Political News

Is the US still the world’s moral leader? Not after what Trump just did this week

Remnants of the Berlin Wall in Germany still stand as a reminder that freedoms have always been hard won. Today, part of the wall has been painted over with a mural of George Floyd and the words “I can’t breathe,” another reminder of how quickly freedoms can be taken away. The harrowing video of Floyd,…

Some law enforcement officers at protests have no badges and some have covered them. City officials say that is unacceptable

When a civilian normally encounters a law enforcement officer, it’s usually easy to identify them. Most wear a lapel pin with their last name and a badge with a number on it. But in some of the recent demonstrations after the death of George Floyd, people have encountered law enforcement agents with no identification. And…

Park Police spokesperson said it was a mistake to deny tear gas was used to clear Lafayette Square. The acting chief then again denied using tear gas.

A spokesperson for the US Park Police said Friday afternoon that the department had made a mistake by denying use of tear gas to clear peaceful protesters from a public park outside the White House earlier this week. Not long after, the department’s acting chief once again denied using tear gas. Sgt. Eduardo Delgado, a…

House panel seeks information on Homeland Security’s role in protest response

House Democrats are requesting additional information from the Department of Homeland Security after a drone flew to Minneapolis last Friday amid protests and department personnel were deployed to city streets to respond to the unrest, according to a letter sent to acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Friday. “We write with grave concern about…

French military kills north African al Qaeda leader with US help

The French military killed a senior al Qaeda terrorist in an operation in northern Mali Wednesday, according to France’s Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly. “On June 3, the French armed forces, with the support of their partners, neutralized the emir Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI), Abdelmalek Droukdal and several of his close collaborators, during…

Esper and Milley refuse to testify about military’s role in policing protests, source says

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley have refused to testify next week before the House Armed Services Committee regarding the military’s role responding to protests triggered by the death of George Floyd, a Democratic congressional aide confirmed to CNN Friday. An informal briefing for lawmakers by…

The week in 13 headlines

This week, protests over George Floyd’s death reached a new level around the country. President Donald Trump stepped up the federal military’s footprint in Washington, DC amid protests — including firing on peaceful protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets to clear a park so he could have a photo op outside a church. Monday…

The Rock just gave a more presidential speech than Trump

Days after President Donald Trump delivered a speech pledging to be America’s “law and order president” and emphasizing the need for police to “dominate” the streets against protesters, actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson gave an address of his own about both the man in the White House and the current climate in the…

Texas county GOP leaders share conspiracy theories about George Floyd’s death

The Republican chairs of four Texas counties have recently promoted on Facebook unfounded conspiracy theories related to the death of George Floyd, leading Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Republicans in the state to condemn the posts and call on some of GOP chairs to resign, according to The Texas Tribune. The counties represented…

Trump administration plans to cut US troops in Germany

The White House has asked for a substantial reduction of US military personnel stationed in Germany, according to a US defense official. The official said that the exact size of the reduction has not been decided but a cut of 9,500 is the current tentative planning figure. The formal order to begin moving troops has…

Esper orders remainder of active duty troops in Washington region back to home base

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has ordered the remainder of active duty troops who were brought to the Washington, DC, area to return to their home base of Fort Drum in New York, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said Friday. CNN reported on Thursday that about 700 of the 1,600 active duty troops who were brought…

Republicans signal less urgency to pass new stimulus bill after positive jobs report

Republicans argued Friday that the surprising improvement in the jobless rate is evidence more economic stimulus should remain on hold, raising more questions about whether Congress will be able to agree to another recovery package after bipartisan deals led to a historic level of spending to prop up the economy. GOP leaders have not ruled…

The 39 most outrageous lines from Donald Trump’s Friday ‘press conference’

Just before 9 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, President Donald Trump tweeted that he would be holding a “News Conference” to talk about the “Jobs Numbers!” He talked about the jobs numbers, all right, as well as how he might buy an RV and drive it around the country and how he is very physically…

The prominent former military leaders who have criticized Trump’s actions over protests

Military leaders are usually cautious about airing their political opinions, but over the week, several former top military officials, including former Defense Secretary James Mattis, have raised the alarm and spoken out, in strong terms, against President Donald Trump. A number of retired four-star generals and admirals denounced Trump’s threat to use the US active…

Melania Trump’s messaging frustrating the West Wing, source says

First lady Melania Trump’s messaging in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the resulting protests around the country has frustrated the West Wing, according to a White House official. Out of sync with the “law and order” mantra President Donald Trump has supported, the first lady in a handful of tweets has…

Biden says Trump putting words in George Floyd’s mouth is ‘despicable’

Former Vice President Joe Biden sharply criticized President Donald Trump for invoking George Floyd’s name as the President was taking a victory lap over lower unemployment numbers. During remarks at the White House Rose Garden on Friday, Trump said, “Hopefully George is looking down and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our…

US eases restrictions on Chinese flights it announced earlier this week

US authorities are pulling back on their threat to block Chinese airlines from flying into the US after the Chinese government changed its own policy. Friday’s announcement from the Department of Transportation follows a decision by Chinese civil aviation regulators on Thursday to allow in a limited number of flights from US carriers. What devolved…

Trump invokes George Floyd’s name while taking economic victory lap

President Donald Trump invoked George Floyd’s name during a Friday bill signing ceremony touting the latest jobs report, which exceeded economists’ expectations. “We all saw what happened last week. We can’t let that happen. Hopefully George is looking down and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country. (It’s) a great day…

CNN Poll of Polls finds Biden leading Trump

A new CNN Poll of Polls shows 51% of registered voters nationwide back former Vice President Joe Biden, while 41% support President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential race. The poll of polls includes the five most recent national telephone polls measuring the views of registered voters. The new numbers represent a shift in Biden’s…

Former White House chief of Staff John Kelly: ‘I agree’ with Jim Mattis on Trump

Former White House chief of staff John Kelly said Friday he agrees with former Secretary of Defense Gen. Jim Mattis’ stark warning this week that President Donald Trump is “the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people” as nationwide protests have intensified over the death of George Floyd.…

Former Joint Chiefs chairman rips Trump’s threat of military force: ‘Our fellow citizens are not the enemy’

Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, has rebuked President Donald Trump’s threats to use the military on protesters, writing that “our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so.” “Even in the midst of the carnage we…

Judge in Flynn case has mastered the art of surprise

Michael Flynn’s attorney and conservative commentator Sidney Powell sent Judge Emmet Sullivan a copy of her book in 2014, about a criminal case he handled where he obliterated the Justice Department’s work. Writing to the judge she’s called a hero, the Texas-based lawyer inscribed on the third page: “Judge Emmet Sullivan, to all those who…