Trump said Tuesday he would be “proud to shut down the government for border security” during a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
John Light
President Trump is meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House-designate Nancy Pelosi today. Here’s more on that story and others we’re following.
This following is from an SEC filing released today by Verizon regarding it’s “Oath” media business. That’s the unit which owns the assets of Yahoo, AOL and Huffington Post …
Verizon’s Media business, branded Oath, has experienced increased competitive and market pressures throughout 2018 that have resulted in lower than expected revenues and earnings. These pressures are expected to continue and have resulted in a loss of market positioning to our competitors in the digital advertising business. Oath has also achieved lower than expected benefits from the integration of the Yahoo Inc. and AOL Inc. businesses. Effective August 1, 2018, Hans Vestberg became Chief Executive Officer of Verizon, and effective October 1, 2018, K. Guru Gowrappan was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Media business.
Josh Marshall
Something weird happened on Twitter yesterday. Someone who shall remain unnamed riffed some speculation about a more than six month old Buzzfeed article. As is the nature of Twitter and impulsive social media, the speculation caught fire as purported fact and it was as though some dramatic new revelation had unfolded even though there was no actual news at all. This is sort of in the nature of social media non-facts. But without getting into the fullness of that speculation, I wanted to focus your attention on some facts from articles from earlier this year that do warrant some more attention. It has to do with Michael Cohen, Jerry Falwell Jr, Falwell’s wife and a 21 year old pool boy the family decided to go into business with.
As we get past the midterm election and into the thick of the accelerating Mueller probe, I wanted to remind you: If you’re a dieheard TPM Reader and interested in a new way to support and be a part of TPM beyond the cost of a Prime membership, please consider joining TPM Inside. You can find out the details here. If you sign up for an annual membership before December 21st you become a Launch Member and have your subscription extended through the end of January 2020. Click here for the details and here to sign up.
Maria Butina seems to have cut a plea deal. I’m sure folks at the NRA are terribly pleased.
Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff surprised everyone this weekend – none more than Donald Trump it seems – when he turned down Trump’s offer to succeed John Kelly as Trump’s third Chief of Staff. An overeager Trump couldn’t wait to announce Kelly’s departure this weekend and now he’s running through an increasingly desperate and comical list of potential chiefs of staff after Ayers turned him down. What happened here?
John LightVice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff Nick Ayers seems to have surprised the President. Here’s more on that story and others we’re following.
Josh Kovensky has the fascinating backstory on a third, lesser-known figure in the alleged Roger Stone-Jerome Corsi Wikileaks’ outreach effort during the summer and fall of 2016.
Josh MarshallI mentioned on Friday evening that it’s not like Cohen just screwed himself by holding out on the SDNY prosecutors and then, only belatedly, deciding to cooperate fulsomely with The Special Counsel’s Office in September. As I said then, the decision seems quite intentional and probably made with at least some understanding of the consequences. That’s clear if you figure in Cohen’s personal and professional background: specifically, years of business dealings with people with Russian/Ukrainian mafia connections as well as marrying into that world.
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President Donald Trump claimed, falsely and many times Tuesday, that his beloved border wall has largely already been built.
He’s repeated this claim so many times that the Washington Post introduced a new rating called a “bottomless Pinocchio.”
Watch here:
Trump: “Tremendous amounts of wall have already been built.” pic.twitter.com/mqkhl7u42A
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 11, 2018
Fake News has it purposely wrong. Many, over ten, are vying for and wanting the White House Chief of Staff position. Why wouldn’t someone want one of the truly great and meaningful jobs in Washington. Please report news correctly. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2018
Despite the large Caravans that WERE forming and heading to our Country, people have not been able to get through our newly built Walls, makeshift Walls & Fences, or Border Patrol Officers & Military. They are now staying in Mexico or going back to their original countries…….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2018
…..Ice, Border Patrol and our Military have done a FANTASTIC job of securing our Southern Border. A Great Wall would be, however, a far easier & less expensive solution. We have already built large new sections & fully renovated others, making them like new. The Democrats,…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2018
….however, for strictly political reasons and because they have been pulled so far left, do NOT want Border Security. They want Open Borders for anyone to come in. This brings large scale crime and disease. Our Southern Border is now Secure and will remain that way…….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2018
…..I look forward to my meeting with Chuck Schumer & Nancy Pelosi. In 2006, Democrats voted for a Wall, and they were right to do so. Today, they no longer want Border Security. They will fight it at all cost, and Nancy must get votes for Speaker. But the Wall will get built…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2018
….People do not yet realize how much of the Wall, including really effective renovation, has already been built. If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall. They know how important it is!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2018
Former President Barack Obama mocked himself and his staff’s past efforts to play on viral videos and memes — like appearing on Zach Galifianakis’s “Between Two Ferns” — to encourage young people to sign up for Obamacare in a new video that highlights the Dec. 15 sign up deadline.
Unsuccessful Texas Senate candidate and outgoing Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) spoke on the phone with Rev. Al Sharpton Friday as O’Rourke mulls a bid for the presidency in 2020, BuzzFeed News reported Monday. O’Rourke recently also met with former President Barack Obama.
A spokesperson for Sharpton told BuzzFeed News: “They spoke and agreed to meet within the next couple of weeks and they had a great conversation.”
“Democrats can’t find a Smocking Gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia after James Comey’s testimony. No Smocking Gun…No Collusion.” @FoxNews That’s because there was NO COLLUSION. So now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution,…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2018
….which it was not (but even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s – but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me). Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2018
Former FBI Director James Comey testified to the House Oversight and Judiciary committees Friday that he was concerned in late 2016 “that there appeared to be in the media a number of stories that might have been based on communications reporters or nonreporters like Rudy Giuliani were having with people in the [FBI’s] New York field office.”
The Wall Street Journal first noted the exchange in a report Saturday night. Read Comey’s testimony about Giuliani below:
Rubio: "It would be a terrible mistake" for Trump to pardon Manafort pic.twitter.com/QgiHUushs6
— Matt Shuham (@mattshuham) December 9, 2018
The House Judiciary and Oversight committees on Saturday released a transcript of former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the committee the previous day. The President responded Sunday morning:
On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didn’t know, didn’t recall, or couldn’t remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) – didn’t know who signed off and didn’t know Christopher Steele. All lies!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2018
Leakin’ James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. They are now exposed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2018
Former FBI Director James Comey will be called to testify before the House Judiciary and House Oversight Committees again in mid-December, GOP committee chairman said in a statement on Saturday.