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Trump Says U.S. Has Fallen Behind in Nuclear Weapons

February 24, 2017 at 7:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump told Reuters he wants to ensure the U.S. nuclear arsenal is at the “top of the pack,” saying the United States has fallen behind in its weapons capacity.

Said Trump: “I am the first one that would like to see… nobody have nukes, but we’re never going to fall behind any country even if it’s a friendly country, we’re never going to fall behind on nuclear power. It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we’re going to be at the top of the pack.”

Montana GOP Leader Opposes Mail Ballot

February 24, 2017 at 7:18 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The head of the Montana Republican Party “has come out against a mail ballot bill for a special election to replace a seat expected to vacated by Montana’s lone congressman, saying they give Democrats an inherent advantage,” the Great Falls Tribune reports.

Rep. Jeff Essmann (R) said Democrats would have an “inherent advantage due to their ability to organize large numbers of unpaid college students and members of public employee unions to gather ballots by going door to door.”

2020 Candidates Already Making Plans

February 24, 2017 at 7:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“An extraordinary alignment of ambition, opportunity and timing is raising the prospect that the Democratic Party in 2020 could have its biggest presidential field in a generation,” Politico reports.

“A sprawling roster of potential primary candidates is already surveying the political climate and reaching out to campaign consultants in stealthy meetings and calls, according to roughly a half-dozen party operatives familiar with the initial conversations.”

“At least a dozen senators are widely thought to be in the mix — including Vermont’s Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey’s Cory Booker, California’s Kamala Harris, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, Oregon’s Jeff Merkley, New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand, Connecticut’s Chris Murphy, and both Minnesotans, Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken. But the depleted bench of Democratic governors is also stocked with possible White House hopefuls, expanding the list of credible presidential prospects to as many as two dozen.”

White House May Boost Marijuana Enforcement

February 24, 2017 at 6:25 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump “may ramp up enforcement of federal laws against recreational marijuana use… setting up potential conflicts in states where the drug is legal,” Reuters reports.

“More than two dozen U.S. states have legalized marijuana for either medical or recreational purposes, and the administration of former President Obama mostly looked the other way.”

Therapists Overwhelmed with Patients Talking Trump

February 24, 2017 at 6:07 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“In her 35 years as a therapist, Arlene Drake has never heard so many clients talking about the same issue. Week after week, they complain of panic attacks and insomnia because of President Trump. They’re too anxious to concentrate at work. One woman’s fear turned into intense, physical pain,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Therapists nationwide say they’ve been overwhelmed by the strong feelings triggered by one of the most divisive figures in modern political history.”

Where Is Sarah Palin?

February 24, 2017 at 6:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

USA Today: “As the Conservative Political Action Conference kicked off just outside of Washington this week, there was one name noticeably missing from the roster of speakers: Sarah Palin.”

“The former Alaska governor used to be a rock star at the annual conservative gathering. But this year she wasn’t invited to CPAC.”

Air Force Can’t Vouch for Trump’s Claim

February 23, 2017 at 10:45 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Air Force can’t account for $1 billion in savings that President Donald Trump said he’s negotiated for the program to develop, purchase and operate two new Boeing jets to serve as Air Force One,” Bloomberg reports.

Said Air Force spokesman Colonel Pat Ryder: “To my knowledge I have not been told that we have that information. I refer you to the White House.”

U.S. Sees Major Drop In Tourism

February 23, 2017 at 10:24 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Frommers: “Though they may differ as to the wisdom of the move, the travel press and most travel experts are of one mind: They are currently drawing attention to an unintended consequence of the Trump-led efforts to stop many Muslims from coming to the U.S., pointing to a sharp drop in foreign tourism to our nation that imperils jobs and touristic income.”

“It’s known as the ‘Trump Slump.’ And I know of no reputable travel publication to deny it.”

“Thus, the prestigious Travel Weekly magazine (as close to an ‘official’ travel publication as they come) has set the decline in foreign tourism at 6.8%. And the fall-off is not limited to Muslim travelers, but also extends to all incoming foreign tourists. Apparently, an attack on one group of tourists is regarded as an assault on all.”

McCaul Says We Don’t Need Wall Along the U.S. Border

February 23, 2017 at 10:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-TX) tempered his support of President Trump’s plan to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, “stressing instead the need for a multifaceted approach to border security,” Politico reports.

Said McCaul: “I don’t think we need a 2,000-mile wall down there.”

Democrats Opt for Total War On Trump

February 23, 2017 at 9:38 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Immediately after the November election, Democrats were divided over how to handle Mr. Trump, with one camp favoring all-out confrontation and another backing a seemingly less risky approach of coaxing him to the center with offers of compromise.”

“Now, spurred by explosive protests and a torrent of angry phone calls and emails from constituents — and outraged themselves by Mr. Trump’s swift moves to enact a hard-line agenda — Democrats have all but cast aside any notion of conciliation with the White House. Instead, they are mimicking the Republican approach of the last eight years — the ‘party of no’ — and wagering that brash obstruction will pay similar dividends.”

For members: Democrats Can’t Just Make It About Trump

Republicans Back Away from Trump at Rowdy Town Halls

February 23, 2017 at 9:30 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “This week’s congressional town halls have repeatedly found Republicans hedging their support for the new president’s agenda — and in many cases contradicting their past statements. Hostile questions put them on record criticizing some of the fights Trump has picked or pledging to protect policies such as the more popular elements of Obamacare. And voters got it all on tape, promising to keep hounding their lawmakers if they falter.”

For members: No Political Cover for GOP Lawmakers

Majority of Americans Disapprove of Trump

February 23, 2017 at 6:41 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new CBS News poll finds President Trump’s overall job approval rating at 39%, with 51% of Americans disapproving and 10% who don’t have an opinion.

FBI Refused to Knock Down Trump-Russia Stories

February 23, 2017 at 6:29 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The FBI rejected a recent White House request to publicly knock down media reports about communications between Donald Trump’s associates and Russians known to US intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign,” CNN reports.

“White House officials had sought the help of the bureau and other agencies investigating the Russia matter to say that the reports were wrong and that there had been no contacts.”

“The direct communications between the White House and the FBI were unusual because of decade-old restrictions on such contacts. Such a request from the White House is a violation of procedures that limit communications with the FBI on pending investigations.”

Rowdy Town Halls Are More Organic Than Organized

February 23, 2017 at 5:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The White House and prominent Republicans have largely dismissed the noisy eruption of civic activism at town-hall meetings across the U.S. as the work of professional organizers and paid activists, partly because MoveOn and other liberal groups have offered help,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Interviews suggest otherwise. Many participants are first-timers who echo in passion, though not in politics, the people who emerged early in the tea-party movement in 2009, when unhappy voters banded together against what they saw as government overreach by the Obama administration.”

A Few Thoughts on Stephen Bannon

February 23, 2017 at 4:11 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

The joint appearance of Stephen Bannon and Reince Priebus at CPAC was extremely interesting. Both men tried hard to make the case that despite seeming like a political odd couple they actually represent a happy marriage of opposite wings of the Republican Party. At one point Priebus even praised Bannon as “a very dear friend,” while Bannon in turn said the White House chief of staff was “indefatigable.”

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Trump Effort to Justify Travel Ban Causes Concern

February 23, 2017 at 4:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump “has assigned the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice Department, to help build the legal case for its temporary travel ban on individuals from seven countries,” CNN reports.

“Other Trump administration sources tell CNN that this is an assignment that has caused concern among some administration intelligence officials, who see the White House charge as the politicization of intelligence — the notion of a conclusion in search of evidence to support it after being blocked by the courts. Still others in the intelligence community disagree with the conclusion and are finding their work disparaged by their own department.”

Trump Favorite for EU Post Falsified His Credentials

February 23, 2017 at 3:19 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Oxford University has distanced itself from Ted Malloch, “the political scientist who wants to be Donald Trump’s ambassador in Brussels, accusing him of falsely claiming to be a fellow at two of its colleges,” the Financial Times reports.

“This week the FT identified a number of misleading statements in Mr Malloch’s autobiography, including claims that he was ‘knighted’ into the Sovereign Order of St John by the Queen and called a ‘genius’ by Margaret Thatcher… The FT has found further signs that Mr Malloch — whose specialist subjects include business ethics — has exaggerated his academic and diplomatic credentials.”

Pastor Sensed ‘Demonic Activity’ at Trump Rally

February 23, 2017 at 2:41 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A Florida pastor who took his 11-year-old daughter to a campaign-style rally for President Trump said he hoped the event would serve as a civics lesson — but that it turned instead into a spectacle where ‘demonic activity was palpable,'” the Washington Post reports.

Joel Tooley writes about his experience on Facebook:

As we began to leave, I knew my daughter could not possibly care less about Air Force One or the fact that she saw the President of the United States and his wife, in the flesh. I truly had hoped that she could have had that sentimental experience.

What she WILL remember is the angry, violent man screaming demonic vitriol at a child and her mother. She will remember the two ladies screaming at her Dad, her pastor – flipping the middle finger and using the F word repeatedly.