WATCH: Bernie Sanders delivers Trump State of the Union rebuttal
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Tuesday delivered a response to Donald Trump's State of the Union address.
You can watch it below, via Facebook:
Featured Video
Melania Trump stays seated after husband praises ‘faith and family’ as ‘center of American life’ -- and declares 'in God we trust'
During Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, the president made a bold claim about the pillars of American democracy. Notably, First Lady Melania Trump did not seem particularly moved by his sentiment.
"In America we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy are the the center of American life,” Trump said during his address. "The motto is: In god we trust."
Anyone catch this? Melania Trump failed to stand with everyone else when Trump stated:
"In America we know that faith and Family, not government and bureaucracy are the the center of Democracy"#SOTU #StateofOurUnion pic.twitter.com/lrsuVdWD48
— Brian Krassenstein🐬 (@krassenstein) January 31, 2018
Melania Trump was “furious” with her husband after the Wall Street Journal reported his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid porn star Stephanie Clifford (whose stage name is Stormy Daniels) $130,000 in 2016 to hide an affair with the president. The First Lady abruptly cancelled a planned trip to Davos and rode separately from the president to the State of the Union.
CNN White House reporter Kate Bennett even related Melania Trump’s white outfit to female Democratic Senators who protested Trump’s election last year.
“You know, she's wearing a cream-colored suit there, which I find interesting. Remember last year the female Democratic Senators all wore white,” Bennett noted.
Watch below:
Keep reading...
Show less
WATCH: Congressional Black Caucus members unimpressed by Trump’s SOTU brag about African-American unemployment
Donald Trump on Tuesday gloated about his efforts on behalf of the African American community, reverting to his oft-repeated line that the African American unemployment rate is at its lowest rate ever recorded—and members of the Congressional Black Caucus were unimpressed.
“Something I’m very proud of: African American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded,” Trump said during his State of the Union address. as members of the Republican party stood to applaud the president, CNN’s cameras cut away to the Congressional Black Caucus, who sat motionless with looks of disbelief and disinterest clear on their faces.
Trump has tried various appeals to black voters, 88 percent of whom voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. During the election, he asked communities of color, “What do you have to lose?” in a speech declaring war zones “safer than living in some of our inner cities.”
“To the African Americans, who I employ so many, so many people, to the Hispanics, tremendous people: What the hell do you have to lose?” Trump asked in that August 2016 speech. “Give me a chance. I'll straighten it out. I'll straighten it out. What do you have to lose?”
His latest appeal is centered around the black unemployment rate, which is currently at currently 6.8 percent. But, as NPR notes, “those rates had been falling for long before Trump took office, and their declines don't appear to have picked up speed.”
“Indeed, both of these rates have been falling relatively steadily since around 2010, early in President Obama's tenure in the White House,” NPR reports.
Still, Trump insists on digging his heels in when it comes to his hand in the unemployment rate among African Americans. Sunday, the president took to Twitter to attack rapper Jay-Z, suggesting “Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!”
Jay-Z triggered Trump’s fury during a CNN interview Saturday, when he criticized the president’s “sh*thole” remarks.
"You treat people like human beings,” Jay-Z said. “That’s the main point.”
Watch below, via CNN:
Keep reading...
Show less
CNN's Van Jones hammers GOP attacks on FBI: 'Circus inside of a zoo next to a train wreck'
CNN's Van Jones called out Republicans for attacking the FBI while claiming they want to root out corruption within the law enforcement agency.
His conservative colleague Rick Santorum argued that corrupt FBI agents had brought down former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), but CNN's David Axelrod asked whether he'd voted to confirm Robert Mueller as FBI director.
"I think I voted for almost every Clinton appointment," Santorum said, although Mueller was appointed by George W. Bush. "I give the president great latitude in picking the people surrounding him in the Cabinet."
But Jones called out Santorum and GOP lawmakers attacking Mueller to defend Trump from the special counsel probe, and said those partisan shots were undermining the rule of law.
"If in fact the Republicans are saying is true, that there is malfeasance at the top, then you have to proceed in the way that protects the institution," Jone said. "What is happening is a circus inside of a zoo next to a train wreck, because you are trying to politicize this whole thing."
Keep reading...
Show less
'If they do it again': GOP senator gives Russia permission to fix 2018 elections before facing sanctions
Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Tuesday that he was willing to allow Russia to interfere in the 2018 U.S. elections before sanctioning the country for interfering in the 2016 election.
CNN's Erin Burnett noted during an interview with Risch that the Trump administration had waited to the last minute to provide Congress with a list of Russian oligarchs, which apparently was copied from a Forbes list of billionaires. The White House later promised that it would move to sanction Russia at a later date.
"Are you satisfied?" Burnett wondered. "Look, we did the sanctions for a very specific reason and that was to put an economic squeeze on Russia. These sanctions have done that. We were briefed on a number of transactions that were halted."
"So, you're saying that you don't think there need to be more sanctions?" Burnett asked. "Or any on these individuals that are listed?"
"I wouldn't put it that way," the Idaho Republican replied. "I would put it this way. We have sanctions in place right now. They are actually working right now, according to the briefings we've had."
"That doesn't mean this thing is over with," he continued. "That doesn't mean this was done and that's it. We're going to watch this thing very closely. We're in an election year, everyone is anticipating the Russians are going to do what they did in the last election and in elections before that and what they did in Germany and what they did in France."
"And if they do that again," Risch vowed, "you can assume those sanctions are going to get tightened even more on the Russians."
Watch the video below from CNN.
Keep reading...
Show less
WATCH: CNN's April Ryan gets in Jack Kingston’s face for trying to change the subject from Russia
A previously complacent pre-State of the Union 'Anderson Cooper 360' erupted Tuesday afternoon, as CNN regulars April Ryan and former Republican lawmaker Jack Kingston battled over the conservative's claim that Americans care more about their paychecks that the president trying to derail an investigation into his administration by firing special counsel Robert Mueller.
Things blew up as Kingston claimed, "I just don't understand why that's such a big story."
"I'll tell you what is a huge story, the fact that unemployment, right now, is at a 17-year row and African-American unemployment is the lowest," Kingston claimed as Ryan could be heard saying , "Oh please, stop."
"Hispanic unemployment is one of the lowest in history," Kingston continued as he ignored protests from the panel. "Those are real issues. People are better off today than a year ago and the economy is growing. The other thing is, if you think about the businesses that held their money in November and December, suddenly, they are going to make a big investment."
"Smoke and mirrors," Ryan shot back. "Those facts are alternate."
"Here is the deal, Jack," Ryan lectured as the Georgia Republican tried to talk over her. "When you talk about unemployment going down, there's a trend -- it's a trend that started over a year ago. But, here's the devil that's in the details. You are saying, 'It's great, it's great,' there is still great hurt."
"The African-American unemployment rate that the president tweeted about to Jay-Z after the Van Jones interview?" she continued. " The president saying, 'did he see the unemployment rate, 6 percent?' The president is talking about the numbers, not an approach, so there is a problem there. So don't tell me --."
"No, no. Number one, it is a significant drop, which was a far bigger drop than his predecessor," Kingston shouted over Ryan.
"That's not true, that's not true," Ryan parried.
"Absolutely, that's why he's talking less regulation on business so more mom and pop businesses can be created," Kingston, exclaimed before snidely asking, "Take yes for an answer. This is good. Can you do better?" as Cooper shut down the exchange.
Watch the video below via CNN:
Keep reading...
Show less
White House source tells CNN: Trump firing Mueller is still a 'possibility'
CNN reported on Monday that President Donald Trump is still considering firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller even though the White House has insisted otherwise.
CNN correspondent Jim Acosta reported the news to host Wolf Blitzer just hours before Trump's State of the Union Address.
"While the president is not expected to address the Russia investigation in tonight's State of the Union, CNN has learned that Trump has grown increasingly impatient with the special counsel's office," Acosta said. "A source close to the White House, who is familiar with the president's speech, said that it is still possible that the president could fire Robert Mueller."
Acosta quoted the sources as saying, "Anybody who knows Trump best knows that is a possibility. This guy is a street fighter and he thinks this Mueller investigation is B.S."
Previous reports have claimed that Trump has already threatened to fire Mueller but the action was shelved after White House Counsel Don McGhan threatened to resign.
On Tuesday, NBC News reported that Trump has even discussed ordering Attorney General Jeff Sessions to prosecute Mueller and his team of investigators.
Keep reading...
Show less
'Cheap shot': Fox panel freaks out when host mentions Stormy Daniels just hours before Trump speech
Fox News host Juan Williams caused an uproar on set Tuesday when he mentioned President Donald Trump's alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels just hours before the president's State of the Union Address.
During the opening segment on The Five, host Jesse Watters began by teasing the president's upcoming speech.
"The president is going to be on teleprompter," Watters proclaimed. "And a lot of people that support President Trump love teleprompter Trump. We used to make fun of Barack Obama when he was on the teleprompter. But we love President Trump when he's on the teleprompter."
"It's going to be a lot of recounting all the winning," he added. "Which could take a very long time. Especially, with all the applause."
"I'm just overwhelmed by the winning," Williams replied sarcastically. "It's been so much winning. So, when I look at the numbers, it's just so overwhelming."
"I am thrilled, Jesse," the left-leaning Fox News host continued. "Because I understand as his guest he'll have like Stormy Daniels maybe or how about [accused sexual predator and former RNC treasurer] Steve Wynn."
"Cheap shot!" Watters exclaimed as the rest of the panel groaned. "He should bring [Monica] Lewinsky."
"It was a $130,000 shot," Williams replied, referring to Trump alleged payout in exchange for Daniels' silence.
In the end, the Fox News host said that he hoped Trump made an attempt to unify the country.
"But my fear is, is that's not Donald Trump," Williams lamented.
Watch the video below from Fox News.
Keep reading...
Show less
GOP strategist Steve Schmidt blasts 'Banana Republicans' like Devin Nunes who have 'aligned' with Russia
Republican strategist Steve Schmidt blasted Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes (R-CA) for pushing conspiracy theories against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, during a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC's "Deadline: White House" with anchor Nicolle Wallace.
"What we're seeing now, and I don't know what Devin Nunes' motivation is, I do believe he has a record of acting in bad faith," Schmidt suggest.
"Uh-huh," Wallace noted.
"But clearly, the actions of the Republican majority are lined perfectly with the interests of the intelligence services of the Russian Federation with regard to this matter," Schmidt observed.
His next comments seemed aimed at Fox News.
"And now we routinely see on a cable news station calls for senior law enforcement officials to be locked up, political opponents to be locked up, and the bottom line is this, you can bring political pressure and crush the independence of the American justice system, the Department of Justice, concepts of the rule of law," Schmidt suggested.
"If you were to look in Turkey at Erdogan and his blueprint for establishing a Turkish autocracy, it begins with the attacks on the fake news and the press, and then the relieving of senior military officers, and then the relieving and questioning of judges and prosecutors," Schmidt explained.
"The weakening of institutions, that's what's going on. These are the Banana Republicans," Schmidt concluded.
Watch:
Keep reading...
Show less
Ex-US Attorney Bharara swats Christie for sticking his nose in Russia investigation: 'He doesn't know what Mueller knows'
Speaking with CNN host Jake Tapper, Preet Bharara the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York who was fired by President Donald Trump, warned Gov. Chris Christie to stay out about the FBI's Russia investigation, and that he should know better as a former U.S. attorney himself.
"Earlier today after Chris Christie commented and said that he didn't think that President Trump should agree to talk to Robert Mueller in person, you called him out saying maybe he forgot about his days as u.s. attorney," host Tapper asked. "Explain that."
"Chris Christie was a U.S. attorney for a number of years in New Jersey like I was in the southern district of New York and he knows in an overt investigation where everyone who knows the participants are, who the people with knowledge are, as you get close to the edge, you interview the person at the top of the food chain."
"Sometimes it's to let that person tell his side of the story and sometimes it is to find out information from other people and sometimes it is to find out what that person may done," he continued. "Chris Christie himself, in addition to having been the U.S. attorney in New Jersey was at the center of what people called the Bridgegate scandal, and he himself was asked for an interview with the FBI and he sat down voluntarily even though he was the governor of the state. It would almost be malpractice not to request and not to receive a sit down the president of the United States given how many issues end at his desk and how many things he has knowledge of."
"So Christie's comments seem to be that there's no knowledge what President Trump may have done, that seemed to be his argument," Tapper replied. "Why should the president grant an interview when there aren't any charges against him?"
"In that same interview, Chris Christie who was governor and and is now a commentator, also said one thing he liked about being a U.S. attorney was that only he knew what he knew. So it seems odd on the one hand to say only Mueller knows what Mueller knows and, on the other hand, to sort of give blanket advice on whether there is evidence or not whether the president did anything wrong --- to say he shouldn't sit down for an interview."
"I think Christie knows nothing about what Mueller knows , just like you don't and I don't," Bharara told the CNN host. "If there is a request made, it seems standard to do it in the interest of finding the truth."
You can watch the video below via CNN:
Keep reading...
Show less
Fox News' Shep Smith calls out Republicans: They say they love the FBI – but they want it ‘cleansed’
On Tuesday, Fox News host Shep Smith called out Republicans for paying lip service to the FBI but then attacking it.
Responding to news that the House of Representatives voted to release House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) secretive memo that supposedly details surveillance abuses at the Justice Department, the host once again noted that Russian bots pushed the #ReleaseTheMemo hashtag that the GOP used to stir up interest in the document.
"Writing the memo was Devin Nunes, who supposedly recused himself of all of this," Smith noted, before pivoting to reference House Speaker Paul Ryan's speech in which he said the FBI needs a "cleanse."
"With the accusation that [the GOP is] tearing down the institutions of the country in the process and since that has become a talking point, they have pulled back," he continued. "All of them who speak, and I've been watching on all the channels today, they all say 'oh, the FBI is great, it's great, it's great, but some of it needs to be cleansed.'"
"They all keep using that word, 'cleansed,'" Smith concluded. "That word has historical reference."
Watch below, via Fox News:
Keep reading...
Show less
Tom Brokaw explains why he finally started believing Trump's Russia scandal was like Watergate – and it’s frightening
Journalist Tom Brokaw, who covered the Watergate scandal as White House correspondent for NBC News, explained his change in thoughts on the similarities be that scandal and the Russian investigation of President Donald Trump.
"Forty-four years ago today, Richard Nixon delivered his final State of the Union address," MSNBC anchor Katy Tur reminded.
"And all these years later, the headlines are eerily similar. The appointment of a special prosecutor -- special counsel, in this case -- officials forced out of their posts, charges filed against those close to the president," Tur said.
"So are we on a slow roll toward another Saturday Night Massacre, when the president ordered the special prosecutor fired and the top two officials at the Justice Department quit rather than carry out the order?" Tur asked.
"As this has gone on, you have been pretty reluctant to say that this was at all similar to Watergate," Tur noted. "And then this morning, we heard you kind of change your tune, saying there's a whiff of the tactics that we saw during the days of Watergate."
"Tell me why you feel there's been a shift," Tur said.
"Well, first of all, it's an answer to your first question, after the last two years, the last thing I want to try to do is predict what Donald Trump is likely to do," Brokaw said. "That's the first thing, I want to go on the record saying that."
"Secondly, I have really resisted comparing what's been going on with Watergate," Brokaw said.
"I thought Watergate was unique, it was historic, there was a criminal procedure, a criminal system going, operated out of the White House," Brokaw explained. "The president's aides went to jail, they just didn't get interviewed, and the whole country understood at the end what was going on."
"Now, the atmospherics are very much like they were at that time," Brokaw noted.
"Here's most important thing about Donald Trump as the president: he believes everybody in the country works for him," Brokaw observed.
"He believes everybody in the government works for him in some fashion. He didn't have a board of directors when he was running his Trump Enterprises in New York, he got away with what he wanted to, which included not paying a lot of bills and other things," Brokaw explained. "Whatever he wanted to do, he got away with it."
"Now he can't believe that the Justice Department is not under his thumb in some fashion, and I think that that's having a big impact in how he conducts himself," Brokaw concluded.
Watch:
Keep reading...
Show less
WATCH LIVE: President Trump delivers his first State of the Union address
Embattled US President Donald Trump delivers his biggest speech of the year Tuesday, a State of the Union address designed to sell his economic record to a skeptical and fiercely divided America.
Trump's speech is scheduled to begin at 9:10 p.m. ET. Watch live streaming video below:
Trump's maiden address to the country -- last year, he delivered a primetime speech that was technically only to Congress -- presents a once-in-a-year opportunity for the president to mend his sunken approval ratings.
As many as 40 million are expected to tune in when he takes to the floor of the House of Representatives just after 9:00 pm (0200 GMT).
"It's a big speech, an important speech," Trump said Monday, teasing his remarks.
Over the years, the event has lost some of its influence, but it can shape public debate for weeks to come.
In 94 previous addresses, presidents have described the state of the union as "good," "strong," "sound" or in the case of a glum Gerald Ford, "not good."
Expect no such moderation from the 71-year-old real estate mogul and reality TV star.
The state of the union is "incredible," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, outlining a speech that will be long on claims of achievement.
Trump is expected to tout a long bull run on Wall Street and improving growth rates, something the White House is calling a "Trump bump" linked directly to the recent "Trump tax cut."
That narrative suffered a setback when stocks tumbled at the opening Tuesday, amid fears of a bubble. But expect Trump to plow on.
"We worked on it hard, covered a lot of territory," Trump said of the speech, "including our great success with the markets and with the tax cut."
Since Trump came to office a year ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up by around 33 percent. The unemployment rate is at a 17-year low.
Trump recently told global business leaders in Davos, Switzerland that "America is open for business" again.
During his first year, Trump has often sought credit, but he has appeared less concerned about widening his appeal -- defying norms and sticking to a base-first approach.
With legislative elections scheduled for November and the probe into his campaign's ties with Russia intensifying, Tuesday's speech may see something of a change in strategy.
"This is a president who wants to lead for everybody," said Sanders. "He's not looking to lead for any one person, any one group, but he wants to be the president of the United States."
Trump's approval rating is languishing around 40 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average, and opposition to his presidency is fierce.
At a donor retreat in California this week, Republican strategists warned that an unpopular president and strong enthusiasm among Democrats could spell doom.
Adding to Republican woes is a steady stream of revelations about the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, which is accused of trying to tilt the 2016 election in Trump's favor.
The eve of Trump's remarks were dominated by the departure of a key figure in that probe, the deputy head of the FBI, who had come under sustained public criticism from the president.
The White House also faced criticism for slow-walking lawmakers' demands for sanctions against Russia.
- 'America First' -
Tuesday's speech is also expected to touch on the highly charged issue of migration, where Trump continues to play firmly to his base.
Two couples whose daughters were murdered by MS-13, a Salvadoran gang, are among those the White House invited to attend the address in Washington.
His remarks are being crafted in part by aide Stephen Miller, who is known in Washington as a hardliner on immigration and has been pressing for an uncompromising stance.
"For many, many years, they've been talking immigration, they never got anything done. We're going to get something done, we hope," Trump said.
Trump can also be expected to lift his gaze beyond the United States to what Washington sees as Iran's troublesome activities across the Middle East, as well as North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
And trade is expected to be a strong focus, with Trump repeating claims that the current terms of global business are unfair to the world's largest economy.
"The world has taken advantage of us on trade for many years, and as you probably noticed we're stopping that, and we're stopping it cold," Trump said.
- The opposition -
The Democrats' official rebuttal will come from up-and-coming congressman Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts, but 2016 White House hopeful Bernie Sanders and others will also offer their takes.
They are likely to concede that the economy is growing, but perhaps not for everyone.
"Trump inherited a years-long economic recovery but has yet to turn it to the advantage of working Americans," said analysts at the left-leaning Center for American Progress.
Keep reading...
Show less
Copyright © 2026 Raw Story Media, Inc. PO Box 21050, Washington, D.C. 20009 |
Masthead
|
Privacy Policy
|
Manage Preferences
|
Debug Logs
For corrections contact
corrections@rawstory.com
, for support contact
support@rawstory.com
.