Trump Administration

Talking Points Memo reports: When CNN anchor John Berman asked if President Donald Trump supported out-of-state vigilantes coming in to act as law enforcement, Gidley said Trump “doesn’t” support them, but also Democratic state leaders have “let these looters continue to criminalize our communities” and Trump “doesn’t want that.” “It does make sense just logically, if you don’t allow police …

ProPublica reports: Millions of Americans who are struggling to put food on the table may discover a new item in government-funded relief packages of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat: a letter signed by President Donald Trump. The message, printed on White House letterhead in both English and Spanish, touts the administration’s response to the coronavirus, including aid provided …

The Guardian reports: Donald Trump told Sarah Sanders she would have to “go to North Korea and take one for the team”, after Kim Jong-un winked at the then White House press secretary during a summit in Singapore in June 2018. “Kim Jong-un hit on you!” a delighted Trump joked, according to Sanders’ new memoir. “He did! He fucking hit …

The New York Daily News reports: But HER emails. Melania Trump reportedly used a private email account to discuss official government business including hiring aides and security-sensitive schedules of visiting foreign heads of state. The first lady’s ousted former top aide made the claim as she rolls out her tell-all memoir about President Trump’s wife and her time in the …

ABC News reports: In early July the Department of Homeland Security withheld publication of an intelligence bulletin warning law enforcement agencies of a Russian scheme to promote “allegations about the poor mental health” of former Vice President Joe Biden, according to internal emails and a draft of the document obtained by ABC News. The draft bulletin, titled “Russia Likely to …

The Washington Post reports: White House testing czar Brett Giroir on Tuesday tamped down calls from many public health experts for the federal government to approve and fund more cheap antigen tests that can be taken regularly at home. But while in the past Giroir has suggested that kind of widespread coronavirus screening would be unhelpful, he now says it …

The Times of Israel reports: Plans were scrapped for US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to film a Republican campaign ad in Israel in the wake of criticism surrounding his speech from Jerusalem to the Republican National Convention, according to a Tuesday report. Channel 12 news cited sources with knowledge of the discussions, who said plans for Pompeo to participate …

The New York Daily News reports: Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf confirmed an investigation is underway into the funding of the rioting taking place amid racial justice protests and unrest nationwide. “This is something that I have talked to the AG personally about,” Wolf told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on Monday night, saying that the department is focused on “targeting …

Politico reports: As the presidential election fast approaches, the Department of Health and Human Services is bidding out a more than $250 million contract to a communications firm as it seeks to “defeat despair and inspire hope” about the coronavirus pandemic.  Several weeks ago, the department sent out to a number of communications firms a “performance work statement,” which lays …

The Daily Beast reports: After confirming that the president had no plans on visiting the family of Jacob Blake — whose shooting by police kicked off the protests in Kenosha — McEnany was then asked if the president intends to condemn the 17-year-old Rittenhouse’s actions. “The president is not going to weigh in on that, he may weigh in further …

NBC News reports: House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., plans to subpoena documents related to mail delays and voting by mail from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the congresswoman announced on Monday. The subpoenas come after Maloney says DeJoy has withheld documents from Congress. Maloney issued her notice of intent to issue the subpoena in a 13-page memo to DeJoy on …

ABC News reports: A former adviser and close friend of first lady Melania Trump’s is now blasting the entire Trump family as a callous clan tainted by “deceit” and “deception,” and claiming she’s “working with investigators” to dig into potential financial crimes committed in connection with Donald Trump’s inauguration in early 2017. “It was amateur hour then, and it’s amateur …

CNBC reports: A federal appeals court on Monday rejected a bid by former national security advisor Michael Flynn to force the prompt dismissal of the criminal case in which he had been convicted of lying to FBI agents. The decision sends the case back for consideration by U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington. Flynn had asked the U.S. …

The Washington Post reports: One of President Trump’s top medical advisers is urging the White House to embrace a controversial “herd immunity” strategy to combat the pandemic, which would entail allowing the coronavirus to spread through most of the population to quickly build resistance to the virus, while taking steps to protect those in nursing homes and other vulnerable populations, …

The Washington Post reports: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday that Trump will travel to Kenosha, Wis., on Tuesday despite a plea from the state’s governor for him to stay away. She also said the White House has been unable to make contact with the family of Jacob Blake, whose shooting by police sparked unrest in the city. …

Axios reports: The day after President Trump fired FBI boss James Comey, the president phoned John Kelly, who was then secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, and offered him Comey’s job, the New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Michael Schmidt reports in his forthcoming book, “Donald Trump v. The United States.” Driving the news: “But the president added something …

The New York Post reports: The head of the US Food and Drug Administration is willing to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine as quickly as possible – even before Phase Three clinical trials end — as long as officials are convinced the benefits outweigh the risks, according to a report. Commissioner Stephen Hahn told the Financial Times that the move would …

“When I went through confirmation, people watched that. They heard me make a couple of promises. One of them was to always follow the law. “The other was that I would do everything I could to protect the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, allowing people to leak it for political purposes. “The action that I announced yesterday is entirely consistent …

Axios reports: Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told ABC’s “This Week” that “all options continue to be on the table” in terms of sending federal law enforcement into Portland to quell violent protests. On Friday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler sent President Trump a letter rejecting his offer of federal assistance. “I do understand that there were a number of …

The New York Times reports: The Justice Department secretly took steps in 2017 to narrow the investigation into Russian election interference and any links to the Trump campaign, according to former law enforcement officials, keeping investigators from completing an examination of President Trump’s decades-long personal and business ties to Russia. The special counsel who finished the investigation, Robert S. Mueller …