Trump calls DNC primary-rigging 'illegal,' slams 'fake' dossier in Fox News interview

President Donald Trump gave a wide-ranging interview on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” Thursday, revealing his thoughts on this week’s terror attack in New York City and the campaign actions of the Democratic National Committee.

Trump responded to claims from former DNC chairwoman Donna Brazile alleging that the committee rigged last year’s Democratic presidential primary between Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

“It's illegal, number one, and it's really unfair to Bernie Sanders,” Trump said of the Vermont senator. “I’m not a Bernie Sanders fan, although I must say I got a lot of his votes when he was thrown out. Many of those people voted for me because of trade because I agreed with him on trade. … But that was, I thought that was terrible.”
Trump also responded to recent revelations that the DNC — along with the Clinton campaign — funded the now-infamous “opposition research” dossier released last January. The president called the findings “absolutely inconceivable.”
“That dossier, which is totally fake and made up it’s like a novel … is a disgrace and it should not have been allowed to be used and then I hear the kind of money they spent,” Trump said, referring to reports Democrats paid as much as $9 million on it. “I think it’s a disgrace that a thing like that can take place.”
TRUMP CALLS FOR 'DEATH PENALTY' FOR NYC TERRORIST IN WAKE OF HALLOWEEN ATTACK
After Tuesday’s terror attack in Lower Manhattan, allegedly carried out by a man from Uzbekistan — whom Trump called a "horrible animal" — who was granted a green card through the Diversity Visa Program, Trump called for Congress to end the lottery-based immigration program.
“The justice system has to go quicker and it has to be really stronger and fairer,” the president said, one day after he referred to the U.S. justice system as a “laughingstock” and a “joke.”
“It’s very sad when you look at a lottery system and you have people coming into the country through the form of a lottery,” Trump said. “The countries aren’t putting their finest in there, they’re not putting their best and their greatest and their finest in there.”
Trump added he’s “already instructed Congress” to bring the Diversity Visa Program to an end.
TRUMP'S TAX PLAN: THE MAJOR CHANGES
Jumping to Trump’s tax reform plan, the president said his proposed tax cuts are “the biggest cuts in the history of our country.”
“We have reform and we have simplification and honestly I’m surprised a little bit to hear what you’re saying because we’ve really gotten great reviews people are loving it,” Trump said when he was told he was getting criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
He alluded to a Washington Post report that recently gave Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., “four Pinocchios” for “not telling the truth” about the tax plan, which Trump said is “really not for the rich, it’s for the middle class and it’s for jobs.”

11-minute Trump Twitter outage prompts company investigation

Twitter launched an internal investigation Thursday after a "customer support" employee, reportedly working his or her last day with the company, briefly deactivated the higly viewed account of President Donald Trump.

"We are conducting a full internal review," the company said in a statement about the approximately 11-minute outage.

It was unclear how a “customer support” worker had obtained clearance to deactivate such a high-profile account. The president has tweeted more than 36,000 times and has nearly 42 million Twitter followers.
When reports first surfaced about the outage, Twitter officials initially blamed “human error.”
Shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday, social media reports surfaced that Trump’s personal account, @realDonaldTrump, was unavailable, providing the error message that the user "does not exist." The account was restored by 7:03 p.m.
But about two hours later, the company said the deactivation "was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employee's last day."
The company has in the past suspended other accounts for violating its terms and conditions. The company has resisted calls from those opposed to the president to delete his account.
A spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump did not immediately address the outage after his account was reactivated. Instead, he tweeted about the GOP tax plan.
"Great Tax Cut rollout today. The lobbyists are storming Capital [sic] Hill, but the Republicans will hold strong and do what is right for America!"
The Washington Post pointed out that Trump credited social media for its role in getting him elected.
He told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo that, “You have to keep people interested.”

Muslim Love Hate Cartoons

Trump assails 'political correctness' in tweet on terror attacks

President Trump on Sunday responded to the London terror attack, suggesting political correctness and the London mayor’s soft response are contributing to strikes by radical Islamic terrorists.

Seven people were killed and dozens of others were injured in the two Saturday night attacks on and near the London Bridge. Police are investigating the incidents as terror attacks, but no terror group has yet to claim responsibility.

"We must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people. If we don't get smart it will only get worse,” Trump tweeted first.
The president has from the start of his successful 2016 presidential campaign argued that the key to stopping global terror strikes is to address radical Islamic teachings and being more vigilant about allowing people into the United States from mostly-Muslim countries that are hotbeds for terror training.
"At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!” Trump also tweeted.
Trump also posted on Twitter about the attacks: “Do you notice we are not having a gun debate right now? That's because they used knives and a truck!”

NBC story on 'backlash' against 'American Muslims' stirs outrage

Less than 24 hours after a driver plowed into a crowd Tuesday on the streets of New York City, NBC News faced mockery and criticism for posting a story about American Muslims that critics said was unfounded.

The NBC story suggested that Muslim Americans were fearing a potential “backlash” against their community because the suspect -- identified by authorities as Sayfullo Saipov, an immigrant from Uzbekistan -- shared their faith.

But critics posting on social media derided the network for focusing on an unsubstantiated idea rather than on those killed or injured in the attack.
“Maybe we should focus on those who were brutally murdered than a backlash you hope manifests,” NRA spokeswoman and author Dana Loesch wrote on Twitter.
Police say Sayfullo Saipov, 29 – an immigrant from Uzbekistan who was living in New Jersey after relocating from Florida -- mowed down people near the World Trade Center with a rented truck, leaving eight people dead and a dozen injured. He reportedly yelled “Allahu akbar” ("God is great") after he exited the vehicle and pledged allegiance to ISIS.
“In the wake of Tuesday's attack, some Muslim Americans and community leaders expressed concerns over how their religion would be perceived and whether Muslims would become targets of violence,” NBC wrote in an article titled, "Muslim Americans Again Brace for Backlash After New York Attack."
"My initial reaction was, obviously, concern and shock over what happened," Umer Ahmad, a Muslim-American physician from New Jersey, told the network. "My biggest concern is that he's readily identified as a Muslim and then that is extrapolated out to my own faith.”
But that opinion wasn't shared by others who read the article.
“Instead of the story being the barbaric murder of innocents, the media wants the story to be imagined backlash. Disgusting,” said Christopher Barron, president of Right Turn Strategies, a conservative consulting firm, and co-founder of GOProud, an organization for gay and lesbian conservatives.
Said one Twitter commenter: “NBC immediately rushes to accuse Americans of being Islamophobic bigots” after a terror attack that killed eight people.
Another Twitter use wrote:“NBC’s priority in reporting is about ‘backlash’ to Muslim Americans, not that eight people were killed.”
Saipov remained detained Wednesday after being apprehended following the attack. Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that the suspect was motivated “by hate and a twisted ideology,” as he possessed multiple gruesome ISIS-related videos and photos, including pictures of people being beheaded, Fox News reported.
He was charged with providing material support to a terror group and committing violence in Tuesday’s attack. President Donald Trump called for the death penalty Wednesday night amid reports that Saipov asked for an ISIS flag for his hospital room.
“NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!,” the president tweeted.

Trump vs. Schumer: A troubling detour into politics after terror attack in New York

There may be an important immigration debate to be had in the wake of what was undoubtedly a terrorist attack that killed eight people in Manhattan.

It did not get off to a good start yesterday.

Instead, hours after an Uzbek citizen allegedly used a truck to murder and injure pedestrians, there was sniping between President Trump and Chuck Schumer.
I took heat from plenty of liberals for saying, after the Las Vegas massacre, that Hillary Clinton and some Democrats might have waited one day before slamming the GOP on gun control (not that we shouldn’t have a vigorous debate, as some said in distorting my comments).
Well, now I say the same thing on the other side. It was not helpful for President Trump to make this about New York’s senior senator hours after the city was dealing with the casualties.
The president tweeted yesterday: "The terrorist came into our country through what is called the 'Diversity Visa Lottery Program,' a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based. We are fighting hard for Merit Based immigration, no more Democrat Lottery Systems. We must get MUCH tougher (and smarter)."
So the fact that Sayfullo Saipov is an Uber driver who came in legally under that program seven years ago becomes Schumer’s fault in the wake of the attack?
The Senate minority leader hit back in a statement: "President Trump, instead of politicizing and dividing America, which he always seems to do at times of national tragedy, should be focusing on the real solution — antiterrorism funding — which he proposed cutting in his most recent budget."
The merit-based program was passed in 1990 with bipartisan support and signed into law by George H.W. Bush. Schumer, then a House member, was one of numerous co-sponsors.
After the Las Vegas shooting, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that "today is a day for consoling of survivors and mourning those we lost," not debating gun control.
Again, there may be a strong case for ending or tightening the diversity program. I think we’re all tired of people shouting "Allahu Akbar," as Saipov is said to have done, during acts of mass violence.
On the other hand, it’s getting harder for law enforcement to detect people, as in Las Vegas and lower Manhattan, who have no previous criminal record.
The president also tweeted that "being politically correct is fine, but not for this!" The PC mentality can hinder anti-terrorism efforts, but it’s not clear to me how it applies to this particular case.
When he spoke to reporters yesterday, Trump said he would move immediately to get rid of the diversity program but did not mention Schumer. He did say this, which we can all agree with:
"All of America is praying and grieving for the families who lost their precious loved ones. Horrible Act. Our hearts break for them and we pledge to renew our resolve in their memory."
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. 

Trump 'coming after' China unless it takes on North Korea, officials say

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, smiles at U.S. President Donald Trump as they meet in Palm Beach, Fla., April 6, 2017.  (Associated Press)

As he prepares to embark Friday on a major 12-day foreign policy trip to five Asian countries, President Donald Trump is finalizing plans to secure China’s involvement in curbing the threat posed by North Korea, officials say.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping next Wednesday in Beijing, a day after a planned stop in South Korea. Senior administration officials have said Trump will have specific demands for his Chinese counterpart --- and will be prepared to threaten consequences if China does not abide them.
Trump is expected to request that Xi impose limits on oil exports and coal imports with the rogue dictatorship, as well as broader limits on financial transactions with the regime, Reuters reported. China is responsible for more than 90 percent of all trade with North Korea.
Behind the scenes, Trump may also insist that the Chinese work to convince the North Korean government in Pyongyang to open nuclear disarmament discussions with Washington.
But a former U.S. intelligence official who is informally advising the White House on Asia policy told the Washington Times that the administration is not entirely sure what it can accomplish during the president’s visit to Beijing.
Experts say it is likely that, even if Trump's goals are uncertain of being achieved, the president will rely on various pressure points during his discussion with Xi.
One indirect tool at Trump’s disposal, U.S. officials told Reuters, is the threat of imposing further economic sanctions on North Korea. The move could destabilize the already fragile North Korean economy and lead to a surge of poor refugees from North Korea into China, creating a logistical headache and a potential humanitarian crisis for Beijing.
The president could also cause problems for Xi by formally investigating Chinese entities who administration officials say strong-arm U.S. companies into divulging proprietary intellectual property. The Washington Times reported that Trump, who first raised the issue with Xi during an August phone call, is prepared to renew the threat during next week's meeting.
And Trump, who has previously threatened to reduce China’s access to U.S. markets if it does not take a harder line on North Korea, will likely target the trade imbalance between the U.S. and China. China has the largest bilateral trade surplus with the U.S. of any country, by a significant margin.
Trump will probably tell the Chinese president, "‘I’m coming after you on trade,’” Christopher Johnson, a China analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Washington Times.
But Xi has sent signals that he may not be receptive to the White House’s position. After North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un sent Xi a congratulatory message for recently winning a second term as China’s Communist Party leader, Xi called for “stable” relations between the two countries.
“I wish that under the new situation the Chinese side would make efforts with the [North Korean] side to promote the relations between the two parties and the two countries to sustainable soundness and stable development,” Xi wrote, according to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency. Xi added that China and North Korea should focus on “defending regional peace and stability and common prosperity.”

Liberal Terrorist Cartoons

Conservative students at UC Berkeley face everything from insults to threats of violence

Walking across Sproul Plaza on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, it is hard to discern Jonathan Chow from any other student at the school.

In his UC Berkeley water polo shirt, cargo shorts and sneakers, the 21-year-old history major seems like any other undergrad rushing to class or sipping coffee in the plaza.

But Chow is not like most of his fellow students. He’s part of a small minority of seemingly marginalized students at one of the largest universities in the U.S. He’s a conservative.
“I came here to conduct my own social experiment,” Chow told Fox News. “The idea was to see if there was any way of convincing people or having a dialogue with really radical people. It has not been as successful as I wanted it to be.”

More on this...

While UC Berkeley does not keep statistics on its students’ political leanings, the school has long been known as one of the country’s centers for liberal and progressive thought, and now – following a slew of high-profile, violent protests against conservative speakers on campus – Chow and other like-minded students say that life has become more difficult for anyone whose politics lean toward the right.
“It’s certainly not easy,” Steven Hayward, a conservative commentator and resident scholar at UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, told Fox News. “There are not many conservative students -- and those that are conservative are, many times, afraid to speak for fear of being mocked or trolled by their fellow students.”
Chow and other conservatives on campus say that while harassment by fellow students isn’t new – they’ve been yelled at, sent hate mail, had their signs stolen when tabling and even spat upon – the animosity aimed in their direction has ratcheted up over the last year.
In February, 150 leftist black-clad protesters rampaged through Berkeley’s campus, where they caused $100,000 worth of damage, beat students and forced the University of California to cancel a planned speech by right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.

Protestors against a scheduled speaking appearance by polarizing Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos march on the University of California at Berkeley campus Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif. The event was canceled out of safety concerns after protesters hurled smoke bombs, broke windows and started a bonfire. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)  (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

“There were over 100 Antifa members on campus causing trouble,” Rudraveer Reddy, a conservative sophomore at UC Berkeley and a member of the Berkeley College Republicans (BCRS) and the Berkeley Patriot website, told Fox News. “My friend was there and he was beaten by Antifa and the police did nothing.”
Since then, violence by Antifa, a far-left group whose name means “anti-fascist,” has continued on Berkeley’s campus and throughout the college town, with controversial conservative writer Ann Coulter canceling a speech at the school in April after the Young America’s Foundation pulled its support for the event amid threats of violence.
In August, a group of around 100 hooded members of Antifa stormed what had been a largely peaceful rally for free speech in the town of Berkeley and attacked at least five people, including the leader of a politically conservative group that had canceled an event a day earlier in San Francisco to avoid potential violence.
Along with actual acts of violence, Berkeley’s contingent of conservative students have also had to deal with less direct threats.
Graffiti has appeared in restrooms and on school signs that read “Kill the BCRS” and “Behead the BCRS,” while the Berkeley Antifa Twitter account tweeted out the names of some BCR members and alleged that the members were meeting at a local bar with Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson and right-wing activist Kyle “Based Stickman” Chapman. BCR members and students in the conservative Young America’s Foundation have said Antifa members have stalked them while they hung posters around campus.
“Conservatives in Berkeley are routinely targeted, harassed, and stalked,” BCR External Vice President Naweed Tahmas said in an email to the Daily Californian, the campus newspaper. “It has become socially acceptable in Berkeley to physically beat someone for being a conservative.”
Officials at UC Berkeley have vehemently denied that they condone any threats or violence directed at conservatives and said they have diligently worked to protect their students while also protecting free speech.
“We’re not going to play games when it comes to the safety of our guests and the members of the campus community,” Dan Mogulof, a UC Berkeley spokesman, told Fox News.

Conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos holds protest signs while speaking at the University of California in Berkeley, California, U.S., September 24, 2017. REUTERS/Noah Berger - RC1F9EBC0040

The university last month shelled out $600,000 in security for an on-campus appearance from conservative pundit and former Breitbart editor Ben Shapiro. Further, it is estimated that UC Berkeley spent close to $1 million on security ahead of the planned “Free Speech Week” hosted by the conservative Berkeley Patriot group and Yiannopoulos.
While administration members said they are doing all they can to protect and defend free speech, the Berkeley College Republicans targeted by Antifa don’t feel the same way.
“The university’s response has been pathetic, at best,” Matt Ronnau, a BCR member, told Fox News.
“Free Speech Week” was canceled at the last minute amid a dearth of speakers and problems with the organizers, but the event galvanized both conservatives in Berkeley and those opposed to them.
It also highlighted a divide among the school’s conservatives that some blame for the ramping up in the harassment aimed at the group.
Chow, who has been a member of BCR for two years, said the organization’s new leadership is taking the group in a different direction – now it focuses on bringing in provocative speakers with far-right views and creating pet projects like the Berkeley Patriot. He said the group now seems more interested in sparking controversy than making positive changes.

Milo Yiannopoulos speech at Cal State Fullerton: Seven arrested

Milo Yiannopoulos addresses the media during a news conference in New York City, Feb. 21, 2017.  (Reuters)

At least seven people were arrested Tuesday after violence broke out between protesters and counter-protesters attending an event by provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos at California State University, Fullerton.

The speech – attracting 800 attendees – drew multiple protesters who chanted slogans such as “Black lives matter!” and “Cops and the Klan go hand in hand!” Some had signs reading, “Immigrants in, racists out,” and “Only socialist revolution can defeat capitalist reaction.”

Claudia Brick, a 66-year-old woman protesting Yiannopoulos, said she hoped to get her message across.
“We believe in their right to free speech as well, but we believe we can get our message across louder, and there are certainly more of us," she said.
At least two people were arrested for scuffles, according to university spokesman Jeff Cook. It remained unclear why other people were arrested.
The police took extra precautions to ensure safety at the event. Additional police officers were brought from other agencies and helicopters hovered around the area, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Some police officers were seen wearing riot gear, others were on horseback, and several officers were on the event venue’s rooftop.
Most protesters remained peaceful but the demonstration got heated after a woman punched a female Yiannopoulos supporter several times before someone restrained her with pepper spray.
The attacked woman, Genevieve Peters, said a female protester carrying a baby attacked her after she told the woman she needed to be careful with the toddler at the protest.
"She came and just punched me in the side of the head, and came running after me, and my friends had to get her off," said Peters, describing herself as a “proud” supporter of President Donald Trump. "She tried to punch me three or four times. I feel sorry for her because she has so much anger."
The attacker quickly disappeared from the scene, but it remained unclear whether she was among the two arrested for violence.
Another woman, wearing a black helmet and a mask, was arrested after shooting pepper spray into the air. She was heard agitating demonstrators to storm the Yiannopoulos event and beat him up, the L.A. Times reported.
Most violence was recorded prior the event, with only small arguments erupting in the aftermath. The event was the speaker's first big appearance on a U.S. college campus after the highly anticipated “Free Speech Week” at UC Berkeley fell apart amid disorganization.
Yiannopoulos' event at Fullerton was organized by the College Republicans, who invited the speaker as a way to draw attention to the existence of conservative students at the college and the need for free speech.
"We really just felt left out of the conversations on campus as conservatives, and bringing him has really started this conversation about free speech," said Brooke Paz, a spokeswoman for the group.

Paul Manafort considered flight risk because of wealth, foreign connections: special counsel

Just one day after pleading not guilty to a 12-count indictment, Paul Manafort was described as a major flight risk by prosecutors because of his wealth and international connections.

According to court documents unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors say they believe Manafort -- a former chairman of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign -- and his business associate Richard Gates were at risk of fleeing.

“The defendants pose a risk of flight based on the serious nature of the charges, their history of deceptive and misleading conduct, the potentially significant sentences the defendants face, the strong evidence of guilt, their significant financial resources, and their foreign connections,” the court documents read.
Manafort is known to have a significant amount of wealth. Between 2012 and 2016, he listed his assets to be between $19 million and $136 million, the New York Daily News reported.
“His financial holdings are substantial, if difficult to quantify precisely,” Tuesday’s documents revealed.
The 68-year-old was also being considered a flight risk because of his foreign connections. The Washington Post reported that Manafort keeps three U.S. passports and has submitted 10 passport applications in recent years.
Prosecutors note in the documents that Manafort also has wealthy ties to Moscow and to Kiev, Ukraine, through his previous business dealings. His travel schedule in the last year reveals the many connections Manafort has overseas, increasing the possibility of flight, prosecutors said.
The court documents even brought up Manafort’s age, stating he might be more inclined to flee with a guilty verdict carrying a sentence of around 12 to 15 years.
Manafort pleaded not guilty Monday after being indicted on 12 counts by a federal grand jury as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign officials in the 2016 presidential election.
The special counsel’s office told Fox News that the counts include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading Foreign Agent Registration (FARA) statements, false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign banks and financial accounts.
Manafort’s bail was set at $10 million. He will return to court Thursday to hear the terms of his bail.

Mark Levin: Trump Is Trying to Protect America With 'Extreme Vetting' Policy

Mark Levin joined Sean Hannity tonight to react to the terror attack in New York City and new revelations about the suspect, 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov.
Levin pointed out that Saipov, who is from Uzbekistan, reportedly came to the U.S. in 2010 when he was 22 years old under the "Diversity Immigrant Visa Program."
Levin explained that the program makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas annually and aims to diversify the immigrant population in the U.S.
"It's a lottery system. That's no way to run an immigration system," Levin said. "The purpose of immigration is to improve the United States, is to benefit the United States, not to ensure diversity."
He said President Donald Trump is right to call for extreme vetting of immigrants from countries that are known hotbeds of radical Islamic ideology.
"Donald Trump is following the Constitution, following the statute, trying to protect America," Levin said. "What the president is saying is, 'You can't bring people in from these countries until we figure out what's going on.'"
He warned that the federal judges who have tried to block Trump's executive orders on immigration are endangering American citizens. He noted that one judge even spoke about due process rights for immigrants before they enter the U.S.
"This is progressivism gone nuts. And it's going to kill a lot more people. And you would have thought after 9/11 that people would take this issue of immigration seriously."

Clinton Russian Foundation Cartoons

WH: Mueller Indictments Not Related to Any Trump Campaign Activities

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during the daily press briefing, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The White House pushes back on speculation surrounding the indictments of former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort.
During a Monday press briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters the charges against Manafort and his partner Rick Gates are not campaign related.
She also said the indictments will not distract from the president’s legislative agenda.
When asked about the guilty plea of former campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, Sanders claimed he was a volunteer who was repeatedly pushed back on his ideas by top Trump officials.
Sanders then said the only Russian collusion during the election happened among the Democrats.
“Today’s announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president’s campaign or campaign activity,” announched Huckabee. “The real collusion scandal as we’ve said several times before has everything to do with the Clinton campaign, Fusion GPS, and Russia…there’s clear evidence of the Clinton campaign colluding with Russian intelligence to spread disinformation and smear the president and influence the election.”
Manafort and Gates have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
A judge set bond at $10 million for Manafort, and a bond at five million dollars for Gates.
Both sides also agreed to home detention.
This comes nearly a week after ties between Manafort and the Podesta Group surfaced, showing he was the intermediary between Hillary Clinton and Russia in the controversial Uranium One deal.
Meanwhle, Democrat lobbyist Tony Podesta resigned from his position at his firm after being named in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Podesta stepped down during a meeting Monday, and will soon be alerting clients of his departure.
Sources say the move has been in the works for months.
However, his departure comes amid allegations that Manafort helped the Podesta Group and the Clinton Foundation establish pay-to-play ties with Russia.

Lindsey Graham: There 'will be holy hell to pay' if Trump fires Mueller

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and two other aides mark a new phase in his sprawling investigation into Russia and President Donald Trump. But the president’s supporters on Capitol Hill have said they want all the facts to come in first.

There “will be holy hell to pay” if Mueller is dismissed, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News on Monday, unconcerned about rumblings of the ongoing threat Mueller poses to the president. He said there is zero evidence from the White House that Mueller’s investigation will be stopped or curtailed.

Asked to elaborate, Graham continued: “I've heard nothing from the White House to suggest that the president's going to try to replace Mr. Mueller. Zero evidence from anybody I've talked to. It would be wrong to do so unless there were cause.”
People familiar with Trump’s thinking told The Associated Press the president has become increasingly concerned that the Mueller probe could be moving to an investigation into his personal dealings.
“No politician should ever be afraid of the American legal system working its will,” Graham told Fox News about many of his colleagues’ refusal to comment on the case.
White House officials were publicly optimistic about Mueller’s investigation wrapping up swiftly.
Many lawmakers noted the U.S. government would continue as normal regardless of the indictments.
The agenda of the Trump administration such as health care and tax reform shouldn’t be affected, said Senator John N. Kennedy, R-La., noting that Americans can multitask. “Most Americans do, and I don’t see why we can’t,” he told Fox News.
Trump immediately sought to distance himself after Manafort and Rick Gates pleaded not guilty to a 12-count indictment alleging money laundering, conspiracy and other offenses. Another former aide, George Papadopoulos, was revealed to be cooperating with authorities after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.

Ingraham: 'The People Took Their Power Back on Election Day & the Establishment Is Mad as Hell'

Laura Ingraham kicked off the inaugural edition of "The Ingraham Angle" with a powerful monologue about what America means to her and to regular Americans.
"Most of us, I think, want three things: prosperity, safety, liberty," Ingraham said. "And that includes preserving our history."
She said that Americans' love of God, family and country aren't trite relics of the past, and they are at the very core of who we are as a people.
She said the American people saw that many of their leaders were not prioritizing those same values, and that's why they elected President Donald Trump to the White House.
"The people took their power back on Election Day, and the establishment is mad as hell," Ingraham said. "Let's face it, they don't really like the American people, not very much at least."
"This show is going to be about all of this and certainly the political, the legal and the cultural battles of the day," Ingraham said. "But something more: how all of that affects your life and that of your families."
She said she cares deeply about the future of the country, and that's why she's always going to call it as she sees it.
"I'm going to get answers for you, and I'm going to hold the powerful accountable. And that includes you, Mr. President," Ingraham said. "And every night, with you, we'll continue to answer this question: What is America to me, to all of us?"

Disrespecting China's national anthem could result in three years in prison

China’s parliament is considering criminal penalties for those who disrespect the national anthem, Reuters reported Monday, citing from state news agency Xinhua.

A draft amendment to the country’s Criminal Law was submitted for deliberation at a session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee on Monday. Violators could face up to three years in prison, according to the draft.

China passed a new law in September mandating up to 15 days in police detention for those who mock the “March of the Volunteers,” which is China’s national anthem. The law also covers the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau, Reuters reported.
It is not clear when the amendment would be voted on or take effect.
The report comes at a time when there is debate about NFL players in the U.S. who take a knee during the national anthem before football games. Some see the protest as disrespecting the flag, while others say the players are using their first amendment right to protest.
President Trump called on the football players to be fired or banned.
In Hong Kong, it’s the soccer fans protesting China’s national anthem. The territory’s football fans booed the anthem during a World Cup qualifier in 2015, which prompted FIFA to fine Hong Kong's football association. Hong Kong residents have growing concern over China’s perceived encroachment on its autonomy, according to Reuters.

Robert Mueller's Russia investigation Cartoons

President Trump fired back on Monday in an attempt to distance his White House from the grand jury indictments of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and an aide, noting their crimes were committed “years” before they worked on the campaign.

The president led a chorus of critics of the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, noting that the crimes for which Manafort and his aide, Rick Gates, are charged appear to predate the presidential campaign by years.

“Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren’t Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????” Trump tweeted Monday. “….Also, there is NO COLLUSION!”
Manafort and Gates were indicted by a federal grand jury Friday on 12 counts, including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading Foreign Agent Registration (FARA) statements, false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign banks and financial accounts. The indictments were announced Monday.
Mueller’s team also unsealed a guilty plea by former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who admitted to making false statements to FBI agents as part of the investigation. According to court documents, Papadopoulos’ false statements were in regards to his relationship with a Russian ‘professor,’ who had ties to Russian government officials.
The special counsel probe and Russia “hoax,” as the president has described it, has cast a cloud over the Trump administration. But last week, the White House enjoyed a shift in focus, amid new revelations in the controversial Obama-era Uranium One deal and the payments behind the salacious anti-Trump dossier.
Reports last week revealed that Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee paid more than $9 million to law firm Perkins Coie, which commissioned Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research that ultimately led to the now-infamous dossier.
Over the weekend, it was revealed that the conservative Washington Free Beacon website initially funded the opposition research into then-candidate Donald Trump and other GOP contenders for the White House. Lawyers for the Free Beacon told the House Intelligence Committee that the website funded the research between fall 2015 and spring 2016.
TRUMP TWEETS ON REPORTS THAT OBAMA CAMPAIGN PAID LAW FIRM THAT HIRED FUSION GPS
But some Republicans say that the Manafort-Gates indictments provide “no evidence” in the Russian collusion narrative.
Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., who has repeatedly called for Mueller’s resignation, over the special counsel’s relationship with former FBI Director James Comey, said the indictment “doesn’t have anything to do with Donald Trump.”
“I believe that Mr. Mueller’s conflict of interest is absolutely incontrovertible, and I think this is further indication he’s headed in this direction no matter what,” Franks said on his local radio station, KTAR-FM Morning News, Monday. “It’s ironic because ostensibly his investigation is supposed to be into Donald Trump’s potential involvement with Russia, yet this doesn’t have anything to do with Donald Trump.”
MUELLER FACING NEW REPUBLICAN PRESSURE TO RESIGN IN RUSSIA PROBE
Franks added: “They may try to parlay it into something to hook President Trump in, but right now, this is par for the course. I should suggest this was kind of predictable.”
Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., who is a member of the House Intelligence Committee, which is leading its own Russia probe, echoed a similar sentiment.
“This pre-dates the campaign entirely, and could pre-date Paul Manafort even meeting Donald Trump. This has nothing to do with the campaign,” King told Fox News on “America’s Newsroom” Monday. “The investigation still has to go forward but what I’ve seen so far, is there is no evidence at all linking the Trump campaign to Russian influence or collusion.”
The Senate Intelligence Committee is also leading a bipartisan Russia probe, and said that the indictment "doesn't change" their investigation.
"The special counsel has found a reason on criminal violations to indict two individuals and I will leave that up to the special counsel to make that determination. It doesn't change anything with our investigation," Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C. said in a statement to Fox News. "We received documents from and had interest in two of the individuals named, but clearly the criminal charges put them in the Special Counsel's purview."
But Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee said that the indictments are “significant” and a “sobering step” in the special counsel’s investigation.
“That’s why it is imperative that Congress take action now to protect the independence of the Special Counsel, wherever, or however high his investigation may lead,” Warner said in a statement Monday. “Members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, must also make clear to the President that issuing pardons to any of his associates or to himself would be unacceptable and result in immediate, bipartisan action by Congress.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also said that the president “must not, under any circumstances, interfere” with Mueller’s work.
“If he does so, Congress must respond swiftly, unequivocally, and in a bipartisan way to ensure that the investigation continues,” Schumer said in a statement Monday.
While Trump has not suggested any plans to interfere with the special counsel investigation, there are currently two pieces of legislation in the Senate, with bipartisan sponsorship, that would ensure a judicial check on the executive branch’s ability to remove a special counsel. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., are behind the bills, along with Democratic senators.
"The president is not firing the special counsel," Trump's attorney, Jay Sekulow, said on CNN Monday.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also said Monday the president has "no intention or plan to make any changes in regard to Special Counsel."
Though some argue the indictments are irrelevant to the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, former top-ranking Justice Department official under both Bush and Obama administrations, James Trusty, told Fox News that this is what happens during a broad investigation.
Last week, Mueller expanded his probe to investigate Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta’s dealings with Manafort and a Ukrainian nonprofit. The Podesta Group told Fox News last week they were “cooperating” with the special counsel’s office.
Trusty said last week that Mueller has “a lot of room to legitimately poke around and find information on one party or another.”
“It’s a cliché, but a good cliché –prosecutors go where the evidence leads them,” Trusty told Fox News last week. “When you define the mission broadly, there is a lot of room for [an independent prosecutor’s] exploration.”
Trusty said that if a special counsel’s mission is defined broadly, “it is all fair game if the independent prosecutor is doing his job the right way.”

Robert Mueller's Russia investigation Cartoons

Pres. Trump Cites GOP Anger, Unity Over Clinton-Russia Dossier

In this Oct. 26, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump speaks during an event to declare the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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President Trump takes to Twitter to unleash a barrage of tweets about possible ties between Hillary Clinton and the Russia dossier.
The president tweeted Sunday, that there is unity and anger among republican leaders about the lack of an investigation into Clinton’s wrongdoings. He also condemned the Uranium One Deal and the destruction of her 33,000 emails.
He also suggested all the talk about Russia comes as the GOP is making big moves to pass tax reform, claiming it’s not a coincidence it’s all happening at the same time.

Americans' 401(k)s will be safe, GOP leaders set record straight

GOP leaders are trying to ease panicked Americans who are socking away thousands of dollars annually for retirement, after lawmakers floated the idea of drastically reducing the pre-tax limit on contributions to $2,400 as part of the forthcoming tax plan.
“I think 401(k)s are very important,” said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., during an interview on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures”. “The way we’ll look at the 401(k), we will protect it, we’ll expand the amount that you can invest, but we’ll also give you an option to actually not be taxed later in life, not to have that tax burden hovering over you in the future, but actually have greater income in the future.”
Currently, people under age 50 are able to save up to $18,000 per year in pre-tax savings in their 401(k), while those over 50 can save up to $24,000. After reports surfaced that 401(k) those contributions could be curbed as part of the tax plan, President Donald Trump set the record straight.

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• Americans' 401(k)s will be safe, GOP leaders set record straight
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• GOP continues debate on 401(k)s ahead of tax cut deadline

“There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!” he tweeted on Monday. He reiterated this view while talking to the press on Wednesday.

McCarthy’s comments on Sunday follow fellow lawmaker Kevin Brady, R-Texas, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, who last week dialed back on reports that contributions could be cut as part of the tax plan.

On Friday, Brady said he and fellow lawmakers are now looking into possibly raising contribution limits to $20,000 or higher.

John Boehner unleashed: Ex-House speaker curses at lawmakers, says congressman once held a knife to his throat

Ohio Republican John Boehner retired from Capitol Hill as speaker in 2015 — and now has harsh words for his House coworkers. (REUTERS/Yuri Gripas)

Former House Speaker John Boehner, who retired in October 2015, is no longer holding back his anger against several of his former colleagues in Congress.

The Ohio Republican talked to Politico Magazine in a lengthy profile Sunday about the widening political divide in America. But he saved his harshest words for conservatives who worked alongside him. Among them: Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who became the chairman of the House Oversight Committee after Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, announced his resignation from Congress, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who helped found the House’s Freedom Caucus, which frequently clashed with Boehner.

“Gowdy — that’s my guy, even though he doesn’t know how to dress,” Boehner said. “F--- Jordan. F--- [Jason] Chaffetz. They’re both a--holes.”
Boehner called Chaffetz a “total phony” who was more obsessed with self-promotion than the American people. Chaffetz resigned from Congress in June and joined Fox News as a contributor. He didn't immediately respond.
“Jordan was a terrorist as a legislator going back to his days in the Ohio House and Senate,” Boehner added to Politico. “A terrorist. A legislative terrorist.”

John Boehner called Rep. Jason Chaffetz, seen here in 2015, a “phony” only out for himself in a new interview. Chaffetz stepped down in 2017, and is now a contributer to Fox News. (REUTERS/Jim Bourg)

Jordan was taken aback.
“Oh, my goodness. I feel sorry for the guy if he’s that bitter about a guy coming here and doing what he told the voters he was gonna do. Wow. I feel bad for him,” Jordan told Politico. “But in the end, we were not doing what the voters elected us to do and what we told them we were going to do. We just weren’t. And I would argue the same thing is happening now.”

John Boehner said Rep. Don Young once pinned him against a wall with a knife to his throat. (Office of Rep. Don Young)

Boehner also recounted that before he was best man at Rep. Don Young's wedding, the Alaska Republican restrained him against a wall and held a 10-inch knife to knife to his throat during a fight over measures that fund projects in lawmakers’ home districts.
Boehner responded by staring Young in the eyes and saying, “F--- you.”
Young told Politico that Boehner’s recollection was “mostly true.”