Tag: Trump White House

‘An unmitigated disaster’: Trump advisors dismayed by president’s continued botching of protest responses

AlterNet logoIn a report from the Washington Post, one advisor to Donald Trump who works outside the White House complained about the president’s actions relating to the anti-police brutality protests– from tweets to putting up a fence around the White House — and bluntly called his actions an “unmitigated disaster.”

According to the report, the administration is still reeling from reports that the president was whisked away to an underground bunker last Friday due to protests that reached the White House gates, believing the action made the image-conscious Trump look weak. Since that time, the president attempted a photo-op at a church adjacent from the White House that blew up in the administration’s face after peaceful protesters were gassed to clear a path for the president.

Now the White House has greatly expanded fencing around the White House to protect the president which some in the administration thinks projects even more weakness. Continue reading.

‘He got nasty’: Former White House chief of staff rips Trump and defends James Mattis

AlterNet logoAfter resigning from his position as secretary of Defense in December 2018, Gen. James Mattis was reluctant to criticize President Donald Trump. But that changed this week during the George Floyd protests when Mattis, in comments published by The Atlantic, called Trump out for being so divisive.

As Mattis’s comments stoke both praise and backlash, former White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly came out on Thursday to defend the former Pentagon chief.

Mattis disagreed with Trump’s threat to use military force during the demonstrations. And he asserted: “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.” Continue reading.

Press Secretary Compares Trump Photo Op To Churchill During London Blitz

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany compared Donald Trump’s photo-opwith a Bible to the actions of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II.

McEnany specifically compared Trump’s three-minute appearance outside a church, after protesters were tear-gassed to clear the site for him, to Churchill inspecting sites of bomb damage during the London Blitz that killed tens of thousands of civilians.

She also compared Trump’s brief performance with previous presidential actions, like George W. Bush throwing out the first pitch after 9/11. Continue  reading.

The two very different ends of Pennsylvania Avenue

Calm on Capitol Hill compared to chaotic response at the White House

The contrast between how the George Floyd protests unfolded at the White House and on Capitol Hill could hardly be greater, with Congress’ relatively calm reaction to protesters and its own legislative business a vivid rejoinder to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Chaos on Monday at Lafayette Square was replaced with a chaotic executive branch openly feuding with itself on Wednesday.

As demonstrators began to march down Pennsylvania Avenue from Freedom Plaza to Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opened the chamber with remarks that acknowledged the protests and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but largely came from the Kentucky Republican’s rhetorical quiver. Continue reading.

Ivanka Trump ‘urged’ president’s church photo-op — which could become a ‘defining moment’ of his time in office: NYT

AlterNet logoFirst daughter and senior White House advisor Ivanka Trump “urged” her father to take part in a controversial photo-op with a Bible according to a new report from The New York Times.

“After a weekend of protests that led all the way to his own front yard and forced him to briefly retreat to a bunker beneath the White House, President Trump arrived in the Oval Office on Monday agitated over the television images, annoyed that anyone would think he was hiding and eager for action,” the newspaper reported.

“He wanted to send the military into American cities, an idea that provoked a heated, voices-raised fight among his advisers. But by the end of the day, urged on by his daughter Ivanka Trump, he came up with a more personal way of demonstrating toughness — he would march across Lafayette Square to a church damaged by fire the night before,” the newspaper reported.

Hope Hicks was reportedly the brains behind the photo-op. Continue reading.

Nadler seeks to punish Barr for not testifying

Judiciary chairman threatens to slash attorney general’s office budget

The House Judiciary Committee squared off against Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday to counter what Democrats say is continued defiance of Congress for refusing to testify at a Justice Department oversight hearing.

Chairman Jerrold Nadler announced that he would introduce legislation this week to slash the budget of the attorney general’s personal office by $50 million — a proposal unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate or get President Donald Trump’s signature to become law.

But the New York Democrat said the committee also will hear testimony from DOJ whistleblowers and former department officials who can “describe specific incidents of misconduct, as well as the unprecedented politicization” of the Justice Department during the Trump administration. Continue reading.

Senior official ‘sickened’ by Trump’s ‘victory lap’ at DC church after cops gas protesters: report

AlterNet logoAt least one senior official was sickened by President Donald Trump’s photo opportunity at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

U.S. Park Police and National Guard troops used tear gas to clear Lafayette Park of peaceful protesters Monday afternoon so the president, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, William Barr and other administration officials could walk from the White House to the historic church to pose for a photo.

“There were some aide that is thought this was an instantly iconic photo,” Axios co-founder Mike Allen told MSNBC’s “First Look.” “They were very proud of themselves, but there were others that took a look at this picture, and you pull back the camera, Republicans I was talking to and texting with last night, they took a look at this, you pull pack the camera, and you have the president standing kind of alone in front of this boarded-up church, boarded up because of the violence that had been going on there. Someone had tried to set a fire in the basement. Is that really the story they wanted to tell?” Continue reading.

Trump Runs From Reporters In Press Conference Disaster

The White House promised that Trump would hold a press conference, but the President came out, issued a statement, and ran for the door when reporters asked questions.

Trump said:

Our actions will be strong, our actions will be meaningful. More than two decades ago, on a rainy night in 1997, British soldiers lowered the union flag and Chinese soldiers raised the Chinese flag in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong people felt proud of their Chinese heritage and their unique Hong Kong identity.

The people of Hong Kong hope that in the years and decades to come, China would increasingly come to resemble its most dynamic city, the rest of the world was electrified by a sense of optimism that Hong Kong was a glimpse into China’s future, not that Hong Kong would grow into a reflection of China’s past. In every decision, I will continue to proudly defend and protect the workers’ families and citizens of the United States of America. Thank you very much. Thank you. 

Continue reading.

New Transcript Shows Trump Adviser Michael Flynn Colluding With Russia in 2016

Michael Flynn, the former Trump national security adviser, pleaded guilty in federal court to the charge of lying to FBI officials about a conversation he had with the Russian ambassador. Flynn’s defenders have insisted his lie was innocent and immaterial.

Late Friday afternoon, the Trump administration released the transcript of that conversation. The timing itself does not indicate much confidence that the transcript would support Flynn’s interpretation (late Friday afternoons not being the customary time to drop favorable news stories). And indeed, the transcript makes Flynn’s call look even less innocent.

On December 29, 2016, President Obama announced economic sanctions against Russia to retaliate for its interference in the presidential elections. Flynn, Trump’s incoming national security adviser, quickly got on the phone with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. When word of the phone call leaked, the administration announced that the call had merely served the purpose of touching base and exchanging pleasantries. “On Christmas Day, General Flynn reached out to the ambassador, sent him a text, and it said, you know, I want to wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I look forward to touching base with you and working with you,” announced Press Secretary Sean Spicer. “The call centered around the logistics of setting up a call with the president of Russia and the president-elect after he was sworn in.” Continue reading.