Idiocracy

Via Mediaite: On Meet The Press this morning, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defended President Trump over questions about his combative Puerto Rico tweets. Chuck Todd opened by asking why the President seemed “so angry in his tweets” yesterday. Trump in particular blasted San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, and Todd asked Mnuchin why Trump wasn’t showing more “empathy” for her …

The New York Daily News reports: President Trump woke up Sunday still fuming about criticism of his Puerto Rico recovery management, firing off another series of tweets attacking naysayers and patting his administration on the back. Trump has spent the weekend complaining on Twitter about the widespread criticism that his administration has been slow to help people in Puerto Rico …

The Washington Examiner reports: President Trump told residents of Puerto Rico not to believe the “fake news” media regarding the federal response to Hurricane Maria, and said the administration is “getting great marks” for its recovery efforts. Trump has been criticized for his response to the crisis in Puerto Rico, and Democrats accused the president of paying more attention to …

The Hill reports: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Saturday denied the veracity of a Washington Post report that claimed that recovery efforts on Puerto Rico have been hampered by President Trump’s excursion last weekend to his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey. The Post reported on Friday that Trump and his team effectively “went dark” after departing for …

The Guardian reports: Donald Trump lashed out at the mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital city early on Saturday as the row over his administration’s response to Hurricane Maria escalated. Ahead of his visit to the US territory next week, the US president used Twitter to say of Carmen Yulín Cruz “… such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San …

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump has been telling associates that his health chief has become a distraction, overshadowing his agenda and undermining his campaign promise to “drain the swamp” of corruption, according to people familiar with the discussions. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was trying to hang on to his job Friday amid continuing questions over …

The Associated Press reports: Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price apologized Thursday for his use of a private plane for official business after President Trump said he was “not happy” with Price. Price said he plans to reimburse taxpayers and will fly commercial in the future. Trump spoke to reporters Wednesday about Price as he departed the White House …

Despite weeks and weeks of nonstop national headlines, many Senate Republicans are claiming that they hardly know anything about Roy Moore.   What about Moore’s history of racially insensitive comments? Haven’t heard anything. Homophobic remarks? Nada. Moore’s claim that some American communities are living under Sharia law? Crickets. Moore’s statement that 9/11 happened “because we’ve distanced ourselves from God”? Nothing for …

Via Mediaite: Infamous for his dirty-tricksterism, ludicrous statements and gaudy persona, Roger Stone has never backed off from blustery political antics — and casually throwing around accusations of pedophilia are literally just another Tuesday in his life. In a tweet issued Tuesday evening, Stone called former Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta a pedophile, again implying that the Democrat strategist …

The Chicago Tribune reports: President Donald Trump says he is “not happy” with his Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price following reports that Price used a private plane for official business. And Trump says he let Price know it. Asked whether he’s planning on firing Price, Trump responded: “We’ll see.” Trump spoke to reporters Wednesday as he departed the …

Wired reports: Since moving into the White House months ago, Jared Kushner—senior advisor and son-in-law to the President, savior of the Middle East, and possible person of interest in a federal investigation—has amassed a rather extensive project portfolio. The issues under Kushner’s purview include negotiating peace between Israel and Palestine, fixing the opioid crisis, updating technology across the entire federal …

CNN reports: Returning from a high-dollar fundraiser in Manhattan on Tuesday evening, an infuriated President Donald Trump watched aboard Air Force One as Fox News called the Alabama Senate primary for Roy Moore against Trump’s favored candidate, Luther Strange. What ensued was a barrage of angry venting at his political team and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had consolidated …

The Washington Examiner reports: President Trump alleged Wednesday major media organizations and social networks are working in a vast conspiracy against him. Trump has long maintained the media is out to get him and harm his administration, or at the very least not telling the full story of his presidency or electoral victory. The tweet comes after Facebook revealed Russian-connected …

Axios reports: In private, President Trump has taken to physically mocking M&M: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (slumped shoulders; lethargic body language) and Sen. John McCain (imitating the thumbs-down of his historic health-care vote). Trump is venting about his frustration with what he considers failed leadership by Senate Republicans as he takes his lumps this week in wars with, well, …

Via Mediaite: The latest NBC polling on President Donald Trump’s approval rating amongst millennials is out — and, unsurprisingly, the president is not doing so hot. Overall, Trump has a 64% disapproval and 21% approval amongst all millennials. He fares even worse with African Americans (79% disapproval, 13% approval), Asian Americans (78%-11%) and Latinos (77%-11%). He does somewhat better amongst …

IT NEVER HAPPENED, people. The Hill reports: President Trump began deleting his tweets supporting Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.) in the Republican Alabama Senate primary after Luther lost the race. Trump had tweeted about Strange several times in the days leading up to the primary, including the day of, but started to delete the tweets Tuesday night. Those deleted tweets included …

The Washington Post reports: The Environmental Protection Agency is spending nearly $25,000 to construct a secure, soundproof communications booth in the office of Administrator Scott Pruitt, according to government contracting records. The agency signed a $24,570 contract earlier this summer with Acoustical Solutions, a Richmond-based company, for a “privacy booth for the administrator.” The company sells and installs an array …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump said Tuesday that the United States opposes an independence drive in the Spanish region of Catalonia, telling reporters that such secession would be “foolish.” “I think Spain is a great country, and it should remain united,” Trump said during a news conference with the visiting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The president’s remarks mark …

CNN reports: President Donald Trump sounded very satisfied with his recent remarks on patriotism and the NFL in a dinner with conservative group leaders at the White House Monday night, according to a person who attended the event. “It’s really caught on. It’s really caught on,” Trump said of his NFL comments to attendees at the dinner, according to someone …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump said online Tuesday morning that the booing prompted by the Dallas Cowboys’ decision to kneel Monday night before the national anthem was the “loudest I have ever heard,” blaming the protesting trend for declining NFL ratings. Joined by their coaches and outspoken owner, Jerry Jones, the Cowboys took a knee Monday night before the national …