Sen.
Mitt Romney, once a thorn in the side of President Trump, said Sunday
that Democrats' maneuvers to try getting their hands on the
president's tax returns were “moronic.” “I’d like the president to follow through and show his tax returns,” Romney, R-Utah, told NBC
News' “Meet the Press.” “But, I have to also tell you, I think the
Democrats are just playing along his handbook, which is going after his
tax returns through a legislative action – it’s moronic. That’s not
going to happen.” “So, he’s going to win this victory,” Romney added. “He wins them time after time.”
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, once a thorn in the side of President
Trump, said Democrats' calls for the president to release his tax
returns were “moronic.”
(Getty/AP, File)
House
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., asked the IRS
last week to provide six years of Trump’s personal tax returns and the
returns for some of his businesses. Neal, one of only three
congressional officials authorized to request tax returns, requested
Trump’s personal and business returns in a letter to IRS Commissioner
Charles Rettig. He asked for returns covering 2013 through 2018. He also
asked for the documents in seven days, setting an April 10 deadline. Trump’s lawyers have argued the Democratic request “would set a dangerous precedent” if granted. Trump
broke with precedent when he chose not to release any tax returns as a
presidential candidate. He said he would not release the information
because he is under audit, something he reiterated last Friday while
visiting the U.S-Mexico border. “I’m under audit. When you’re under audit you don’t do it,” Trump said. IRS officials have said taxpayers under audit are free to release their returns. White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Sunday reiterated Trump’s point, and accused Democrats of engaging in a “political stunt” and wanting “attention.” “That is not going to happen and they know it,” Mulvaney told “Fox News Sunday.” Asked whether he believe Democrats would ever view the president’s returns, Mulvaney replied: “Oh no, never. Nor should they.” Mulvaney
tried to cast the issue of the president’s taxes as old news, saying it
was “already litigated during the election” and the American people
“elected him anyway.” He also said the law provides for lawmakers
to review individual tax returns but “political hit job is not one of
those reasons.” Fox News' Bill Hemmer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s campaign for president announced Sunday it raised over $5 million in February and March, and it had over $6.1 million cash on hand. It
was among the smallest fundraising figures to be disclosed voluntarily
by a Democrat so far, with roughly 10 months left before the start of
primary voting. Six candidates have released totals: Vermont Sen.
Bernie Sanders said he raised $18.2 million; California Sen. Kamala
Harris raised over $12 million; former Rep. Beto O’Rourke raised $9.4
million; and Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., raised $7
million. Booker outpaced only the political newcomer Andrew Yang, who said he'd raised $1.7 million. Booker's average online donation was $34, and 82 percent of people had never donated to any of his campaigns before. The senator announced the figures in an email to supporters. Booker said Sunday he felt“incredible” about the fundraising haul. “Money
is important, but it is definitely not going to be the barometer with
which people make their decisions over who’s going to be the next
president of the United States,” Booker said. “And I’m happy that we
have the resources we need to be in this race.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin
McAleenan speaks in Washington, March 6, 2019. President Donald Trump
said in a tweet Sunday that McAleenan will become the acting head of the
Department of Homeland Security, after the resignation of Homeland
Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. (Associated Press)
President Trump revealed in a tweet Sunday
that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin
McAleenan will become the acting head of Homeland Security, the
sprawling department of 240,000 people, following the resignation of
Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. McAleenan is a longtime border
officer, reflecting Trump’s priority for the department initially
founded to combat terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks. Fox News is
told Trump wanted the “toughest cop” around on border security, and
McAleenan fit the bill. Administration sources tell Fox News that
McAleenan needs to be able to handle the politics involved and change
minds on Capitol Hill before he could be seen as potentially taking the
job of DHS secretary permanently. Last month, McAleenan, who as head of CBP was the nation’s top border security official, said the border crisis was at its "breaking point" during a visit to Texas. He reiterated that there are not enough agents to respond.
Kevin K. McAleenan was sworn in as commissioner to U.S. Customs
and Border Protection by then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen
Nielsen in March 2018.
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection photo by Jennifer Gabris, File)
"That
breaking point has arrived this week at our border," McAleenan said
along the border. "CBP is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and
border security crisis all along our Southwest border, and nowhere has
that crisis manifested more acutely than here in El Paso." Prior to government service, according to his bio,
McAleenan practiced law in California. He received his Juris Doctor
degree from the University of Chicago Law School and a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Amherst College. McAleenan is well-respected by members of Congress and within the administration, and beyond. “Significant
leadership changes today for DHS and CBP. I’m confident Mr. McAleenan’s
experience and knowledge will help us better address the current crisis
on our southern border. #DHS #BorderCrisis #BorderPatrol #CBP” tweeted
U.S. Border Patrol official Matthew Hudak. Fox News' John Roberts and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
The
former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),
Thomas Homan, told Fox News on Sunday that President Trump made the
right move replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen with
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan. Homan, a Fox News contributor, called McAleenan one of the smartest men with whom he has worked. “He knows border issues, and he can hit the ground running,” Homan told Jon Scott on “Fox Report.” “He knows the border... he will start day one.” Nielsen resigned on Sunday amid the administration’s growing frustration over migrants approaching the Mexico border. Trump
thanked her for her work in a tweet and announced McAleenan would be
taking over as acting head of the department. McAleenan is a longtime
border official who is well-respected by members of Congress and within
the administration. The decision to name an immigration officer to the
post reflects Trump’s priority for a sprawling department founded to
combat terrorism following the Sept. 11 attacks. Homan said he blamed Congress and current U.S. law for the border crisis: “We are enticing people to come.” However,
he noted that McAleenan was the kind of man who could tackle the new
wave of migration, which has taxed resources along the border. “He will think outside the box,” Homan said. “Kevin will put his foot on the gas.” Fox News' Jon Scott and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump waves as he leaves the stage after speaking at
the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting, Saturday
April 6, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 3:10 PM PT – Sat. April 6, 2019
President Trump said the United States’ relationship with Israel is at its highest point in history. Speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas today
Saturday, the president touted the historic action his administration
has taken to recognize Israel, and strengthen its place in the world. These moves include last month’s recognition of Israel’s sovereignty
over the Golan Heights, and last year’s opening of the U.S. embassy in
Jerusalem. President Trump also pointed out republicans have not allowed
anti-Semitism to take root in their party, compared to recent comments
by some Democrats. “And now the Democrats have allowed the terrible scourge of
antisemitism to take root in their party and in this country,” said
President Trump. The president’s comments were referring to anti-Semitic tropes made by Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar. Democrats have been accused of failing to condemn her actions, and
instead allow her to sit on the powerful foreign affairs committee.
Former CIA operative Valerie Plame gestures while testifying on Capitol Hill, in an undated photo. (Associated Press)
Ex-spy Valerie Plame is considering running for an open U.S. House seat in New Mexico after previously saying she would launch a Senate bid.
Plame, a
Democrat, said she will make a decision soon about going after the seat
currently held by Democrat U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, who is stepping
down to run for the U.S. Senate.
“Right
now, I am going around and meeting with people,” said Plame, a
Democrat. “I have a lot to learn and I would like another opportunity to
serve my country.”
Her decision to focus on the House after indicating interest in the Senate stems from wanting to “continue Ben Ray’s legacy.”
Plame,
55, told media outlets last month that she planned to run a for Senate
seat being held by Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., after he announced he would not seek re-election. Plame
has been highly critical of President Trump. In 2017, she crowdfunded
nearly $90,000 to buy a stake in Twitter in an unsuccessful effort to
ban the president from the platform.
The former CIA operative was thrust into the national spotlight when she was outed in
a 2003 column that cited officials with the George W. Bush
administration as sources of a leak. Plame maintained the revelation was
an effort to discredit her then-husband Joe Wilson, a former diplomat
who was critical of Bush's decision to invade Iraq.
Plame wrote a memoir: “Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House," which was later made into a film. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he will travel to
El Salvador this month to discuss the poverty and violence that's
causing waves of migrants to seek asylum in the United States.
(Associated Press)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will head to El Salvador this month to meet with lawmakers to get to the root cause of why Central American migrants make the arduous journey to the United States. Newsom, a Democrat, will travel to the capital city of San Salvador, just as President Trump and U.S. border officials are calling for tougher security measures amid a spike in Central American migrants attempting to enter the U.S. through Mexico. “While
the Trump Administration demonizes those who are fleeing violence from
Central America, California is committed to lifting up our immigrant
communities and understanding the root causes of migration,” Newsom said
in a statement. “I am looking forward to traveling to El Salvador in
April to talk with the nation’s leaders and activists while deepening
the bond between our families and communities.” California is home to the largest number of El Salvadoran immigrants, Newsom’s office told the Sacramento Bee. Trump
has assailed Central American and Mexican leaders for not doing enough
to stop large migrant caravans headed toward the U.S. border. Many of
the migrants include children and travel in caravans for protection. Most
are asylum seekers fleeing violence and poverty. Critics of Newsom's
impending trip argue that international travel is the president's
responsibility and that he's just boosting his anti-Trump credentials,
the Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs reported. “I’ve
got areas in my district that are flooding,” state Assemblyman Devon
Mathis, a Republican, told the paper. “Not in Central America. Come see
the central San Joaquin Valley. ... Come down to where we have Third
World conditions."
“I’ve got areas in my district that
are flooding. Not in Central America. Come see the central San Joaquin
Valley. ... Come down to where we have Third World conditions." — Assemblyman Devon Mathis, a California Republican
El
Salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the world, due in part,
to gangs like MS-13, which was started by Salvadoran immigrants in the
U.S. and spread to El Salvador and other countries. The trip will
be Newsom’s first abroad as governor, according to the paper. His
predecessor Jerry Brown traveled to Russia, China, Germany and other
nations as part of his efforts to combat climate change.
Jackson Cosko pleaded guilty Friday to charges stemming from
posting to the Internet the personal information of five GOP senators.
(Linkedin)
A former House Democratic staffer pleaded guilty Friday to five federal offenses related to posting online the personal information of five Republican senators, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, during hearings for then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The charges against Jackson A. Cosko, 27, include making public restricted personal information, computer fraud, witness tampering and obstruction of justice. In addition to McConnell's information, Cosko posted the home addresses and phone numbers
of GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah
and Rand Paul of Kentucky -- as well as then-Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. Cosko
reportedly became angry about the senators' support for Kavanaugh
despite sexual assault allegations that President Trump's nominee was
facing during the hearings. Cosko intended to intimidate the senators
and their families, according to court records. Kavanaugh's nomination
was ultimately confirmed. At the time of his arrest, Cosko was
working as an unpaid intern for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who
fired him soon after. He was previously employed as a computer systems
administrator in the office of Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., a job that
gave him "intimate knowledge of, and broad access to" the computer
systems in Hasan's office, according to court records. But he had been
fired from Hassan’s office in May 2018 for failing to follow office
procedures. After the firing from Hassan's office, Cosko became
angry and repeatedly burglarized the office without being detected,
court records said. He copied gigabytes-worth of data, including dozens
of user names and passwords belonging to Senate employees and "contact
information for numerous sitting U.S. senators," according to court
records. Cosko was arrested Oct. 3, 2018, one day after a staffer
discovered him working on a computer in Hassan's office, where Cosko was
not authorized to be. Records show Cosko sent a threatening email to
the staffer the evening he was confronted. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Washington on June 13. He could face between two and five years in prison. Cosko previously held positions with other prominent Democrats,
including former Sen. Barbara Boxer of California and the office of
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, also of California and the ranking member of the
Senate Judiciary Committee. Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
CNN’s Scott Jennings once again took liberals to the cleaners on the Abrego Garcia case, the ‘Maryland man...
