Former Trump chief of staff says ex-president is ‘scared s***less’
President Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, panned a short address given by his former boss on Tuesday as nothing more than panicked bluster in response to two criminal indictments filed by prosecutors in New York and the US Department of Justice. Mr Kelly spoke to The Washington Post after the ex-president appeared at his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, in front of a crowd of $1,000-a-pop attendees gathered hastily to hear his post-arraignment remarks. And he chalked up the president’s threats to go after Joe Biden and his family with the full power of a weaponised Department of Justice as president to little more than a tantrum. “He’s scared s***less,” said Mr Kelly. “This is the way he compensates for that. He gives people the appearance he doesn’t care by doing this.” “For the first time in his life, it looks like he’s being held accountable. Up until this point in his life, it’s like, ‘I’m not going to pay you. Take me to court.’ He’s never been held accountable before,” added the former senior White House official and retired Marine Corps general. It was a comment that was simultaneously unsurprising yet notable due to the credence it lends to the idea that Donald Trump’s inner circle of advisers has done nothing but shrink since he took office in 2017 and left unceremoniously just four years later. In particular, Mr Trump is reported to have iced out all but those who agree most closely with his strategy and tactics, leaving behind even previously close aides like son-in-law Jared Kushner as he becomes further and further ensnared in legal entanglements. Mr Kelly was long seen as one of the president’s cool-headed influences in the White House, often clashing with more fervent True Believers in the administration like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller. His brush-ups with the former eventually led to Mr Bannon departing the White House entirely before the end of Mr Trump’s first year in office. But Mr Kelly himself eventually left the White House, too, replaced by yes-men Mick Mulvaney and Mark Meadows who fed the president’s ego and enabled his most controversial actions, including his refusal to accept his election defeat to Mr Biden in 2020. Mr Meadows was most recently reported by The Independent to be cooperating with federal investigators in two probes examining his former boss’s undertakings as part of an immunity deal: One into the January 6 attack, and another dealing with presidential records and classified material taken from the White House. Mr Kelly is one of many former Trump White House staffers who have denounced their former boss since leaving his service; in 2020, Mr Kelly was reported to have described then-President Trump as one of the most dishonest people he has ever known in a CNN report. “The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it’s more pathetic than anything else. He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life,” Mr Kelly has told close friends, according to the news outlet. Mr Trump was indicted last week on 37 criminal counts related to his handling of presidential records, including classified documents reportedly related to US defense and the military. He faces a separate 32-count indictment in New York, a result of a 2016 hush money scheme involving porn star Stormy Daniels. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump speech lambasted as ex-president celebrates birthday post-arrest Special counsel Jack Smith stared at Trump throughout historic court appearance, report says Ex-Trump lawyer says evidence in indictment is like ‘a gun with Trump’s fingerprints on it’ Trump’s second arraignment: Watch how it happened Fox News calls Biden ‘wannabe dictator’ as it shows Trump speech on nuclear secret charges Marjorie Taylor Greene mocked for telling CDC chair: ‘I dont want my staff educated’
2023-06-15 11:19
Hillary Clinton laughs at ‘crooked’ ‘cult leader’ Trump’s second indictment
Hillary Clinton appeared on the Pod Save America podcast alongside a number of former Obama staffers, laughing as she was handed a t-shirt saying “Totally Impartial Potential Juror” after former President Donald Trump was indicted on 37 counts in connection to his alleged mishandling of national security information. The former secretary of state, senator, and first lady took part in the Monday evening recording released on Tuesday. “You’re kidding!” she said, laughing as the hosts spoke of Mr Trump’s fresh indictment. “I have a lot of reactions to it. And I think the best reaction publicly is, you know, let’s see it unfold and let’s see what happens.” After she was handed the t-shirt, she couldn’t resist pointing to its ‘Crooked’ logo and joking that it was the ex-president’s ‘nickname’. Meanwhile, Mr Trump appeared at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course on Tuesday night, claiming that she “acid-washed” her emails, also contending that she stole china and furniture from the White House. “Hillary Clinton broke the law and she didn’t get indicted,” he said. “Hillary Clinton took hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of furniture, china, flatware, rugs and more from the White House and she wasn’t prosecuted,” Mr Trump suggested. “How about that one. She took the furniture and the china.” “It seems likely right now that he will end up the nominee,” Ms Clinton said of Mr Trump. “I mean, something can happen between now and when they start actually voting in the primary. But the Republican rules, as you know, favour winner take all.” “So the more people who get in against him, his chances actually go up. And then the response that we’ve seen in polling from Republicans suggests that they’re going to stick with him, that it’s more of a cult than a political party at this point, and they’re going to stick with their leader,” she added. “So I think that actually President Biden is in a very strong position to run a campaign that doesn’t have to talk about him. But I think other Democrats should and other concerned Americans should be asking hard questions.” “I have said now for months that Joe Biden had a remarkable first two years as president. I don’t think he gets the credit for it. And in part, that’s because he’s not a performer. He’s a producer. You know, he gets up every day and he goes to work for the American people,” the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said. “In a time where in politics, not just in our country but elsewhere in the world, entertainment is really important. And the shock factor and the insult factor and the scapegoating and the finger-pointing, he’s really not doing it,” Ms Clinton said about Mr Biden. “And he is very careful about how he tries to present himself. I think that contrast is important. His accomplishments are important and trying to get people to focus on, okay, when the circus leaves town, what’s your life going to be like? How are you going to feel about your future and your family’s future and the big challenges that we have here at home and around the world.” “I think that’s the way to present a strong incumbent campaign against Trump,” she added. Ms Clinton said Republicans “refuse to read the indictment. They refuse to engage with the facts. There’s nothing new about that. And what they refuse to admit is this is on a track about him, not about anybody else. No matter how much they try to confuse people and how much they try to raise extraneous issues”. The former New York senator said that “it’s going to be fascinating, in a bizarre and sad way, to watch them spin themselves up”. “Their efforts to defend this man are truly beyond anything that I ever thought possible in our country. It is so profoundly disturbing how this could have ... been the opportunity to say, ‘Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us. We really appreciate it, but this is kind of serious, and so we’re not going to continue to defend you,’” Ms Clinton said. “But no, they’re all in ... the psychology of this is so hard for me to fully grasp.” Read More Trump indictment — live: Trump 2024 rakes in $2m from Bedminster speech after federal charges arraignment Trump fundraises $2m from post-arraignment appearances Trump fans harass British reporter who asked him if he’s ‘ready for jail’ at Versailles restaurant Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
2023-06-15 11:16
'The Vanderverse is expanding!' Fans thrilled as Lisa Vanderpump set to open her Lake Tahoe restaurant
Lisa Vanderpump is expanding her restaurant empire by opening a brand-new restaurant in Lake Tahoe
2023-06-15 11:15
Demi Lovato switches back to she/her pronouns as she 'got tired' of explaining: 'It was exhausting'
'You only have two options, male and female, and I feel like none of that makes sense to me,' said Demi Lovato
2023-06-15 08:21
Chasing Horse charged with more sex crimes in new Canadian case
Canadian authorities announced this week that Nathan Chasing Horse has been charged in the province of Alberta with sexual assault and sexual exploitation
2023-06-15 07:45
'Rust' armorer may have brought live rounds on set -prosecutors
By Andrew Hay Prosecutors say they have evidence pointing to the possibility the armorer for the movie "Rust"
2023-06-15 07:21
Warner Bros Discovery slammed for ignoring Ezra Miller's crimes, including teen girl grooming accusations
'Ezra Miller belongs in prison not a premiere. WTF is wrong with the people running WBD and DC?' wrote a user
2023-06-15 06:52
Met Opera box office has slight uptick in 2nd season after pandemic
The Metropolitan Opera saw a slight uptick in ticket sales in its second season following the coronavirus pandemic
2023-06-15 06:24
US media split on Trump reflects divided nation
Americans tuning into the Donald Trump drama faced alternate TV realities: a candidate persecuted by a "wannabe dictator," according to Fox News -- or a man so "dangerous" that...
2023-06-15 05:55
Trump indictment — live: Trump 2024 rakes in $2m from Bedminster speech after federal charges arraignment
Donald Trump is marking his 77th birthday on Wednesday as the first current or former president arrested on federal criminal charges in American history. On Tuesday, Mr Trump pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in a Miami federal courthouse on 37 charges over his handling of classified national security documents after leaving the White House. Miami officials had braced for protests outside the courthouse but much of the Maga army of supporters failed to show up as expected. One anti-Trump protester jumped in front of the former president’s motorcade. Mr Trump then flew back to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he gave a speech launching into his usual unsubstantiated narrative that he is the victim of political persecution. His 2024 campaign raked in $2.1m from the event and another $4.5m in small online donations. The speech was widely lambasted by critics for its litany of falsehoods while also offering a possible preview of his roughshod defence to the charges against him. Meanwhile, former vice president Mike Pence told CNBC that having reviewed the indictment, he “cannot defend what is alleged” by prosecutors, as more former Trump allies appear to change their tune. Read More Desperate deflections, revenge plans – and a supplicant Fox News: What we learned from Trump speech Defiant Trump accuses ‘corrupt’ Biden of undermining democracy with ‘evil and heinous’ federal charges Trump addresses reason he refused to give back boxes saying they contained ‘shoes and shirts and everything’ Tucker Carlson blasts ‘filthy and decadent’ Trump aides who exploited his need for flattery
2023-06-15 05:54
Chris Christie calls Trump ‘failed leader’ who ‘doesn’t care about the American people’
Following the arraignment of Donald Trump on federal criminal charges, more of the Republican primary candidates appear to be finding their footing and changing their tune from their initial response to the indictment against him. One particularly vocal critic from the get-go has been former Trump ally and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has long-aligned himself as anti-Trump and is now running against him for the 2024 GOP nomination. During an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, Mr Christie did not hold back when asked how he would differentiate himself on the debate stage from Mr Trump. America’s Newsroom host Bill Hemmer asked him where the two candidates disagree on the issues, noting that they seem in lockstep on some giving the examples of abortion and social security. “He’s a failure. He’s a failed leader. We gave him a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and he failed. He failed us, Bill,” said the former governor. “And he failed us by losing the house by losing the Senate and by turning over the White House to Joe Biden, and the most liberal administration and ineffective administration since Jimmy Carter.” Mr Christie continued, running through his record as governor: “Is that the type of leadership we want or do we want someone who has governed in a blue state, showing you can win independent voters, get 61 per cent of the vote for reelection in a state like New Jersey as a Republican, and works with a Democratic legislature to get pension reform; to fire the Camden City Police Department leading to a 75 per cent reduction in the murder rate; and gave more educational choice than in any blue state in the country, more charter schools and choice in the city of Newark, and did that with a Democratic legislature?” The one-time ally of Mr Trump then really went for the jugular, saying: “Is that what we need in Washington or do we need Donald Trump whining, moaning and making everything about him?” He added: “He doesn’t care about the American people, Bill. He’s putting himself first and if you watch that speech yesterday, at Bedminster — where is he talking about America and the American people and their concerns and their needs?” Mr Christie concluded: “This next administration if Donald Trump is president will be all about retribution for him personally, is that the show we want to watch? Is that the rerun of The Apprentice we want to watch?” The former governor appeared on a CNN town hall on Monday night (12 June) in which he also tore into Mr Trump, accusing the former president of “vanity run amok.” “The conduct in there is awful,” Mr Christie said of the former president’s indictment over the trove of classified documents he took with him when leaving office. The former New Jersey governor, who had joined the race to be the Republican Party nominee the week before, also compared Mr Trump to “Voldemort” from the Harry Potter books. Read More Fox News walks back ‘wannabe dictator’ insult aimed at Biden over Trump arrest Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’ and accuses him of ‘vanity run amok’ Chris Christie town hall: Christie slams ex-president as poll shows slight bump in favorability Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
2023-06-15 04:29
Fox News says it 'addressed' onscreen message that called Biden a 'wannabe dictator'
Fox News says it has addressed an onscreen headline that called President Joe Biden a “wannabe dictator” who sought to have his political rival arrested, without saying what was done
2023-06-15 03:50
