News, who I deeply admire,” said Kelly on her show.
According to a newly released poll conducted by NBC News/SurveyMonkey, 52% of respondents say Democrat Hillary Clinton won the first presidential debate this past Monday night over Republican Donald Trump. Just 21% said Trump came out on top.
Within her own party, Clinton strengthened her base among Democrats and Democrat-leaning voters view her with 50% saying their opinion of her changed for the better.
Only 26% of Republican and Republican-leaning voters felt Trump improved his standing among them.
When it comes to all-important Independent voters, two-thirds of those polled said their opinion of the two candidates did not change as a result of the debate. Sixteen percent said Clinton improved in their view, while 9% said the same about Trump.
In terms of “appearing presidential,” 53% of respondents said Clinton has the proper temperament to serve as president effectively, while 63% said Trump does not.
As noted by Chuck Todd this afternoon while reporting on these results, this survey is an actual scientific poll, as opposed to a “widget” or “instant poll” on a website trolls can vote, refresh, and vote again.
While Trump boasted about how he won several of those easily freeped online voting widgets, several scientific polls now show Clinton won the night.
News outlets are howling at NBC News’ Matt Lauer after he allowed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s claim he never supported the Iraq war to go unchecked with no follow up questions at last night’s “Commander In Chief” Forum broadcast on NBC and MSNBC.
Meanwhile, Lauer spent almost 13 minutes of his time (and several follow-up questions) with Democrat Hillary Clinton on her email controversy which has been investigated and found to be a non-starter by the FBI.
Reporters across the internet were live fact-checking Trump even as he repeated his often debunked version of history that he always opposed the war in Iraq.
As many now know, back in 2002 in an interview with Howard Stern, Trump was asked if he supported an invasion of Iraq and he responded, “Yeah, I guess so,” Trump responded. “I wish the first time it was done correctly.”
Trump’s statement last night via Politico:
“The main thing is: I have great judgment,” Trump said in response to a question as what he has done in his life that prepared him to send America’s men and women into harm’s way. “I heard Hillary Clinton say I was not against the war in Iraq. I was totally against the war in Iraq. You can look at Esquire magazine from 2004. You can look at before that. And I was against the war in Iraq, I said it’s going to totally destabilize the Middle East, which it has. It’s been a disastrous war. And perhaps almost as bad was the way Barack Obama got out. That was a disaster.”
NBC News eventually posted a fact-check online showing Trump lied during the forum after the fact.
Just a few responses from journalists:
Trump says he was against the 2003 war in Iraq, and cites a 2004 source. (In fact, at the time, he supported it.) #NBCNewsForum— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) September 8, 2016
I hate media-on-media violence, but Trump’s support for the invasion of Iraq has been…rather well documented. No Lauer follow-up?— Olivier Knox (@OKnox) September 8, 2016
Seriously — everyone, and I mean everyone, knew this would happen. And Matt Lauer didn’t have a followup planned? https://t.co/mm5ufZKjEx— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 8, 2016
Lauer says the night was a “success” Fact check: Pants on fire— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 8, 2016
Maybe if Matt Lauer hadn’t spent 13 minutes on emails there’d be more time for ISIS. https://t.co/etCoYOiL28— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) September 8, 2016
To sum up, in the end probably helps Clinton, especially uproar. Trump said idiotic things even with softballs. Lauer lost big time and…— Mike Signorile (@MSignorile) September 8, 2016
…rest of media is now on notice — including NYT & others. You’ll be Lauered (it had started already) unless you start dong real reporting— Mike Signorile (@MSignorile) September 8, 2016