Tag Archives: White House

Raw Story reports: White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Monday declined to say President Donald Trump will not pardon his attorney, Michael Cohen, who is reportedly being investigated by federal prosecutors in New York. During a Monday morning press gaggle, Sanders was asked about a potential pardon for Cohen, who has been called president’s “fixer” for authoring non-disclosure agreements …

Politico reports: For once, President Donald Trump is opting to go smaller. The president who delights in bigness — of his buildings, his crowd sizes, his hands — is opting for a slimmed-down affair when he hosts French President Emmanuel Macron for his first state dinner on Tuesday. Gone are the President Barack Obama-era days of outside event-planning firms and …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump will not join first lady Melania Trump in attending the funeral services for Barbara Bush, the White House said in a statement, citing a desire to “avoid disruptions” stemming from the increased security presence and “out of respect for the Bush Family and friends.” “First Lady Melania Trump will attend the memorial service for Barbara …

Ronan Farrow reports at The New Yorker: When I mentioned the White House’s role in escalating rumors of his demise, Tillerson appeared to have been waiting for the question. “Mm-hmm,” he said, nodding. “When you say ‘the White House,’ who are you talking about?” he asked. “The White House is comprised of how many people?” Hook, the director of policy …

CNN reports: First lady Melania Trump will attend the funeral for Barbara Bush in Texas on Saturday. “Mrs. Trump plans to pay her respects at the funeral on Saturday,” her communications director Stephanie Grisham told CNN. Bush, the matriarch of a Republican political dynasty and a first lady who elevated the cause of literacy, died Tuesday. She was 92. The …

The Washington Post reports: The phone calls between President Trump and Sean Hannity come early in the morning or late at night, after the Fox News host goes off the air. They discuss ideas for Hannity’s show, Trump’s frustration with the ongoing special counsel probe and even, at times, what the president should tweet, according to people familiar with the …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump seemed distracted in March as his aides briefed him at his Mar-a-Lago resort on the administration’s plan to expel 60 Russian diplomats and suspected spies. The United States, they explained, would be ousting roughly the same number of Russians as its European allies — part of a coordinated move to punish Moscow for the …

Newsweek reports: Jon Lerner was about to become national security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence until he suddenly withdrew his acceptance of the position amid reports of tensions in the White House over the appointment. Lerner, who turns 50 this year, currently serves as deputy at the United Nations to the U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley, who he had helped …

The Guardian reports: Donald Trump’s press secretary issued a begrudging clarification on Sunday after being accused of posting a misleading photograph of the president online. Sarah Sanders was criticised for a tweet on Saturday that appeared to show Trump busily directing missile strikes against Syria from the White House situation room, with vice president Mike Pence at his right hand. …

PBS NewsHour reports: President Donald Trump has emerged from a meeting with his national security team without a “final decision” on how to respond to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria. Earlier today, Trump and his aides also pushed back against former FBI Director James Comey and his new book, which depicts the president as unethical and “untethered to …

And the hits keep coming. The Washington Post reports: President Trump’s personal attorney Michael D. Cohen sometimes taped conversations with associates, according to three people familiar with his practice, and allies of the president are worried that the recordings were seized by federal investigators in a raid of Cohen’s office and residences this week. Cohen, who served for a decade …

CNN reports: The White House is preparing talking points designed to undermine Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s credibility, according to sources familiar with the plan. The plan calls on President Donald Trump’s allies to cast Rosenstein as too conflicted to fairly oversee the Russia investigation. The talking points are still in their preliminary form, and not yet finalized, people familiar …

The Washington Post reports: Stephen K. Bannon, who was ousted as White House chief strategist last summer but has remained in touch with some members of President Trump’s circle, is pitching a plan to West Wing aides and congressional allies to cripple the federal probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to four people familiar with the discussions. …

PBS NewsHour reports: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is expected to address possible U.S. action in Syria as tensions over a suspected chemical attack continue to grow. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is scheduled to speak at 3:30 p.m. Defying Russian warnings against U.S. military strikes in Syria, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that missiles “will …

Axios reports: A source present at the taping says James Comey’s interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, airing Sunday at 10 p.m. as a “20/20” special, is “going to shock the president and his team.” In an ABC promo, Stephanopoulos says Comey compared Trump to a mob boss. According to the source, the Comey interview left people in the room stunned …

Today’s topics should prove entertaining: Michael Cohen: The FBI on Monday raided the office of President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer. Trump called the raid a “TOTAL WITCH HUNT” and added that “attorney-client privilege is dead.” This will likely be a major focus for reporters at today’s briefing. Stormy Daniels: When the feds raided Cohen’s office yesterday, they were looking for …

Homeland Security advisor Tom Bossert abruptly resigned this morning, according to multiple outlets. At this writing there’s no explanation. According to MSNBC, the White House has issued a brief statement thanking Bossert for his “commitment to the safety and security of our great country.” Over the weekend Bossert appeared on multiple cable news shows to defend Trump’s policies. He last …

The Hill reports: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday defended President Trump’s claims about widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election and argued that the administration has no evidence to back-up the claims because states have refused to cooperate with a federal review. “The president still strongly feels there was a large amount of voter fraud and …

Via Mediaite: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is expected to hold a briefing with the press corps this afternoon. The biggest issue of the day is undoubtedly the recently Syrian chemical attack and what the response from the Trump administration will be. President Trump condemned the attack yesterday and even Vladimir Putin in particular for Russia’s involvement in …

The Hill reports: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is scheduled to take questions from reporters Friday at 2 p.m. The briefing comes as President Trump reiterated support for his EPA chief Scott Pruitt, saying on Twitter Friday morning that Pruitt is “doing a great job but is totally under siege.” Pruitt has spent the week defending a number …