'Stain on America!' Trump denounces 'Fake News Media' after string of major reporting errors exposed

President Trump on Sunday slammed “the Fake News Media,” which he called “out of control,” after a string of major errors in reporting on his presidency emerged over the past week.

“Very little discussion of all the purposely false and defamatory stories put out this week by the Fake News Media,” he tweeted. “They are out of control - correct reporting means nothing to them.”

The president continued, “Major lies written, then forced to be withdrawn after they are exposed...a stain on America!”
Trump’s comments came after a Washington Post reporter tweeted a misleading photo about the crowd size at Friday’s rally in Pensacola, Fla., during which Trump took aim at ABC News’ Brian Ross and CNN.
In a now-deleted tweet, the Post’s Dave Weigel posted a photo of a half-empty arena to mock Trump for saying the rally was “packed to the rafters.”
But that photo was not taken while Trump was speaking. Trump tweeted photos showing the arena when it was full.
“.@daveweigel @washingtonpost put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before I arrived @ the venue, w/ thousands of people outside, on their way in,” he tweeted. “Real photos now shown as I spoke. Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo!”
Weigel tweeted, “Sure thing: I apologize,” saying he deleted the photo after another reporter informed him he had “gotten it wrong.”
“It was a bad tweet on my personal account, not a story for Washington Post. I deleted it after like 20 minutes. Very fair to call me out,” Weigel said in another tweet.
Trump later called for Weigel to be fired.
Earlier at the Friday rally itself, Trump slammed ABC News’ Brian Ross.
“They took this fraudster from ABC -- they suspended him for a month,” he said. “They should have fired him for what he wrote.”
Ross was suspended for four weeks without pay after he reported that former national security adviser Michael Flynn had been directed by Trump -- when he was a candidate for president -- to make contact with the Russians. ABC News later corrected the report to note that the order to Flynn came when Trump was already president-elect.
Trump also said Friday that CNN had apologized “just a little while ago” for a reporting error.
“They apologized! Oh thank you, CNN. Thank you so much. You should have been apologizing for the last two years,” he said.
CNN had to correct a story that suggested the Trump campaign, including Donald Trump Jr., had been tipped off early about hacked DNC emails from WikiLeaks when it later emerged that the alert was about material already publicly available.
CNN responded, “CNN's initial reporting of the date on an email sent to members of the Trump campaign about Wikileaks documents, which was confirmed by two sources to CNN, was incorrect. We have updated our story to include the correct date, and present the proper context for the timing of email.”
No disciplinary action will be taken in the matter, a CNN official said in a tweet.
On Saturday, Trump accused CNN of “a vicious and purposeful mistake.”

Touring Mississippi civil rights museum, Trump honors those 'who sacrificed so much'

President Trump attended the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on Saturday, telling visitors the venue honors “the brave men and women who sacrificed so much” for freedom.

“We are here to honor the fight to end slavery … to join the right to vote and to gain birth-right equality.”

“We are here to honor the fight to end slavery … to join the right to vote and to gain birth-right equality,” Trump said in brief, subdued speech. 

Trump’s planned visit to the museum and the adjoining Mississippi history museum in Jackson sparked days of controversy -- including protests and boycotts from civil right leaders like Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and others who have raised concerns about the president’s comment and actions toward women, African-Americans and others.

"After President Trump departs, we encourage all Mississippians and Americans to visit this historic civil rights museum.”

- Joint statement by Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

“President Trump’s attendance and his hurtful policies are an insult to the people portrayed in this civil rights museum,” Lewis said in a joint statement with fellow Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. “After President Trump departs, we encourage all Mississippians and Americans to visit this historic civil rights museum.”
The lawmakers said Trump’s remarks about women, the disabled, immigrants and National Football League players “disrespect” the efforts of past Mississippi civil right leaders including Fannie Lou Hamer.
The White House earlier this week said it was disappointed that Lewis and others wouldn’t join the president at the museum to honor “the incredible sacrifice civil rights leaders made to right the injustices in our history.”
The president tweeted after touring the museum and speaking: "It was my great honor to celebrate the opening of two extraordinary museums ... . We pay solemn tribute to our heroes of the past & dedicate ourselves to building a future of freedom, equality, justice & peace."
Trump was joined by Housing Secretary Ben Carson, civil rights movement activist Myrlie Evers, and Gov. Phil Bryant, Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Gregg Harper -- all Mississippi Republicans.
According to the White House, the civil rights museum has eight interactive galleries that highlight the struggle for freedom and shares stories about the Mississippi movement that changed the nation. It “aims to promote greater understanding of the systematic oppression of black Mississippians and their fight for equality that transformed the state and nation,” the White House said.

Pro-Trump students in MAGA hats booted from 'safe space' campus coffee shop

A viral video shows a group of conservative Fordham University students in New York City being kicked out of a campus coffeehouse after being told their pro-Trump “Make America Great Again” hats violated the shop’s “safe space” policy.

"Fox & Friends" aired on Sunday a portion of the video, which shows the group being told, “I don’t want people like you supporting this club.”

The video was shot Thursday at Fordham’s student-run Rodrigue’s Coffee House.
“No one here wants people like you supporting our club,” a Rod’s student volunteer employee is heard saying. “I’m giving you 5 minutes.”
She goes on to say, “You are threatening the integrity of our club. This is a community standard. You are wearing hats that completely violate safe space policy. You have to take if off or you have to go.”
Fordham junior Aaron Spring, 20, says he just wanted a cup of coffee.
“I didn’t make any noise,” he said, according to "Fox & Friends." “I wasn’t rude. I didn’t curse at anybody. I was just sitting enjoying a cup of coffee with friends.”
The video was first shown by Campus Reform. It has been viewed more than 67,000 times as of Sunday.
The website reported that Spring and his pals were given a handout titled “Rodrigue’s Coffee Shop has a safer space policy,” prohibiting racism, sexism and homophobia and urging patrons to be mindful of the ways in which their words and actions can impact others.
A Fordham spokesman told Fox News in a statement Sunday that there is no such policy on campus.
“There is no University safe space policy, nor one that excludes any members of the Fordham community from any public spaces on the basis of their political views,” spokesman Bob Howe said.
He said Fordham is a community that values diverse opinions, and in which students should disagree with one another in a civil fashion.
Howe said Fordham is investigating the incident.

Jerry Brown: Trump doesn't fear 'the wrath of God'

California Gov. Jerry Brown said Sunday President Trump's apparent lack of fear "of the wrath of God" explains his denial of climate change.
"I don't think — President Trump has a fear of the Lord, the fear of the wrath of God, which leads one to more humility," Brown told CBS' "60 Minutes."
"And, this is such a reckless disregard for the truth and for the existential consequences that can be unleashed," he continued, referring to climate scientists who believe global warming is due to the burning of fossil fuels.
Brown, who is currently battling some of the worst wildfires in his state's history, said nature is not "a political game."

The governor, however, called on Trump to re-evaluate his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, which he announced in June.
"The truth of the case is that there's too much carbon being emitted, that heat-trapping gasses are building up, the planet is warming and all hell is breaking loose," he said. "So I'd say to Mr. Trump, take a deeper look. Now is not the time to undo what every country in the world is committed to."

Chelsea Handler not funny Cartoons

Which one is Chelsea??

Chelsea Handler retweet of Sarah Sanders parody sparks outrage

Chelsea Handler has drawn criticism for retweeting a video that mocks White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.  (Reuters)

Comedian Chelsea Handler is coming under fire for tweeting a vulgar video that mocks White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' weight and physical appearance.

The video – a promotion for Handler’s Netflix series – is a fake step-by-step makeup tutorial, featuring comedy writer Fortune Feimster as Sanders.

Each step of the fake tutorial is accompanied by crude jokes that ridicule – among other things – Sanders’ face, Trump and Republicans.
“Right now my skin is dry, just like Puerto Rico right before that one rainy day they had,” she says before applying moisturizer to her face.

Get the "Sarah Huckabee Sanders" look @fortunefunny. New @chelseashow Friday. pic.twitter.com/O8y1l2RxZe

— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) December 7, 2017

“My face is a big, fat biscuit!” she says as she uses the lotion.
Feimster compares her makeup foundation to the foundation of America: “It’s Republican, it’s strong, and it’s white.”

Feimster also mocks Sanders' physical appearance by insinuating that she resembles a man.
“I used to not know what foundation was, but our great president was kind enough to take me to a Sephora and he said to the employee, ‘Hey, you see that fellow over here? Make him a woman,” she says.
Not everyone was amused with the video. Many took to Twitter to criticize Handler’s attack of Sanders.
One Twitter user wrote: “Keep it up and everyone will despise you. You are obviously a very unhappy person. Maybe as a modern feminist you should act like a lady for a change.”

Another wrote: “Glad to see how much of a strong feminist you are, by promoting positive body image of other females.”
Despite the backlash, Handler was unfazed by the criticism, replying, “This woman deserves to be taken down. She is pure evil.”

Lindsey Vonn suffers back injury in World Cup race after Trump comments

Old Saying: What goes around comes around.

What is the meaning of what comes around goes around?

“What goes around comes around” or “as you sow, so shall you reap” is the basic understanding of how karma, the law of cause and effect, works. The word karma literally means “activity.” Karma can be divided up into a few simple categories — good, bad, individual and collective.

American skiing star Lindsey Vonn has withdrawn from her Sunday events at the World Cup in Switzerland after suffering a back injury during a super-G race on Saturday.

The injury occurred two days after she criticized President Donald Trump in an interview about the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.

"I am extremely disappointed," Vonn tweeted Sunday, "but my biggest goal this season is the Olympics and I need to take care of myself now so I can be ready for next week, and more importantly, for February."

Unfortunately I will not be able to race today. I am extremely disappointed but my biggest goal this season is the Olympics and I need to take care of myself now so I can be ready for next week, and more importantly, for February. As always, thank you for the well wishes ❤️🙏🏻

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) December 10, 2017

On Saturday, Vonn crossed the finish line in obvious distress, almost one second behind the then-leader, and slumped to the snow.

Video

1980 US men's hockey captain on Vonn's criticisms of Trump

Vonn's tentative run after jarring her back early on placed her 24th, trailing 1.56 seconds behind the surprise winner, Jasmine Flury of Switzerland. The race was shortened due to strong winds higher up the mountain.
Vonn stayed in the finish house to be treated, and one hour later limped slowly into a waiting car to be driven from the St. Moritz course.

Looks like i have an acute facet (spinal joint) dysfunction. I got compressed on the 6th gate and my back seized up. Rested and had a lot of therapy tonight. We will see how I feel tomorrow and then decide if I will race. Thanks for the support 🙏🏻

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) December 9, 2017

Our @usskiteam doctor checked me out and no imaging is needed 🙌🏻 just need the joint and the muscles to calm down so I can move again.

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) December 9, 2017

Minutes earlier, her father Alan Kildow told the Associated Press his daughter was "OK."

Video

Twitter users call for boycott of Lindsey Vonn's sponsors

Vonn tweeted Saturday that she had suffered an "acute facet (spinal joint) dysfunction."
Saturday's race was interrupted several times by gusts lifting flurries of snow, and Vonn was left standing at the gate as the No. 4 starter during the first delay of about three minutes. She stayed warm with a thick jacket draped on her shoulders.
Vonn did not speak with media or fans before getting into the car, and wore the hood of a United States team jacket up to shield her face from television cameras tracking her.

Video

Lindsey Vonn: I'm not representing President in Olympics

The two-time Olympic medalist told CNN in an interview that aired Thursday that she would "absolutely not" visit the White House if the United States Olympic team gets a traditional post-games invitation.
"I was asked my opinion and I gave it," Vonn told reporters Friday. "I mean, it's not necessarily my place to be sticking my nose in politics, but as an athlete I do have a voice."
Looking ahead to the Feb. 9-25 Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea, Vonn told CNN she hoped "to represent the people of the United States, not the president."
Though Vonn did not mention Trump by name, the athlete activists she said Friday she admired included Colin Kaepernick. The president has responded to the NFL quarterback by posting confrontational messages on Twitter.
"People like Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe and Colin Kaepernick," Vonn said in the post-race interview zone. "There's definitely been a lot of people that have made their voice heard and made a positive impact."

Video

Tomi Lahren reacts after Lindsey Vonn slams Trump

"I'm not trying to be negative in any way, I'm trying to be positive," said the 33-year-old Vonn, whose 77 World Cup race wins leads the women's all-time list. "All those people have made a positive impact and hopefully my message does as well."
Vonn told CNN she took the Olympics and "what walking under our flag means in the opening ceremony" very seriously.
"I want to represent our country well," said the 33-year-old skier, who also has seven career world championships medals, including two gold. "I don't think that there are a lot of people currently in our government that do that."
The three-race St. Moritz meeting concludes with a double event on Sunday, when gusts of up 37 mph are forecast.
A morning super-G will count first as a standalone race, then also as the opening run of a combined event with a slalom leg to follow in the afternoon.

Trump says CNN was 'caught red handed' with fake news on WikiLeaks email

President Trump on Saturday slammed CNN for a mistake in a recent report on Russia meddling, saying the cable TV network was “caught red handed” disseminating “fake news.”

“CNN’S slogan is CNN, THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS.” Trump tweeted. “Everyone knows this is not true, that this could, in fact, be a fraud on the American Public. There are many outlets that are far more trusted than Fake News CNN. Their slogan should be CNN, THE LEAST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS!”

The tweet came one day after CNN reported that the president’s son Donald Jr. and others on the Trump presidential campaign received an email on Sept. 4, 2016, telling them in advance about the release of some yet-to-be published WikiLeaks documents. These included emails from the Democratic National Committee.
However, the date was erroneous. The email was in actuality dated Sept. 14, one day after the WikiLeaks document dump.
In a tweet Saturday, the president also criticized ABC News and reporter Brian Ross for a recent, incorrect story that Trump, as a candidate in the 2016 White House race, had illegally instructed campaign member Mike Flynn to make contact with Russia, in an apparent attempt to help defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The stock market plunged, and Ross was suspended over the gaffe for four weeks.
CNN BOTCHES DATES, INACCURATELY REPORTS TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAD WIKILEAKS SNEAK PEEK
Trump appeared to suggest that CNN had intentionally put out an incorrect story.
“Fake News CNN made a vicious and purposeful mistake yesterday,” Trump tweeted. “They were caught red handed, just like lonely Brian Ross at ABC News (who should be immediately fired for his ‘mistake’). Watch to see if @CNN fires those responsible, or was it just gross incompetence?”

Washington Post reporter apologizes for 'bad tweet' after Trump calls him out

A Washington Post reporter on Saturday apologized for his “bad tweet” after President Trump called him out by name for posting a misleading photo about the crowd size during Friday’s rally.

“It was a bad tweet on my personal account, not a story for Washington Post,” the reporter, Dave Weigel, tweeted Saturday. “I deleted it after like 20 minutes. Very fair to call me out.”

Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel

"Very fair to call me out," Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel said Saturday, after President Donald Trump tweeted about a photo Weigel posted online.

In a now-deleted tweet, Weigel, known for his humorous take on the news on Twitter, posted a photo of a half empty arena to mock Trump for saying Friday’s rally in Pensacola was “packed to the rafters.” 
But that photo was not taken while Trump was speaking. Trump tweeted photos showing the arena full.
Said Trump: “.@daveweigel @washingtonpost put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before I arrived @ the venue, w/ thousands of people outside, on their way in. Real photos now shown as I spoke. Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo!”
“Sure thing: I apologize,” Weigel replied, saying he deleted the photo after another reporter informed him he had “gotten it wrong.”
The president, though, wasn't satisfied with Weigel's apology.
"FAKE NEWS, he should be fired," Trump tweeted.
Earlier on Saturday, the president had boasted on Twitter about the size of the crowd.
“Arena was packed to the rafters, the crowd was loud, loving and really smart,” he said. “They definitely get what’s going on. Thank you Pensacola!”

Mueller Bias Cartoons

Phony Mueller Team.

More Clinton ties on Mueller team: One deputy attended Clinton party, another rep'd top aide

What a Joke.

New allegations of bias dog Mueller Russia probe

A key member of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe represented Hillary Clinton's IT staffer in the email case. Plus, a top DOJ official demoted amid probe of contacts with Trump dossier firm. #Tucker

More Clinton connections have emerged for members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigative team, amid growing Republican complaints about potential bias inside the office created to lead an independent probe. 

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Mueller investigator Andrew Weissmann, a former partner at WilmerHale, attended Hillary Clinton’s election night party last November at the Javits Center in New York City. Fox News reported earlier this week that Weissmann in January also praised outgoing acting Attorney General Sally Yates, after she was fired for refusing to defend President Trump’s travel ban. 

Andrew Weissmann, reportedly attended the Hillary Clinton election night party in November 2016. He has donated thousands of dollars to former President Barack Obama's campaign and the DNC.  (Reuters)

Meanwhile, at least two Mueller investigators' past legal work for Clinton-tied figures is getting a second look as Republicans hunt for signs of bias.
Aaron Zebley, another former partner at WilmerHale and a former chief of staff to Mueller when he served as FBI director, represented Justin Cooper, a key figure in the Hillary Clinton email controversy.
Cooper is the longtime Bill Clinton aide responsible for helping set up the now-infamous private email server. Cooper later admitted to “two instances where he destroyed [Hillary] Clinton’s old mobile devices by breaking them in half or hitting them with a hammer.”

Aaron Zebley, a Mueller investigator, represented Justin Cooper. Cooper was a longtime- Bill Clinton aide who set up Hillary Clinton's private email server.  (AP)

Jeannie Rhee, another former partner at WilmerHale, represented ex-Obama National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, the Clinton Foundation in a 2015 racketeering case, and Hillary Clinton herself in a lawsuit seeking access to her private emails.
TOP MUELLER INVESTIGATOR'S DEMOCRATIC TIES RAISE NEW BIAS QUESTIONS 
“You’ve got Donald Trump being persecuted by Hillary Clinton’s fan club—that’s inequitable,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News on Friday. “Many of the members of Mueller’s team donated to the Clinton campaign. We have a lot of highly qualified federal prosecutors in the Justice Department and we could have found a bunch of them who didn’t donate to either candidate. But that didn’t occur, and that’s troubling.”

'[Y]ou might start seeing a real death-spiral in terms of any public support for the investigation.'

Those political donations have been well-known since the start of the Mueller probe. At least seven of Mueller's investigators on the Russia meddling case have donated to Democratic candidates and the Democratic National Committee.
Weissmann donated a combined $2,300 to the Obama campaign in 2008, and at least $2,000 to the DNC in 2006. Rhee donated a total of $5,400 to Hillary Clinton in 2015 and 2016 and a combined $4,800 to former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2011.
MUELLER PROBE: MEET LAWYERS WHO GAVE $$ TO HILLARY, NOW INVESTIGATING TEAM TRUMP 
Zebley has no history of political donations or any affiliation with a political party.
Neither political donations nor past legal work alone proves that an investigator is biased or unable to work a case objectively. But the revelation last weekend that another investigator, Peter Strzok, was removed from the Russia probe over anti-Trump texts has critics looking closely at every bio.
“Mueller did not have to select attorneys who had made donations to, or even represented, Democratic candidates, but as those partisan connections are becoming clearer, it gives an appearance of bias that could have been avoided,” former high-ranking Justice Department official James Trusty, who served under the Bush and Obama administrations, told Fox News on Friday.
“Add a lead investigator having a 10,000 text affair with an already dubious selection for the team (in terms of litigation experience) and you might start seeing a real death-spiral in terms of any public support for the investigation,” Trusty added in an email to Fox News.
That was a reference to Strzok's anti-Trump text messages with another former Mueller investigator, Lisa Page, with whom he was romantically involved.

Peter Strzok was removed from Mueller's team after the discovery of anti-Trump text messages he exchanged with another former Mueller investigator.  (FBI )

Strzok, who was an FBI counterintelligence agent, was reassigned to the FBI’s human resources division after the discovery of the texts. Page was briefly on Mueller’s team but returned to the FBI over the summer. The two exchanged more than 10,000 text messages, Fox News reported.
Strzok has been involved in a host of significant developments in both the Clinton and Russia probes. He was present during the FBI’s July 2016 interview with Hillary Clinton at the close of the email investigation, shortly before then-FBI Director James Comey called her actions “extremely careless” without recommending criminal charges.
Strzok also oversaw the FBI’s interviews with Trump’s fired National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty last week to lying to FBI investigators in the Russia probe.
Trump allies routinely have sought to raise bias concerns about Mueller's team to discredit the Russia investigation.
The special counsel’s office told Fox News this week that they had no comment on such allegations, but pointed to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s comments earlier this year.
“If there were conflicts that arose, because of Director Mueller or anybody employed by Director Mueller, we have a process within the [Justice Department] to take care of that,” Rosenstein said on Fox News.
The special counsel himself has been appointed to five Senate-confirmed positions by four different presidents – two Republicans, and two Democrats. Mueller is said to be a life-long Republican, serving as FBI director for President George W. Bush.
Justice Department policies and federal law prohibit discriminating based on political affiliation when it comes to hiring for nonpolitical positions, like the FBI and Justice Department.
MUELLER DEPUTY PRAISED DOJ OFFICIAL AFTER SHE DEFIED TRUMP TRAVEL BAN ORDER: 'I AM SO PROUD' 
A spokesman for the special counsel told Fox News on Friday Weissmann is still a member of Mueller's team.

Jobs Report Crushes Expectations Thanks to Pres. Trump’s Agenda

In this Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, photo, job seekers wait in line to apply for part-time, full-time or seasonal positions at a job fair held at Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater, Fla. On Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, payroll processor ADP reports how many jobs private employers added in November. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

OAN Newsroom
President Trump’s economic agenda and promise of tax reform continues to push the economy forward as job creation and wages continue to soar.
The latest APD Payroll report shows the manufacturing sector added 40,000 jobs in November, the most in 15 years.
Unemployment has hit a 17-year-low as small and medium businesses led in private-sector job creation, adding 149,000 jobs last month.
Economists say this points to further gains in disposable incomes and the stock market.

Pres. Trump Declares State of Emergency as Calif. Wildfires Continue to Spread

A helicopter drops water over a wildfire Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017, in Bonsall, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

OAN Newsroom

President Trump declares a state of emergency in southern California as wildfires continue to spread.
The declaration opens up federal assistance to supplement fire crews from across the western U.S. battling a series of mostly uncontained fires.
Cal Fire says over 8,000 firefighters have descended on the region with nearly 160,000 acres burned.

Firefighter Mike Warren, part of a Portland, Ore., crew, battling the Thomas fire, stages in Ojai, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. The biggest and most destructive of the windblown fires raking Southern California shut down one of the region’s busiest freeways Thursday and threatened Ojai, a scenic mountain town dubbed “Shangri-La” and known for its boutique hotels and New Age spiritual retreats.(AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Dry winds are expected to fuel the flames through the weekend, prompting officials to issue their first ever “Purple Warning,” the highest possible warning for wildfires.
California Governor Jerry Brown has also declared a state of emergency for affected regions, while schools across 16 districts have been forced to close.

Trump says 'get out and vote for Roy Moore' at Pensacola rally

President Donald Trump doubled down on his support for embattled Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore at a Florida rally Friday night, telling supporters to "get out and vote for Roy Moore."

Many had speculated that the rally in Pensacola, which is near the Alabama border and feeds television markets in the state, was a backdoor way for the president to give Moore's campaign a boost without actually setting foot in the state.

Moore, who is 70, has been dogged by multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including accusations that he molested two teenage girls and pursued romantic relationships with several others while in his 30s. He has denied the allegations.
Trump did not mention Moore for the first 40 minutes of his address, which lasted approximately 80 minutes. Finally, appearing to acknowledge a Moore supporter in front of the stage, the president asked how many members of the crowd were from Alabama.
"We cannot afford ... to lose a seat in the very, very close United States Senate," Trump said. "We need somebody in that Senate seat who will vote for our 'Make America Great Again' agenda … So get out and vote for Roy Moore. Do it. Do it."
Trump reiterated past criticisms of Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones.
"We can’t afford to have a liberal Democrat who is completely controlled by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer," the president said. "His name is Jones and he’s their total puppet and everybody knows it."
The president also referenced one of Moore's accusers, Beverly Young Nelson, who admitted Friday that she had written part of an inscription in her yearbook that she originally attributed to Moore in its entirety.
ROY MOORE ACCUSER ADMITS SHE WROTE PART OF YEARBOOK INSCRIPTION ATTRIBUTED TO HIM
"So did you see what happened today?" Trump asked. "You know, the yearbook? Did you see that? There was a little mistake made, She started writing things in the yearbook."
Trump then took a shot at Nelson's lawyer, Gloria Allred, saying, "Anytime you see her, you know something's gone wrong."
White House spokesman Raj Shah told reporters onboard Air Force One that the president and White House have made clear they find the allegations "troubling and concerning" and believe they "should be taken seriously." But he said Moore has maintained his innocence, and that should be taken into account as well.
"Ultimately his endorsement is about the issues," said Shah. "He doesn't want to see Alabama elect a Nancy Pelosi/Chuck Schumer puppet who's going to be wrong on the issues and not support the agenda," he said, referring to top congressional Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
Top Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, had called on Moore to step aside after the allegations were made public.
During the rally, Trump also crowed about stock market gains and other upbeat economic indicators. He said he was confident he'd win re-election in 2020, despite his dismal approval rating.

"I think it's going to be very hard for somebody to beat us in a few years," Trump said, pointing to the impact on 401(k) investments. "All you have to say is: With us it goes up, with them it goes down. And that's the end of the election, right?"
But the president also touched on some darker themes, telling the audience, "It's being proven we have a rigged system."
"This is a sick system from the inside," Trump said. "And, you know, there is no country like our country but we have a lot of sickness in some of our institutions."
Trump also took his now-customary shots at the news media, referring to suspended ABC News correspondent Brian Ross as a "fraudster" and mocking CNN for an incorrect report earlier in the day on his campaign's contacts with Wikileaks.
CNN BOTCHES DATES, INACCURATELY REPORTS TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAD WIKILEAKS SNEAK PEAK
"They apologized! Thank you CNN!" Trump cried in mock gratitude. "Thank you so much! You should have been apologizing for the last two years."
The crowd at the Pensacola Bay Center included some Alabama voters who traveled across the border for the rally.
"These are lies, just malicious lies," said John Maddalena, head of the south Alabama chapter of "Bikers for Trump." Maddalena and his wife, Alisha, rode to the Trump rally from their home near Montgomery, Ala.
Alisha described herself as a "strong woman" who still doesn't believe Moore's accusers.
"You let him sit there and pass judgment on people" as a jurist "for 40 years and don't say anything?" she asked. "You wait until he's running for the Senate to come up with this? That makes you suspicious."

FBI Cartoons

DOJ Reading 10K Texts Between FBI Agents After Anti-Trump Messages

Newly discovered text messages between FBI agents could shed light on whether several high profile federal investigations had anti-Trump bias.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department confirmed they are reading more than 10,000 text messages sent between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.
This comes just one day after Judicial Watch revealed an anti-Trump email sent from Strzok, who has already been removed from Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.

FILE – Robert Mueller at FBI Headquarters in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

The revelations are prompting concerns over the objectivity of other investigations, including the anti-Trump dossier, interviews with Michael Flynn, and the Clinton email investigation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has also requested the FBI turn over all documents related to Strzok.

Strong November U.S. job gains anticipated; wages seen rising

U.S. job growth likely increased at a strong clip in November and wages rebounded as the distortions from the recent hurricanes faded, creating a portrait of a healthy economy that analysts say does not require the kind of fiscal stimulus that President Donald Trump is proposing.
According to a Reuters survey of economists, the Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Friday will likely show that nonfarm payrolls rose by 200,000 jobs last month after surging 261,000 in October.
Employment gains in October were boosted by the return to work of thousands of employees who had been temporarily dislocated by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. November's report will be the first clean reading since the storms, which also impacted September's employment data.
The unemployment rate is forecast to be unchanged at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. Average hourly earnings are expected to have risen 0.3 percent in November after being flat the prior month. That would lift the annual increase in wages to 2.7 percent from 2.4 percent in October.
Readings in line with expectations would underscore the economy's strength and fuel criticism of efforts by Trump and his fellow Republicans in the U.S. Congress to cut the corporate income tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent.
"The labor market is in great shape. Tax cuts should be used when the economy needs tax cuts and it doesn't need tax cuts right now," said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania.

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"When politics and economics are mixed in the stew, the policies that are created often have a very awful smell."
Republicans argue that the proposed tax cut package will boost the economy and allow companies to hire more workers. But with the labor market near full employment and companies reporting difficulties finding qualified workers, economists disagree. Job openings are near a record high.
"Companies want workers and do not need tax cuts to give them the financial wherewithal to hire more workers," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG in New York. "It's labor, that the economy is running out of."
The economy grew at a 3.3 percent annualized rate in the third quarter, the fastest in three years.
FULL EMPLOYMENT
While November's employment report will probably have little impact on expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its Dec. 12-13 policy meeting, it could help shape the debate on monetary policy next year.
The U.S. central bank has increased borrowing costs twice this year. It has forecast three rate hikes in 2018.
Job growth has averaged 168,000 jobs per month this year, down from the average monthly gain of 187,000 in 2016. A slowdown in job growth is normal when the labor market nears full employment.
The economy needs to create 75,000 to 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. The unemployment rate has declined by seven-tenths of a percentage point this year. Economists believe that the tightening labor market will unleash a faster pace of wage growth next year.
That, combined with the tax cuts, would help boost inflation.
"I think that in the next three to six months we will see a broader uptick in wage pressures," said David Donabedian, chief investment officer of CIBC Atlantic Trust in Baltimore.
"Given where we are in the economic cycle, if you throw some gasoline in the fire with fiscal stimulus, that will ultimately spark some higher inflation."
Employment gains were likely broad in November. Construction payrolls are expected to show strong growth, thanks in part to rebuilding efforts in the areas devastated by the hurricanes.
Another month of steady increases is expected in manufacturing employment, while hiring for the holiday season likely boosted retail payrolls. Retailers, including Macy's Inc, reported strong Black Friday sales.
Macy's said this month it would hire an additional 7,000 temporary workers for its stores to deal with heavy customer traffic in the run up to Christmas.

Parting shot: Franken, in disgrace, quits with blast at Trump and Moore

Let’s face it, it looked like Al Franken was going to skate.

A few weeks ago, when Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden went public with her tale of unwanted kissing and that cringeworthy groping photo, it was a major embarrassment for the Minnesota senator. But it didn’t seem likely to cost him his job.

Even after a couple of other women came forward with stories of butt-grabbing during photo ops, the media and political consensus was that the former "SNL" star was in an entirely different category than the allegations against, say, Roy Moore.
Then the dam burst. And yesterday, Franken bowed to fierce political pressure from his own party and said in a floor speech that he is resigning.
I had told a colleague before the speech that by this morning, Democrats would be using the resignations of Franken and John Conyers to position themselves as the party of zero tolerance on sexual harassment and rip the Republicans for backing Roy Moore. Well, Franken framed the contrast even as he said he disputed some of the allegations against him but could no longer effectively serve in the Senate.
Franken noted the "irony" that he is leaving "while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party."
With the Alabama election on Tuesday, expect to hear this about a million more times. It's not true, though, that Moore has the GOP's full support. While President Trump has endorsed him, Alabama Republican Richard Shelby voted for a write-in candidate and Arizona Republican Jeff Flake donated to Democrat Doug Jones.
What happened to Franken speaks volumes about the political climate right now. On Wednesday, Kirsten Gillibrand called for Franken to quit, nearly all the female Democratic senators joined her, and his support collapsed.
A report by Politico on the seventh accuser may have been the tipping point. The unnamed woman, a former congressional aide, said Franken tried to kiss her in 2006, before he was a senator. It was just one allegation too many.
That same day, former congressional aide Tina Dupuy became the eighth accuser with a disturbing piece in the Atlantic. Her account of Franken squeezing her waist during a photo op at a 2009 inaugural party may have seemed less dramatic than the others, but she wrote that “he knew exactly what he was doing.
"It shrunk me. It’s like I was no longer a person, only ornamental. It said, 'You don’t matter — and I do.' He wanted to cop a feel and he demonstrated he didn’t need my permission."
Dupuy, who was reluctant to come forward, added: "I'm also no longer defending Bill Clinton. I’m ashamed I ever did."

A couple of years ago, Franken might have hung on, or the ethics committee might have delivered an empty reprimand. But not in the post-Weinstein climate. And maybe other politicians will now be judged in the post-Franken climate.
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. 

Roy Moore banking on Trump bump ahead of highly anticipated rally

Donald Trump won’t be in Alabama on Friday, but Roy Moore is happy he'll be just miles away.

“We’re looking forward to President Trump being on the Gulf Coast tomorrow,” Ben DuPre, a Moore adviser, said at a campaign event here in the state’s capital, Montgomery, on Thursday.

Just days before voters go to the polls, Trump is set to headline his own campaign-style rally on Friday evening just 25 miles away from the Alabama state line,  in Pensacola, Florida.
Moore’s campaign says the candidate is not scheduled to attend Trump’s Florida event. But campaign staffers are hopeful that Trump’s visit could still give them a boost as their candidate tries to claw his way to victory in the state’s Senate election next week.
Pensacola shares a media market with Mobile, Alabama, and is an easy car drive for Trump-supporting Alabamians – the type of voters the scandal-plagued Moore needs to energize if he hopes to defeat Democrat Doug Jones in the tight race.

"The balance of power in the Senate is very narrow."

Trump’s visit comes just days after the president officially endorsed Moore, saying he needs another Republican vote in the Senate. That’s the argument Moore’s supporters are making to undecideds.
“The balance of power in the Senate is very narrow,” Shanna Chamblee, a gun rights activist who is supporting Moore, said Thursday. “President Trump needs Roy Moore’s support if the opportunity becomes available to appoint another Supreme Court justice.”
For the last several weeks, Moore has resisted calls from top Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to drop out of the race after numerous women came forward to say Moore pursued them romantically when he was in his 30 and they were teenagers.
Even Alabama’s senior Republican senator, Richard Shelby, has said he wrote-in another candidate's name rather than support Moore.
But after taking a hit in the polls, Moore has recovered in recent days. The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Moore with 48 percent to Jones’ 45.7 percent.
This isn’t the first time an Alabama Republican Senate candidate has hoped a Trump rally could make a critical difference. In September, the president traveled to Huntsville to campaign for incumbent-appointed Sen. Luther Strange, who went on to lose to Moore in a runoff.
Jones, who has not shied away from liberal positions on abortion, is now emphasizing political stances that could appeal to Republicans who won’t vote for Moore.           
“I’m a person of faith and I try to live my faith every day,” Jones said in a radio ad heard in the state on Thursday.
In the same ad, the Democrat went on to say he’s a gun owner, supports lower taxes, is against deficits and backs a strong military.
At the same time, even as Moore's allies say they believe he has survived the scandal, his campaign is still fighting back against the allegations.
Top surrogates for the Republican held a press conference Thursday morning near Alabama’s state capitol building to denounce a pro-Jones super PAC that has been aggressively running ads against Moore.
“This week, the Judge Moore campaign sent cease-and-desist letters to media around the state requesting they stop running Highway 31’s shopping mall ad, which rehashes debunked myths about Judge Moore and the Gadsden Mall, from which he was never banned,” said DuPre, a former chief of staff to Moore.
After the allegations surfaced, The New Yorker interviewed people who said that Moore had once been banned from the mall. The claim spread across the internet, but Moore denied it and no hard evidence has surfaced to corroborate the story.

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