During his speech at CPAC on Friday, President Trump stated of his election victory, “they all underestimated the power of the people, you, and the people proved them totally wrong. Never — and this is so true, and this is what’s been happening, never underestimate the people, never.” Trump said, “The media didn’t think we would win. … The pundits didn’t think we’d win. The consultants that suck up all that money, oh, they suck it up, they’re so good. They’re not good at politics, but they’re really good at sucking up people’s money, especially my opponents, because I kept them down to a minimum, but the consultants didn’t think we would win. But they all underestimated the power of the people, you, and the people proved them totally wrong. Never — and this is so true, and this is what’s been happening, never underestimate the people, never. I don’t think it’ll ever happen again.” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
Author: Ian Hanchett
DNC Senior Adviser: Trump ‘So Emasculated’ by Putin ‘He Has to Come Back and Pick on’ Transgendered Kids
On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” DNC Senior Adviser and head of the Democrats’ Trump War Room Zac Petkanas reacted to President Trump revoking President Obama’s guidelines on transgendered students by stating, “Donald Trump is not only a monster, but he’s a coward. We’re talking about somebody who is so emasculated by Vladimir Putin…that he has to come back and pick on vulnerable kids.” Petkanas said, “This is guidance that was provided to schools that schools wanted and asked for, and it is very — it’s for a very specific reason, they wanted to create a safe environment for all the kids in their school, and they wanted to avoid Title IX lawsuits. I mean, that’s what’s so mind-boggling about what the Trump administration did today. He took away practical guidance to school administrators and principals, who were looking to create this safe environment, and were looking to not get sued for Title IX violations.” He added, “Donald Trump is not only a monster, but he’s a coward. We’re talking about somebody who is so emasculated by Vladimir Putin, that he has to come back — no no — that he has to come back
Ginsburg: ‘We Are Not Experiencing the Best of Times,’ ‘Hope’ In How Public Is Reacting
During an interview with BBC Newsnight on Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, “we are not experiencing the best of times, but there’s hope in seeing how the public is reacting to it.” Ginsburg stated, “I’m optimistic long run. There was a great man who once said that the true symbol of the United States is not the bald eagle, it is the pendulum. And when the pendulum swings too far in one direction it will go back. Some terrible things have happened in the United States, but one can only hope that we learn from those bad things.” According to the BBC, Ginsburg cited Japanese-American internment and the reversal of it. She added, “I would say that we are not experiencing the best of times, but there’s hope in seeing how the public is reacting to it. The Women’s March, I’ve never seen such a demonstration, both the numbers and the rapport, of the people in that crowd. There was no violence, it was orderly. So, yes, we are not experiencing the best of times, but there is reason to hope that we will see a better day.” (h/t and video via Kyle Griffin) Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter
FL Sheriff: ‘Not a Day Goes By That We All Don’t Arrest A Lot of Illegal Aliens’ Who Are ‘Preying’ on People
On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom,” Polk County, FL Sheriff Grady Judd stated that illegal immigrants committing felonies is a phenomenon that is at an epidemic level “across the United States. There’s not a day goes by that we all don’t arrest a lot of illegal aliens that are out here preying on the people in this country.” Judd was asked about his prior comments that illegal immigrants committing felonies are an “epidemic.” He said, “It is at that level across the United States. There’s not a day goes by that we all don’t arrest a lot of illegal aliens that are out here preying on the people in this country. And they’re committing felonies, violent felonies, and they’re trafficking in narcotics. And if that’s not enough, we deport them, they come back, and pick up doing the same thing again.” He added, “We’re seeing a total[ly] different attitude by Immigration and Customs already. And what we have to do is pick them up, keep them locked up until they’re deported to their home country of origin. And I can tell you this, the community will be safer, less drugs will flow on our streets, and
National Sheriffs’ Association Pres: ‘Appalling’ for Officials to Refuse to Comply With Feds on Immigration
On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” National Sheriffs’ Association President and St. Charles, LA Sheriff Greg Champagne argued that illegal immigration is “big burden on sheriffs, border sheriffs, state sheriffs on that border, and it’s time that we send a message that just, the law is going to be enforced, and to say that we’re not going to cooperate, or for a governor to ask his people not to cooperate with the federal government is appalling.” Champagne said that the outrage over Trump’s immigration plan is “a case where it’s all about the messenger and not the message. The Obama administration deported 2.5 million illegal aliens during his last term. And you didn’t see the coverage. You didn’t see the uproar. You didn’t see all the gnashing of teeth that you see now.” He added, “Let me be clear, there are no sheriffs out there that want to go round up kids from schools, and otherwise people who are law-abiding, who are doing what they’re supposed to be doing. But we have to bring a halt to the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border. It is a big burden on sheriffs, border sheriffs, state sheriffs on that
Watch: Ellison Pressed on Saying He Wished Dems Would Oppose 2nd Amendment, Denies Saying It, Says It’s Out of Context
During Wednesday’s Democratic Leadership Debate on CNN, DNC Chair candidate Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) was questioned about his comment on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” in 2014 that he wished the Democratic Party would come out against the Second Amendment. Ellison responded to the initial question on the comment by stating, “I remember that show very well, and that is not what I said at all. What I talked about is my grandfather’s shotgun and the fact that I am a turkey hunter, and I didn’t say that. That was not an accurate statement.” Moderator Dana Bash then pushed back, “I’ll read you exactly what happened: Bill Maher, ‘Then why doesn’t your party come out against the Second Amendment? It’s the problem.’ Your response, ‘I sure wish they would. I sure wish they would.’” Ellison then said, “No, that was a — I wish you’d play the tape because if you did, you’d see that it did not go that way.” He later added that he had “the right to — for — to not be taken out of context. I hope people will go back and look at the tape.” During the exchange in 2014, Ellison talked about his
Ellison: ‘Trump Has Already Done a Number of Things Which Legitimately Raise the Question of Impeachment’
During Wednesday’s Democratic Leadership Debate on CNN, DNC Chair candidate Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) stated, “Donald Trump has already done a number of things which legitimately raise the question of impeachment.” Ellison said, “I think that he — Donald Trump has already done a number of things which legitimately raise the question of impeachment. I mean, on day one, he was in violation of the Emoluments Clause. This is a part of the Constitution that says as the president you can’t get payments from a foreign power. The day people checked into his hotel, and started paying him, who were from — who were foreign dignities — dignitaries, he was in violation of that law. There’s already a lawsuit filed against him. And right now, we have got to — it’s not about only Donald Trump. It is about the integrity of the presidency. So, yeah, I think that we need to begin investigations to, not go after Donald Trump, but to protect our Constitution and the presidency of the United States, to make sure that nobody can monetize the presidency, and make profit off it, for their own gain.” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
Brzezinski: Controlling What People Think ‘Is Our Job’
On Wednesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” co-host Mika Brzezinski stated President Trump “could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think. And that is our job.” Brzezinski said, “I think that the dangerous, you know, edges here are that he’s is trying to undermine the media, trying to make up his own facts. And it could be that, while unemployment and the economy worsens, he could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think. And that is our job.” (h/t Grabien) Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
Dem Rep Jeffries: We ‘Have To Deal With’ Feeling Amongst Some That Democrats ‘Have Taken Advantage Of’ Black Voters
On Tuesday’s broadcast of “MSNBC Live,” Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said, “there is a feeling, amongst some in the African-American community, that Democrats, as a whole, have taken advantage of our loyalty to the party, without reciprocating in terms of public policy accomplishments. So, that’s an issue that we’re going to have to deal with moving forward.” Jeffries began by saying “Donald Trump is correct, there still is a significant racial divide in this country. But also, he helped to contribute to it and to make it worse.” He further stated criminal justice reform, addressing the 2013 Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act, and economic growth would be on the table if the Congressional Black Caucus meets with Trump. Jeffries later stated that “Democrats need an affirmative agenda to deal with issues impacting African-Americans, and there is a feeling, amongst some in the African-American community, that Democrats, as a whole, have taken advantage of our loyalty to the party, without reciprocating in terms of public policy accomplishments. So, that’s an issue that we’re going to have to deal with moving forward.” (h/t WFB) Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
NBC’s Tur to GOP Rep Rooney: ‘I Don’t Know What You’re Referring To’ With Obama Promising Russia ‘More Flexibility’
UPDATE: After the show, Tur addressed the moment on Twitter, saying, “To be fair, I didnt [sic] touch politics in 2012. I almost exclusively covered fires and shootings in NYC area.” She added, “And I’d rather be honest about what I know and don’t know in the moment. Got off air, did the research, then talked about it at 5pm on MTPD.” Tur did reference the “flexibility” comments while hosting “MTP Daily” later in the day. During an interview with Representative Francis Rooney on Monday’s “MSNBC Live,” host Katy Tur stated that she didn’t know what Rooney was referring to when he referenced (with an incorrect retelling of which Russian Obama was speaking to) President Obama telling Russia, “After my election, I have more flexibility.” Rooney said that we’ll have to see what President Trump “does, not just what he says.” And that Putin is “a serious character” that “we need to deal forcefully with.” He later predicted that Trump would be “firm” with Russia. Rooney added that he didn’t know what Trump meant with his comments that the US has killers as well, and “I definitely think we need to protect the Baltics, and some of the talk of moving