Idiocracy

CNN reports: White House chief of staff John Kelly did not formally tender his resignation to President Donald Trump on Friday, but he did make clear that he would resign if the President wanted him to, a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN. Talk of Kelly’s viability as chief of staff reached a fever pitch on Friday afternoon …

CBS News reports: President Trump, who had gathered the press in the Oval Office Friday afternoon to share that he had donated money to a family with a father battling cancer, commented on now-former White House aide Rob Porter, who resigned over allegations of spousal abuse. The president said the White House wishes him well, noting that it is a …

“Republicans have lost every single bit of credibility on the idea that they care at all about debts and deficits. They can talk all they want, but when they had the chance to do it, they caved and they spent so much money it’s stunning.” – Former GOP House rep turned Fox bloviator Jason Chaffetz, ranting this morning on Fox …

The Daily Beast reports: On Tuesday afternoon, senior White House officials reached out to Sen. Orrin Hatch’s (R-UT) office with an urgent request. They needed the Utah Republican to put together a statement praising his former chief of staff and then-White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter. At issue was a story that was about to pop from the British tabloid, …

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump signed a major budget plan into law Friday, ending the year’s second government shutdown hours after it started. Both chambers of Congress passed a short-term funding bill in the wee hours of Friday and cleared the way for a massive boost to military and domestic spending hours after funding lapsed at midnight. The government partially …

The New York Times reports: Among the many people agitated this week over John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, was President Trump. And among the people the president called to express dissatisfaction, according to those close to him, was none other than Reince Priebus, the previous chief of staff, who also irritated Mr. Trump. The idea that …

The Hill reports: The State Department on Thursday called a recent military parade in North Korea a “dog and pony show,” even amid reports that the Trump administration is planning a military procession of its own. CNN’s Michelle Kosinski tweeted the swipe from a State Department official. The comment came after media reports surfaced that top Pentagon officials are in …

Forbes reports: When Donald Trump told the The New York Times in 2005 that Graff Diamonds gave him a $1 million discount on Melania Knauss’ engagement ring, the future president of the United States was not telling the truth, Forbes has learned. Graff Diamonds’ billionaire chairman Laurence Graff said in a January 26 email sent from his home in Gstaad, …

Fox News executive vice president John Moody writes: Unless it’s changed overnight, the motto of the Olympics, since 1894, has been “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” It appears the U.S. Olympic Committee would like to change that to “Darker, Gayer, Different.” If your goal is to win medals, that won’t work. A USOC official was quoted this week expressing pride (what else?) …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has drawn jeers for suggesting that people in pain should consider over-the-counter Bufferin instead of opioids. On Wednesday, Sessions was in Tampa, touting the Trump administration’s efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking. This time, he broadened his suggestion to aspirin. “I am operating on the assumption that this country …

Reuters reports: The Pentagon on Thursday said it was not certain that the Washington-area would host a parade requested by President Donald Trump to honor the U.S. military. “We don’t know that. There are options and we will explore those and the president will ultimately decide,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, adding that the U.S. Army was taking the lead …

Talking Points Memo reports: When White House staff secretary Rob Porter announced Wednesday that he would resign following allegations of domestic abuse, the White House was still circulating statements defending Porter. However, despite the White House’s projection of ignorance about the accusations against Porter, several reports reveal that administration officials were aware of the allegations from Porter’s ex wives before …

The Hill reports: Defense Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday dodged a question about why the Pentagon should spend time and money planning a military parade requested by President Trump when the military has been complaining about budget woes. “I think what my responsibility is to make certain I lay out the strategy and make the argument for the oversight of …

CBS News provides likely topics: Government shutdown: Congress must approve a spending package before Thursday at midnight. Tuesday night, the House approved another short-term spending bill to pay for six more weeks of funding. The bill does not address immigration. If the Senate does not pass the measure, the government will shut down. President Trump said Tuesday that he would …

The Hill reports: The D.C. Council mocked President Trump over his proposed military parade, which the Pentagon has confirmed is in the works. The District’s legislative body tweeted out a graphic of a “no tanks” symbol early Wednesday morning. “The DC government will open on time today. DC Public Schools will open on time today. Sadly, the Giant Tank Parade …

Talking Points Memo reports: President Donald Trump’s carefully coifed hairdo suffered a setback on Friday as he boarded Air Force One on a windy day. A video posted on Friday that did not surface until Tuesday shows the hair on the back of Trump’s head completely blown up and to the side, exposing his scalp. Trump takes great pride in …

Reuters reports: U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly praised Wall Street gains during his first year in office, on Wednesday dismissed recent market gyrations, saying stocks should not be falling amid strong economic news. “In the ‘old days, when good news was reported, the Stock Market would go up. Today, when good news is reported, the Stock Market goes …

The Washington Examiner reports: The Trump campaign released an ad today featuring Democrats’ “disgraceful” reaction to his State of the Union address Jan. 30. The advertisement from Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. highlighted moments from the speech when Trump touted accomplishments of his administration, all the while Democrat lawmakers refrained from clapping, showing any sort of positive reaction, and …

“You know, it’s amazing – all the rappers, all his African-American friends, from Jesse Jackson to Al Sharpton, have pictures with him their whole life. It was only till he got into politics that all of a sudden, ‘Oh he’s the most terrible human being.’ He wasn’t so terrible a couple years ago when you’re at his events. It wasn’t …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump’s vision of soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the boulevards of Washington is moving closer to reality in the Pentagon and White House, where officials say they have begun to plan a grand military parade later this year showcasing the might of America’s armed forces. Trump has long mused publicly and privately about wanting …