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'Podium is still working': CNN reporter trolls Trump for claim he can't apologize to America without Twitter
January 17, 2021
White House communications aide Hogan Gidley whined to Fox News on Sunday that President Donald Trump would really like to apologize to the American people for last week's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol but he can't because he doesn't have Twitter anymore.
"On the one hand, [media says] he should be censored by big tech and not be allowed to talk," Gidley said. "He also shouldn't say anything because it's divisive. And then when he doesn't say anything and can't say anything because the platform(s) have removed him, they says, 'Where's the president? Why aren't we hearing from him?'"
<p>But CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond double checked on the press room and everything there seems to be in working order. </p><p> "The idea that the president's lack of a Twitter account now prevents him from making statements is absurd," he said. "You can see the White House podium there still in working order though it hasn't been used in weeks now at the White House. The president could step out at any time. He has a press corps ready and willing to listen to his comments and report them out but the president not doing that. Staying behind closed doors in his final days in office."</p><p>See the video below: </p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="18cd89defc841c1e820d545f7386bd59" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S0kcXTVLFH4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">The embarrassment of Hogan Gidley</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0kcXTVLFH4" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p>
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It's hardly a news flash that Donald Trump's approval numbers have been cratering since the political meteor of the Capitol riots hit. His previous bottom of above 36 % approval has been lowered in several recent polls.
Recent findings reported by the Pew Research Center were stark:
<p>"Donald Trump is leaving the White House with the lowest job approval of his presidency (29%) and increasingly negative ratings for his post-election conduct. The share of voters who rate Trump's conduct since the election as only fair or poor has risen from 68% in November to 76%, with virtually all of the increase coming in his "poor" ratings (62% now, 54% then). </p><p>But even more ominous for Trump in the poll was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/15/donald-trump-leaves-white-house-lowest-ever-approval-rating/4173571001/" target="_blank">an indicator of long-term damage to his standing</a> among his dreaded political base. By that same 68-to-29% margin, respondents said "no" to the question, "Would you like to see Trump remain a major political figure for many years to come?"</p>
<p>In normal times, one might quarrel with the wording of that question. But in the context of <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/trumps-presidency-is-a-cult/">Trump's cult-like cadre of followers</a>, it's a spot-on indicator of atrophy. It would appear that <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/sedition/">the sedition of January 6</a> may have driven away even some supporters who would have been cool if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue.</p>
<p>Even within the Republican Party, respondents wanted Trump to remain a major political figure by just a margin of just 57-to-40%. Compare that to the 90-%-plus stranglehold he's held on the party through the worst Presidency in American history. As further evidence of the Republican civil war to come, those describing themselves as "moderate or liberal" want him out of their lives by 56-to-41 %. His long-term presence is only desired by 68 % of self-described conservative Republicans.</p>
<p>(In case you're wondering, Democrats described as liberal were apparently unanimous in saying "no" to Trump in this context, which those labeled "conservative-moderate" wanted him gone by 90-to-9%.)</p>
<p>To be clear, Trump's fall from grace does not imply that he hasn't done lasting damage to the American political system. Even among those who have had their eyes opened by the Capitol riots, <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/fact-check-trumps-claims-of-georgia-election-fraud/">the fraudulent claims of election fraud </a>have left a stunning percentage of Americans with lingering doubts.</p>
<p>"Deep divisions extend to opinions about the election result itself. Biden will be inaugurated Jan. 20 with a large segment of Trump voters viewing Trump as the winner of the election, despite scores of failed court challenges to the election brought by Trump's lawyers and Congress' confirmation of Biden's Electoral College victory in the early morning hours of Jan. 7," the Pew Research Center reported.</p><p>"Among voters overall, 65% say Biden definitely or probably "received the most votes cast by eligible voters in enough states to win the election"; 54% say he definitely won the most votes. But 34% incorrectly say Trump definitely or probably was the rightful election winner."</p>
<p>Pew also said the great ideological divide applied to how much Trump was to blame for the Capitol riots:</p><p>"Only about half of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (52%) say Trump bears any responsibility for the violence and destruction in the Capitol and 79% do not think he should be removed from office before Jan. 20. Virtually all Democrats and Democratic leaners (95%) say Trump bears at least some responsibility for the riot– and 83 % favor his removal as president."</p><p>With no disrespect to Pew, the fact that Trump is blamed at all for the Capitol riots by slightly more than half of those categorized "Republicans and Republican-leaning independents," should not be described as "only." After four-plus years of enduring the grunts of Trump's base, that number seems like progress.</p>
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Mick Mulvaney's niece listed on the permit for Trump rally that became Capitol insurrection
January 17, 2021
The Associated Press did an extensive expose on the public records available for those who participated in the "Stop the Steal" rally that ended with a riot and insurrection against the U.S. Capitol.
One piece of the report outed Maggie Mulvaney, niece to top Trump's old aide Mick Mulvaney, as the VIP Lead on the permit that Women for America First requested for the Trump rally.
<p>According to the AP, the younger Mulvaney "worked as director of finance operations for the Trump campaign, according to her LinkedIn profile. FEC records show Maggie Mulvaney was earning $5,000 every two weeks from Trump's reelection campaign, with the most recent payment reported on November 13."</p><p>The insurrection on the capitol led to the resignation by Mick Mulvaney, who had moved from being Trump's chief of staff to United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland after March 2020. He confessed to CNBC that he wanted to resign because his reputation would likely take a hit for the rest of history, prompting people to say "'Oh yeah, you work for the guy who tried to overtake the government.'"</p><p>In Feb. 2019, Trump's IRS granted tax-exempt status to Women for America First labeling it as a "social welfare organization."</p><p>It's unclear if there will be complaints filed to remove their tax-exempt status after their participation in the insurrection. </p><p>While the event was first started by activist groups, at some point the Trump supporters noticed a chance in the agenda and speakers. </p><p>Kimberly Fletcher, the Moms for America president, said that the event from a small group to a massive and professional stage. </p><p>"I don't know who was in the background or who put it together or anything," she explained. </p><p>Many others have links to the Trump campaign who appeared to make the event happen under the guise of supporters rising up instead of doing it directly through the Trump campaign. </p><p><span></span><a href="https://apnews.com/article/d14c78d53b3a212658223252fec87e99" target="_blank">Read the full report by the AP. </a><br/></p>
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