53º

WEATHER ALERT

KAYLEIGH MCENANY

Fox News Airs Poll, Anchor Immediately Scolds Colleague for Citing It

Fox NewsLiterally minutes after Fox News highlighted a recent CNN poll showing GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz trailing six points on Tuesday, anchor Harris Faulkner chastised Fox News commentator Leslie Marshall for daring cite it during an on-air discussion.At the top of Tuesday’s broadcast of Fox News midday chatfest Outnumbered, co-host (and former Trump press secretary) Kayleigh McEnany noted that the “Pennsylvania Senate matchup is in the spotlight” as Oz and Democratic Sen

news.yahoo.com

Top U.S. diplomat meets with Russian foreign minister amid heightened tensions

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with his Russian counterpart in Geneva on Friday in an effort to prevent a Russian military invasion of Ukraine. The discussions didn't end with any resolutions, but Blinken said he felt the meeting was productive. CBS News foreign correspondent Holly Williams reports on the latest from Kyiv, Ukraine, and CBS News correspondent Christina Ruffini joined CBSN from Geneva to discuss the diplomatic talks.

news.yahoo.com

Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany says she ‘never lied’ as Trump press secretary

Ex-White House official complains about press calling her a liarPolitifact rates denial Trump played down Covid ‘pants on fire’ Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP The White House press secretary turned Fox News contributor Kayleigh McEnany has claimed she “never lied” while speaking for Donald Trump. Addressing a conservative group on Sunday, McEnany said of her first steps in the role: “And then there was the question, ‘Will you

news.yahoo.com

GOP praises Trump after he urges Republican donors to send money directly to him

The leaders of three top Republican Party committees praised former President Donald Trump on Wednesday for pledging his support to them, even as Trump is actively urging GOP donors to send their money directly to him. Trump is instead directing people toward his own political action committee, Save America. In his most recent statement Tuesday night, Trump said, "I fully support the Republican Party and important GOP Committees, but I do not support RINOs and fools." That statement claimed that by donating to Save America, "you are helping the America First movement and doing it right." That money can be used for "just about anything" Trump wants, experts say — including providing benefits for himself and his family.

cnbc.com

Kayleigh McEnany signs on as Fox News contributor

FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2020 file photo, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington. McEnany has signed on as a Fox News contributor. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)NEW YORK – As widely anticipated, Fox News said Tuesday that it had signed former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany as a contributor to offer commentary on various network programs. Before working for Trump, McEnany was a commentator at CNN. AdWhile at the White House, McEnany frequently appeared on Fox News programs for interviews.

Even without listening, US lives in Limbaugh’s media world

Limbaugh, the talk radio host who became the voice of American conservatism, has died. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)NEW YORK – You didn't have to like or even listen to Rush Limbaugh to be affected by what he did. Bumper stickers proclaimed, “Rush is Right.”“There is no talk radio as we know it without Rush Limbaugh. As Limbaugh's political strength became evident, many Republican politicians felt they couldn't cross him, or run the risk of alienating his millions of listeners, Hemmer said. “Many of these listeners didn't care if Rush Limbaugh crossed the line (of propriety),” she said.

White House adding sign language interpreter for briefings

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is adding a sign language interpreter to its daily press briefings. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the move during Monday’s briefing, and an interpreter could be seen on the White House’s YouTube stream of the event. The next month, a federal judge ordered the White House to include American Sign Language interpretation at all televised briefings on the virus. The ruling said the interpreter could be in the frame physically near the speaker or off-site. It said the White House was required to make the interpreter feeds accessible online and on television using a picture-in-picture format.

Smooth Psaki shows new tone in first Biden press briefing

NEW YORK – If there's one thing clear after White House press secretary Jen Psaki's first session with reporters on Wednesday, it's that she's determined to minimize drama in the briefing room. The 42-year-old Psaki (pronounced SOCK-eee) was a State Department spokesperson and White House communications director in former President Barack Obama's administration. Psaki showed a bone-dry wit when one reporter asked if Biden planned to keep the new color scheme that Trump ordered for Air Force One. CNN's chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, pointed to the lack of attacks on reporters coming from the podium. “This is the way it should have been for four years with President Trump.

President Trump won’t attend Joe Biden’s inauguration

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Friday he will skip President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, refusing to fulfill the outgoing president's traditional role in the peaceful transition of power and undercutting his own message just one day earlier on the need for “national healing and unity." Historian Douglas Brinkley said that while attending the inauguration “would be a wonderful olive branch to the country,” he wasn't surprised by the decision. “Donald Trump doesn’t want to be in Washington as the second-fiddle loser standing on stage with Joe Biden,” he said. “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump said in a tweet. White House counsel Pat Cipollone has repeatedly warned Trump that he could be deemed responsible for inciting Wednesday’s violence.

Trump finally faces reality — amid talk of early ouster

WASHINGTON – With 13 days left in his term, President Donald Trump finally bent to reality Thursday amid growing talk of trying to force him out early, acknowledging he’ll peacefully leave after Congress affirmed his defeat. Trump led off a video from the White House by condemning the violence carried out in his name a day earlier at the Capitol. Deprived of that social media lifeblood, Trump remained silent and ensconced in the executive mansion until Thursday evening. Staff-level discussions on the matter took place across multiple departments and even in parts of the White House, according to two people briefed on the talks. Few aides had any sense of the president’s plans, with some wondering if Trump would largely remain out of sight until he left the White House.

Trump honors golfing greats with award in private ceremony

The award is one of the nation’s highest civilian honors. President Donald Trump has generally held public ceremonies when presenting the honor, but Thursday’s event was closed to the media. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement on the awards, which for Sorenstam and Player had been previously announced last March. She was an all-around athlete nicknamed “Babe,” after Babe Ruth. Zaharias was still a top-ranked professional golfer when she died from cancer in 1956.

Thousands of National Guard members head to the Capitol to tamp down pro-Trump insurrection

The National Guard and state forces responded at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday after pro-Trump rioters overran the building during the Electoral College vote count. The New York Times reported that Pence and not the president gave the order to mobilize the National Guard. Members of the National Guard arrive to secure the area outside the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Ralph Northam also said he would send his state's National Guard along with 200 state troopers to the Capitol. The mission Miller approved directed unarmed National Guard members to help direct traffic and support local police with crowd control.

cnbc.com

Trump’s loyal fans pose challenges for Republicans, Biden

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)WASHINGTON – Their candidate may have lost the election, but President Donald Trump’s supporters have no intention of fading away. Trump will leave the White House on Jan. 20 with an iron grip on a Republican Party that has been transformed on his watch. But among "those that are circling the 2024 race, beyond President Trump, it seems that many of them are headed in the same, more populist-oriented direction,” he said. Trump will “loom very large over the Republican Party," predicted Alyssa Farah, until recently White House communications director. No matter what happens in 2020, 2024 is there for his taking," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a recent appearance on Fox News Channel.

White House wins ruling on disclosing health care prices

The White House praised the decision to reject the American Hospital Association's challenge to the plan. The rule mandating that hospitals disclose their privately negotiated charges with commercial health insurers is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2021. “This transformative hospital price transparency rule has been fought at every step by the swamp and defenders of the status quote," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. “We also believe it will accelerate anticompetitive behavior among commercial health insurers and hinder innovations in value-based care delivery. The industry argues that forcing the disclosure of prices negotiated between hospitals and insurers amounts to coercion.

Trump pardons security contractors involved in Baghdad massacre

President Donald Trump has pardoned four former Blackwater security contractors who were previously convicted in the murders of civilians during the 2007 Baghdad massacre. Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard, served extensive prison sentences before their pardons. The private security firm deployed thousands of former veterans and contractors to Baghdad around 2007. On September 16, 2007, Slatten, Slough, Liberty and Heard were in Baghdad when they opened fire on a crowded intersection in Nisoor Square. The pardons of Slatten, Slough, Liberty and Heard were part of Mr. Trump's last executive clemencies while in office.

cbsnews.com

New round of Trump clemency benefits Manafort, other allies

FILE - In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo, Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York. President Trump's former campaign manager is to be arraigned on state mortgage fraud charges. Manafort, who led Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in 2016 before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine, was among the first people charged as part of Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate — whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election — he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.

Biden gets COVID-19 vaccine, says ‘nothing to worry about’

The president-elect took a dose of Pfizer vaccine at a hospital not far from his Delaware home, hours after his wife, Jill Biden, did the same. The injections came the same day that a second vaccine, produced by Moderna, will start arriving in states. “I'm ready,” said Biden, who was administered the dose at a hospital in Newark, Delaware. President Donald Trump is discussing with his doctors the timing for taking the vaccine, the White House has said. Trump was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October and given an experimental monoclonal antibody treatment that he credited for his swift recovery.

As end approaches, Trump gets doses of flattery, finality

Barr offered his resignation last Monday after weeks of tension with Trump brought about an early exit from his post. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)NEW YORK – President Donald Trump’s administration is ending how it began, with over-the-top declarations of praise for the chief executive. Attorney General William Barr offered his resignation last Monday after weeks of tension with Trump brought about an early exit from his post. In the six weeks since his defeat by Biden, Trump has been increasingly disengaged from his job. But with Trump largely in hiding, it fell to Pence to make a public show of meeting with those distributing the vaccine.

Pence, top congressional leaders get vaccines; Trump absent

Vice President Mike Pence receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in Washington. Conspicuously absent: President Donald Trump, who has remained largely out of sight five days into the largest vaccination campaign in the nation’s history. Trump did appear at a White House “summit” ahead of the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the Pfizer vaccine last week. “Don’t let Joe Biden take credit for the vaccines,” Trump has told reporters. “It simply isn’t good enough to have Vice President Pence as a proxy."

Turning the page? Republicans acknowledge Biden’s victory

The moves came a day after electors nationwide formally cast votes affirming Biden's victory in last month's presidential election. As Republicans began discussing a Biden presidency more openly on Tuesday, Trump still pledged to press forward with almost nonexistent legal options. There has never been anything like this in our Country!” Trump tweeted just as members of his party were publicly recognizing Biden's victory. The Electoral College has spoken.”The bureaucratic transition from Trump's government to Biden’s actually began weeks ago, despite the president’s legal challenges. Unless Democrats win both those races, Senate Republicans will have the power to block many of Biden's Cabinet nominations, not to mention thwart his policy initiatives.

Turning the page? Republicans acknowledge Biden's victory

The moves come a day after electors nationwide formally cast votes affirming Biden's victory in last month's presidential election. As Republicans began discussing a Biden presidency more openly on Tuesday, Trump still pledged to press forward with almost nonexistent legal options. There has never been anything like this in our Country!” Trump tweeted just as members of his party were publicly recognizing Biden's victory. The normally humdrum political ceremony didn’t change the facts of the election, but was nonetheless used as political cover by leading Republicans. Unless Democrats win both those races, Senate Republicans will have the power to block many of Biden's Cabinet nominations, not to mention thwart his policy initiatives.

The Latest: Biden announces Buttigieg as transportation pick

President-elect Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in rally for Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):7:55 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has formally announced former rival Pete Buttigieg as his pick to be secretary of transportation. ___1:30 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden says he’s spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the Electoral College affirmed his victory Monday. ___8:40 a.m.Two foreign leaders who had not congratulated President-elect Joe Biden have now done so. ___7:30 a.m.Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible.

Trump tries to revive stalled election-eve drug discounts

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks from the Blue Room Balcony of the White House to a crowd of supporters in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is trying to revive the president's stalled election-eve plan to send millions of Medicare recipients a $200 prescription discount card. White House spokesman Judd Deere confirmed the administration is continuing to move forward. “It’s simply good policy, and demonstrates President Trump is continuing to deliver on his promises to our nation’s seniors to lower drug prices." Pallone dismissed the latest White House push.

House approves defense policy bill with a veto-proof margin

The measure guides Pentagon policy and cements decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, military personnel policy and other military goals. It follows Trump's bid to sabotage the package with an earlier veto threat over Confederate base names. If he does veto the defense bill, Congress could cut short its Christmas recess to hold override votes, senior House members said. And I think he will get substantial pressure, advice (from Republicans) that, you know, you don’t want to put the defense bill at risk.'' The defense bill is typically a widely bipartisan measure, one of the few areas of common ground.

House approves defense bill with veto-proof margin

It follows Trump's bid to sabotage the package with an earlier veto threat over Confederate base names. If he does veto the defense bill, Congress could cut short its Christmas recess to hold override votes, senior House members said. And I think he will get substantial pressure, advice (from Republicans) that, you know, you don’t want to put the defense bill at risk.'' The defense bill is typically a widely bipartisan measure, one of the few areas of common ground. Some Democrats, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, agree the Section 230 provision could be revisited, even as they disagree with Trump’s tactic of attaching it to the defense bill.

Fauci's plea 'Wear a mask' tops list of 2020 notable quotes

Made during a May 21, 2020 interview on CNN, Fauci's pleas for people to "wear a mask" to slow the spread of the coronavirus, tops a Yale Law School librarian's list of the most notable quotes of 2020. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP, File)NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A plea from Dr. Anthony Fauci for people to “wear a mask” to slow the spread of the coronavirus tops a Yale Law School librarian’s list of the most notable quotes of 2020. “Wear a mask.” — Dr. Anthony Fauci, CNN interview, May 21. — Trump, in remarks at a White House Coronavirus Task Force news briefing, April 23. You have my word on that.” — White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, at her first press briefing, May 1.

Pence comes to Georgia as calm before potential Trump storm

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a briefing on COVID-19 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, in Atlanta. There have even been suggestions from some Trump allies that conservative voters should sit out the Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in protest, a notion Pence took head on. Pence, as he did two weeks ago when campaigning with the Georgia senators, tried to strike a balance. But this time, Pence's message comes as Georgia completes yet another recount of presidential ballots and in the wake of Trump escalating his attacks on Georgia Republicans. As Pence arrived in the state, Georgia officials were in the final stages of a third count requested by Trump’s campaign.

Trump expected to flex pardon powers on way out door

WASHINGTON – Advocates and lawyers anticipate a flurry of clemency action from President Donald Trump in the coming weeks that could test the limits of presidential pardon power. No, Mr. President, that would be a gross abuse of the presidential pardon authority,” Schumer said. Trump then featured Johnson's story in a Super Bowl ad and pardoned her during this year's Republican National Convention. He has participated in several meetings at the White House during Trump's term as officials brainstormed potential changes to the formal clemency process. “For those people that should be free," he said, Trump's friends-and-family approach to pardons is "a deep and real tragedy."

Psaki, next White House press secretary, a veteran messenger

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2011, file photo Jen Psaki is seen in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. Much of that work will fall to Jen Psaki, Biden's pick for White House press secretary. “This job becomes one of the most recognizable people representing both the administration and the government writ large,” said Robert Gibbs, a former Obama press secretary. Both the president and his media team were frequently at odds with White House reporters while routinely spreading falsehoods. A native of Stamford, Connecticut, and a graduate of William & Mary, Psaki is part of an all-female senior communications team for the Biden White House.

Trump's grievances feed menacing undertow after the election

Local and state election officials are being hounded into hiding. Neutral public servants, Democrats and a growing number of Republicans who won’t do what Trump wants are being caught in a menacing postelection undertow stirred by Trump’s grievances about the election he lost. Tough beans, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said of the state officials who are fearing for their safety. Have you no shame?”Said Sterling, the Republican Georgia election official: “Someone’s going to get hurt. Members of Trump’s administration have affirmed the legitimacy of the election, though at least one, Krebs, got fired for it.

Congress swats back Trump's veto threat of defense bill

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a briefing at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, in Washington. But interjecting the complicated tech issue threatens to upend the massive defense bill, which Congress takes pride in having passed unfailingly for half a century. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at briefing Wednesday that the president is serious about vetoing the defense bill unless Congress repeals Section 230. Some Democrats, including Schumer, agree the Section 230 provision could be revisited, even as they disagree with Trump’s tactic of attaching it to the defense bill. But he also said he doesn’t believe Trump will veto the must-pass defense bill.

Politicians eat own words after dining out, taking trips

Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Los Angeles County supervisor all dined outdoors, conflicting with their own messaging to stay home. Gavin Newsom, who won plaudits for issuing the first statewide stay-at-home order in the U.S. back in March. San Francisco’s mayor, London Breed, was at the same $350-a-plate restaurant a day later, dining with a San Francisco socialite and six others. Breed has also won accolades for imposing some of the strictest rules in California, keeping coronavirus rates relatively low. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany called out what she called “Democrat hypocrisy" Wednesday as she displayed images of the same politicians.

White House refuses to say Trump has faith in Attorney General William Barr

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany takes questions during a press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 2, 2020. Jonathan Ernst | ReutersPresident Donald Trump's spokeswoman refused to say Wednesday whether Trump still has faith in Attorney General William Barr, a day after Barr said the Justice Department has not found evidence that widespread ballot fraud led to President-elect Joe Biden's victory. That interview sparked immediate speculation that Trump would fire Barr, who until Tuesday was seen as a staunchly loyal supporter of the president. During a press conference Wednesday, a reporter asked White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, "Does [Trump] still have faith in Attorney General Bill Barr? US President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with US Attorney General William Barr (R) during the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor presentation ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC on May 22, 2019.

cnbc.com

Trump teases 2024 run at White House Christmas party

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump teased running again for president in 2024 as he hosted a holiday reception at the White House. “It’s been an amazing four years,” Trump told the crowd, which included many Republican National Committee members. It showed dozens of people crammed into the broad Cross Hall of the White House state floor, standing closely together. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday defended the Trumps' decision to host the parties. Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s spokeswoman and chief of staff, had said last month that the White House would be moving forward with events, “while providing the safest environment possible."

Trump team making false argument about his 2016 transition

President Barack Obama shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016. President Trump and his allies are harking back to his own transition four years ago to make a false argument that his own presidency was denied a fair chance for a clean launch. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany laid out the case from the White House podium last week. That's a far cry from the description issued by McEnany as pressure mounts for Trump to concede and for his administration to begin cooperating with Biden's transition team. But Trump's team largely ignored advice from Obama staffers, leaving briefing books unopened and ignoring special iPads loaded with materials.

Trump tries to leverage power of office to subvert Biden win

President Donald Trump listens during an event in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, on prescription drug prices. Experts on Michigan election law said the Board of State Canvassers' authority was limited in scope. The Michigan Legislature would be called on to select electors if Trump succeeded in persuading the board not to certify the results. In two Democratic-leaning counties in Wisconsin that are recounting votes, Trump’s campaign sought to discard tens of thousands of absentee ballots that it alleged should not have been counted. "It’s an open attempt to intimidate election officials, it’s absolutely appalling.

Harvard petition demands scrutiny of ex-Trump officials

FILE In this May 30, 2019 file photo, graduates of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government hold aloft inflatable globes as they celebrate graduating during Harvard University's commencement exercises in Cambridge, Mass. A petition circulating at Harvard University demands that school officials create new accountability standards for former Trump administration officials who seek to work or speak on campus, an idea that has drawn outrage from prominent conservatives. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Harvard petition demands scrutiny of ex-Trump officials

A petition circulating at Harvard University demands that school officials create new accountability standards for former Trump administration officials who seek to work or speak on campus, an idea that has drawn outrage from prominent conservatives. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)BOSTON – A petition circulating at Harvard University demands new accountability standards for former Trump administration officials who seek to work or speak on campus, an idea that has drawn outrage from prominent conservatives. The new petition argues that Trump officials deserves more scrutiny than those tied to past presidents. Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary and a Harvard Law School graduate, urged Harvard to reject the petition. “This is not an administration whose officers can be treated normally.”The Harvard petition goes further in demanding additional scrutiny of speakers and fellows, not just faculty.

The Latest: WH disputes concerns about getting vaccine out

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany holds a coronavirus playbook speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. McEnany suggested that the team for President-elect Joe Biden can use the coronavirus playbook. McEnany ticked through the administration’s timeline for getting an approved vaccine to the public, and held up a copy of the plan. Democrat Joe Biden was declared the winner of the election on Nov. 7, but President Donald Trump has refused to concede. Upton says he has not been in contact with the lawmakers from his state who are meeting later with Trump at the White House.