Gingrich on Mueller: Can’t Trust Someone Who Only Hires Dems

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich doubles down on his claims special counsel Robert Mueller’s team can’t be trusted.
In an interview Tuesday morning, Gingrich said congressional republicans should investigate the democrats Mueller is hiring.
He added he can’t “give the benefit of the doubt” to someone who only hires democrats, and who he suggested will be “after President Trump.”
Gingrich also said he spoke with President Trump on Monday night to discuss his concerns, explaining it’s a mistake to think the investigation is going to be neutral.

U.S. Places Sanctions on ISIS Chemical Weapons Leaders

FILE — In this Saturday, March 26, 2016 file photo, a firefighter cleans houses exposed to a chemical attack in Taza, 10 miles (20 kilometers) south of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. According to a new analysis from Conflict Monitor by IHS Markit, the Islamic State’s chemical weapons capability has been degraded, although the group likely retains expertise to produce small batches of sulphur mustard and chlorine agents. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil, File)

The United States is placing sanctions on ISIS chemical weapons experts, which is the first move of it’s kind aimed at the terror group.
The Islamic State has repeatedly used low-grade chemical weapons like chlorine, sulfur, and mustard gas in Syria and Iraq.
The State and Treasury Departments say the new sanctions stop two ISIS weapon makers from accessing property or interests under U.S. jurisdiction.
One weapon maker was in charge of an explosive manufacturing factory in Iraq.
The other ISIS leader was a member of the Taliban since 2003, and received chemical weapons training in Syria before returning to Iraq in 2015.

Planned Parenthood Cartoons

GOP senators may be willing to back health bill that funds Planned Parenthood

Several Republican senators have indicated that they would be willing to support a health care bill that funds Planned Parenthood or some abortion services, Fox News has learned.
The GOP is worried that any bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare would have to be carefully structured to hold the support of moderate and conservative Republicans. However, the apparent concession by conservatives might give leadership more room to maneuver.
The pressure is on Senate Republicans to try to move a bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare before the Fourth of July recess. The House of Representatives passed its own bill, the American Health Care Act, last month.
Fox News has also learned that Senate GOP leaders have been sending policy proposals to the Congressional Budget Office for evaluation and scoring. However, a full bill was not expected to be presented at the weekly Republican luncheon Tuesday.
Senate Republicans are winnowing down policy options in an effort to get the necessary 51 votes to pass any health care legislation. Some believe any bill will only get 50 votes, necessitating a tie-breaking intervention by Vice President Mike Pence.
Meanwhile, the government said Monday that about 16 percent of consumers who signed up for coverage this year through Healthcare.gov and its state counterparts had canceled their plans by early spring.
Figures released from the Health and Human Services department show that 10.3 million people were signed up and paying their premiums as of March 15. That's 1.9 million fewer than the 12.2 million who initially signed up during open enrollment season, which ended Jan. 31.
In the first part of last year, the dropout rate was similar, about 13 percent. It increased as the year went on. Monthly enrollment averaged about 10 million people in 2016.
Some of the main reasons for dropping out include finding job-based insurance, problems paying premiums, and becoming eligible for Medicare.
A new analysis from HHS also found higher dropout rates in areas where insurers have left the program. About one-third of U.S. counties only had one participating insurer this year, and next year there may be areas with no available carrier.
The Trump administration said the numbers are a sign of continuing problems with Obamacare, such as sharp premium increases and the departure of some major insurers that suffered financial losses. Democrats have accused Trump of trying to "sabotage" Obama's signature domestic achievement

Trump is considering firing special counsel Mueller, friend says

Christopher Ruddy, the founder of  Newsmax Media and close friend of President Trump, told PBS News Hour Monday that he believes the president is “considering perhaps terminating” special counsel Robert Mueller, the man charged with investigating Russian interference in the U.S. election and possible collusion with Trump’s campaign.
The comments come amid increasing frustration at the White House and among Trump supporters that the investigation will overshadow the president's agenda for months to come — a prospect that has Democrats are hoping for.
When reached by Fox News after the remarks, Ruddy said, “while I am not claiming the president said it to me, I am confident of my sourcing. He is definitely considering it as an option.”
Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said Ruddy “never spoke to the president regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the president of his attorneys are authorized to comment.”
The New York Times reported that to fire Mueller, Trump would have to order Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein to turn back regulations that protect ta special counsel from being fired for no good reason. If Rosenstein refused, Trump could fire Rosenstein.
As Mueller builds his legal team, Trump's allies have begun raising questions about the former FBI director's impartiality, suggesting he cannot be trusted to lead the probe.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an informal Trump adviser, tweeted Monday, "Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair. Look who he is hiring," tweeted
Just weeks ago, Gingrich had heaped praise on Mueller, hailing him as a "superb choice" for special counsel whose reputation was "impeccable for honesty and integrity."
But after the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey last week, Gingrich said he'd changed his mind.
"Time to rethink," he tweeted Monday, citing Mueller's hiring decisions and Comey's admission that he'd instructed a friend to share with reporters notes he'd taken of his private conversations with Trump in order to force the appointment of special counsel.
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter offered a similar message, tweeting, "Now that we know TRUMP IS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION, Sessions should take it back & fire Mueller."
The talk about dismissing Mueller appeared to be coming from Trump allies — including some close to White House strategist Steve Bannon — who are increasingly frustrated with the prospect of a long and winding probe.
They say Trump did not collude with Russia and see the investigation as a politically motivated sham that handicaps Trump's ability to execute his agenda, according to one person who advises the White House on how to handle the probe. The person demanded anonymity to discuss strategy on the sensitive matter.
Ruddy appeared to be basing his remarks, at least in part, on comments from Jay Sekulow, a member of Trump's legal team, who told ABC in an interview Sunday that he was "not going to speculate" on whether Trump might at some point order deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein to fire Mueller.
"Look, the president of the United States, as we all know, is a unitary executive. But the president is going to seek the advice of his counsel and inside the government as well as outside. And I'm not going to speculate on what he will or will not do," Sekulow said. Still, he added, "I can't imagine that that issue is going to arise."

$500K Lawsuit Filed Against Pa. School District Claims Teachers Paid to Teach, Not Work for Unions

A Pennsylvania school district is facing a lawsuit claiming more than $500,000 in tax funds have been used to pay for so-called “ghost teachers.”
The plaintiffs, Americans for Fair Treatment, say the money was used to illegally pay the salaries of union employees who were not teaching in the classroom.
They also claim these employees, or ghost teachers, have been illegally boosting their pensions while working for the union.
Americans for Fair Treatment is demanding union employees return their salaries to the schools.

Appeals Court Refuses to Reinstate Pres. Trump’s Travel Order

As the Trump administration waits for the Supreme Court to intervene, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refuses to reinstate President Trump’s travel order.
The California-based court upheld a Hawaiian district court ruling that blocked the order, which restricts travel and new visas from six terror prone countries.
President Trump signed the order in the interest of national security.
The three judge panel said the president’s order exceeds the scope of authority.
Last month, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia also ruled against the order, prompting the administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Sponsors flee New York City theater company over Trump-killing scene

Delta Air Lines and Bank of America became the first companies to announce that they are pulling their sponsorships of a Manhattan-based theater company’s portrayal of Julius Caesar as a Donald Trump look-alike in a business suit who gets stabbed to death on stage.
Delta and Bank of America both announced their intentions on Sunday.
"No matter what your political stance may be, the graphic staging of Julius Caesar at this summer's Free Shakespeare in the Park does not reflect Delta Air Lines' values," the company’s statement said. "Their artistic and creative direction crossed the line on the standards of good taste."
Bank of America added it was withdrawing funding for the production.
"The Public Theater chose to present Julius Caesar in such a way that was intended to provoke and offend," the bank said in a tweet. "Had this intention been made known to us, we would have decided not to sponsor it."
Performances at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater began in late May, just days before comedian Kathy Griffin was condemned for posing for a photograph with a bloodied rendering of Trump’s head.
Oskar Eustis, the Public Theater's artistic director who also directed the play, said earlier in a statement that "anyone seeing our production of 'Julius Caesar' will realize it in no way advocates violence towards anyone."
"Julius Caesar" tells a fictionalized story of a powerful, popular Roman leader who is assassinated by senators who fear he is becoming a tyrant. It is set in ancient Rome, but many productions have costumed the characters in modern dress to give it a present-day connection.

Republicans seek to clear air on whether Trump has Comey tapes

Republicans on Sunday urged President Trump to clear the air on whether he has tapes of private conversations with former FBI Director James Comey and provide them to Congress if he does.
The latest remarks was a sign of escalating fallout from the highly-anticipated testimony given by Comey last week of pressure from Trump, which drew an angry response from the president on Friday that Comey was lying.
"I don't understand why the president just doesn't clear this matter up once and for all," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a member of the Senate Intelligence committee. She added that she would support a subpoena for the tapes if needed.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who is also on the committee, agreed the panel needed to hear any tapes that exist. "We've obviously pressed the White House," he said.
Trump's aides have dodged questions about whether conversations relevant to the Russia investigation have been recorded, and so has the president. Pressed on the issue Friday, Trump said "I'll tell you about that maybe sometime in the very near future."
Lankford added that Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony Tuesday will help flesh out the truth of Comey’s allegations, including Sessions' presence at the White House in February when Trump asked to speak to Comey alone. Comey alleges that Trump then privately asked him to drop a probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia.
Comey also has said Sessions did not respond when he complained he didn't "want to get time alone with the president again." The Justice Department has denied that, saying Sessions stressed to Comey the need to be careful about following appropriate policies.
"We want to be able to get his side of it," Lankford said.
Trump on Sunday accused Comey of "cowardly" leaks and predicted many more from him. "Totally illegal?" he asked in a tweet. "Very 'cowardly!'"
Several Republican lawmakers also criticized Comey for disclosing memos he had written in the aftermath of his private conversations with Trump, calling that action "inappropriate." But, added Lankford "releasing his memos is not damaging to national security."

The Comey Conundrum: Liberal critics embrace him now that he's attacking Trump

James Comey has gone from hero to zero and back more times than seems humanly possible.
He’s become a walking Rorschach test on which partisans project their passionate feelings.
At the moment, the fired FBI director is being hailed by the left and drawing applause from much of the mainstream media.
Comey is a “Shakespearean character,” the New York Times says, with “a theatrical swagger to match the moment.”
He is “blunt and folksy,” says the Washington Post, both a “prototypical G-man” and “the aggrieved victim of an undisciplined, line-crossing president.”
But Comey is being pilloried on the right for not having much of a legal case against President Trump, and for being a leaker to boot. The latter is not a crime in leak-crazed Washington, but it does tarnish Comey’s halo, since he scolds journalists for inaccurate leaked stories while slipping his memos through a friend to the New York Times.
Somehow, it often seems all about Comey. He infuriated the right by declining to seek an indictment against Hillary Clinton in the email investigation, while also upsetting the left by castigating her at a news conference for negligent conduct. Then he infuriated the left for reopening the case in late October for what turned out to be nothing. To this day, Clinton blames Comey for costing her the election.
This goes back to 2004, when Comey was Attorney General John Ashcroft’s deputy, got an urgent call and rushed to the bedside of his hospitalized boss. Comey was able to block other Bush administration officials from having Ashcroft sign a reauthorization of the president’s domestic surveillance program. And who did Comey take with him? FBI Director Robert Mueller, who’s now investigating Comey’s charges as special counsel in the Russia investigation.
The liberals treated him as a saint.
Trump has now called Comey a liar, and with his “100 percent” offer to testify under oath—if indeed that ever happens—the two men are on a legal collision course.
With the absence of a White House war room—and with officials under orders not to comment on the investigation—Corey Lewandowski is leading the rapid response.
The president’s first campaign manager was all over the airwaves late last week, defending his former boss and saying that Comey might potentially have to be prosecuted for leaking. Dave Bossie, Trump’s former deputy campaign manager and now a Fox News contributor, has been defending him as well.
Trump has explored bringing them into the White House, but that is apparently not happening, at least for now. And both men are more free to speak their mind on the outside than if they were part of the administration.
Whether Comey lays low now or not, he has become the president’s chief antagonist. And whether he is praised or pilloried depends heavily on whether you support Trump, just as it did when Comey was investigating Hillary.
Not long ago, Comey was resented by both sides. But now that he’s testified at a hearing watched by 20 million people, the ground has shifted once again.
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m.). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.