National Political Correspondent
@POLITICO
. Often with Daisy the basset hound.
@UTAustin
- Hook ‘em. West Virginian. Be curious and kind🌸 mmcgraw
@politico
.com
McConaughey calls for background checks, raising minimum age to purchase AR-15 to 21, red flag laws: "Responsible gun owners are fed up with the 2nd amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals. These regulations are not a step back. They're a step forward..."
Nice photo of the Bushes, Clintons, Obamas, and First Lady Trump at the funeral of Barbara Bush posted by
@jgm41
(
@PaulMorsePhoto
- Office of George H. W. Bush)
A portrait of how much Donald Trump turned the GOP establishment upside down -- Cindy McCain is speaking at the DNC about her late husband's relationship with Biden, and neither the last Republican president (GWB) nor the last Republican nominee (Romney) are speaking at the RNC
Mom working the overnight Christmas Eve shift at the hospital. Thinking of her and all the other doctors, nurses, and folks doing their jobs tonight. They’re missed at home!♥️
The pastor of St. John's on Fox News just said he had no idea what was going to be happening at his church tonight at 7pm. "I feel like I'm in some alternative universe in a way."
Fiona Hill with a message to those who have refused to testify: “I believe that those who have information that the Congress deems relevant have a legal and moral obligation to provide it.”
This is my mom at work today! I hope every physician and health professional has the protective equipment and tools they need to do their jobs and continue saving lives♥️
Former VP Mike Pence: "Jan 6 was a dark day in the history of our US Capitol...that same day we reconvened the Congress and did our duty. You know, President Trump and I have spoken several times since we left office and I don’t know if we’ll ever see eye to eye on that day."
Former President Donald Trump just released a 12 page statement with footnotes on the January 6 investigation hearings and digs his heels into claims the election was "stolen" and rigged against him
A nurse standing in the Oval said that PPE has been "sporadic"
President Trump chimed in, "sporadic for you but not sporadic for a lot of other people."
Just in: Acting Sec of Defense Shanahan just told reporters he hasn’t determined if there is a military necessity for a border wall or how much money Defense will even spend. Shanahan said he hasn’t yet spoken to President Trump.
Peter Navarro, wearing a mask and workout gear, just walked by press sitting outside the West Wing. Some photographers took photos and he called them “assholes.”
I’m reminded of my favorite photo of Trump taken by a young woman who was at dinner with her boyfriend at Mar-a-Lago. News broke that North Korea fired a test missile and Bannon, Flynn, and aides were in a panic, papers flying. Meanwhile Trump smiled for the woman and her camera.
BBC interviewed the Sun reporter who said Sanders tried to end the interview but Trump “swatted her away” and “kept on talking” well beyond the allotted 10 min
His final impression: “He is unchallenged in his own organization, it’s like being in the court of a medieval emperor”
Kevin McCarthy Facebook message to GOP colleagues today: "If you are an elected Republican, and you are staying quiet while Democrats in Washington are abusing their power--you are the very reason they think they can get away with it. NOW is the time to speak up and be LOUD!"
Dr Birx on CNN on a “new phase” of the pandemic: “Today is different than March or April. It’s extraordinarily widespread...it’s more widespread and both rural and urban.”
Trump at CDC: "You know my Uncle was a great -- he was at MIT. He taught at MIT for a record number of years. He was a great super genius, Dr. John Trump. I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it...Maybe I have a natural ability."
"I didn't want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction," Dr. Conley says when asked why he was reluctant to answer specific questions about the president's health yesterday.
Lines double around and this is blocks away from the main entrance for tonight’s MAGA rally in Evansville. I’ve met people who drove hours for the rally and are staying overnight — like for a big concert! — with one who flew in from NY to see the rally
Jeopardy! episode last week:
Alex Trebek: “Any family members back home cheering you on?”
Contestant Burt Thakur: “I learned English because of you. My grandfather who raised me...I used to sit on his lap and watch you every day.”
Oh, what a story. “On their last afternoon together, before Mr. Wisnia left her apartment, she asked him to sing to her. He took her hand and sang her the Hungarian song she taught him in Auschwitz. He wanted to show her that he remembered the words.”
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Not many people charged with felony crimes go seven years without ever standing trial. One of them is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Dr. Fauci said he'll be back tomorrow:
"A lot of people were concerned that I'm sick, that I died, or that the president is mad -- is angry with me. None of the above. I'm fine and I'll be back. I just had some important work regarding the vaccine and the drug situation."
There is nothing in the joint declaration about any kind of commitment from Mexico, the 2nd largest market for US ag products, to buy more from American farmers...
Trump on Inslee: "I told Mike not to be complimentary of that Gov because that Gov is a snake...Let me just tell you we have a lot of problems with the Gov and the Gov of WA, that's where you have many of your problems, OK? So Mike may be happy with him but I'm not OK?"
Trump tells the crowd at Israeli-American Council summit they might not like him but they won't vote for "Pocahontas" because she will go after their money.
NEW: First Lady Melania Trump will not attend the G7 or Singapore summit with President Trump,
@FLOTUS
Communications Director Stephanie Grisham tells me
YIKES. The whole quote: "Some key advisors around the president don't seem to understand the gravity of the moment. No matter what happens they'll tell you, 'our voters aren't going anywhere, the trailer parks are rock-solid. What choice do they have? They have to vote for us.'"
Wow -- Tucker Carlson is really going after everyone tonight, including Jared Kushner: "No one has more contempt for Donald Trump's voters than Jared Kushner does and no one expresses it more frequently."
Someone running the Trump campaign's feed of this presser can be heard saying "can they hear us on the stream?" and talking about "Rudy's hair dye dripping down his face."
Tillerson: “We squandered the best opportunity we had on North Korea...With Putin we didn’t get anything done. We’re nowhere with China on national security. We’re in a worse place today than we were before he came in, and I didn’t think that was possible”
Bret Baier: "Why not just hand them over then?"
Donald Trump: "Because I had boxes -- I want to go through the boxes and get all my personal things out I don't want to hand that over to NARA yet. And I was very busy. As you have sort of seen."
Tucker Carlson tonight cast blame for the Woodward book mess on Sen. Graham, who he said convinced Trump to do the book and sat in on the first interview with Trump and Woodward
Bolton on the stunning Trump-Putin press conference in Helsinki: "I thought I wouldn't get up. I didn't know what to do...I thought Dan Coats, then the director of national intelligence, was close to resignation."
“Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican and frequent Trump critic, has been approached and is expected to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Biden’s behalf next month”
Wow: There's a fake, mysterious robocall in Alabama out there from someone falsely claiming to be 'Bernie Bernstein,' a reporter from the Washington Post, seeking 'damaging' info on Roy Moore for $ via
@WKRG
People can stop freaking out over Biden saying he was instructed to call on a certain reporter. Trump would at times call on specific reporters from a list or just called on his favorites. Of all the things from that press conference to fixate on, that's not it.
A brilliant speech from former President Bush: "The passengers and crew of Flight 93 could have been any group of citizens selected by fate. In a sense, they stood in for us all. The terrorists soon discovered that a random group of Americans is an exceptional group of people."
CNN says their WH reporter
@kaitlancollins
was denied access to today's Rose Garden event bc her questions were deemed by the WH "inappropriate." Kaitlan asked about Cohen's taped conversations...a topic Trump tweeted about only hours earlier!
According to a source, far-right extremist Nick Fuentes was spotted with Kanye West at Mar-a-Lago. West tweeted last night he met with Trump at the club. West and Fuentes were also seen together at Miami airport.
Oh the brotherly banter between Chris Cuomo and Gov Cuomo on CNN: “Where are you?” Gov Cuomo asks. “I’m in my basement.” “Oh you’re in your basement? Christina sends you there a lot.” LOL
George W. Bush says his father’s service dog Sully will continue to serve: “As much as our family is going to miss this dog, we’re comforted to know he’ll bring the same joy to his new home, Walter Reed, that he brought to 41.”
The Trump administration's Special Olympics snafu is by no means a laughing matter, but was such a preventable political misstep it was practically written for an episode of Veep. Special Olympics is one of the most beloved organizations on the planet -- why mess with that?
Brett Eagleson from 9/11 Justice on Trump saying he doesn't "know much" about the 9/11 family concerns about Saudi Arabia and LIV Golf after he read their letter and met w/ them at the WH:
"It's the worst form of greed and evil...the golfers and the former president are cowards."
Trump isn’t just launching an app per the release he’s launching a media a subscription video service “TMTG+” that “will feature 'non-woke' entertainment programming, news, podcasts, and more.” Wonder what OANN, FOX News, Newsmax, etc think of this…
Hot mic alert! Christie could just be heard talking backstage on a livestream: "We know we're right but they don't want to hear it..."
On Haley: "She's going to get smoked, you and I both know this. She's not up to this."
Says DeSantis called him, "petrified..." then it ends.
President Biden says he knows the media is under pressure to “deliver heat instead of shed light because technology has changed so much…The truth matters. American democracy is not a reality show.”
The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!
Bill Barr has a new book:
The election was not ‘stolen,’” Mr. Barr writes. “Trump lost it.” Mr. Barr urges conservatives to look to “an impressive array of younger candidates” who share Mr. Trump’s agenda but not his “erratic personal behavior.”
"We believe that President Trump will win the race and we think that as soon -- possibly -- as the the end of tomorrow, Friday, it will be clear to the American public that President Trump and VP Pence will serve another 4 years in the White House,"
@JasonMillerinDC
said.
Trump plans to do a rebuttal of sorts to Biden’s presser and call into Laura Ingraham’s Fox show tonight, continuing to break the unspoken rules of the ex-presidents club
The day after the riots on the Hill, Lindell recorded a video saying he was working with Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell, and Rudy Giuliani, and that Trump would be president the next 4 years.
NEW:
@FLOTUS
spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham when asked what message the first lady's jacket intends to send: "It's a jacket. There was no hidden message. After today's important visit to Texas, I hope this isn't what the media is going to choose to focus on."
Best correx ever: “This story has been corrected to show that President Donald Trump's upcoming campaign rally in Evansville, Indiana forced the cancellation of a concert for bagpipe band the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, not the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.”
Great news for Moderna/Pfizer vax:
-a two-dose regimen prevented 90% of infections by 2 wks after 2nd shot
-"extremely unlikely" vaxed people can still get asymptomatic infections and transmit the virus
-no sign variants render the vaccines less effective
Top notch TV interviews of President Trump by Chris Wallace and Jonathan Swan in the past couple weeks. Challenging, armed with facts, sharp questions. Hope future anchors take note.
“The biggest declines for Trump in the poll come from seniors (who are now backing Biden by a 62 percent-to-35 percent margin) and suburban women (58 percent to 33 percent).”
Trump on Gianforte: "Any guy that can do a body slam, he is my type!" to cheers.
"I was in Rome when I heard about it, and I heard that he body slammed a reporter!" Trump said.
Trump said he was afraid it would make Gianforte lose, then he said "wait a moment, I know Montana."
Tucker Carlson said that he invited Sidney Powell on his show to elaborate on her claims of fraud but asked for her evidence. He said she never sent evidence despite requests, she told him to stop asking her, and the campaign said Powell hasn't given them evidence either.
Trump at the CDC: "As of the time I left the plane with you, we had 240 cases, that's at least what was on a very fine network known as Fox News. I know you love it. But that's what I happened to be watching, and how was the show last night? Did it get good ratings by the way?"
Wow -- Tucker Carlson is really going after everyone tonight, including Jared Kushner: "No one has more contempt for Donald Trump's voters than Jared Kushner does and no one expresses it more frequently."
The crowd at Faith and Freedom jumped into applause and loud screams as NC Lt. Gov. Marc Robinson endorsed Donald Trump. “The nation is at war and we need a warrior!”
Per the FBI search warrant, receipt signed by Trump attorney Christina Bobb, property to be seized includes, "All physical documents and records constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime or other items illegally possessed in violation of 18 U.S.C. § § 793, 2071, or 1519"
Goodness. WH security official: “Members of the VP detail at this time were starting to fear for their own lives…there were calls to say goodbye to family members…for whatever reason on the ground the VP detail thought this was about to get very ugly.”
At the risk of sounding like a total sap on here it was really nice to go on a walk in DC tonight and smile at people! And see some of them smile back :)
New: NSC spox John Ullyot statement says no one in WH outside NSC reviewed the draft:
“Amb. Bolton’s manuscript was submitted to the NSC for pre-publication review and has been under initial review by the NSC. No White House personnel outside NSC have reviewed the manuscript.”
This is my mom at work today! I hope every physician and health professional has the protective equipment and tools they need to do their jobs and continue saving lives♥️