Tag: Trump administration abuse of the U.S. Constitution

Pompeo lashes out at ‘shameful’

The Hill logoSecretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at an NPR reporter on Saturday and accused her of lying to him after reports emerged of a heated exchangebetween the two.

“NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me, twice. First, last month, in setting up our interview and, then again yesterday, in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record,” Pompeo said in a statement released by the State Department.

“It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency,” he continued, calling the incident “another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President Trump and this Administration.” Continue reading.

‘He’s not going to lie to this country’: Trump’s new press secretary gives a tortured and laughable defense of the president’s endless deception

AlterNet logoDefending President Donald Trump is not an easy job, so there are always some who insist that we should give his spokespeople credit for trying their best in a vexing position. But since no one needs to be a professional defender of the president — anyone who could get such a job has other options — we shouldn’t treat the pleas for sympathy with much credibility.

With that in mind, new White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham’s latest defense of the president’s lies should be greeted with laughing derision. In a new piece by Washington Post reporter Paul Fahri, Grisham took the admittedly impossible task of defending Trump’s lies to new, extreme heights (or depths, depending on where you’re standing):

“Do I believe that their coverage is slanted and biased? Yes. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. A majority of reporters are liberal. A lot of reporters are uncomfortable with him and his blunt way of speaking. I think this is the first time they’ve been so publicly called out for some of their behaviors and their instinct is to fight back rather than take a step back” and assess their conduct.

His blunt way of speaking? Does Grisham think Trump never lies?

View the complete August 28 article by Cody Fenwick on the AlterNet website here.

NOTE:  President Trump sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution.  He lies (see the ‘Trump never lies’ link above), and then attacks this country’s free press when they report he lies.  Now, he has a communications staff that is taking that same lie to a higher level.)

Barr books Trump’s hotel for $30,000 holiday party

Washington Post logoExperts say private, 200-person party adds to questions about attorney general’s independence from president.

Attorney General William P. Barr is planning a holiday treat for his boss.

Last month, Barr booked President Trump’s D.C. hotel for a 200-person holiday party in December that is likely to deliver Trump’s business more than $30,000 in revenue.

Barr signed a contract, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, for a “Family Holiday Party” in the hotel’s Presidential Ballroom Dec. 8. The party will feature a buffet and a four-hour open bar for about 200 people.

View the complete August 27 Jonathan O’Connell and David A. Fahrenthold on The Washington Post website here.