Trump: DOJ must do 'what is right and proper' and investigate Hillary Clinton

President Trump opened up on Democrats with both Twitter barrels from high in the sky Friday, exploiting fractures in the rival party after top operative Donna Brazile revealed insiders plotted to steal last year's presidential primary from Bernie Sanders.

"Bernie Sanders supporters have every right to be apoplectic of the complete theft of the Dem primary by Crooked Hillary!" Trump tweeted from Air Force One, as he headed off on a 13-day tour of Asian nations.

It was part of a mid-morning Twitter barrage in which Trump called for his own Justice Department to probe a range of scandals involving the Democratic Party and his vanquished 2016 presidential rival, Hillary Clinton.
“Everybody is asking why the Justice Department (and FBI) isn’t looking into all of the dishonesty going on with Crooked Hillary & the Dems,” Trump tweeted early Friday. “New Donna B book says she paid for and stole the Dem Primary. What about the deleted E-mails, Uranium, Podesta, the Server, plus, plus…”
In excerpts released Thursday from an upcoming book, Brazile, a longtime party stalwart and Clinton confidante, confirmed longstanding suspicions that the Democratic National Committee she once headed worked with Clinton to ensure she won the party's presidential primary over Sanders, the Vermont senator who built a huge following with his blend of Democrat politics and socialism.
"I always felt I would be running and winning against Bernie Sanders, not Crooked H, without cheating, I was right," Trump tweeted.
Brazile's explosive charge has sent shockwaves through the party.
“I had promised Bernie when I took the helm of the Democratic National Committee after the convention that I would get to the bottom of whether Hillary Clinton’s team had rigged the nomination process, as a cache of emails stolen by Russian hackers and posted online had suggested,” Brazile wrote in a book excerpt first published in Politico Magazine. “By Sept. 7, the day I called Bernie, I had found my proof and it broke my heart.”
The proof, according to Brazile, was a joint fundraising agreement document between the DNC, the Hillary Victory Fund and Hillary for America. It had been signed in August 2015, four months after Clinton announced her candidacy and a year before she officially secured the nomination over Sanders.
“The agreement –signed by Amy Dacey, the former CEO of the DNC and Robby Mook, with a copy to Marc Elias—specified that in exchange for raising money and investing in the DNC, Hillary would control the party’s finances, strategy, and all the money raised,” Brazile wrote. “Her campaign had the right of refusal of who would be the party communications director, and it would make final decision on all the other staff.”
DONNA BRAZILE: I FOUND 'PROOF' THE DNC RIGGED THE NOMINATION FOR HILLARY CLINTON
Even before Friday morning's tweetstorm, Trump reacted to the allegations against Clinton on Thursday night on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“It’s illegal, number one, and it’s really unfair to Bernie Sanders,” Trump said. “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.”
"Pocahontas just stated that the Democrats, lead by the legendary Crooked Hillary Clinton, rigged the Primaries! Lets go FBI & Justice Dept.," Trump tweeted again. 'Pocahontas,' when used by the president, is typically in reference to Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
In an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN Thursday, Warren, D-Mass., was asked whether she believed the DNC was rigged, to which the senator simply responded, "Yes."
But on Friday, Trump took the opportunity to add the Brazile bombshell to a list of allegations and situations that he wants his Justice Department to investigate, including her “deleted E-mails” and “the Server,” pointing back to the months-long Clinton email investigation.
Trump also referred to “Uranium,” alluding to the controversial Obama-era Uranium One deal. The 2010 deal concerns the sale of Canadian mining company Uranium One to Russia’s Rosatom nuclear company. The U.S. was involved because the sale gave the Russians control of part of the uranium supply in the U.S. Clinton, at the time, was secretary of state.
TRUMP CALLS DNC PRIMARY-RIGGING 'ILLEGAL,' SLAMS 'FAKE' DOSSIER IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW
Trump also referred to “Podesta,” though it is unclear if he was referring to Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta, or his brother, Clinton’s longtime confidante and 2016 campaign manager John Podesta.
This week, Tony Podesta stepped down from his lobbying firm, which was co-founded with his brother John, in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe expanding to question Podesta’s Foreign Agent Registration (FARA) filings, and whether he was in violation of that law.
A spokesperson for Podesta told Fox News that they were compliant with their FARA filings and were “fully” cooperating with Mueller’s team.
The president tweeted again, moments later, underscoring the need for a federal probe.
"....People are angry. At some point the Justice Department, and the FBI, must do what is right and proper. The American public deserves it!" Trump tweeted.

JFK files link MLK Jr. to multiple affairs, say he possibly fathered child out of wedlock

A dossier released as part of the JFK files says the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had affairs with multiple women, according to published reports.  (Associated Press)

A dossier on Martin Luther King Jr. claims the civil rights leader possibly fathered a child out of wedlock, and had an affinity for orgies.

The data, part of the JFK files recently released by the National Archives, also includes the assertion that singer Joan Baez was among the multiple women with whom King allegedly had affairs, the New York Daily News reported.

Described in the 20-page report is a "two-day drunken sex orgy in Washington, D.C." that was linked to an event that King attended, the Washington Examiner reported.
The dossier cites information obtained from “a responsible Los Angeles individual,” who was said to be a relative of King’s alleged lover -- who was described as the wife of a prominent black dentist. The source said King may have fathered a baby girl with the woman, the Daily News reported.
The informant was said to have met King in 1960, and claimed that King had affairs with multiple women, including Baez.
The 676 newly released JFK files also include a declassified memo that quotes a Soviet diplomat who doubted Lee Harvey Oswald’s capability to operate a rifle and assassinate President Kennedy, the Daily News reported.
President Trump tweeted last week for all remaining documents to be released, changing his initial stance to withhold certain files due to national security concerns. 
This is the third time this year the National Archives has released declassified JFK documents, adhering to a deadline set by Congress under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 that ordered the release of the files in 25 years.

Keith Olbermann argues claim that Trump did more damage to the US than bin Laden

Keith Olbermann (left) and Meghan McCain got into a heated debate on "The View" Friday morning about Olbermann's claim that President Trump has done more to hurt the U.S. than Usama bin Laden.  (Reuters/Getty) 

Keith Theodore Olbermann (/ˈoʊlbərmən/; born January 27, 1959) is an American sports and political commentator and writer & Anti- Trump Hack ( Hack, exposed or offered to common use for hire; to turn prostitute.)

A conversation on "The View" got intense Friday morning after Keith Olbermann defended his recent tweet saying that President Trump and his family have done more damage to the U.S. than Usama bin Laden.

Olbermann was grilled about his claim that Trump has hurt the country more than bin Laden and the Islamic State combined, as he suggested in a Nov. 1 tweet to Donald Trump Jr.

"View" host Meghan McCain was in visible disbelief.
“3,000 people died on 9/11. I mean, the comparison is absurd,” McCain said about Olbermann’s claims, to which he responded by saying more people died during the Iraq War than 9/11 and “we didn’t need to be there.”
BIN LADEN FILES REVEAL FONDNESS FOR ‘FUNNY CATS,’ ‘CHARLIE BIT MY FINGER’ VIDEOS
“You think that bin Laden did less to damage America than President Trump?” McCain asked, to which Olbermann immediately replied, “Yes.”
McCain went on to say, “rhetoric like that is so damaging,” before defending her brother’s service in the Iraq war, saying the comparison between Trump and bin Laden, the latter of whom “was dedicated to the destruction of … everything that we hold dear,” was unbelievable.
“How do people like us find common ground,” McCain asked, adding that she was exhausted with the behavior on both sides of politics.
“Do you want President Trump to fail? Do you want America to fail? I’m genuinely curious,” McCain said.
TRUMP’S ASIA TRIP COULD BE AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS IF HE DOES THIS
The heated back and forth was cut off by a commercial break and Olbermann was unable to reply, but upon return, the conversation took a somewhat more upbeat swing with Olbermann labeling McCain’s father his “favorite person in American politics in the 21st century." The former MSNBC host also said that he owes McCain and former President George W. Bush an apology “based on what we’ve seen in the last two years in this country.”
Olbermann continued saying he “would happily take a third term of George W. Bush rather than this,” adding that he didn’t think Trump was “stable,” and would even prefer Vice President Pence in the Oval Office.
“My attitude towards this administration is, we’re stuck with it, or I’m stuck with it from my view, no matter what happens going forward for at least four years… I’m accepting that,” Olbermann said. “I’ll take President Pence, I’ll carry him to the White House on my shoulders if need be.”

Trump visits Pearl Harbor ahead of first official tour of Asia

Before embarking on his first official visit to Asia, President Donald Trump flew to Hawaii on Friday, where he and first lady Melania Trump visited Pearl Harbor, the site where U.S. forces came under surprise attack from the Japanese in 1941.

The president and first lady also made a solemn visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, where they tossed flower petals into the water above the battleship’s sunken hull.

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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump watch as a wreath is positioned at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Nov. 3, 2017.  (Associated Press)

The memorial, which is accessible only by boat, straddles the wreckage of the battleship on which more than 1,000 Navy personnel lost their lives during the attack that drew the U.S. into World War II.

Trump did not speak publicly while at Pearl Harbor, but expressed anticipation earlier in the day, before a briefing with leaders of the U.S. Pacific Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the region.

"We are going to visit very shortly, Pearl Harbor, which I've read about, spoken about, heard about, studied, but I haven't seen. And that is going to be very exciting for me," he said.
A total of more than 2,300 sailors, soldiers and Marines died as a result of the attack, as did 68 civilians, according to the National Park Service.
During his visit in Hawaii, Trump was expected to meet with the U.S. Pacific Command to discuss the escalating threat from North Korea. He was also scheduled to meet with the governors of Alaska, Hawaii and Pacific U.S. territories, which are all relatively close targets if North Korea opts for a missile strike aganst the U.S.
Trump will head to Japan on Saturday, then make subsequent stops in South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, where the looming crisis in North Korea will likely remain a key topic of discussion.
The president plans to attend the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) conference in Vietnam and the East Asian Summit in the Philippines, for which he recently tacked on an extra day to his trip.

Death & Taxes Cartoons

House GOP Unveils Details of its Tax Reform Bill

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, joined by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., right, holds a proposed “postcard tax filing form” as they unveil the GOP’s far-reaching tax overhaul, the first major revamp of the tax system in three decades, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

OAN Newsroom

House Speaker Paul Ryan says the average American family will save more than $1,000 a year under the Republican’s tax reform bill.
During a news conference on Thursday to announce the details, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady said the bill will help create more jobs and bring trillions of dollars back to the U.S.  House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said every single American will be able to keep more of what they earn.
Rep. Ryan added, “The focus is directing that tax relief to the people in the middle and the people who are trying to get there and that is why we put our emphasis on that tax relief for those people who are in the middle, who are working paycheck to paycheck, striving to get ahead.” Ryan went on to say Republicans will fulfill their promise of passing this bill.
Pres. Trump praised the bill saying economic growth, more jobs, and higher wages are what Americans can expect from the tax plan, which includes an increase in the child tax credit and repealing the estate tax.
He met with House Republicans on Thursday afternoon and said he does not think it needs any changes and hopes it can be passed by Christmas.
However, the Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to mark up the bill on Monday.

Students at liberal Reed College stage occupation over 'whitewashed' curriculum

Just making themselves look bad.

Reed College protesters shut down a "Eurocentric" humanities lecture on Aug. 28, 2017.  (Facebook)

An anti-racism student group at one of America's most liberal colleges entered the 12th day of an administrative building occupation Friday.

The group at Reed College in Portland, Ore., called for the school to cut ties to Wells Fargo Bank over its relationship with privately run prisons and stop teaching what it called a “whitewashed” curriculum that is too focused on the ideas and accomplishments of white Europeans and their descendants.

The group, called Reedies Against Racism (RAR), has been camping out in college President John Kroger's office.
The students say that a mandatory humanities course dubbed “Hum 110” focuses overtly on European thought leaders, leading to "whitewashing" of the students' education. The course has long been a target of the school's left-leaning activists, who successfully shut down an Aug. 28 lecture on Ancient Greece.
“We believe that the first lesson that freshmen should learn about Hum 110 is that it perpetuates white supremacy — by centering ‘whiteness’ as the only required class at Reed,” reads a RAR declaration delivered to all new students, the Atlantic reported.
“The required freshman course should be reformed to represent the voices of people of color,” read the demands posted online. “Before this is accomplished, Hum 110 should be conscious of the power it gives to already privileged ideas and welcome critique of that use of power.”
The group also demands that Reed College cut ties with Wells Fargo Bank over its links to the private prison system.
A rotating team of up to 40 students has been camping inside the president’s office, with some reportedly sleeping there in tents, prompting the college to close down its finance office and transport sensitive documents to a new location, the Washington Times reported.

Reed College protesters.  (Facebook)

The college was forced to issue around two-dozen no-contact orders to the protesters over the harassment of school staff members.
”You have been identified as having participating in an incident on Thursday, October 26, 2017, that resulted in the reported harassment of a college staff member,” reads a letter issued by Mike Brody, vice president of student services, ordering students to cease such actions.
The letter also outlined possible consequences for the occupation of the building and harassment of staff, including “complete expulsion” from the college.
“We condemn this behavior,” Kroger wrote in an Oct. 27 email to the campus community, according to the Washington Times. “This conduct violates the principles of respectful dialogue upon which this community is based. Dissent is encouraged at Reed, but harassment is not.”
Despite talks between the faculty and protesters, it remained unclear when a solution would be found.
"We don't assume we are going to agree anytime soon," Brody told Fox 12. "But we need to find a way to disagree productively so that we can honor each other's positions and perspectives and try to find a path forward."

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.