Idiocracy

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump suggested in the Oval Office that a “pretty Korean” analyst’s ethnicity should qualify her for negotiating with North Korea on behalf of the United States, NBC News reported Friday. The woman, an intelligence analyst who had visited the White House to brief Trump on an impending hostage situation in Pakistan, was asked where “your people” …

Vox reports: Two Republican senators who attended yesterday’s meeting in which President Trump reportedly disparaged immigrants from “shithole countries” seem to have come down with a case of amnesia. In a joint statement this afternoon, Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and David Perdue (R-GA) wrote that they “do not recall the President saying those comments specifically” — but conspicuously didn’t outright …

Talking Points Memo reports: Nearly a day after reports surfaced that President Donald Trump referred to African countries as “shithole countries” in a White House meeting with lawmakers, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) called the remarks “unfortunate” and “unhelpful.” “So, first thing that came to my mind, was, very unfortunate, unhelpful,” Ryan said when asked about Trump’s reported comments on …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump’s personal physician once claimed he would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency,” but there’s a good deal of evidence casting doubt on that idea. Trump, who will undergo his first presidential physical exam Friday, is older than all previous presidents when they first took office. He is also the heaviest president …

CNN reports: Moments after he signed a proclamation for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President Trump got up from the table, shook and few hands and made his way to the exit. Reporters, meanwhile, shouted questions about his “shithole countries” comment yesterday. (This is the first time we’ve seen him publicly since those remarks.) Journalist April Ryan asked if …

Via press release: The white evangelical community, which voted 80% for President Trump, must stand with one voice against this unloving, insensitive and hurtful language and call for the President to apologize. Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition and Pastor of Church on the Hill, goes on to state; “The harsh, unloving and hurtful language the President …

The Hill reports: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) fired back at President Trump for denying that he called Haiti and African countries “shithole countries,” saying Trump’s denials are “not true.” “In the course of his comments, [Trump] said things that were hate-filled, vile and racist,” Durbin told reporters on Friday. “I cannot believe in this history of the White House, in …

Mediaite reports: On Friday morning, Fox & Friends — the president’s favorite morning news show — actually, incredibly, criticized Trump for the reported remark. “The president made a mistake making those comments,” Kilmeade said. “No question.” “Sure,” Rachel Campos-Duffy said in agreement. “He said things about Haiti and El Salvador, and we should have more people from Norway,” Kilmeade said. …

Newsweek reports: CNN’s Don Lemon let rip on President Donald Trump Thursday night, after a report claimed he referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as “shithole countries.” Lemon — who just last month was himself attacked by Trump on Twitter—opened Thursday’s CNN Tonight: “The President of the United States is racist.” Later, during a heated panel discussion on …

The Guardian reports: Remarks by Donald Trump describing immigrants from Africa and Haiti as coming from “shithole countries” were racist, the United Nations human rights office has said, as it led global condemnation of the US president. On Thursday, Trump questioned why the US would want to have immigrants from Haiti and African nations, instead suggesting the US should bring …

The New York Times reports: President Trump said late Thursday that he had canceled a trip to London because of the cost and “off location” of the new United States Embassy in the city, where he had been expected to face protests. Nearly a year ago, Mr. Trump accepted an invitation to visit from Queen Elizabeth II, which was extended …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump grew frustrated with lawmakers Thursday in the Oval Office when they floated restoring protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan immigration deal, according to two people briefed on the meeting. “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump said, according to …

The New York Daily News reports: The “healthiest individual ever elected” President claims his well-being is tied to the stock market. During a brief back-and-forth with reporters Thursday afternoon, President Trump insinuated that the economy could take a serious hit if his upcoming physical exam doesn’t go well. “It better go well, otherwise the stock market will not be happy,” …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump’s announcement of U.S-made F-52s fighter aircraft delivered to Norway may have rattled its neighbor Russia, the source of rising tension among NATO allies. Was it a secret advanced jet capable of beating its Russian counterparts? A ruse to fool intelligence analysts? Neither, it turns out. The “F-52” is a fictional jet only available to …

ABC News reports: President Donald Trump has someone who can empathize. An 11-year-old girl from Indiana has written a letter to Trump saying that she, too, faced a bit of a backlash after she became her 5th grade class president. Joy Wolf thought Trump may know a thing or two about that. “A lot of people are unhappy with me …

The Washington Post reports: The Trump administration’s decision to exempt Florida from expanded offshore drilling kicked off a frenzy Wednesday in other coastal states, with governors from both political parties asking: Why not us? “We cannot afford to take a chance with the beauty, the majesty and the economic value and vitality of our wonderful coastline,” South Carolina Gov. Henry …

Reuters reports: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his administration will examine whether U.S. libel laws can be strengthened after a new book questioned his mental fitness to serve as president. “Our current libel laws are a sham and a disgrace and do not represent American values or American fairness so we’re going to take a strong look at …

The Daily Beast reports: For a man who has spent so much time demanding that players respect the national anthem by standing, he seemed to struggle when it came to mouthing along to the patriotic song. Fortunately, “Bad Lip Reading” is here to decipher what exactly Trump was singing on the sidelines. By their estimation, it was mostly nonsense syllables, …

“I don’t think it’s about separating families. It’s about keeping our country safe. It’s about patriotism, keeping drugs outside of the United States and keeping people, taxpaying citizens — it’s not fair for people to work hard, to go to work every single day to put food on the table that other people are getting a pass and living here …

The Week recaps: When Miller lost his cool, Tapper treated him “like a 5-year-old,” Colbert said. “Unfortunately, telling Stephen Miller to calm down doesn’t work.” He played part of the interview, then jumped in. “Hold on, did Jake Tapper just call Stephen Miller an obsequious factotum? Looks like somebody got a word-a-day calendar for the holidays!” Tapper finally cut Miller …