Former George W. Bush administration chief ethics lawyer Richard Painter blasted the Republican Congress Saturday morning on CNN for not pressing President Trump to relieve his son-in-law Jared Kushner of all White House duties.
Addressing the revelation that Kushner was behind former national security adviser Micheal Flynn's call to the Russians to ease their fears about sanctions, Richard Painter harshly criticized Trump and the enabling Republican Congress.
"If it's testified that Kushner directed him to make contact with the Russians, he did say that, with everything that's happened to Kushner up to this point, Richard, why does he still have this interim security clearance?" host Christi Paul asked.
"Well, because the president wants to let him have it," Painter bluntly stated. "And the president just wants to do things his way. No other president would let him have it. He's no expert on national security and security clearances ...and the evidence is clear that Jared Kushner is not to be trusted and iI don't even know why he's even in the White House, much less has a security clearance."
"But that's the president's job to make that decision, and he's making the decision his way," he continued. "If Congress doesn't do their job and remove the president or tell the president of the United States to shape up or ship out, well, the president is going to do it his own way and let Jared Kushner have a clearance in the White House."
CNN host Victor Blackwell called a halt to interview with Donald Trump supporter Andre Bauer when the South Carolina Republican claimed that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the Trump transition team should include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Appearing with Democratic strategist Robert Zimmerman, Bauer was asked about the plea deal former national security adviser Mike Flynn worked out with Mueller, and said it looked very bad for the former Trump administration official.
"What's your degree of concern after this guilty plea from Flynn?" Bauer was asked by the CNN host.
"Well, I don't want to just dismiss it and stay there's no concern," Bauer replied. "I mean, evidently there was some reason he took the plea. Whether it was something to do with his son -- I don't know the specifics but I wouldn't dismiss it and say there's no concern."
"I want to see this pass. I want to see the country move on, but I also want to go on and say there's contacts that I saw from Hillary Clinton in the campaign that ought to be addressed if we open this up," he continued as Zimmerman rolled his eyes."But as an American, I'd rather see it put to bed and move forward."
"But if we open it up," he continued as Blackwell sought to cut in, "It should be wide open on both sides. Who had contact and what they did to influence the election and how that changed the election that we experienced last year. I think everyone wants to know everything that happened. Almost like in the Nixon era, where it's just better to move forward."
"The Nixon era ended with a resignation, that's how they moved forward." Blackwell reminded Bauer.
"It's better to get the facts than to try to spin this about Hillary Clinton," Zimmerman asserted, only to have Bauer blurt, "Well, if I got a half million dollars speaking fee for a few minutes --."
"All right," a laughing Blackwell said before shutting down the interview.
Friday night MSNBC's Rachel Maddow took a long hard look at the plea deal worked out between attorney's for former national security adviser Mike Flynn and special counsel Robert Mueller and concluded that Flynn's statement opens the door for the investigators to take a long hard look at Vice President Mike Pence's involvement.
Noting that Pence oversaw the Trump transition team, Maddow pointed that he likely was one of those who was aware that Flynn spoke withe the Russians about easing sanctions.
“Vice President Pence insisted publicly more than once that Mike Flynn never talked about sanctions with the Russians. That was always a false statement," Maddow began. "Well, now we know that multiple members of the Trump transition team knew that was a false statement when Mike Pence said it. So, why’d they let him say it?"
"Honestly, what we learned today also raises the question of whether or not Mike Pence knew that was a false statement when he said it," the MSNBC host continued. "Well, we can report exclusively tonight that Vice President Mike Pence has not spoken to Robert Mueller or his team of investigators nor has been asked to. We can also report tonight that the Vice President has not been asked to hand over any documents to the Mueller investigation, but given what just emerged today in federal court, one has to expect that he knows that is coming.”
It might seem neighbourly, even pluralistic, to include Judaism in a declaration of purported Western values. But in reality this isn’t how the term has functioned, either historically or more recently. Instead, the phrase is used to exclude rather than include. Despite implying that Jews are part of this resurrection of Judeo-Christian values, Trump in no way intends a campaign to Make Hanukkah Great Again. His “Judeo-Christian values” are about protecting Christmas, and about protecting Christians – at the exclusion of others.
Christian-majority nations such as the UK and US often lay claim to laws and ethics based on “Judeo-Christian values”. But it is important to remember that Jews have been systematically excluded from and terrorised by states that claim this Judeo-Christian foundation.
For centuries, Jews have been made to feel unwelcome in the Christian world and it seems that it is only now that a new demographic of (often Muslim) immigrants fleeing war and economic hardship have reached the West that Jews are being included – and even then only on someone else’s terms.
A right wing slogan
“Judeo-Christian” is now most often used to draw a line between imagined Christian values and a perceived (but false) threat of Muslim immigration. It’s in this context, that right wing figures such as Nigel Farage use the phrase. Talking about radical Muslim clerics such as Anjem Choudary, he said for example:
My country is a Judeo-Christian country. So we’ve got to actually start standing up for our values.
But in this statement, Farage connects his fears of radical Islam with the idea of “Judeo-Christian values”. It appears that it isn’t so much about including Jews as it is about excluding Muslims. And since Farage has also come under attack for anti-Semitic comments, including being called on to apologise after recent comments about the threat of “the Jewish lobby” to American politics, it seems hard to view the “Judeo-” in his “Judeo-Christian” as actually valuing Jewish people or Judaism as a religion.
Farage’s statement even prompted the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism to demand an apology.
Time and again, when Farage and Trump use the term, what they really imply is an “us-versus-them” division between the West and Islam. This is not about the inclusion of Jews in the values of these nations, then, but about the xenophobic exclusion of an “other”.
Invoked in anti-immigration rhetoric with the goal of excluding Muslims, this phrase is actually used to scaffold a false narrative about Christiansbeing persecuted, threatened or besieged, which gives motivation for the protection of “Judeo-Christian values”. In fact, Christians are not persecuted in the countries where Farage and Trump make their homes.
Supersessionism
A quick search on Twitter for the phrase “Judeo-Christian” illustrates that white supremacists have embraced the term – and that Jews reject it.
There are many fundamental differences between these two religions – and that’s OK. To respect and value Judaism means to do so on its own terms, and not only if it conforms to Christian ideas about what religion should be. Ignoring these differences (and to pretend that Jews and Christians believe the same things) risks subsuming Judaism into Christianity. It risks viewing Judaism as an archaic precursor to Christianity rather than a continuing unique and vibrant tradition. There is nothing “Judeo” about saying Merry Christmas.
Indeed, the phrase “Judeo-Christian” erases Judaism by implying that Christian values are Jewish values. Erasing Judaism by subsuming it into Christianity is called supersessionism, a tactic of Christian polemicists for centuries, and one that is currently in use by the Christian religious right.
It seems, then, that the idea of Judeo-Christian values excludes both Jews and Muslims. The phrase tacitly excludes Jews by subsuming Judaism into Christianity, and it explicitly excludes Muslims in its use in anti-immigration rhetoric. In reality, “Judeo-Christian values” actually point to a particular type of right-wing Christian values. Continuing to use this phrase only contributes to exclusionary and divisive political rhetoric. When we hear it, we should call it out for what it is.
During a CNN panel discussion on the plea deal worked out between former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Robert Mueller, a CNN congressional correspondent speculated that the special counsel is also taking a good hard look at Vice President's Mike Pence's involvement in the scandal.
Speaking with host Jim Sciutto, CNN reporter Manu Raju said Mueller's net may sweep up the vice president.
"I was going to ask you about this, Manu," Sciutto began. "The timeline is very relevant here. Flynn is interviewed on Jan 24, 2016 by the FBI. Sally Yates, two days later and acting attorney general, raises a red flag because it was apparent he had lied in that interview. and then, it is a couple of weeks later when the president has a meeting with with James Comey and says, "Hey, layoff my pal, Michael Flynn.'"
"Yeah, and keeping him on staff, Flynn, for a couple of weeks afterwards," Raju added. "Despite having that warning, very blatant warning from Sally Yates."
"It is also because of what he told the vice president," Raju continued. "But I think the vice president is someone that Mueller undoubtedly will be looking at, and people on Capitol Hill [congressional investigators] will be looking at."
"He was head of the transition team," the CNN correspondent explained "He perhaps may have had some sense of these discussions that were going on. Even if he was not named in that court document today, it does not mean he may not have been aware of some of the things that were happening here. That's one of the key questions that I think Mueller is going to have to explore"
Speaking with publisher Steve Forbes, Fox Business News host Lou Dobbs took offense that ex-President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump while on an overseas trip.
The former president advised the current occupant of the White House to “Think before you speak, think before you tweet," which offended the Fox host who claimed Obama "Doesn’t matter anymore.”
“I think U.S. Marshals should follow him, and any time he wants to go follow the President like he is, and behave…" a sputtering Dobbs said before changing directions. "I mean, this is just bad manners. It’s boorish and it’s absurd and he doesn’t realize how foolish he looks."
"I mean, he should be brought back by the Marshals. Isn’t there some law that says presidents shouldn’t be attacking sitting presidents?” Dobbs asked Forbes who laughed off the question and quipped, "There's an unwritten one. Sort of a Logan Act for ex-presidents, but it is unenforceable."
You can watch the video below uploaded to YouTube by Fox Business.
House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA) lost his patience with CNN's Erin Burnett during a discussion on the plead deal that former national security adviser Micheal Flynn worked out with special counsel Robert Mueller when she the charges were "not that bad."
With the topic turning to Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, Heck was asked by the CNN host what he expected to see happen next.
"Well the thing I'd really like to see happen to Jared Kushner is that he get back before the House Select Committee on Intelligence because I'd like to ask follow up questions," Heck began before turning back to Flynn. "The fact of the matter is that way back in March when we asked General Flynn to come before the intelligence community, he asked for immunity and it was denied. At the time, his lawyer said he's got a story to tell and he really wants to tell it, now he's in a position to tell it."
"Do you have any indication from him as to whether he will do that in light of his cooperation with Bob Mueller?" Burnett asked.
"Sure, I think it's written all over the plea bargain deal! If you were to drive down 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue tonight about 3:00 AM you'd probably see a lot of lights on," he quipped.
"How much farther do you think this goes?" Burnett pressed. "There are some who say 'Look, we're almost at the end, that the biggest charge they have on Flynn is lying to the FBI about a call to the Russian ambassador that we already knew he lied about.' That's not that bad."
Heck immediately jumped on Burnett, barking: "Wait a minute! It's a felony. He's a felon and it is punishable by up to five years in jail!"
"Please don't say it's not that big a deal," he scolded. "He is now an admitted felon," to which a stunned Burnett simply stated, "Yes."
As former Obama White House aide and political commentator Van Jones noted on Friday night, Republicans cannot continue to claim that there's "nothing to see here" in the aftermath of former Trump adviser Mike Flynn's guilty plea if they know how the real world works.
"I spent about ten years of my life doing criminal justice work in Oakland," Jones said on CNN's AC360. "I'm just going to make this as plain as possible to the CNN viewers: when one of the main home boys turns snitch, a bunch of people about to go to jail. That's just how that works."
That Special Counsel Robert Mueller hit Flynn with the relatively small charge of lying to the FBI, Jones continued, "means that he's got bigger charges coming for bigger fish."
"This is a huge deal, you cannot pretend it's not," he concluded. "One of your main homeboys just turned snitch -- all y'all in trouble."
Watch Jones lay out his Oakland knowledge below, via CNN.
Former Richard Nixon White House counsel John Dean, a central character in the Watergate scandal, went on CNN on Friday to offer insight on the guilty plea by former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
"What is the bottom line tonight, John?" CNN anchor Erin Burnett asked.
"Well, this is a big deal, this is a very serious witness with insider knowledge going right to the president of the United States," Dean answered.
Dean also commented on the speculation that President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was implicated by Flynn.
"We don't know if it's just Kushner that obviously is involved. It looks like there are more of a conspiracy here than just isolated incidents. They have not named that in any of the documents, but it's implicit in what's happening," Dean, who served time in prison and was disbarred as an attorney for his role in Watergate, concluded.
"One point I'd like to make, is if you look at Watergate, Iran-Contra, the Lewinsky affair, a lot of the criminal activity is pure blundering and not necessarily carefully considered or thought out actions," Dean observed.
Burnett asked for clarification on what he meant by conspiracy.
"I'm thinking, you know, consider a conspiracy to obstruct justice, such as two or more people agreeing to give a false story or to not report on their FS-86 forms all their contacts," Dean answered.
The FS-86 form is the name of the questionnaire required for national security positions.
"All these things can't be a coincidence, yet they seem to be happening consistently across the board with this White House," Dean explained. "So that suggests a conspiracy."
President Donald Trump famously hails from Queens, New York -- and as Fordham political science professor Christina Greer notes, news that the president was upset that his former adviser Mike Flynn turned on him proves that he still acts like it.
"Donald Trump sees the presidency and the office of the presidency as a series of friendships and relationships that he's been able to manipulate," Greer said. "What he doesn't realize is this isn't Queens anymore."
"He has been lying, cheating and stealing his entire career, ask any New Yorker that's ever done business with him," Greer, whose employer is based in The Bronx, noted. "He's no longer in that realm."
Watch a fellow New Yorker blast the president for continuing to live in his freewheeling Manhattan mindset below, via MSNBC.
A Nevada judge urged a defendant during a hearing to behave so she could cast a ballot for Donald Trump in 2020 -- and it wasn't the first time that judge expressed such a sentiment.
Records uncovered by The Nevada Independent show that during an August 31 sentencing hearing, Clark County District Court Judge Susan Johnson suggested a female defendent should meet all her probation requirements so that she'd be able to vote for Trump in the next presidential election.
"What I’m hoping is that you will do everything you’re supposed to do so that you can get all of your civil rights, your liberties, restored to you,” Judge Johnson told defendant Monique Fresquez. “Okay? So if you do everything I tell you to do, you will have your civil rights restored in about three years. You’ll be able to vote for Mr. Trump, I’m sure he could use your vote.”
In a statement provided to The Nevada Independent, Johnson said her comments were “intended to serve as an example of what the restoration of civil rights means.”
“It was meant to be informational only and was, in no way, intended as an endorsement of any candidate,” the judge said. “I have since revised how I present the information so there is no misinterpretation.”
Attorney Joel Mann, who represented another of the probationers Johnson made her "joke" about Trump to, said he didn't find it funny and was "shocked" by the statement.
The report also notes that Nevada's judicial code of conduct prohibits statements that "publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for any public office," as well as "words or conduct manifest bias or prejudice, or engage in harassment” that are based in “political affiliation.”
You can listen to Johnson's statement to Fresquez below, via The Nevada Independent.
CNN anchor Brianna Keiler interviewed Senator Richard Blumenthal (D) for insight into what happens next following Friday's felony guilty plea from former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Prior to joining the US Senate in 2011, Blumenthal served 20 years as Connecticut Attorney General and had also served as United States Attorney for Connecticut.
"When you see that this is Michael Flynn in this key role that he played in the transition in the campaign, in the administration and he has pleaded guilty, what does that say to you?" Keiler wondered.
"What it says to me, Brianna, that this acknowledgement of criminal guilt is a shattering moment for the Trump presidency because Michael Flynn is one of the inner circle, one of the top advisers, not just on any old topic, but national security," Senator Blumenthal explained. "And he is a potential witness against Jared Kushner, against other top officials if they fail to be truthful with compelling knowledge and deep credibility because of his position."
"And now we have a moment similar to Watergate where the question's going to be 'what did they know and when did they know it?' Not just the president, but Jared Kushner and Michael Pence, the vice president, because they were part of the transition team. Every other top official in the transition team may be a part of this Russian collusion that's involved here."
"Is this what you see as the beginning of the end for President Trump?" Keiler asked.
"I would call it not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning, because Michael Flynn has knowledge that may implicate other top advisers, two are referenced in the statement of information. The point here is it's not only relevant to Russian collusion, but obstruction of justice," Blumenthal answered. "That kind of familiarity, the ease and this content and the substance of those conversations indicates a pattern and practice of dealing in the past and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians."
"CNN now reporting, senator, that Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser was the, quote, very senior member of the Trump transition team who directed Flynn to contact foreign governments, including Russia, on that U.N. resolution. What do you see this meaning for Jared Kushner?" Keiler probed.
"It is increasingly apparent that Jared Kushner knows more than he's telling," Sen. Blumenthal answered. "So short answer is he has a lot of answers to give about what he knew and when he knew it about this illegality."
Appearing on MCNBC, the former chief of staff to CIA Director Leon Panetta claimed that it appears that ex- national security advisor Michael Flynn had good reason to lie about his contacts with the Russians because it was related to their meddling in the 2016 election.
Speaking with host Nicolle Wallace, Jeremy Bash walked Wallace through why Flynn lied, saying it wasn't something as mundane as a simple phone call.
"Donald Trump's favorite thing to say is to talk about fake news and Donald Trump put out a lot of fake news himself," Wallace began. "Mike Flynn wasn't fired for doing his job. Mike Flynn isn't a convicted felon because he did his job. He's convicted of the felony of perjury, of lying to federal investigators. Can you address the president's comments in the context of today's news?"
"Yeah, the president wasn't telling the truth there," Bash began. "How do we know that? Because we now see from the statement that Mike Flynn was not freelancing. He had close coordination with the presidential team, presidential transition team at Mar-a-Lago, the people surrounding the president-elect. So the president-elect definitely knew that Mike Flynn was talking to the Russians."
"And again, speaking with a foreign leader is not inappropriate, in fact, it may be appropriate," he explained before adding. "So there's something clearly inappropriate about it that would cause Mike Flynn to then lie about it, and I think it's apparent from all the other information we know about this case that the inappropriate aspect was the fact that this was part of the quid pro quo. The Russians helped in the election, and the Trump transition team was giving the payback back to the Russians."
"The other aspect that's so unbelievable about the president's answer to Kristen Welker is that, basically he said 'I fired him because he lied to the vice president.' It means he, the president, knew that Flynn had done this and yet after Sally Yates' warning he kept him in the job. And he didn't fire him because he lied to Mike ence," he concluded.
It seems, then, that the idea of Judeo-Christian values excludes both Jews and Muslims. The phrase tacitly excludes Jews by subsuming Judaism into Christianity, and it explicitly excludes Muslims in its use in anti-immigration rhetoric. In reality, “Judeo-Christian values” actually point to a particular type of right-wing Christian values. Continuing to use this phrase only contributes to exclusionary and divisive political rhetoric. When we hear it, we should call it out for what it is.