The president is at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He has no publicly scheduled events.
All times Eastern
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Ohr is the Justice Department official whose wife worked with Fusion GPS, which hired Christopher Steele who compiled the “Russia Dossier” against Trump.
The majority report of the House Intelligence Committee said Ohr’s wife was “employed by Fusion GPS to assist in the cultivation of opposition research on Trump.”
Having denied former CIA Director John Brennan his coveted security clearance, President Trump is pleased with his action and is preparing to take more clearances away.
According to the Washington Post:
President Trump has told advisers that he is eager to strip more security clearances as part of an escalating attack against people who have criticized him or played a role in the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, two White House officials said.
Inside the West Wing, Trump is eager to move against others on the security clearance review list and could act soon, according to the White House officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Trump believes he has emerged looking strong and decisive in his escalating feud with Brennan, the aides said, adding that he shows a visceral disdain for the former CIA director when he sees him on TV.
But other aides would prefer a more thorough process or that he drop the matter altogether, and they are scrambling to review the list of people Trump says he would like to strip of clearances. These officials said Trump did not focus on his power to remove clearances until this summer.
Still, as the Russia probe tightens around Trump — Mueller is pressing his legal team over a potential interview with him — the president remains impulsive and unpredictable, aides said.
“The process is essentially meaningless,” one White House aide said. “If Trump wants to do it, he’ll just do it.”
Among those whose clearances may be under review are former Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., former FBI Director James B. Comey, former NSA Director Michael Hayden, former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former FBI agents Peter Strozk and Lisa Page.
Current Department of Justice official Bruce Ohr’s clearance may also be revoked.
President Trump Friday canceled his military parade, charging that local Washington DC officials were attempting to rip off the federal government.
The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018
….attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018
According to CNBC, the parade was slated to cost $92 million, compared to previous estimates of $12 million and $30 million. Having once lived in Washington, I wouldn’t be surprised if officials were indeed trying to fleece the government. Just as likely: Routine incompetence.
The parade had been planned for Veterans Day. The Pentagon initially delayed it before Trump nixed it.
10:30 am || Departs White House
12:25 pm || Arrives at private residence for fundraiser; Southampton, New York
1:00 pm || Participates in a roundtable fundraiser with supporters; Southampton, New York
1:30 pm || Makes remarks at a fundraising luncheon; Southampton, New York
2:05 pm || Departs Southampton, New York
3:45 pm || Arrives at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey
All times Eastern
President Trump today responded to a coordinated editorials by some 300 media outlets assailing Trump for his attacks on the mainstream media, tweeting that the press is free to write what it wants but continuing his sharp criticism of “fake news.”
The media are not the enemy of the people, as Trump has charged. That’s a dangerous thing for a president to say. But by relentlessly writing anti-Trump articles while pretending they are not editorializing, they aren’t being the friend of the people either.
Whether Trump is wrong or right to be attacking the media, journalists need to examine their own behavior. And that seems to be asking too much.
THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country….BUT WE ARE WINNING!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2018
The Boston Globe, which was sold to the the Failing New York Times for 1.3 BILLION DOLLARS (plus 800 million dollars in losses & investment), or 2.1 BILLION DOLLARS, was then sold by the Times for 1 DOLLAR. Now the Globe is in COLLUSION with other papers on free press. PROVE IT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2018
There is nothing that I would want more for our Country than true FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The fact is that the Press is FREE to write and say anything it wants, but much of what it says is FAKE NEWS, pushing a political agenda or just plain trying to hurt people. HONESTY WINS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2018
According to Politico, there are a growing number of conservatives who think that getting impeached will help President Trump get reelected. Politico writes: The idea gaining currency on the right is that Trump can be Bill Clinton, not Richard Nixon. It depends on a delicate political calculation — that a Republican-held Senate would never follow… Continue Reading
According to Politico: Steve Bannon is attempting a political resurrection, launching a 25-person pro-Trump rapid-response and polling operation that is framing the midterms as an up-or-down vote on the president’s impeachment. The former White House chief strategist has started Citizens for the American Republic, an outside political group that intends to advise surrogates, generate talking… Continue Reading
For the second time in a single day, a prominent liberal reveals how they actually feel about America. Here’s New York Governor and prospective Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Cuomo during a bill signing ceremony in Albany: We’re not going to make America great again — it was never that great. We have not reached greatness.… Continue Reading
