President Trump blasts Pelosi, Schumer over stalled virus stimulus

 Catching Flies :-)

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., holds a booklet she got from attending an event to honor the victims of 9/11 as she speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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UPDATED 7:00 PM PT – Friday, September 11, 2020

Tensions rose this week between the White House and congressional Democrats amid stalled coronavirus aid talks. President Trump slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Twitter.

On Friday, he said they want “trillions of dollars of bailout money for blue states that are doing badly, both economically and in terms of high crime.”

According to the President, Democrats have been using these terms as a condition for negotiating a new stimulus deal.

Trooper in Wizard of Oz?

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., left, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

In the meantime, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has expressed doubt that Congress will be able to compromise on another round of COVID stimulus. On Friday, McConnell said lawmakers have been in a “challenging period” and reiterated negotiations don’t look good at the moment.

This came after Senate Democrats blocked a GOP stimulus bill earlier this week. The unsuccessful vote led many Republican lawmakers to raise skepticism about the chances of an agreement before November.

Democrats want a sweeping bill and have argued the GOP isn’t going far enough. Sen. McConnell has attributed the ongoing gridlock to the upcoming election.

Trump awards Medal of Honor to military hero who freed more than 75 hostages in Iraq

President Trump presented the Medal of Honor Friday to U.S. Army Sgt. Major Thomas “Patrick” Payne for his heroics in a 2015 daring raid that rescued 75 ISIS hostages from a prison in northern Iraq, with Trump praising him as "one of the bravest men anywhere in the world."

Trump hailed Payne's gallant and selfless efforts that led to 20 ISIS terrorists killed and saving the lives of the 75 captives.

President Donald Trump awards the Medal of Honor to Army Sgt. Maj. Thomas P. Payne in the East Room of the White House on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"Today he joins the immortal company of our most revered American heroes," Trump said in the White House ceremony. "Pat, you personify the motto: 'Rangers lead the way.'"

Payne, 36, is the first living member of the Delta Force to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest decoration a member of the military can be given.

Payne spoke about the life-or-death urgency of the October 2015 mission in an interview posted by the Army.

"My team was responsible for one of the buildings that the hostages were being held in," Payne said. "What was significant is that there were freshly dug graves, if we didn't action this target then the hostages will probably be executed."

As soon as Payne's team hit the ground in the Kirkuk Province, they came under heavy enemy fire. Master Sgt. Josh Wheeler, another Delta Force operator, was killed after exposing himself to enemy fire. Wheeler's widow, Ashley, attended the ceremony Friday.

After Payne and his team cleared one building – and freed 38 hostages – the sergeant responded to call for assistance in clearing another building.

Working with Kurdish forces, Payne's team pressed on and helped secure one of the largest hostage rescues in history.

"He ran right back into that raging blaze," Trump said of the dangerous rescue. "He sliced the final lock and released the rest of the hostages. As the building began to collapse, he received orders to evacuate but he refused to do so. He didn't want to leave anyone behind.

"Pat ran back into the burning building that was collapsing," the president continued. "Two more times. He saved multiple hostages and he was the last man to leave."

President Donald Trump awards the Medal of Honor to Army Sgt. Maj. Thomas P. Payne in the East Room of the White House on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The ceremony took place on the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Part of the 9/11 generation inspired to serve his country, Payne graduated high school in South Carolina and enlisted in the Army in 2002 as an Infantryman 11B and completed the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga., according to the Army. He finished his Army Ranger program in 2003.

In 2012, Payne stood out in a grueling physical contest among the nation's most elite soldiers. He and his teammate won the Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning.

In all, Payne has deployed 17 times for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Inherent Resolve.

Payne was joined at the ceremony by his wife and son.

"I want you to know that your dad is one of the bravest men anywhere in the world," Trump told the 6-year-old.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. 

 

CNN, MSNBC ignore Trump's major Israel-Bahrain peace deal during primetime

The most-watched programs on CNN and MSNBC on Friday night completely ignored President Trump's foreign policy achievement of brokering a peace deal between Israel and Bahrain.

According to a formal statement issued by the U.S. and the two Middle East countries, they agreed to "the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain."

“This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region," the statement said.

However, the major Middle East peace agreement received no mention during CNN and MSNBC's primetime shows.

While CNN dedicated substantial coverage during its afternoon programming to the Israel-Bahrain agreement, MSNBC spent less than two minutes covering the major news throughout the entire day.

MSNBC's longest segment on the subject lasted just one minute and 22 seconds, when anchor Ayman Mohyeldin asked his panel why President Trump announced the peace deal on the 19th anniversary of 9/11.

Both MSNBC and CNN similarly downplayed their coverage of the major agreement Trump brokered between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month.

"CNN Tonight" anchor Don Lemon, who regularly has two full hours every weeknight, spent roughly two minutes on that agreement but used it to mock Trump after national security adviser Robert O'Brien suggested the president should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

"Wonder why he wants a Nobel Prize so badly. ... Oh, you know who has one, right? President Barack Obama!" the CNN anchor boasted.

Lemon's colleagues Anderson Cooper and Chris Cuomo avoided the subject altogether as did their primetime competitors on MSNBC.

 

St. Louis BLM protesters from McCloskey confrontation cited for trespassing

Nine Black Lives Matter Rioters who were confronted by an armed St. Louis couple on their lawn have been issued citations for trespassing, officials told Fox News.

The June 28 encounter between the demonstrators, and Mark and Patricia McCloskey made headlines as the country was gripped by nationwide protests over police brutality. The couple -- both personal injury lawyers -- were seen on video and in photos pointing a handgun and a rifle as demonstrators moved through their neighborhood.

No shots were fired.

Calls and emails to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department from Fox News were not returned.

The office of City Counselor Julian Bush told Fox News in an email that the citations were mailed to the nine people but that Bush has "not yet determined whether to file charges."

The rioters could face up to $500 in fines and up to 90 days in jail. However, Bush told NPR it was rare for anyone to receive such penalties for a municipal ordinance violation.

Last week, Black Lives Matter activist Ohun Ashe tweeted that she received a summons.

Black Lives Matter activist Ohun Ashe looks
Suppressed :-)

She's Suppressed?

"I was just sent a summons to appear in court for “trespassing on private property” on Portland Pl aka the street Patricia and Mark McCloskey live on," the post read.

Video footage captured the confrontation as 300 rioters marched in the street, claiming they were headed toward the home of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. The McCloskeys aimed their weapons at the marchers and have since been charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, has said he will almost certainly pardon the McCloskeys if they are convicted.

The incident landed the couple an appearance during the first night of the Republican National Convention last month, where they asserted their Second Amendment right to defend themselves.

"The radicals are not content just marching in the streets," Mark McCloskey said during a virtual speech. "They want to walk the halls of Congress. They want power. This is Joe Biden’s party. These are the people who will be in charge."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

 

Gretchen Whitmer Cartoons

 

Graham hints at release of more bombshell information related to Russia probe: 'Stay tuned'

 

Justice Department documents that show the cell phones of multiple people on then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigative team were "wiped" during the Russia probe expose a "pretty obvious" double standard, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told "Hannity" on Thursday.

"We cannot live in a country where this is tolerated," said Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Trump-Russia, look how much money they spent, how many agents were involved in investigating all things Trump and Russia, how many subpoenas issued, how many lives turned upside down."

According to the documents, at least several dozen phones were wiped of information because of forgotten passcodes, irreparable screen damage, loss of the device, intentional deletion or other reasons. The data removal took place before the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) could review the devices.

"If you can't manage your own phone, why should we trust you to investigate a crime?" asked Graham, who later added that "the question is, did they obstruct justice, did they intentionally delete information from their phone because [Inspector General Michael] Horowitz was on the case?

"That's the question for [Connecticut U.S. Attorney John] Durham. My job, as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is to find out how the Department of Justice and the FBI got Crossfire Hurricane so wrong, why they lied to the FISA court, [and] to make sure it never happens again."

"You think you are mad about the phones being wiped? Stay tuned," Graham told host Sean Hannity. "We'll talk in about 10 or 12 days and we’ll see if there is something else you can get mad about."

Graham later revealed that the Senate Judiciary Committee recently invited former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI official Peter Strzok and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to testify on their involvement in Crossfire Hurricane after Comey spoke dismissively of Durham's investigation into the origins of the probe.

"I made an invitation to Comey, McCabe, and Strzok to come before the committee. They will be respectfully treated to answer questions about the Horowitz report," Graham said.

"They may have good answers, but they need to be asked the questions."

Graham also told Hannity that he would be "shocked" if former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith turned out to be the only person to face charges stemming from the Durham investigation.

Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Trump says Michigan's Whitmer 'doesn't have a clue' after she calls him 'biggest threat' to US

 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer “doesn’t have a clue” when it comes to the coronavirus and the economy, President Trump told a rally crowd in the Great Lake State on Thursday -- just hours after the Democrat blasted the president during a news briefing.

“Michigan has already gained and regained more than half of the jobs that it lost -- and if your state was ever allowed to safely reopen by your governor, who doesn’t have a clue, just like Joe [Biden], you would have gained far more than that,” Trump said in Freeland, Saginaw County, according to FOX 2 in Detroit.

“Open up your state, Madam Governor, open up your state!”

Michigan would be better off if it “had a governor who knew what the hell she was doing,” Trump added.

Trump described Whitmer as a "liberal hypocrite who lives by a different set of rules.”

The president was referring to an incident in which the governor's husband, dentist Marc Mallory, asked a northern Michigan dock company to have his boat ready by Memorial Day despite state residents being advised to stay home. When an employee said the company couldn’t accommodate him, he asked if it helped that he was the governor’s husband. Whitmer dismissed the incident as a failed joke.

Trump's remarks about Whitmer may have been prompted in part by her comments earlier Thursday.

At a news briefing, Whitmer called Trump the “biggest threat to the American people,” referring to audio recordings released Wednesday of the president talking with Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward about the coronavirus.

In the recording, Trump tells Woodward how deadly the virus is but says he “wanted to always play it down” while speaking about it publicly.

Said Whitmer: "I think the biggest enemy of the state right now is the misinformation that's coming out of the Head of the State. I think the biggest threat to the American people is the American president right now," according to Detroit's FOX 2.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had some harsh words for President Trump on Thursday -- and he fired back during a campaign rally in her state.

"My personal opinion was this administration has been reckless and not particularly well-informed,” Whitmer continued. “I've never believed they read all the briefings they're supposed to read. But it's a whole other thing to be reckless or ignorant and to be deceptive and to have American lives lost because of it. They knew and they didn't tell us.”

She added the U.S. has seen an unnecessary loss of life because of what she described as a lack of “accurate, consistent medical information” coming from the president about the virus.

Trump said Wednesday he downplayed the virus threat because he didn't want Americans to panic.

The president appeared in Michigan one day after Democratic nominee Joe Biden held a campaign event in the battleground state. On Tuesday, Whitmer told CNN she welcomed Biden's planned appearance but viewed Trump's rally plans as "distressing" because she feared Trump supporters wouldn't wear masks at the event.

Trump speech at Michigan rally interrupted by ‘We love you’ chant

President Trump's speech during a rally on Thursday in Freeland, Mich., was briefly interrupted by supporters who chanted, “We love you,” while the president was at the podium.

Trump, who is famous for rarely showing emotion, could be seen taking a step back from the rostrum while he seems to collect himself. He tried to make light of the moment and pretended to wipe away tears over the crowd’s gesture.

“Don’t say that,” he said. “I’ll start to cry and that wouldn’t be good for my image. We don’t…you don’t want to see me cry.”

Trump told the crowd that a similar chant broke out during a recent stop in North Carolina.

Trump visited the battleground state as the election season is in full swing. The Detroit News reported that Trump won Michigan by 10,704 votes in 2016, when he defeated Hillary Clinton. His speech on Thursday took place outside an airport hangar and lasted about an hour and 15 minutes.

Trump had been criticized by Democrats in the state for holding the rally.

"He’s willing to put his supporters at risk if it helps him get re-elected," Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, told the paper.