TRENTON -- New emails r eleased by Wikileaks suggest Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) allowed the Democratic National Committee to pen statements for her attacking Gov. Chris Christie in an effort to hobble both Donald Trump's campaign and the governor. The international non-profit journalistic organization recently published a trove of hacked emails from DNC staffers…
Republican Representative Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, a Tea Party favorite in his third term in Congress, lost his bid for re-election on Tuesday, the state's unofficial results showed.
Huelskamp, who had a frequent critic of past Republican fiscal measures, won just 44 percent of the vote in the farm state, losing out to Roger Marshall, a physician who took 57 percent, according to the Kansas secretary of state's website.
Elected to Congress in 2010 amid a wave of Tea Party support, Huelskamp has repeatedly tangled with his House Republican leaders in pushing for a more conservative fiscal agenda.
His battles with former House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner resulted in his being stripped of his House Budget and Agriculture Committee memberships, a blow to his farm-rich state.
Conservative political action committees spent heavily this year to defeat Huelskamp in his primary and in support of his opponent, who was also backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
"Voters are looking for results from their Reps, not obstructionism," the Chamber's political wing said in a tweet after the vote, calling Marshall an "effective conservative."
Huelskamp, in a post on Facebook overnight, said the race showed how big money from "Washington power brokers" had defeated Kansas values.
"It is now perfectly clear," he wrote, "that the Establishment wing of the Republican party cannot stand conservatives."
(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Susan Heavey; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
Republican officials are so angry at Donald Trump and his imploding campaign that they're considering replacing him at the top of the ticket just two weeks after nominating him.
The GOP nominee angered party officials by refusing to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. John McCain in their primary races, repeatedly insulting a Gold Star family, joking about receiving a Purple Heart and removing a noisy baby from a campaign rally -- all in about four hours Tuesday afternoon.
Jon Karl, the chief White House correspondent for ABC News, reported Wednesday morning that Republican officials were scrambling to plan for the possibility that Trump might suddenly quit the presidential race.
"This is absolutely unprecedented," Karl reported. "First of all, I am told RNC chairman Reince Priebus is furious, that he has had multiple discussions with Trump telling him he needs to drastically change course. But here's the news, I am told senior officials at the party are actively exploring what would happen if Trump dropped out, how to replace him on the ballot."
Karl said the Republican Party could not force Trump out of the race now that he's their nominee, but he might solve their problem by dropping out.
"He would have to go out voluntarily, then it would be the 168 members of the RNC, through a complicated process, that would pick a new candidate," Karl said. "It would have to happen by early September."
A stunned George Stephanopoulos, the Good Morning America host, asked if that was a real possibility.
"He is so unpredictable right now, they are so unable to control his message, that they just don't know and clearly think it is a possibility, which is why they're looking at these rules," Karl said.
Despite of all that, Trump remains within "shouting distance" of Hillary Clinton -- which Karl said only made Republicans angrier at his unforced errors.
"I have to say the frustration is especially deep because they believe that Hillary Clinton looks vulnerable, exactly as (ABC News political analyst) Matthew (Dowd) said, and had a bad few days, the DNC has gone through a whole shake-up," Karl said. "She misstated what that director said about her emails. One top official told me if Trump had gone on vacation for the past two weeks, he would be in the lead. But, yes, he can still raise money and still has support among the Republican rank-and-file."
It's safe to say that Joe Scarborough might be finally done covering for Donald Trump.
Although the Morning Joe co-host has alternated between praising and attacking Trump throughout his presidential campaign, on Wednesday he dropped a bombshell that makes it impossible to imagine him ever coming to Trump's defense again.
According to Scarborough, a foreign policy expert who briefed Trump told him that the Republican nominee repeatedly asked him about our country's reluctance to use nuclear weapons.
"Three times he asked about the use of nuclear weapons," Scarborough said. "Three times he asked, at one point, 'If we have them, why can't we use them?' That's one of the reasons he doesn't have foreign policy experts around."
Scarborough then asked his guest, former CIA and National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden, about whether there were any ways to stop Trump from ordering a nuclear strike if he were elected president.
"The system is designed for speed and decisiveness," Hayden replied. "It's not designed to debate the decision."
If Scarborough's account here is accurate, of course, he probably should have mentioned it before the Republicans decided to nominate Trump to become the most powerful person in the world.
Check out the full video below.
Calling Donald Trump an "authoritarian character" and a threat to democracy, Meg Whitman, a prominent Republican fundraiser and chief executive of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton's White House bid late Tuesday.
"To vote Republican out of party loyalty alone would be to endorse a candidacy that I believe has exploited anger, grievance, xenophobia and racial division. Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character," Whitman posted on Facebook about the Republican nominee.
In an interview with the New York Times, which first reported the endorsement, Whitman said it was time "to put country first before party" and that she would give a "substantial" contribution to Clinton's campaign.
Whitman told the Times that Trump is a "dishonest demagogue" and said that those who look at other failed democracies and believe "it can't happen here" are mistaken.
"Trump's unsteady hand would endanger our prosperity and national security. His authoritarian character could threaten much more," Whitman wrote on Facebook.
Whitman's endorsement is the latest from a string of business leaders who have moved to back Clinton in recent days, including other high-profile Republicans.
Clinton reached out to Whitman personally about a month ago, according to the Times report. Her campaign also courted former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who delivered an endorsement speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last week.
Clinton's campaign viewed Bloomberg, a billionaire Republican and household name, as being able to go toe-to-toe with Trump's claims he is best suited to run the country given his own business credentials, according to those familiar with the discussions.
Dallas Mavericks owner and television personality Mark Cuban also backed Clinton last week, calling her campaign chairman John Podesta on the night she accepted her nomination to say he was ready to support the former secretary of state.
Cuban on Saturday made a surprise appearance at a Clinton rally in Columbus, Ohio, reversing course from earlier statements that he would likely vote for Trump.
"Leadership is creating consensus in our amazing country and letting everybody know that American exceptionalism and the American dream are alive and well, that’s what leadership is, that’s what Hillary Clinton is," said Cuban.
Clinton's campaign released a list in June with business leaders from whom they had secured support. Among them were several high-profile Republicans, including Dan Akerson, a former chairman and chief executive at General Motors.
(Reporting By Amanda Becker; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Donald Trump's presidential campaign is headed completely off the rails right now, and the crew over at Morning Joe is in awe.
Talking about Trump's epic day in Tuesday -- in which he booted a baby out of a rally, tripled down on his attacks on the Khan family and continued trashing top Republicans such as John McCain and Kelly Ayotte -- Joe Scarborough came to the conclusion that Trump cannot be stopped from self-destructing.
"The family can't control him, the kids can't control him, [Paul] Manafort can't control him, nobody can control him anymore," Scarborough said. "He's off in the fields wandering. It's really bad for this country. It's dangerous for this country. What are Republicans going to do now?"
Scarborough's co-host Mika Brzezinski seemed particularly offended that Trump bragged about getting a Purple Heart from a fan who had served in the military. She noted that a Purple Heart is something awarded to soldiers who are wounded or killed in combat and is not some trophy to be waved around.
"I think he's crossed the line where those primary voters are going to see him with that Purple Heart, and see him talking about [the Khan family] that way, and they're going to be turned off," she said. "I think his brand is in jeopardy. If you care about anything, care about your brand and start acting like an American."
Check out both clips from Wednesday morning's Morning Joe below.
Donald Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson has appeared so many times on CNN blaming President Barack Obama for everything bad that has ever happened in the United States and the internet has had enough.
Tuesday, Pierson went on CNN attempting to clean up Trump's Khan family scandal, instead, she ended up blaming President Obama for Capt. Khan's death, which happened in 2004, before Obama was president.
Twitter just wasn't having any of it and lashed out with #KatrinaPiersonHistory, blaming Obama for literally everything. Here are some of the best:
Yeah, we know.
Figures.
Bet you never expected that.
Thanks, Obama.
Some people probably believe this one.
The only thing that could have made Donald Trump's crazy day even crazier was if someone revived the candidate's "birther" claims about President Barack Obama -- so, naturally, that's exactly what happened.
Trump's former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, pounced Tuesday night when his CNN colleague, Angela Rye, mentioned Obama's college transcripts, which birthers still believe will finally prove the president was born outside the U.S.
"Donald Trump has been attacking the president long before he began campaigning for this important office," said CNN's Angela Rye during a Tuesday night segment. "He is the one who was the spokesperson for the birther movement and calling for transcripts, and saying the president was an affirmative action admittee of Harvard."
Lewandowski, who's still on the Trump campaign's payroll, asked if Obama had ever released his college transcripts, and Rye asked if Trump had released his tax returns yet.
"You raised the issue, I'm just asking," Lewandowski said, using the Trump campaign's standard dodge for its frequent wild claims. "Did he ever release his transcripts or his admission to Harvard University? You raised the issue, so just say yes or no. The answer is no."
Rye wasn't having it.
"Corey, in this moment I'm going to Beyoncé you -- boy, bye," Rye said, quoting the singer's hit, "Sorry." "You're so out of line right now. Tell your candidate to release his tax returns."
Lewandowski continued trying to equate Obama's college transcripts to Trump's tax returns, which some have speculated could show the real estate developer is actually broke or has business ties to Russian oligarchs, as Rye reminded him that Obama was the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review.
"CNN Tonight" host Don Lemon finally regained a measure of control, and asked Lewandowski what was so important about seeing those Harvard transcripts.
"Look, the only reason it's germane is because she brought the issue up and Donald Trump raised the issue of his Harvard transcripts," Lewandowski said. "And I just simply said that those -- have those ever been released? And the question was, did he get in as a U.S. citizen or was he brought to Harvard University as a citizen who wasn't from this country?"
Rye muttered, "oh, my god," as Lemon reminded Lewandowksi that George W. Bush hadn't released his college transcripts, either.
Lewandowski said Bush didn't need to release his transcripts, and again blamed Rye for raising the issue -- but she shut him down.
"I raised it to say that Donald Trump has been attacking the president since before he was ever running for this office, Corey," Rye said. "You went off on this tangent, just like your candidate does, and you're off-message. This is why it's a second-grade election."
Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina state representative, then jumped into the fray and accused Lewandowski and Trump of trying to "delegitimize" the president because he is black.
"Nobody said that, nobody raised the issue of his race other than you," Lewandowski said.
"You think he's Kenyan, you don't think he's from here -- you just said that," Sellers said, as Lewandowski protested that he hadn't. "You said that you think he's not from this country."
"So where's he from? Where's he from, Corey" Rye asked.
"Hawaii," Lewandowski said, correctly identifying the president's birthplace.
"Hawaii is in the country," Rye said, laughing derisively.
Sellers then pointed out how unprecedented it was for Trump to refuse to release his tax returns, and Lewandowksi attempted to change the subject to Hillary Clinton's email server maintenance.
"Congratulations, Corey -- your second tangent of the night," Rye said.
Watch the entire segment posted online by Mediaite:
Every day, Stephen Colbert comes to work and makes an active effort not to mock Republican nominee Donald Trump. But then Trump either opens his mouth, his family speaks out or someone associated with his campaign does something incredibly stupid.
"Every day, more words come out of his face," Colbert explained.
First, there is Roger "Uncle Touch Too Much" Ailes. When asked about what Trump would do if his own daughter was sexually harassed, Trump said Ivanka would just find another company to work for. "Yeah! Is that so hard?" Colbert asked. "When a woman is sexually harassed it is up to her to simply leave that company and find a new job at all those other companies where women are leaving for some reason. It's musical chairs. When the music stops, you have to sit on your bosses lap." Then Eric Trump made matters worse.
It's all easy for Trump to say, his daughter has only been working for him, so she can't be subjected to sexual harassment. Well, except for that one time he said he'd date her if she wasn't his daughter.
Colbert acknowledged that Trump has had such a rough couple of days since the Democratic National Convention that he deserves a medal. Then, of course, he got one, when a veteran handed over his Purple Heart. Trump said, "I always wanted to get a Purple Heart. This was much easier." Given his problems with veterans and the huge scandal involving the Khan family, he's drawing serious criticism.
"Yeah, he's, uh, did you hear that? He's always wanted a Purple Heart, ya know," Colbert began. "He always wanted the award you get for being wounded in battle, he just never had the opportunity. Man, he must kick himself over those five deferments he requested from the Vietnam draft. What are the odds?!" Colbert speculated that perhaps Trump could score a medal for accidently shooting himself in the foot. He's certainly done it a lot in the last week.
To make matters worse, President Barack Obama came out Tuesday to denounce Trump in words that a sitting president has never said before: "He is unfit to serve as president."
Colbert reminded us that Trump doesn't care if the "establishment" thinks he's "fit" for the "job." After all, "he's a 'man' of the people," he continued. Perhaps that is why Trump tweeted a photo of himself eating Kentucky Fried Chicken on board his private jet. But Trump managed to bumble that too, as he was eating his fried chicken with a knife and fork.
"Excuse me!" Colbert said, with a furrowed brow. "Mr. Trump, what part of finger lickin' good don't you understand?" He also suggested that if Trump wants to seem relatable, then perhaps he ought to not eat his KFC on a private jet.
As if that isn't enough, at his most recent rally, Trump heard a baby crying. As if he was suffering from some sort of demonic possession, Trump said he loved babies and not to worry about the baby crying. Then in the next beat, he threw the baby out. "If that baby wants to stay here he needs to act like an adult!" Colbert mocked. "Because when we adults listen to Trump we weep silently."
Gold Star military father Khizr Khan lit into Donald Trump again on Tuesday over the Republican presidential nominee's actions at a campaign rally earlier in the day.
"I'm just so upset at this lack of empathy, lack of common sense," Khan told CNN host Anderson Cooper. "He wants to be the commander-in-chief of this United States of America? That is the thoughtfulness?"
Khan, who was a featured speaker alongside his wife Ghazala at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), apologized at one point to Cooper for shouting in response to Trump accepting what he said was a Purple Heart medal from a veteran, Lt. Col. Louis Dorfman, while campaigning in Virginia.
"I said to him, 'Is that a real one or is that a copy?' And he said, 'That's my real purple heart, I have such confidence in you'" Trump said before bringing Dorfman on stage. "I said, 'Man that's like big stuff.' I've always wanted to have a Purple Heart. This was much easier. But I tell you it was such an honor."
According to the fact-checking site Snopes.com, NBC News' Katy Tur said Dorfman told her he gave Trump a copy of the medal, rather than the real thing.
But real or not, Khan -- who prompted a wave of criticism toward Trump when he told him, "You have sacrificed nothing" during his DNC speech -- did not take kindly to the real estate mogul's quip during the event, referencing Trump's multiple medical deferments, which allowed him to avoid serving in the Vietnam War.
"You had your chance. You escaped. You dodged the draft," Khan said. "And now you want an easy Purple Heart in your pocket? You should have pinned it back."
Watch footage from the interview, as aired on CNN, below.
Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann quickly trumped a spokesperson for Donald Trump during a Twitter exchange concerning morale among the Republican presidential candidate's staffers.
The online skirmish began when CNBC's John Harwood reported comments from a source he identified as a "longtime ally" of Trump's campaign manager, Paul Manafort.
"Manafort not challenging Trump anymore," Harwood wrote, as seen below. "Mailing it in. Staff suicidal."
That prompted Trump spokesperson Jason Miller to fire back by linking to a conservative website describing Harwood as "unabashedly liberal and very biased against conservatives."
Olbermann immediately responded by telling Miller, "Congrats on confirming [Harwood's] story. Spokesmoron."
For his part, Harwood stayed above the fray, linking to Miller's response but also highlighting an NBC News tweet corroborating his initial report and quoting a source within the campaign as saying the situation was "way worse than people realize," as well as one from CNN saying staffers "feel like they are wasting their time."
A U.S. judge on Tuesday rejected Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's pretrial bid to win a lawsuit brought by Trump University students who said they were defrauded into signing up for its real-estate seminars.
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel said in a written ruling that there was a "genuine issue of material fact" as to whether Trump knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud the students.
Curiel said there was extensive evidence Trump had not personally met, interviewed or selected Trump University instructors, though he represented they had been handpicked.
In a July 22 hearing, Curiel tentatively denied the bid by Trump to dismiss the lawsuit in California, one of three over the defunct Trump University venture.
Trump's lawyers had argued that the 2013 lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California should be dismissed because the New York real estate mogul, though personally involved in developing the concept and curriculum, relied on others to manage Trump University by the time the plaintiffs purchased seminars.
Trump's lawyers claimed that references in marketing materials to "secrets," "hand-picked" instructors or "university" were sales "puffery" and there was no evidence Trump intended to defraud students.
(Reporting by Jim Christie; Editing by Sandra Maler and Richard Chang)
Did Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton get in a time machine and go back to 2004 to change the rules of engagement that cost Humayun Khan his life?
Believe it or not, that seems to be the wild new theory being floated by Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pearson.
Specifically, Pierson told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday that Capt. Humayun Khan "probably" died because Obama and Clinton crippled our military's ability to fight by changing the rules of engagement.
"But surely you can understand the confusion, considering how Donald Trump never voted for the Iraq War, Hillary Clinton did," Pierson said. "Then she didn't support the troops to have what they need. It was under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton that changed the rules of engagements that probably cost his life! So I don’t understand why it’s so hard to understand why Donald Trump was confused."
There is a very obvious problem with this, of course: Khan was killed by a car bomb all the way back in 2004. During that time, Clinton was a senator for New York and Obama wasn't even a senator yet.
Even by Katrina Pierson's standards, this was a flameout for the ages.
Check out the full clip below.
Update, 10:36 p.m. EST: CNN later posted a clip of Blitzer fact-checking Pierson's statement, which can be seen below.
.@WolfBlitzer fact checks Trump spokeswoman after she says Obama and Clinton are to blame for Capt. Khan's death https://t.co/nZAfYTh2J9
— The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) August 3, 2016
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