Some news items you might have missed:
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Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
Some news items you might have missed:
• Twitter: Back To The Future stars Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd were reunited today in New York City at Comic Con. Continue reading “Michael J. Fox & Chris Lloyd Reunited At ComicCon + More”
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on budget matters, Attorney General William P. Barr said he will be releasing a redacted version of the Mueller report within a week.
From the New York Times:
Attorney General William P. Barr said he will deliver the Mueller report to Congress and the public within a week, reiterating his earlier promise to release it by mid-April.
Testifying before lawmakers, Mr. Barr said he would be transparent about redactions in the report. But he demurred when asked whether he has briefed the White House on it.
“My original timetable of being able to release this by mid-April stands,” says Attorney General Barr, referring to the Mueller report.“By within a week, I will be in a position to release the report to the public.”
Live updates: https://t.co/V3rK3Fhtfy pic.twitter.com/9wSNVhHx7O
— CNN (@CNN) April 9, 2019
Bill Barr reveals that Mueller team DID NOT have a role in drafting his letter to Hill outlining the top-line conclusions of Mueller report. Mueller team was offered a chance to review it but declined— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 9, 2019
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Donald Trump |
As political pundits were scratching their heads over the extremely light prison sentence (47 months vs. 19-24 years per guidelines) given to former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort yesterday, Donald Trump clearly began to feel vindicated yet again.
This morning the Donald tweeted,”Both the Judge and the lawyer in the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and for the world to hear that there was NO COLLUSION with Russia. But the Witch Hunt Hoax continues as you now add these statements to House & Senate Intelligence & Senator Burr. So bad for our Country!”
Both the Judge and the lawyer in the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and for the world to hear that there was NO COLLUSION with Russia. But the Witch Hunt Hoax continues as you now add these statements to House & Senate Intelligence & Senator Burr. So bad for our Country!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 8, 2019
“I feel very badly for Paul Manafort,” Pres. Trump says of the sentencing of his former campaign chair.“But if you notice…the judge said there was no collusion with Russia.” https://t.co/Qv4kmr9is6 pic.twitter.com/UTA92fme0z
— ABC News (@ABC) March 8, 2019
In reality, the judge in the case merely stated that the crimes Manafort was found guilty of did not involve ‘collusion’ with Russia. Judge TS Ellis did not declare there was no collusion.
Meanwhile, back in the real world . . .1. The issue of collusion/conspiracy with Russia was NOT brought before that particular court;
2. So any evidence of that issue was not allowed; so
3. There could be no ruling on the facts of that issue.
VERDICT: Trump is lying. Again. https://t.co/qAbhBWpuol
— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) March 8, 2019
Dear @realDonaldTrump –We know your NO COLLUSION tweet is forthcoming, but we don’t care that Paul Manafort wasn’t convicted of that. We care that YOU have surrounded yourself with career criminals like him, and have compromised our security as Americans.
– The Majority
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) March 7, 2019
I think this is what we call “moving the goalposts.”
In a stunning reversal, Donald Trump’s legal eagle Rudy Giuliani told CNN’s Chris Cuomo last night that he never said there was “no collusion” between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian agents.
From The Washington Post:
President Trump’s legal spokesman Rudolph W. Giuliani on Wednesday night appeared to grant the possibility that members of Trump’s campaign did, in fact, collude with the Russians during the 2016 presidential election campaign.
And in the process, he contradicted dozens of previous denials that both the Trump team (and Trump himself) have offered.
“I never said there was no collusion between the campaign or between people in the campaign,” Giuliani told CNN’s Chris Cuomo, before getting cut off.
“Yes, you have,” Cuomo said.
Giuliani shot back: “I have not. I said ‘the president of the United States.’”
Now, perhaps Giuliani never said the exact words “no one from the Trump campaign ever communicated with Russian interlopers,” but that has been the clear message from Donald Trump regarding his team and the alleged Russian interference during the 2016 presidential race.
“No collusion” has been the Trumpster’s mantra over and over again.
This is first time anyone connected to Trump has opened the door to the idea that someone associated with Trump colluded with Russian forces without his knowledge.
The Washington Post breaks down the many evolving positions like this:
1. November 2016: No communications, period
2. February 2017: There were no communications, “to the best of our knowledge”
3. March 2017: There were communications, but no planned meetings with Russians
4. July 8, 2017: There was a planned meeting at Trump Tower, but it was “primarily” about adoption and not the campaign
5. July 9, 2017: The meeting was planned to discuss the campaign, but the information exchanged wasn’t “meaningful”
6. December 2017: Collusion isn’t even a crime
7. May 16, 2018: Even if meaningful information were obtained, it wasn’t used
8. May 19, 2018: There was a *second* planned meeting about foreign help in the election, but nothing came of it either
9. July 16, 2018: Trump couldn’t collude, because Trump didn’t even know Putin
10. July 30, 2018: Collusion isn’t a crime, and Trump wasn’t physically at the Trump Tower meeting
11. January 16, 2019: Trump didn’t collude, but no guarantees on others in the campaign
It’s like quicksand – the more Team Trump fights, the worse off they are.
The collusion evolution, by Rudy Giuliani:– There was no collusion.
– Even if there was collusion, it‘s not a crime.
– Truth isn’t truth.
– It happened a long time ago.
– I never said there was no collusion.
– I said no collusion…with the President of the United States.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 17, 2019
Can’t help but wonder what shoe may be about to drop in the Mueller investigation if Rudy Giuliani is on cable news saying things like, “I never said there was no collusion between the campaign.”— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 17, 2019
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Donald Trump |
Quite the bombshell.
From The New York Times:
In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.
The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.
The investigation the F.B.I. opened into Mr. Trump also had a criminal aspect, which has long been publicly known: whether his firing of Mr. Comey constituted obstruction of justice.
I’m also going to make a point to include this from the Times report:
No evidence has emerged publicly that Mr. Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian government officials. An F.B.I. spokeswoman and a spokesman for the special counsel’s office both declined to comment.
Clearly, I don’t have the evidence that the FBI has gathered but we do know that Trump frequently praised Russian President Putin, taking his word over that of the US intelligence community regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
That alone that should give pause to any American.
The Donald’s short little fingers flew across his iPhone’s keyboard this morning in a Twitter rage complete with ‘the Failing New York Times,’ ‘Lyin James Comey,’ ‘Crooked Hillary,’ and a boast of being ‘FAR tougher on Russia than Obama.’
Wow, just learned in the Failing New York Times that the corrupt former leaders of the FBI, almost all fired or forced to leave the agency for some very bad reasons, opened up an investigation on me, for no reason & with no proof, after I fired Lyin’ James Comey, a total sleaze!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019
…Funny thing about James Comey. Everybody wanted him fired, Republican and Democrat alike. After the rigged & botched Crooked Hillary investigation, where she was interviewed on July 4th Weekend, not recorded or sworn in, and where she said she didn’t know anything (a lie),….— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019
….the FBI was in complete turmoil (see N.Y. Post) because of Comey’s poor leadership and the way he handled the Clinton mess (not to mention his usurpation of powers from the Justice Department). My firing of James Comey was a great day for America. He was a Crooked Cop……— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019
…..who is being totally protected by his best friend, Bob Mueller, & the 13 Angry Democrats – leaking machines who have NO interest in going after the Real Collusion (and much more) by Crooked Hillary Clinton, her Campaign, and the Democratic National Committee. Just Watch!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019
I have been FAR tougher on Russia than Obama, Bush or Clinton. Maybe tougher than any other President. At the same time, & as I have often said, getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. I fully expect that someday we will have good relations with Russia again!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019
Lyin’ James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter S and his lover, agent Lisa Page, & more, all disgraced and/or fired and caught in the act. These are just some of the losers that tried to do a number on your President. Part of the Witch Hunt. Remember the “insurance policy?” This is it!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019
The Twitterverse has their own thoughts on the historic news:
Just keep saying this to yourself.The FBI has enough evidence to open an investigation into whether the President of the United States was a Russian asset.
We are in Grisham novel.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) January 12, 2019
Um. This is not actually a denial https://t.co/yzvgyQLINN— Sam Stein (@samstein) January 12, 2019
Why hasn’t the White house and and Trump jut come out and said he is not an agent of Putin? Simple denial.In WH statement and 5 huffy tweets all that is expressed is outrage anger.
Not denial of the claims of the story.
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) January 12, 2019
You bowed to Putin, praised him throughout the campaign — as you secretly pursued Tower Moscow — and believed him over American intelligence in Helsinki.You appear to be completely owned by him — this tweet shows it too.We now know why FBI was rightly very concerned.
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) January 12, 2019
“I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.” — FDR— James Comey (@Comey) January 12, 2019
We were warned. pic.twitter.com/O5dbiCJ5Ap— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 12, 2019
Nothing says I’m confident of my innocence like 9 panicky tweets before 9:45am.— Translate Trump (@TranslateRealDT) January 12, 2019
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Lanny Davis |
Making the rounds on morning political TV, Michael Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis now says Cohen is more than happy to speak to Special Counsel Robert Mueller about “Russian collusion” during the 2016 presidential election.
From The New York Post:
Michael Cohen is willing to speak with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about a “conspiracy to collude” with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign, his lawyer said on Tuesday night.
“Mr. Cohen has knowledge on certain subjects that should be of interest to the special counsel and is more than happy to tell the special counsel all that he knows,” Davis told the network.
“Not just about the obvious possibility of a conspiracy to collude and corrupt the American democracy system in the 2016 election, which the Trump Tower meeting was all about, but also knowledge about the computer crime of hacking and whether or not Mr. Trump knew ahead of time about that crime and even cheered it on.”
That said, its been repeated over and over that Justice Department guidelines say a sitting president can’t be indicted.
But, he can certainly be handcuffed at the close of the inauguration of the next president in January 20121.
Davis told MSNBC this morning that at this time he feels its indisputable that Trump committed a crime.
“Very clearly, there is no dispute that Donald Trump committed a crime.” — @LannyDavis pic.twitter.com/wgC0BtVdjc— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 22, 2018
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Don Trump Jr. (L) and Donald Trump(R) |
According to the New York Daily News, Donald Trump was uber-angry at his junior namesake for releasing emails about his Trump Tower meeting with a Russian government attorney.
President Trump blasted his firstborn son as a “f–kup” after learning he had released emails about a controversial Trump Tower meeting attended by a Kremlin-connected lawyer who had promised dirt on Hillary Clinton, according to Omarosa Manigault Newman’s forthcoming book.
Manigault Newman, who was unceremoniously fired from the White House last December, says the President erupted in anger after she met with him last July and told him she was “sorry to hear” Donald Trump Jr. had posted screengrabs on Twitter of his email exchanges with British publicist Rob Goldstone.
“He is such a f–kup,” Trump said of his son, according to Manigault Newman’s tell-all book, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily News. “He screwed up again, but this time, he’s screwing us all, big-time!” A White House spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment. A spokesman for Trump Jr. did not immediately respond either.
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Donald Trump |
You may remember that when the story broke about Don Trump Jr. meeting with a Russian government attorney at Trump Tower during the 2016 elections, Donald Trump described the meeting as a short introductory meeting discussing a program about the adoption of Russian children that was popular with American families years ago but had been stopped by the Russian government.
Trump Jr. said the meeting was not campaign-related in any way.
And then his emails were made public and the world found out he’d lied.
Sunday morning, the president confirmed (seemingly by accident) that Junior’s meeting was, in fact, a confab about getting dirt from Russian agents about Hillary Clinton, which, by the way, is illegal.
Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics – and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018
oops you just admitted it was collusion! https://t.co/vTIEM2d3hS— Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) August 5, 2018
POTUS deep-sixes the “adoption” lie. Collusion is fine and everyone does it. https://t.co/Pg0IIq6MBm— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) August 5, 2018
Out: “NO COLLUSION!”In: “SOME COLLUSION!” https://t.co/IsFqNh3u7p
— David Frum (@davidfrum) August 5, 2018
Ooooopsie.We are going to be hearing about this tweet a whole lot for a long time. As well as whatever insane nonsense Rudy comes up with to explain it. https://t.co/4UlhnAPYhz
— Adam Davidson (@adamdavidson) August 5, 2018
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Donald Trump (L) and President Putin of Russia (R) |
Heading into his one-on-one summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump via Twitter blamed the Untied States’ “stupidity” for the poor relationship with Russia.
Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2018
The Foreign Ministry of Russia actually chimed in saying, “We agree.”
We agree https://t.co/7l087Qwmj3— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) July 16, 2018
Predator trump just insulted American democracy right in front of Putin. He’s definitely a traitor. Mueller, please hurry. #TreasonSummit— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) July 16, 2018
He is on foreign soil criticizing our country and praising Putin #TreasonSummit— Amanda Morrow (@kaymorrow) July 16, 2018
Side-by-side, tag teaming, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are attacking the #Mueller probe.This is open #Collusion, to discredit an investigation into an attack on all Americans.#TreasonSummit
— VoteVets (@votevets) July 16, 2018