Thursday in an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), dismissed the seriousness of a Washington Post report from a day earlier that alleged Attorney General Jeff Sessions failed to disclose meeting with Russian officials in his AG confirmation hearing as “political theater.” Cruz, Sessions’ former colleague on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the underlying meeting a “nothing burger” and argued against an investigation into the matter. Transcript as follows: MIKA BRZEZINSKI, MSNBC HOST: Joining us now from Capitol Hill, member of the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees, Republican senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Senator, thank you for being on. JOE SCARBOROUGH, MSNBC HOST: Senator, great to have you here. SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: Good morning. SCARBOROUGH: Great to have you here. You are an attorney and certainly can read testimony. I was saying this morning that the Leahy question and answer wasn’t as troubling because, of course, it was about the campaign. Are you concerned, though, about the Al Franken questioning and answering, where Sessions seemed to volunteer that he had never spoken with any Russian officials? CRUZ: You know, Joe, I’m not concerned about that. I think what we are seeing is a lot
Author: Jeff Poor
House Majority Ldr McCarthy on Sessions-Russia Report: ‘I Don’t See Anything Very Serious’
Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) responded to a report by The Washington Post that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had met with Russians officials and did not disclose those meetings during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. McCarthy said Sessions should clarify any meetings with Russian officials and that he should recuse himself if appropriate. However, he went on to say he didn’t see anything “very serious” regarding the matter given Sessions was acting in his role as a U.S. Senator. Partial transcript as follows: SCARBOROUGH: What’s your reaction to the Jeff Sessions news? Should the Attorney General recuse himself from any investigation moving forward on Russia? REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), MAJORITY LEADER: Well, I think Sessions, the little clip I just saw listening to you, said he would recuse himself going forward. But I think I’m just now reading about this myself. I could see in his role of Senator, yes, meeting with different ambassadors. I just think he needs to clarify what these meetings were and when did he have them. BRZEZINSKI: If you had a meeting with the Russian Ambassador and you were supporting a campaign that was swirling with questions
Sessions: ‘I Have Not Met With Any Russians at Any Time to Discuss Any Political Campaign’
In a clip that aired on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday from earlier in the day, Attorney General Jeff Sessions denied having met with Russian officials to discuss Donald Trump’s presidential campaign despite allegations that appeared a Washington Post story published late Wednesday night. “I have not met with any Russians at any time to discuss any political campaign,” Sessions said. “And those remarks are unbelievable to me and are false, and I don’t have anything else to say about that.” If necessary, Sessions vowed to recuse himself from any investigation. “I have said whenever it is appropriate, I will recuse myself,” he added. “There’s no doubt about that.” Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
Friedman: Trump, Brexiteers ‘Playing With Big Systems That Have Stabilized the World Since WWII’
Wednesday on MSNBC, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman decried what he deemed to be economic nationalism coming from President Donald Trump. Friedman championed globalist institutions like the European Union and other trade deals for preventing war. He cited World Wars I and II as having been triggered by “economic nationalism.” “[P]eople forget where the European Union came from,” he said. “It was not just a trading bloc, that wasn’t the original intention. It was created out of World War I and World War II — two wars triggered in part by rampant economic nationalism. Where have I heard that term lately? They had been fighting each other for many centuries and what the European Union did was bring them into an economic pact that has not only made Europe more secure and more stable, but incredibly more prosperous.” “What’s disturbing about Trump and the Brexiteers is they are playing with big systems — big systems that have stabilized the world since World War II,” Friedman continued. “We’ve forgotten, we’ve taken that so for granted NAFTA, the EU, things like TPP. These are big systems that create a more rules-based world. And also we forget how many millions of people they
Limbaugh: Trump ‘Crushed’ the Media in His Joint Session Address
Wednesday on his nationally syndicated radio show, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh reacted to President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress a night earlier. Limbaugh focused on the media, which he argued Trump had defied their expectations and that some of them were witnessing the true Trump for the first time. Partial transcript as follows: I’m watching this, and I’m becoming more convinced that many of them are hearing this, much of it, for the first time — really hearing it from Trump’s mouth for the first time. I think they are that sequestered, they are that secluded, but they seclude themselves in an air of superiority. Trump’s way down there on the food chain. Trump’s an idiot. Trump’s this. They don’t need to take the time to understand Trump. They already know Trump: Racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe. Remember, these are small-minded, narrow-minded people. And as this went on, the looks on the faces of so many of these Democrats… The expressions were at one time blank, they were shocked, they were surprised. And there are countless examples. If I wanted to search the deep, dark crevices of my fertile mind, I could give you examples where the
Father of Son Killed By Illegal Immigrant on Dems Booing Trump Immigration Policy: ‘I Just Ignore Them, Like They Do Me’
Wednesday, Jamiel Shaw, father of Jamiel Shaw II, who was a 17-year-old high football player killed by Pedro Espinoza, an illegal immigrant, was interviewed on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.” During that appearance, he reacted to boos from Democrats in attendance at President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress to immigration portion of his speech. Shaw criticized those Democrats but added he was going to ignore them as they have ignored him. “Oh my God — I was like, man you know, what do they want?” Shaw said. “They don’t want nothing but division, bickering. They don’t want to solve no problems. They don’t want to help kids or husbands or family members that’s been murdered by illegals. I mean, just the way they did that was so disrespectful. But it’s bigger than them, so I just keep on moving. I just ignore them like they do me.” Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
Pence on Mexico Paying for the Border Wall: ‘Well, They Are’
Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Vice President Mike Pence reiterated President Donald Trump’s pledge to have Mexico pay for his proposed border wall, which Pence said was one of the elements prioritized by candidate Trump during the campaign. According to Pence, Trump advanced his priorities, including the border wall, in Tuesday night’s address to a joint session of Congress and that he argued was why the address was so well received. “The president laid out his priorities,” Pence said. “One of the things people saw last night is that the candidate Donald Trump, is the president Donald Trump and he spoke about those priorities. We’re going to build a wall. We’re going to enforce the laws of this country.” “He didn’t say Mexico would pay for it,” Stephanopoulos interjected. “Well, they are,” Pence replied. “And we’re going to make sure that we get in his words the criminal aliens out of this country first. But it was last summer that the president said that with regard to those that are remaining that we’ll see. And I think what you saw last night was the president acting on the priorities that he ran on, and I think that’s the reason
Krauthammer on Joint Session Address: ‘Without a Doubt’ Trump’s Best Speech
Tuesday after President Donald Trump gave an address to a joint session of Congress, Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer offered his analysis of the speech, to which he gave high marks. Krauthammer called it “without a doubt” Trump’s best speech to date and added that it could define his presidency if he is able to live up to that speech. “This is without a doubt the best speech he ever gave,” Krauthammer said. “In fact, this should have been his inaugural address. And it would have actually had an effect on the launch of his presidency and vastly reduced the hysteria that has emerged in the country on the left from the disappointed Democrats in reaction to this president. The inaugural address was a speech about carnage in America. It was dark. It also presented an ideology that was pretty radical. It did it pretty honestly but in a way that it scared a lot of people. And what this was — this was a version of Trumpism, but done in a sober way, in a way that was that I think very deliberately made to be not offensive.” “You know, the negativity — the attacks on the press, on his opponent, on Hillary on all these things he has been doing for a month all disappeared and what was left was a very
Chris Wallace on Trump Speech: ‘I Feel Like Tonight Donald Trump Became the President of the United States’
Tuesday following President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on the Fox News Channel, “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace reacted to the speech, generally praising the remarks. Wallace, however, also said the speech validated Trump as president of the United States and that his opponent were going to have “accept that fact.” “Thirty-six years ago, Ronald Reagan reinvented the speech to the joint session of Congress address,” Wallace said. “He was the one who introduced the idea of having people in the gallery and creating not just a programmatic message but a deeply emotional message. I think Donald Trump reinvented it again tonight, 36 years later. I thought it was by far the best speech I’ve ever heard Donald Trump give. It was one of the best speeches in that setting that I’ve heard any president give. He certainly kept faith with his base. There were two extraordinary moments. One was when he said we are going to repeal and replace Obamacare and you just felt a guttural roar from the Republican side of the aisle. They’ve been waiting seven years and for the first time tonight, a president said that to a session of Congress.”
Watch: Trump Honors Carryn Owens, Widow of U.S. Navy Ryan Owens
Tuesday during his address to a joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump honored Carryn Owens, the widow of Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens. Ryan Owens died last month in an operation in Yemen, which according to the White House “yielded valuable intelligence which will protect U.S. national security.” We are blessed to be joined tonight by Carryn Owens, the widow of a U.S. Navy Special Operator, Senior Chief William “Ryan” Owens. Ryan died as he lived: a warrior, and a hero — battling against terrorism and securing our Nation. I just spoke to General Mattis, who reconfirmed that, and I quote, “Ryan was a part of a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will lead to many more victories in the future against our enemies.” Ryan’s legacy is etched into eternity. For as the Bible teaches us, there is no greater act of love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Ryan laid down his life for his friends, for his country, and for our freedom — we will never forget him. To those allies who wonder what kind of friend America will be, look no further than the heroes