Tag: Trump White House

‘It’s all crazy stuff!’: Mike Pompeo tried to defend his shady ouster of a watchdog — and it didn’t go well

AlterNet logoSecretary of State Mike Pompeo found himself under fire Wednesday morning as the outrage and questions surrounding the ouster of his department’s inspector general continues to grow. And when Pompeo took questions at a press conference about the firing of Steve Linick, he failed to give even a plausible explanation for the termination and even contradicted himself.

Pompeo flat-out admitted that he was behind the firing, saying he recommended the move to President Donald Trump. Trump himself said that he knew nothing of Linick and made the move on Pompeo’s say-so.

“I recommended to the president that Steve Linick be terminated,” Pompeo said. “Frankly, should have done it some time ago.” Continue reading.

White House press secretary gives ‘one of the most ludicrous answers’ to defend Trump’s nonsensical tweets

AlterNet logoPresident Donald Trump’s tweets accusing two vital swing states – Nevada and Michigan – of acting “illegally” by making it easier for their residents to vote by mail during the pandemic were just “alerts” meant just for the eyes of the Secretary of the Treasury and the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

At least, that’s what White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters just hours after Trump threatened to withhold congressionally-approved federal funds from the two states.

“What does the President believe is ‘illegal’ about the Secretary of State of Michigan sending out absentee ballot applications and what federal funding is he considering withholding from the State of Michigan as a result?” one reporter asked. Continue reading.

President Trump’s senior advisers now predict swift economic recovery, despite warnings that major problems could persist

Washington Post logoWhite House officials are optimistic the economy will come roaring back this year, but Fed officials have said the unemployment rate could soon jump beyond 20 percent

White House officials are increasingly predicting a swift economic recovery as they break off talks with Congress on additional federal stimulus, expressing optimism that the “reopening” of states will reverse the economic damage caused by the novel coronavirus.

President Trump and his senior advisers, encouraged by the relative strength of the stock market and some indicators like credit card receipts, have in recent days expressed confidence that the U.S. economy will roar back to life in the second half of this year despite staggering increases in unemployment and small-business closures.

“It almost feels like today is the first day,” Trump said during a White House meeting on Monday. “People are starting to go out. They’re opening. They get it.” Continue reading.

Mnuchin defends White House push to reopen economy as Democrats voice growing concerns

Washington Post logoOne Democrat alleged Mnuchin was putting workers’ lives at risk by moving too quickly

President Trump’s drive to swiftly reopen the economy came under fire Tuesday from Democratic senators who pointedly questioned the administration’s strategy, forcing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to insist the White House would not sacrifice workers’ lives for economic gain.

But the growing insistence by Trump and Republican lawmakers to push for reopening while halting any new talks about aid has created a stark divide in the government’s approach. As Trump has largely shut down negotiations for more emergency assistance, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell warned Tuesday that much more may be needed.

>“We may need to do more, and Congress may, as well,” Powell told lawmakers Tuesday. Continue reading.

John Ratcliffe, Trump’s pick for top intelligence post, clears divided Senate panel

Washington Post logoTexas congressman John Ratcliffe (R) took a step closer to becoming President Trump’s top intelligence adviser on Tuesday, after the Senate Intelligence Committee voted along party lines to move his nomination to the full Senate.

Committee members voted 8 to 7 in favor of Ratcliffe as the next director of national intelligence, following an extraordinary hearing earlier this month held under social distancing guidelines. Ratcliffe sat far back from masked senators who questioned him on his credentials and whether he was capable of acting independently of his political allegiance to the president.

The committee vote was held behind closed doors in a secure facility in the Capitol. Ratcliffe is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate in a vote likely to be held after Memorial Day, according to congressional aides. Continue reading.

White House, CDC rift spills into the open

The Hill logoThe rift between the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has spilled out into the open as one of the nation’s top public health agencies finds itself on the margins of the response to a once-in-a-generation pandemic.

In an administration often beset by infighting, the CDC has been a consistent target of criticism from White House officials privately frustrated by its initial handling of testing and its inability to provide granular, up-to-date data to guide the country’s response.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro took the fight public on Sunday, saying the CDC had “let the country down” with its early testing woes. The comments were the sharpest public criticism of the agency to date from a member of the administration. Continue reading.

As White House pushes firms to reopen, new report says much of bailout stimulus money remains unspent

Washington Post logoA Congressional Oversight Commission created by the Cares Act issued its first report, even though it still doesn’t have a chair

President Trump on Monday intensified his push for businesses to reopen as quickly as possible, but companies and cities continued to wait for the disbursement of unspent bailout funds and remain unsure what to expect as rules and programs continue to shift.

In tweets and during a meeting with restaurant executives at the White House, Trump tried to create a new sense of urgency about jump-starting the economy, which has suffered huge losses the past several months during the coronavirus pandemic. He told restaurant executives at a White House meeting that he was open to giving businesses more flexibility in how they use taxpayer funds so they could delay rehiring workers as quickly as originally required.

But while the Treasury Department has rushed to implement some stimulus programs, such as sending $1,200 checks to 140 million households and mobilizing a small-business lending program, other congressionally approved assistance funds are off to a much slower start. The Congressional Oversight Commission, a new body, released a report on Monday finding that the Treasury Department had spent very little from a $500 billion fund created by the Cares Act in March to help businesses and local governments, even though many of these entities have asked for immediate help. Continue reading.

White House tensions with CDC spill into public view as top Trump adviser criticizes agency response

NOTE:  This article is being provided free of charge by The Washington Post.

Washington Post logoTensions between the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spilled out into public view on Sunday as a top adviser to President Trump criticized the public health agency’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The comments by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro are the latest signal of how the Trump administration has sought to sideline the CDC. The agency typically plays the lead role in public health crises, but in recent weeks it’s had its draft guidance for reopening held up by the White House, leaving states and localities to largely fend for themselves.

Speaking on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” Navarro sharply criticized the CDC over its production of a flawed coronavirus test kit that contributed to a nationwide delay in testing. Continue reading.

Joe Biden: How the White House coronavirus response presents us with a false choice

Washington Post logoThe coronavirus, to date, has taken the lives of more than 79,000 Americans. One of every 5 U.S. workers has filed for unemployment — with the unemployment rate now the highest since the Great Depression. It is an extraordinary moment — the kind that begs for urgent, steady, empathetic, unifying leadership.

But instead of unifying the country to accelerate our public health response and get economic relief to those who need it, President Trump is reverting to a familiar strategy of deflecting blame and dividing Americans. His goal is as obvious as it is craven: He hopes to split the country into dueling camps, casting Democrats as doomsayers hoping to keep America grounded and Republicans as freedom fighters trying to liberate the economy.

It’s a childish tactic — and a false choice that none of us should fall for. Continue reading.