Tag: Trump transition

Five takeaways from the Fusion GPS testimony

The following article by Katie Bo WIlliams and Jonathan Easley was posted on the Hill website January 10, 2018:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday unilaterally released more than 300 pages documenting an interview the panel conducted in August with the founder of the opposition research firm that commissioned a controversial dossier on President Trump.

In that interview, Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson said the dossier’s author, a former British intelligence officer named Christopher Steele, told him that the FBI already had “other intelligence” backing up claims in the dossier when he met with an agent in September. Continue reading “Five takeaways from the Fusion GPS testimony”

What you need to know about Christopher Steele, the FBI and the Trump ‘dossier’

The following article by Glenn Kessler was posted on the Washington Post website January 9, 2019:

The Russia probe got its start with a drunken conversation, an ex-spy, WikiLeaks and a distracted FBI. (Meg Kelly/The Washington Post)

“Mr. Steele was on the payroll of Fusion GPS, who was being paid by the Democratic Party to do opposition research on Donald Trump. That while he was working with the FBI, he was shopping this dossier all over the world. That’s not what an informant should do.”
— Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Jan. 7, 2018

Graham and Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, on Jan. 5 referredChristopher Steele, the author of the “dossier” alleging ties between President Trump and Russia, for a criminal investigation by the Justice Department. The move is an unexpected twist in the saga over the document, which was gossiped about in journalistic circles during the 2016 presidential election until a version was published by BuzzFeed shortly before Trump’s inauguration. Continue reading “What you need to know about Christopher Steele, the FBI and the Trump ‘dossier’”

Mueller indicates he is likely to seek interview with Trump

The following article by Carol D. Leonnig was posted on the Washing Post website January 8, 2018:

With indications that special counsel Robert Mueller is seeking an interview with President Trump, here are some burning questions his team will want to ask. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has told President Trump’s legal team that his office is likely to seek an interview with the president, triggering a discussion among his attorneys about how to avoid a sit-down encounter or set limits on such a session, according to two people familiar with the talks.

Mueller raised the issue of interviewing Trump during a late-December meeting with the president’s lawyers John Dowd and Jay Sekulow. Mueller deputy James Quarles, who oversees the White House portion of the special counsel investigation, also attended. Continue reading “Mueller indicates he is likely to seek interview with Trump”

Read the full transcript of Glenn Simpson’s Senate testimony

Earlier today, Sen. Diane Feinstein released the transcript of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s 10-hour testimony Mr. Simpson of Fusion GPS regarding their Russia dossier.

The New York Times has posted that testimony.  Here’s a link to it if you’d like to read it.

The Republicans’ Plan for Medicaid: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

The following post by Maura Calsyn and Thomas Huelskoetter was posted on the Center for American Progress’ website January 12, 2017:

Elevators close on Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) as he arrives at Trump Tower in New York on November 16, 2016. AP/Carolyn Kaster

President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans in the U.S. Congress are poised to dismantle the Medicaid program, which provides millions of Americans with a health care safety net. First, they plan to repeal key parts of the Affordable Care Act, or ACA—including the law’s Medicaid expansion—through the budget reconciliation process without yet offering any replacement plan. Second, congressional plans to drastically restructure the Medicaid program will make coverage less secure for those who remain enrolled in the program. Continue reading “The Republicans’ Plan for Medicaid: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”

What Trump got wrong on Twitter this week

The following article by Michelle Ye Hee Lee was posted on the Washington Post website January 6, 2017:

President-elect Donald Trump speaks in Hershey, Pa., during his “thank you” tour. (Don Emmert/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

As we enter the administration of a president who is both prolific on Twitter and prone to tweeting factual inaccuracies, the Fact Checker faced a conundrum: How much effort should we devote to fact-checking President-elect Donald Trump’s tweets?

Tweets are ephemeral — in theory, at least. By the time we start on one fact check of Trump’s tweet, he may have tweeted many others that are fact-checkable. Many of Trump’s tweets are easy to debunk and do not rise to the level of a Pinocchio rating. In fact, Twitter users often correct Trump within minutes, in fewer than 140 characters.

So, we are launching an occasional feature looking at what Trump got wrong on Twitter in a given week. We will continue to devote full fact checks of claims Trump makes on Twitter when the fact check allows for discussion of a substantive policy issue. But as for the rest, we will include them in a roundup on Fridays. We will keep the analysis of each tweet as short as possible, with links to additional information for readers who want to know more. As always, we welcome reader suggestions. Continue reading “What Trump got wrong on Twitter this week”

Poll: Voters in Trump states want Democrats to keep him in check

The following article by David Weigel was posted on the Washington Post website January 4, 2017:

Donald Trump walks off his plane to speak during a campaign event at an Atlantic Aviation hanger in Moon Township, Pa., on Nov. 6, 2016. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

A poll of voters in red or purple states, conducted for the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund, has found a sizable majority willing to back Democrats if they oppose President-elect Donald Trump.

The poll, which surveyed 1,206 voters in 14 states Dec. 19-23 — all with Senate races next year — found 49 percent approving of Trump’s conduct as president-elect. That’s higher than the number in national polls, which have included samples from bluer states. Depending on how the question was asked, anywhere from 56 percent to 61 percent of voters said that Democratic lawmakers should act as a “check and balance” on the incoming president. (The number was lower if voters were asked specifically if the senator should “block” Trump.)

“Even in states that Trump won handily, Democrats are in a good position,” said Neera Tanden, CAP’s president. “Eight years ago, if you asked this question, people were much more inclined to say that everyone should get along. Here, you’ve got people who voted for Trump but want Democrats to block or oppose his agenda. That seems to be a new thing for American politics.” Continue reading “Poll: Voters in Trump states want Democrats to keep him in check”

President-Elect Trump Is Historically Unpopular; His Press Coverage Should Reflect That

The following article by Eric Boehlert was posted on the Media Matters website January 3, 2017:

There are lots of ways the political press continues to normalize President-elect Donald Trump’s often radical behavior. From regurgitating his vague tweets as news while he refuses to grant press conferences, to shying away from calling the serial prevaricator a liar, journalists continue to play nice.

Here’s another way Trump’s getting the benefit of the doubt: He’s a wildly unpopular political figure, yet the press continues to gloss over that fact while granting him soft coverage.

In terms of polling data, there’s virtually no good news for Trump. The results generally point in the same direction: He’s widely disliked and inspires little confidence in his presidential abilities. Continue reading “President-Elect Trump Is Historically Unpopular; His Press Coverage Should Reflect That”

Trump alleges delay in his briefing on ‘so-called’ Russian hacking; U.S. official says there wasn’t one

Arriving at an annual New Year’s Eve celebration at his Mar-a-lago, Fla.,
estate, President-elect Donald Trump left open the possibility
of a meeting with Taiwan’s president if she visits
after he is sworn in on Jan. 20. Trump also pushed back on
intelligence claims about Russian hacking. (Reuters)

President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday night to say that a planned intelligence briefing for him on “so-called ‘Russian-hacking’ ” had been delayed until Friday, a development he called ‘very strange!” — but one that a U.S. official said wasn’t a delay at all.

The tweet was the latest sign of Trump’s skepticism about a case pressed by the Obama administration, based on the work of U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, that Russia tried to influence the U.S. presidential election by hacking several Democratic email accounts, among other actions. Several leading Republicans have also endorsed that view.  Continue reading “Trump alleges delay in his briefing on ‘so-called’ Russian hacking; U.S. official says there wasn’t one”