Trump, Pentagon set to announce plan to withdraw more US troops from Iraq

 President Trump and the Pentagon plan to announce a reduction of U.S. troop levels from 5,200 to about 3,500, a senior defense official told Fox News.

The coordinated announcement is expected sometime Wednesday and the Iraqis are aware of the decision and are on board, according to the official.

A senior administration official discussed the draw-down with reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday night, on condition of anonymity.

The top U.S. general for the Middle East said in July that he believed the U.S. will keep a smaller but enduring presence in Iraq.

Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said he believes the Iraqis welcome the U.S. and coalition troops, especially in the ongoing fight to keep IS fighters from taking hold of the country again.

Trump told reporters two weeks ago that “we look forward to the day when we don’t have to be there.” The comments came during an Oval Office meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. The move appears to be an attempt by Trump to make good on his promise to end U.S. participation in “endless wars.”

Military officials have already announced that they plan to reduce troops in Afghanistan down to between 4 to 5,000 from current levels. That announcement will follow from the president in coming days. There will be no immediate change to the approximately 600 U.S. troops currently in Syria, a senior U.S. official told Fox.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Trump backed candidates victorious in New Hampshire primary

 An endorsement from President Trump – it’s the most coveted prize nowadays in Republican primary politics.

And on Tuesday, the potency of a Trump endorsement in a contested GOP race was on display once again as two candidates backed by the president won their primary battles in New Hampshire, which was holding federal and state primary contests.

Republican Senate candidate Bryant ‘Corky’ Messner edged out retired Army Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc in the GOP Senate primary, thanks in part to support from the president. And Matt Mowers, another Trump backed candidate, crushed his rivals in the Republican House primary in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District.

Both candidates received shoutouts from the president when Trump held a re-election campaign event in New Hampshire a week and a half ago. Messner quickly used the clip of the president praising him in his closing TV commercial in the race. The spot also showcased a clip of Messer speaking earlier at the rally pledging to “help President Trump bring this economy back.”

Mowers, a veteran political operative and strategist who worked on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign before serving in the State Department during the first two years of the Trump presidency, told supporters in his victory speech that “I want to thank a good friend of all of ours, the President of the United States for his early support in this campaign.”

Taking a page from the president’s playbook, Mowers has made a push for law and order central to his campaign. In a TV ad, he accused Democratic incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas of siding “with violent mobs over our police.”

Trump endorsed both Messner and Mowers earlier this summer. Besides praising them during his New Hampshire stop late last month, the president also tweeted his support for both candidates on the eve of Tuesday’s primary.

And both candidates also had the support the Trump re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee, much to the chagrin of their rivals.

Messner will now mount a longshot campaign against popular two-term Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who was the first woman in America to be elected both governor and senator. And Mowers will be considered the underdog as he challenges Pappas, who’s running for a second term in Congress.

Nearly all of the president’s endorsements in contested GOP primaries have paid off this cycle. Only two candidates endorsed by the president have gone down to defeat. Trump backed businesswoman Lynda Bennett lost a GOP runoff for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District on June 23. And freshman Rep. Denver Riggleman lost his re-nomination primary battle in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District in an unusual drive-through convention – after sparking outrage for officiating at a same-sex wedding.

But what helps in a GOP primary may hurt in the general election – at least in blue and purple states. New Hampshire’s a general election battleground, and state and national Democrats immediately began targeting Messner and Mowers for their “blind loyalty” to Trump.

US Army vet says he was used as a 'prop' in anti-Trump 'propaganda'

 EXCLUSIVE: One U.S. wounded veteran is speaking out against his image being used across all social media platforms to further perpetuate a story he believes is false and made up by Democrats for political gain.

“I'm just so irritated that they put my image up there because now it looks like the president called me a loser."  Bobby Henline, a four-tour Iraq War veteran told Fox News referring to comments allegedly made by the president regarding wounded veterans. "And they're using that to sell something that they believe in for their agenda. It's not fair to put us [veterans] as props in the middle of all that,”

Last week, The Atlantic published a story in which anonymous sources claimed President Trump had made disparaging remarks about fallen U.S. soldiers and veterans, calling them “suckers” and “losers” in 2018.

Henline is the lone survivor out of five soldiers in an IED blast in Iraq. He now dedicates his time to spreading laughs through comedy and positivity by speaking about veteran’s issues. As a highly recognized figure, it was brought to his attention last week that his image was being used in anti-Trump memes posted in and shared by various left-wing social media groups. He quickly took to Instagram to criticize those using him in order to spread their own “propaganda.”

Having never commented on the Atlantic story or Trump’s supposed remarks about veterans, Henline was outraged that he was being used as a “prop” to aid the Democratic Party in tearing down Donald Trump to help their candidate, Joe Biden, get elected.

“Go on what you have with facts," Henline said. "If you don't have the power to win on your own merits, that you have to tear down your opponent, there is a problem there.”

The original story published by the Atlantic cited four anonymous sources claiming to have firsthand knowledge of the discussion in which Trump made the controversial comments. Since then, a number of people who placed themselves in the room during the reported conversation, including former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, who has a rocky past with Trump, have stepped forward to deny that the president ever made those disparaging remarks. Henline said he believes the story to be false.

“I really believe the president didn't say this," Henline said. "There’s been anonymous sources and other sources in the room that aren’t necessarily friends with the president or believe in his ways, but they're still not gonna slam him and make up this rumor and keep it spreading. And so with that said, I don't think he really said this."

Although many doubt the veracity of the story, Henline believes it was successful in its intent to turn veterans against the president.

“Them taking that well-recognized photo and using it for their agenda and changing veterans' minds, thinking the president talks to them like that is ridiculous," Henline said. "And I believe it worked. And that's why I want to get it taken down because it shouldn't be working. People need to hear the truth. That's my image. And it should not be up there speaking for me,"

The stand-up comedian was quick to go after the accounts that posted these anti-Trump memes using his photos, and while he was successful in getting some taken down, more have continued to pop up.

Fake News Cartoons

 

Sarah Sanders says Atlantic report ‘couldn’t be further from the truth’

In this June 11, 2019 file photo, then-White House press secretary Sarah Sanders talks with reporters outside the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 9:38 AM PT – Monday, September 7, 2020

Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders released a video vigorously defending the president amid The Atlantic’s report claiming he insulted fallen soldiers.

In the video posted Sunday, Sanders said President Trump has “the greatest amount of respect” for our armed forces. The former official also noted she has watched the president fight to make sure the men and women our military have the resources they need.

Sanders then detailed how the president handled his talks with the families of fallen soldiers. In her tweet accompanying the video, Sanders slammed The Atlantic’s report as quote “an insult to journalism.”

 https://twitter.com/i/status/1302756376448561153

President Trump rebuilds military in first term

 President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:39 AM PT – Monday, September 7, 2020

The Trump administration has been combating recent rumors spread by The Atlantic’s hit piece, which accused him of making disparaging remarks about fallen service men and women. The president and his supporters are asking Americans to look at what he’s done for our men and women in uniform over the course of his first term.

President Trump made a historic impact on U.S. armed forces when he signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) late last year. The bill pumps nearly $740 billion into the U.S. military for the development of military technology and personnel. The NDAA also gives troops a pay bump of more than three-percent and improves military education as well as child care.

“That’s an all time record in the history of this country, that’s the highest amount we’ve ever spent on our military,”said President Trump. “And that’s after $700 billion in my first year and $716 billion last year, and it’s all made right here in the USA.”

The NDAA also led to the creation of the sixth branch of the U.S. military, which has been dubbed the U.S. Space Force. It aims to promote American dominance in space and attempts to encourage far-reaching missions to the Moon and Mars. No other president since Harry Truman, who oversaw the creation of the U.S. Air Force in 1947, has achieved creating a new branch of the military.

“I see the proof in the pudding and the proof in the pudding is our military is stronger and our Department of Veterans affairs is in a place that it has never been,” stated Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “This is the renaissance and it’s all because of one man.”

The president is also extending his national security strategy to his diplomatic efforts as he has recently brokered several peace deals in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Additionally, he’s in talks with Russian officials to extend a nuclear non-proliferation agreement, which is set to expire February 2021.

Hair salon owner thanks supporters after more than $300G raised

 San Francisco hair salon owner Erica Kious thanked supporters for their “outpouring” of “empathy and generosity” amid her feud with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after a crowdfunding effort raised several hundred thousand dollars for her.

During an exclusive interview with Fox News on Monday, Kious said that a GoFundMe page that was created for her amid the controversy reached its goal, which was $300,000.

“I wish I could personally thank every person who sent me their prayers, words of encouragement and support, especially at a time when so many are struggling to make ends meet in their own lives,” Kious said, thanking her daughters, their "loving dad," and her family and friends for their support.

“I am very humbled and grateful to have received such an outpouring of kindness, empathy and generosity from people I don’t even know, and from all walks of life and all sides of the political spectrum," she said. “It’s a powerful reminder that the common things that bind us all together as Americans are far more meaningful and lasting than political and ideological differences that get so much attention and focus."

“Today, on Labor Day, we should all focus on celebrating the efforts and achievements of hard-working people everywhere,” she continued. “They deserve our respect and appreciation, and they definitely all deserve an opportunity to get back to work safely and responsibly.”

She added: “That is all this ever was about.”

The GoFundMe page set up for Kious said, "At the conclusion of this fundraiser, ALL donations will go directly to Erica to pay off any debts from the business that she is forced to shut down, expenses to relocate and reopen in a new location."

Kious’ comments come amid a controversy that began last Tuesday when Fox News first reported that Pelosi, D-Calif., visited Kious’ shuttered salon Monday afternoon for a wash and blow-out, despite local ordinances keeping salons closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In security footage obtained by Fox News, time-stamped Monday at 3:08 p.m. Pacific Time, the California powerhouse is seen walking through ESalonSF in San Francisco with wet hair, and without a mask over her mouth or nose.

The stylist doing her hair can be seen following her wearing a black face mask.

Salons in San Francisco had been closed since March and were only notified they could reopen on Sept. 1 for outdoor hairstyling services only.

The story prompted reaction from President Trump, who slammed Pelosi for not wearing a mask and following local coronavirus rules while “constantly lecturing everyone else.”

Pelosi dug in over the controversy and claimed that she was “set up” at the hair salon, which she said she had been to “over the years many times.”

“I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I have been to many times,” Pelosi told reporters Wednesday. “When they said they could accommodate people one at a time, and we can set up that time, I trusted that.”

“The salon owes me an apology for setting me up,” she added.

Pelosi on Wednesday downplayed the fact that she didn’t wear a mask in the salon.

“I just had my hair washed. I don’t wear my mask when I’m washing my hair,” she said. “Do you wear one when you wash your hair?”

Kious fought back, decrying Pelosi’s accusation as “absolutely false.”

"There was no way I could've set that up," Kious said. "I've had a camera system in there for five years. I mean, I didn't go in there and turn cameras on as soon as she walked in and set her up. So that is absolutely false."

John Bolton denies claim Trump disparaged fallen American soldiers in France: 'Simply false'

 

Former national security adviser John Bolton disputed the main thesis of The Atlantic's recent report alleging that President Trump disparaged fallen American soldiers in France, calling the claim "simply false" in an appearance on "The Story" Monday.

"According to what that article said, the president made disparaging remarks about soldiers and people buried in the cemetery in connection with the decision for him not to go to the ceremony that was planned that afternoon, and that was simply false," Bolton said.

"I don't know who told the author that, but that was false."

The president canceled the planned 2018 trip to the cemetery for American war dead in France because of the weather and not because of disdain for the slain soldiers, Bolton said, contradicting the report from The Atlantic claiming that Trump described the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery as being "filled with losers."

"I don't know who told the author that, but that was false."

— John Bolton, 'The Story'

"The main issue was whether or not weather conditions permitted the president to go out to the cemetery," Bolton, who was in the room at the time, recalled.

Former Chief of Staff John Kelly presented "logistical reasons why the trip couldn't take place and the president assented to the recommendation that he not go," Bolton explained.

Trump "sort of took the facts as they were," Bolton said, calling the canceled trip a "very straight weather call."

Trump and the White House have vehemently denied the article and slammed the claims as "a hoax." Two sources who were on the trip in question with Trump also denied the legitimacy of the claims.

But two former senior Trump administration officials told Fox News that while Trump did not disparage the war dead at buried at Aisne-Marne, he has disparaged veterans in the past. One said Trump had used the term “sucker” to refer to Americans who fought in Vietnam, a claim Bolton said he wouldn't put past the president.

"I can’t prove the negative that he never said those things," Bolton told host Martha MacCallum. "The president has a habit of disparaging people. He ends up denigrating almost everybody that he comes in contact with whose last name is not Trump."

"I was simply responding to what I thought the main point of the Atlantic article that at the critical point Saturday morning when the decision was made not to go to Aisne-Marne that he made the disparaging remarks," Bolton said, "and he did not."

Fox News' Marisa Schultz and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.