TheNewsGuru

Tag: WHITE HOUSE

  • Bloomberg abandons White House race, declares support for rival candidate

    Michael Bloomberg has abandoned the 2020 White House race after a disastrous performance on Super Tuesday.

    He is now backing former Vice President Joe Biden who recorded stunning victories on Tuesday. He said Biden is the best candidate to defeat President Trump.

    The former New York Mayor called it quits despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars in advertisements.He was the fourth candidate to quit in the last 72 hours, after Pete Buttigieg, klobuchar and Tom Steyer

    “I’ve always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday’s vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden,” he said.

    His statement:

    “Three months ago, I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump. Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump – because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult.

    “I’m a believer in using data to inform decisions. After yesterday’s results, the delegate math has become virtually impossible – and a viable path to the nomination no longer exists. But I remain clear-eyed about my overriding objective: victory in November. Not for me, but for our country. And so while I will not be the nominee, I will not walk away from the most important political fight of my life.

    “I’ve always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday’s vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden.

    “I’ve known Joe for a very long time. I know his decency, his honesty, and his commitment to the issues that are so important to our country – including gun safety, health care, climate change, and good jobs.

    “I’ve had the chance to work with Joe on those issues over the years, and Joe has fought for working people his whole life. Today I am glad to endorse him – and I will work to make him the next President of the United States.

    “I am immensely proud of the campaign we ran, the issues we raised, and the sweeping and achievable plans we proposed – including our Greenwood Initiative to right historic wrongs, fight racial inequality, and make the promise of equal opportunity real for the Black communities that have endured centuries of exploitation and discrimination. That work is fundamental to the future of our country – and to the more perfect union that each generation is called to build.

    “I am deeply grateful to all the Americans who voted for me – and to our incredibly dedicated staff and volunteers all around the country, who knocked on more than two million doors and held 12 million voter conversations in an incredibly short amount of time. No one outworked our team, and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone who was part of it. And I will be forever grateful to all the mayors, local and state legislators, Members of Congress, and many others who believed in me, endorsed my candidacy, and worked hard to unite voters around our vision. Your support and trust sustained me, and I look forward to working with you in the months and years ahead.

    “We made our campaign slogan a clear, simple promise: Mike will get it done. And I intend to keep working on the “it.” I will continue to work for sensible, common sense policy solutions that can get done. That includes passing gun safety laws that save lives. Fighting climate change. Improving health care. Making college more accessible and affordable. Creating economic opportunity for all. And helping mayors and local leaders across the country who are doing so much important work on all of these issues.

    “The past few months have been some of the most inspiring of my life, and I want to thank the tens of thousands of Americans, from Maine to California, whom I was privileged to meet – and who every day, with their voices and their ideas, made this campaign such a powerful experience. And I am intent on making it a lasting experience: I want my supporters to stay engaged, stay active and stay committed to our issues. I will be right there with you. And together, we will get it done.”

  • Iran places $80m ‘bounty’ on Trump’s head, eyes White House as target

    Iran is mobilising its citizens to donate a dollar each to raise $80million to be used as bounty for Donald Trump’s head.

    An NBC News reporter, quoted an unidentified organizer for the funeral procession for Gen Qassem Soleimani, as calling on all Iranians to donate $1 each ‘in order to gather an $80million bounty on President Trump’s head’.

    He spoke during a funeral procession for General Qassem Soliemani in Mashad.

    ‘We can attack the White House itself, we can respond to them on the American soil. We have the power, and God willing we will respond in an appropriate time,’ the organiser said, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency.

    Earlier on Sunday, Iranian MP Abolfazl Abutorabi threatened to launch an attack on American soil in response to the president’s warning that any strike on American interests in the region will bring massive retaliation.

    ‘When someone declares war do you want to respond to the bullets with flowers? They will shoot you in the head,’ he added.

    Abutorabi’s threat was made during an open session of parliament in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday, and just days after Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, the architect of Tehran’s overseas clandestine and military operations as head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, was killed on Friday in a US drone strike on his convoy at Baghdad airport.

    Following massive funeral marches in Iraq, Soleimani’s body was flown to the city of Ahvaz in southwest Iran on Sunday.

    Video from the scene shows a casket wrapped in an Iranian flag being unloaded from a plane as a military band plays and the crowd angrily chanted ‘Death to America’.–

  • Trump impeachment ‘unconstitutional travesty’-White House declares

    Trump impeachment ‘unconstitutional travesty’-White House declares

    The White House has hit back at lawmakers after President Donald Trump was impeached, slamming the “illegitimate articles of impeachment” and voicing confidence the president would be acquitted in the Senate.

    “Democrats have chosen to proceed on this partisan basis in spite of the fact that the President did absolutely nothing wrong,” spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement, calling the votes in the House of Representatives an “unconstitutional travesty”.

    Grisham said that there were no fact witnesses in the hearing and alleged bias by the Democrats.

    “The President is confident the Senate will restore regular order, fairness, and due process, all of which were ignored in the House proceedings.

    ”He is prepared for the next steps and confident that he will be fully exonerated,” the statement said, referring to the upcoming trial in the upper chamber.

     

  • Ex-England captain Wayne Rooney visits White House

    Ex-England captain Wayne Rooney visits White House

    Former England captain and DC United midfielder Wayne Rooney has visited the White House, the home of US President Donald Trump, for a Christmas party.

    The 33-year-old was pictured with Trump’s 12-year-old son Barron, who is a football fan and has played for DC’s youth team.

    Manchester United’s record scorer Rooney moved to the US capital to join DC from Everton in June.

    He scored 12 goals as they reached the MLS play-offs in November.

    It was reported that Rooney was accompanied by wife Coleen and his four sons and they were given a guided tour.

  • Two domestic turkeys spend time in Washington luxury hotel room

    Peas and Carrots, the two domestic turkeys for the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon were treated to a hotel luxury at the Willard InterContinental Hotel prior and after an introductory news conference held by the National Turkey Federation in Washington D.C. on Monday.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that takes place at the White House every year shortly before Thanksgiving.

    The President of the United States is presented with a live domestic turkey by the National Turkey Federation, usually of the Broad Breasted White variety.

    Peas and Carrots arrived in D.C. and began their stay at the Willard InterContinental Hotel near the White House on Sunday.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BqStRvoAKvO/

    The potential Presidential Turkey Pardon turkeys hatched on June 28, 2018, and the flock had numerous visitors to the farm to prepare them for interaction with people for the White House ceremony.

    The turkeys’ names were announced on Monday and a White House social media poll was launched to pick which turkey will serve as the National Thanksgiving Turkey.

    One of the South Dakota 40-pound turkeys will become the National Thanksgiving Turkey and the other it’s alternate.

    President Donald Trump will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in a ceremony in the Rose Garden on Tuesday.

    After the pardoning by President Trump, the pair is expected to live out their days at Gobbler’s Rest, an agricultural outreach and educational facility at Virginia Tech University, where students and veterinarians care for the turkeys.

    A statement from the White House reads: “Peas and Carrots traveled to our Nation’s capital all the way from South Dakota! They were raised on a farm near Huron, S.D., under the supervision of National Turkey Federation Chairman Jeff Sveen and by turkey grower Ruben Waldner.

    “The Presidential Flock of 50 turkeys was hatched in July, and Peas and Carrots were selected to travel to Washington, D.C., where one will become the National Thanksgiving Turkey and the other its alternate.

    “The “Presidential Flock” is raised much in the same way as turkeys marketed for U.S. customers—protected from weather extremes and predators in a barn, free to strut about with constant access to water and a feed mix of corn and soybeans.

    “The flock is prepared for potential stardom at the White House from an early age, with the birds becoming acclimated to the sounds of a crowd, bright camera lights, and having to stand comfortably on a table during the presentation. The turkeys will also prepare for their visit by interacting with children and families on stops around the Huron community.

    “Upon arrival in Washington, Peas and Carrots got some rest at The Willard Hotel, adjacent to the White House grounds, ahead of the pardoning ceremony.

    “After the pardoning, the turkeys will make the journey to their new home at Virginia Tech’s “Gobblers Rest” exhibit in Blacksburg, Virginia. At Gobbler’s Rest, students and veterinarians within Virginia Tech’s Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences care for the turkeys.

    “The National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate are available for the public to visit and learn about the university’s teaching, research and outreach programs in animal and poultry sciences and veterinary medicine.

    “Turkeys have been sent as gifts to American Presidents from as early as the 1870s, sometimes arriving in elaborate crates and costumes. By the 1920s, the influx of these turkeys had increased so greatly that President Calvin Coolidge discouraged Americans from sending them, reported a 1923 New York Times article. Eventually, however, the tradition resumed, and President Coolidge received not only turkeys, but quail, ducks, geese, rabbits, and a deer.

    “The most unusual gift was a raccoon, which was not served for dinner but became a Coolidge family pet.

    “In the 1940s, farmers and manufacturers began to send birds to the White House as a means of promoting the poultry industry. President George H. W. Bush was the first to formally grant the bird a Presidential pardon, taking a cue from the animal rights activists picketing nearby.

    “The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a time-honored American tradition, which is marking its 71st year since the ceremony first took place in 1947”.

     

  • JUST IN: We’ll ‘temporarily’ reinstate CNN reporter’s pass – White House

    The White House said Friday it will “temporarily” reinstate a press pass for CNN reporter Jim Acosta after a court ruled he had been improperly barred following a contentious exchange with President Donald Trump.

    Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said “in response to the court, we will temporarily reinstate the reporter’s hard pass.”

    But she left open the possibility of seeking to remove Acosta’s access later and said new rules would be imposed “to ensure fair and orderly press conferences.”

    Details soon…

  • BREAKING: Judge orders White House to restore CNN reporter’s pass

    A U.S. judge has ordered the White House to restore access to a reporter of the CNN who was barred from the seat of power.

    The White House suspended the press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta on Wednesday, November 7, hours after President Trump took issue with questions Acosta asked at a news conference.

    The move to punish Acosta by removing his access to the White House is believed to be unprecedented, Washington Post reported.

    The Trump administration barred another CNN reporter from attending an open media event in July, but until the Acosta matter, he did not go as far as removing a credential, known as a “hard pass,” which enables a journalist to enter the White House grounds.

    Press secretary Sarah Sanders cited Acosta’s brief confrontation with a White House press aide during Trump’s midday news conference as the reason for suspending his press pass “until further notice.”

    “During the 90-minute session at the White House on that November 7, Trump snapped at Acosta after the reporter asked whether the president had ‘demonized immigrants’ by calling a caravan of Central American migrants ‘an invasion.’

    “After a long and tense back-and-forth, a female White House intern tried to take the microphone from Acosta.

    “Acosta held onto it and raised an arm to shield it, in the process making contact with the aide. ‘Pardon me, ma’am,’ he said to her.

    “[‘You’re a very rude person.’ ‘That’s enough.’ ‘Sit down.’ Trump’s news conference turns hostile.]

    “After their exchange, Trump told Acosta: ‘CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them.

    “‘You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN. You’re a very rude person. The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible. And the way you treat other people are horrible. You shouldn’t treat people that way,’” WP reports.

    Later that day, Sanders accused Acosta of “placing his hands on a young woman” and said it was on those grounds that Acosta’s press pass was being suspended.

    “President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration,” Sanders said in a statement. “We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question.”

    On Twitter, Acosta responded to the press secretary’s statement with, simply: “This is a lie.”

  • U.S. media back CNN legal fight against White House

    In a show of solidarity, major U.S. media outlets are backing the CNN’s legal fight against the White House for revoking the ‘hard pass’ of Jim Acosta.

    CNN said it had asked the court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass to be returned to Acosta and would seek permanent relief as part of this process.

    The White House Correspondents Association had also said that it “strongly supports” the suit against the Trump’s administration.

    ‘Hard pass’ gives holders expanded access to the White House complex.

    Acosta’s pass was suspended last week after he sparred with Trump during a press conference.

    Fox News, which anchors and shows are generally supportive of President Donald Trump and his policies, has filed a “friend of the court” brief in federal court in support of CNN’s lawsuit.

    Fox News President Jay Wallace said Wednesday that the network would file an amicus brief with the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

    Wallace said in a statement: “Secret Service passes for working White House journalists should never be weaponised.

    “While we don’t condone the growing antagonistic tone by both the President and the press at recent media avails, we do support a free press, access and open exchanges for the American people”.

    CBS News also announced in a statement that it would be filing an amicus brief in support of CNN, saying it supports the White House Correspondents Association and CNN’s legal fight to restore Acosta’s access.

    “We do not believe that revoking White House press credentials is an appropriate remedy for a disagreement the White House may have with a particular reporter.

    “We intend to file a friend of the court brief in support of CNN’s lawsuit to defend its constitutional rights,” CBS News said in the statement.

    A group of other news organisations, including Fox News, NBC News, the New York Times, the Washington Post and two wire services – AP and Bloomberg – also said they would file a joint amicus brief in support of CNN.

    The law firm, Ballard Spahr, issued a statement on behalf of The Associated Press; Bloomberg L.P.; First Look Media Works, Inc.; FOX News; Gannett; National Press Club Journalism Institute; NBC News; The New York Times Co.; POLITICO; Press Freedom Defense Fund; E.W. Scripps Company; USA TODAY NETWORK; and The Washington Post.

    “Whether the news of the day concerns national security, the economy, or the environment, reporters covering the White House must remain free to ask questions.

    “It is imperative that independent journalists have access to the President and his activities, and that journalists are not barred for arbitrary reasons,” the statement read.

    The White House has filed its memo of opposition against CNN and Acosta’s lawsuit ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, arguing that the First Amendment did not guarantee access to the White House.

    In a 23-page memo, the White House argued: “The president and his staff have absolute discretion over which journalists they grant interviews to, as well as over which journalists they acknowledge at press events.

    “That broad discretion necessarily includes discretion over which journalists receive on-demand access to the White House grounds and special access during White House travel for the purpose of asking questions of the President or his staff.

    “No journalist has a First Amendment right to enter the White House and the [resident need not survive First Amendment scrutiny whenever he exercises his discretion to deny an individual journalist one of the many hundreds of passes granting on-demand access to the White House complex”.

    The White House memo also claimed that Acosta was given sufficient notice about the suspension of his credentials, adding Acosta “received notice of the reasons for his pass’s revocation the night it happened and again the next day”.

    The White House had said last week that Acosta’s ‘hard pass’ was suspended because he refused to give up a microphone to a White House intern who tried to take it away from him during the press conference.

    The White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders accused Acosta of placing his hands on the intern and distributed a video of the incident.

    Sanders called the lawsuit “just more grandstanding from CNN”.

    Trump told the Daily Caller on Wednesday that “Jim Acosta is just somebody who gets up and grandstands, he doesn’t even know what he’s asking you half of the time”.

    The president added that he thought reporters like Acosta were “bad for the country”.

  • BREAKING: CNN drags Trump, White House to court for barring its reporter, Jim Acosta

    BREAKING: CNN drags Trump, White House to court for barring its reporter, Jim Acosta

    CNN has filed a lawsuit against President Trump and several of his aides, seeking the immediate restoration of chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s access to the White House.

    The lawsuit is a response to the White House’s suspension of Acosta’s press pass, known as a Secret Service “hard pass,” last week. The suit alleges that Acosta and CNN’s First and Fifth Amendment rights are being violated by the ban.
    The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday morning.
    Both CNN and Acosta are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. There are six defendants: Trump, chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Sanders, deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine, the director of the Secret Service, and the Secret Service officer who took Acosta’s hard pass away last Wednesday. The officer is identified as John Doe in the suit, pending his identification.
    The six defendants are all named because of their roles in enforcing and announcing Acosta’s suspension.
    Last Wednesday, shortly after Acosta was denied entry to the White House grounds, Sanders defended the unprecedented step by claiming that he had behaved inappropriately at a presidential news conference. CNN and numerous journalism advocacy groups rejected that assertion and said his pass should be reinstated.
    On Friday, CNN sent a letter to the White House formally requesting the immediate reinstatement of Acosta’s pass and warning of a possible lawsuit, the network confirmed.
    In a statement on Tuesday morning, CNN said it is seeking a preliminary injunction as soon as possible so that Acosta can return to the White House right away, and a ruling from the court preventing the White House from revoking Acosta’s pass in the future.
    “CNN filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration this morning in DC District Court,” the statement read. “It demands the return of the White House credentials of CNN’s Chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta.
    The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta’s First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process. We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process.”
    The White House Correspondents’ Association said it “strongly supports CNN’s goal of seeing their correspondent regain a US Secret Service security credential that the White House should not have taken away in the first place.”

  • Kanye West to meet Trump at White House on Thursday

    Rapper Kanye West, one of Donald Trump’s most glamorous supporters, will visit the White House for a meeting with the president and his son in law Jared Kushner on Thursday, officials said.
    Trump, who came under fire this week from another music superstar, Taylor Swift, will lunch with West, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
    West — best known as Kanye but recently stating that he wants to be known as just Ye — will also meet with Kushner.
    “Topics of discussions will include manufacturing resurgence in America, prison reform, how to prevent gang violence, and what can be done to reduce violence in Chicago,” Sanders said.
    West is planning to discuss the opening of employment opportunities for former prison convicts, a subject already being studied by the White House, according to The New York Times.
    West’s wife, the TV celebrity Kim Kardashian, has previously met with Trump at the White House.