Category: book

Report: Mitch McConnell Was ‘Exhilarated’ That Trump ‘Committed Political Suicide’ On January 6

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Mitch McConnell reportedly said he was “exhilarated” that Donald Trump had “totally discredited himself” just hours after the Capitol riot on January 6th.

This, according to excerpts from a new book titled, “This Will Not Pass,” obtained by the Washington Post.

“I feel exhilarated by the fact that this fellow finally, totally discredited himself,” the anti-Trump Republican Minority Leader McConnell told New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin, one of the book’s authors.

“He put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger,” the Senate Minority Leader allegedly said at the time. “Couldn’t have happened at a better time.”

RELATED: Report: Mitch McConnell Wants A Truce With Donald Trump

Mitch McConnell ‘Exhilarated’ After Capitol Riot

Mitch McConnell’s reaction to the Capitol riot seems counter to everything we’ve been told about how serious the attack was.

How could somebody be ‘exhilarated’ on the worst day in American history since the Civil War? On the day AOC was literally almost murdered? A day that moved the ever-stoic Adam Kinzinger to tears?

McConnell was celebrating the political fallout? That’s simply reprehensible and something you’d expect from the Democrat Party.

Speaking of Democrats who never let a crisis go to waste …

McConnell, according to the same Washington Post report, was considering a joint statement with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) warning the former President to stay away from Joe Biden’s inauguration.

It gets worse.

McConnell reportedly was “eager” to obtain information from Martin on the prospect of Cabinet members and then-Vice President Mike Pence invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.

“What do you hear about the Twenty-Fifth Amendment?” he asked.

RELATED: Mitch McConnell At Odds With Trump: Opposes Pardons For January 6 Rioters

McConnell Wanted to Rid GOP of Trump

The Political Insider wrote one week after the January 6 riot that Mitch McConnell had been “pleased” about Democrats drafting articles of impeachment.

Multiple sources had observed McConnell claiming he was “done” and “furious” with Trump.

The Kentucky Republican “told associates that impeachment will help rid the Republican Party of Trump and his movement.”

Trump’s “movement” being a record number of voters for a Republican president.

McConnell, along with a majority of Republicans, later voted that the impeachment trial of Donald Trump was unconstitutional.

Trump ravaged the GOP leader about a month afterward, issuing a statement saying McConnell is “a dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack.”

By the end of February, McConnell said he would “absolutely” support Trump if he were the Republican nominee for president in 2024.

Despite that ‘absolute’ support, McConnell and Trump have continued to be at odds over the severity of what happened during the Capitol riot.

Trump has indicated he would consider pardons for January 6 rioters should he run for and win the presidential election in 2024.

“If I run, and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6 fairly. We will treat them fairly,” he vowed. “If that requires pardons, we will give them pardons, because they are being treated so unfairly.”

The Senate Minority Leader vociferously objected to that plan.

“My view is, I would not be in favor of shortening any of the sentences for any of the people who pleaded guilty to crimes,” McConnell said.

The Washington Post goes on to note that McConnell had been gearing up for a fight with Trump and his supporters following the Capitol riot.

They claim he told staff members that the former President is a “despicable person” and that he would “take him on politically.”

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“We crushed the sons of b****es,” McConnell said of conservative candidates in the 2014 midterms. “And that’s what we’re going to do in the primary in ’22.”

Trump slammed McConnell in a statement saying he no longer represents the Republican Party.

“Mitch McConnell does not speak for the Republican Party and does not represent the views of the vast majority of its voters,” he wrote.

The post Report: Mitch McConnell Was ‘Exhilarated’ That Trump ‘Committed Political Suicide’ On January 6 appeared first on The Political Insider.

McCarthy said he’d tell Trump to resign after Jan. 6. McConnell thought he’d be out, book reports

Posted on by Rebekah Sager

What Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Sen. Mitch McConnell said behind closed doors about President Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection and what they said to his face were in complete opposition, according to a book set to hit shelves next month.  

This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future releases May 3, and with it will come a few surprises about the conversations key GOP members reportedly had about their leader.

The New York Times exclusively reports that not only did McCarthy and McConnell believe that Trump was directly responsible for the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, but they told other GOP lawmakers they intended to ask the president to resign. “I’ve had it with this guy,” McCarthy reportedly told a group of Republican leaders. Naturally, a spokesperson for McCarthy, Mark Bednar, denied to the Times that the congressman ever “said he’d call Trump to say he should resign.”

RELATED STORY: Can Kevin McCarthy be any more gutless? Yes, he can ‘forget’ what he said to Trump on Jan. 6

The book, co-written by Jonathan Martin and  Alexander Burns, two New York Times reporters, compiles interviews and records of hundreds of lawmakers and officials, according to the Times, and lays out a timeline where McCarthy and McConnell both lost their respective chutzpah—a great Yiddish word for nerve.

Listen Jennifer Fernandez Ancona from Way to Win explain what how Democrats must message to win on Daily Kos' The Brief podcast with Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld

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According to the Times, before McCarthy’s spine dissolved, he reportedly suggested that several GOP lawmakers should be banned from social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook following the insurrection.

“We can’t put up with that,” McCarthy reportedly said. “Can’t they take their Twitter accounts away, too?”

Again, Bednar denied to the Times that Rep. McCarthy ever suggested any GOP leaders be banned from social media.

However, we know that McCarthy did publicly say in mid-January 2021 that Trump was at least partially responsible for the riot. "He told me personally that he does have some responsibility. I think a lot of people do."

Here's the audio of McCarthy saying Trump has responsibility for Jan. 6th and Trump admitted responsibility. He strongly urges a commission to investigate the attack. McCarthy said Thursday he didn't recall telling members Trump took responsibility.https://t.co/fsZYL5Q1ss pic.twitter.com/T7Rwb8Yd0n

— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) January 14, 2022

McCarthy also blabbed about Trump to House Republicans during a private conference call on Jan. 11. CNN obtained a copy of a transcript of that call.

"Let me be clear to you, and I have been very clear to the President. He bears responsibility for his words and actions. No if, ands, or buts," McCarthy said. "I asked him personally today if he holds responsibility for what happened. If he feels bad about what happened. He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened. But he needs to acknowledge that."

But four days later, McCarthy conveniently forgot all that he’d said.

Here's McCarthy yesterday when asked directly if he told members on a 1/11/21 call about Trump taking responsibility. "I'm not sure what call you're talking, so....," pivots quickly to next question. pic.twitter.com/GeWQTs0FSs

— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) January 14, 2022

According to the Times, McCarthy was told by Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio that Trump supporters did not want their president challenged on Jan. 6 events.

“I’m just telling you that that’s the kind of thing that we’re dealing with, with our base,” Johnson said.

As a result, by the end of January and after seeing that a scant 10 House Republicans would support a Trump impeachment, McCarthy reversed course and stepped away from any condemnation of HerrTrump. He shut his mouth and kept his job as the House Minority Leader.

As for McConnell, theTimes reports that he initially believed Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 were so heinous that he was convinced his GOP colleagues would surely break with the president. He reportedly even predicted a conviction vote for Trump’s impeachment.

“The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us,” he reportedly said during a Jan. 11 meeting with Terry Carmack and Scott Jennings, two of his advisors. “If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is,” he reportedly said.

McConnell was so convincing in his ire against Trump, the Times reports, that Senators John Thune and Rob Portman privately said they believed he’d vote to convict Trump.

But as we all know, McConnell eventually voted to acquit Trump, despite following it with a blistering speech against the president.

Then, he too, shut his mouth to keep his job and the support of a failed, twice-impeached president and his millions of supporters.

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Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into John Bolton over his anti-Trump book

Posted on by Mark Sumner

Donald Trump is good for literature. Actually … that’s overstating it. A lot. But Trump is certainly good for publishers, and for dramatic titles. In one-word titles alone, it’s possible to build a pretty decent description of Trump using Rage, Unhinged, Disloyal, Fear, Hoax. You certainly don’t have to go to Insane Clown President, but … that’s also not a bad description.

The last few weeks have seen Trump’s leveraging his family to fight—and fail—to stop the publication of a book by his niece Mary Trump, and books by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and former journalist Bob Woodward. The trio of tomes are all hot off the presses and still in the headlines. But it requires rewinding to June 20 (also known as March the 121st , in pandemic dating) to find the focus of Trump’s current disloyal, unhinged, rage hoax. That was the date that a federal judge dismissed attempts by the White House to block publication of John Bolton’s book detailing his time as Trump’s national security adviser. 

During that court case, the judge pointed out multiple times that Trump was attempting to block a book that had already been printed, distributed to warehouses, was on the shelves at thousands of stores, and had already been read by hundreds of critics and journalists. Open barn door? Meet horse. But the judge did not address claims from the Department of Justice that Bolton may have violated national security, though he noted if it was true, Bolton could lose all the profits from the book deal that kept him conveniently mum during Trump’s impeachment. And now the Justice Department has announced an investigation into Bolton because … sure, why not?

The book has been on the stands for four months and is no longer hanging onto a slot in even an extended list of best sellers. There’s nothing to be gained by going after Bolton other than the demonstration that people like Roger Stone, convicted of multiple crimes, get to walk away for being Trump’s pals, while people like Bolton get the weight of the DOJ tossed their way for the crime of insufficient toadying.

But it’s hard to feel like there’s a good guy on either side of this case. After all, Bolton failed to come forward when his testimony mattered, what he ultimately revealed was confirmation of things that had already been stated, and … he’s John Bolton. The best possible ending for this story is that both Trump and Bolton come out with their sub-mud reputations sullied by whatever it is that’s worse than mud.

According to The New York Times, a team within the DOJ has convened a grand jury to hear evidence about Bolton’s use of classified information in his book, aka I couldn’t think of a title so I just stole a line from Hamilton. Bolton has denied that he published classified information. Trump has argued back that Bolton is “a dope” and “incompetent” and “a washed up creepster who … should be in jail” for “trying to make me look bad.” It’s unclear if the grand jury will reward these rubber-meets-glue arguments with an indictment, but it would probably be pretty interesting—and kind of hilarious—to hear the presentation. 

And yes, to be honest it’s clear that the White House purposely refused to provide Bolton with responses on the classification of his submitted manuscript simply in an effort to delay publication and provide Trump with leverage to do exactly what he’s doing right now: conduct a political persecution of a perceived enemy. Bolton shouldn’t face charges for purely political reasons, if for no other reason than on a “first they came for John Bolton, and ...” basis. Still, every DOJ official tied up with going after John Bolton could be busy persecuting a human being instead, so let’s hope this takes some time. And please, if someone is going to leak classified information, how about the transcripts for the presentation to the grand jury?

It’s Way Past Time For Bolton To Fade Way – The Sooner, The Better

Posted on by Wayne Dupree

Former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton’s book hits the shelves this week and everyone is going to hate him.

Democrats might like to rehash the impeachment nonsense again with the release as they will certainly feel that his work will touch upon these issues again. Talk about something hilarious. Dems are going to fall over themselves because of a neoconservative, a political position that’s anathema to the Democratic base.

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Trump officials and the president himself will continue to trash the book and Bolton and this will last a few weeks.

TRUMP MESSED UP WITH CHOOSING BOLTON

Whether it was a lack of judgment on Trump’s part or a badly miscalculated attempt to extend an olive branch to that wing of the GOP that put Bolton and others like him in close proximity to the White House, I cannot say. Either way, it was a mistake to have him in the inner circle.

When I first became aware of Bolton, during his time at the UN, I thought he was going to be great in that job. He didn’t take any nonsense from the pointy heads and we needed that. Now it turns out that he’s just another self-absorbed bureaucrat who thinks he’s smarter than everyone else. Between him Justice John Roberts and George W. Bush, he really left a black eye on the country.

TRUMP NEEDS TO STOP HIRING THESE SWAMP GUYS

Even though I will vote for Trump again and hope he wins, he does make mistakes with the personnel he puts in the White House. He needs to make better decisions when it comes to people.

He still thinks he’s running a business. In business, it’s not uncommon to put your enemies at the table so that they either have to support you, or they turn on you and expose themselves to everyone which destroys their business credibility. He hasn’t quite gotten that you can’t do that with the government.

MORE NEWS: Black Lives Matter Founder Admits ‘We Are Trained Marxists,’ Goal Is To ‘Get Trump Out’

Some of the president’s egregious failures have been in hiring the wrong people. From Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State to John Kelly as Chief of Staff to James Mattis as Secretary of Defense to Jeff Sessions as Attorney General — the list is long. While each of these is impressive individuals, all were wrong for the jobs they were assigned.

Business is simple. You can walk away from deals. The government is complex. You cannot walk away from allies or enemies.

In the case of Bolton, he is a frustrated old policy wonk who wants to wield the authority of an elected official. He was useful as UN Ambassador, But that’s the end of it. He has neither the disposition (nor the haircut) to get elected to anything. He wanted to push his boss into something NO ONE wants, especially Trump.

Bolton is just the latest in a very long line of government employees who should be incarcerated. All of them are walking around free. Something is very, very wrong with that. Time for him to fade away. He’s making a fool of himself.

MORE NEWS: Rock-Throwing Mob Attack Man And Woman Near Atlanta Wendy’s: ‘No White People Are Allowed On This Road’

BOLTON’S BOOK SHOULD BE BOYCOTTED

I know this won’t happen but I think Bolton‘s book should be boycotted by the masses proving once again to this neoconservative that the market place is the true place where success or failure occurs. If nobody buys his book, you will not be contributing to his personal wealth which is what he is actually trying to do.

Therefore the market should boycott purchasing his book and let it rot on the shelves, teaching his publisher they made a bad decision.

WAYNE’S RECOMMENDATIONS

 

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McEnany Crushes Bolton: Takes The Title Of ‘Most Disliked Man In America’ From Comey

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany criticized former National Security Adviser John Bolton, saying he had self-debunked his own book and was quickly becoming the most disliked man in America.

Bolton’s memoir, titled “The Room Where It Happened,” makes many dubious claims, including allegations that President Trump asked for help with his election from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In an interview with “Fox & Friends,” McEnany said previous claims by Bolton that the President was “perfectly prepared” and that he “understands President Reagan’s peace through strength” mantra, render his new allegations weak.

In fact, she expanded on that theme attacking Bolton’s reputation as a war hawk.

“He is a misguided hawk on foreign policy and a weak dove of an author,” Trump’s press secretary claimed.

RELATED: Trey Gowdy Mocks Bolton: Pecking Away In His Pajamas, Saving the Country For Only $29.95

Worse Than Comey?

McEnany pointed out that one simply needs to peruse past comments by Bolton prior to being fired that show his new bitter words can’t be trusted.

“This man is someone who praised President Trump as being strong on foreign policy, for not making the mistakes of previous administrations,” she said.

Now he’s going to claim the President sold America out to Xi?

McEnany proceeded to tackle the disdain on both sides of the aisle for Bolton, suggesting he had supplanted another universally despised figure.

“He’s discredited on both sides of the aisle and if you thought James Comey was the most disliked man in America,” she fired off, “I think John Bolton has taken that title.”

RELATED: Trump Slams Supreme Court DACA Ruling As ‘Shotgun Blast’ To The Face Of Conservatives

Disliked Man

The thing is, McEnany is right.

Sure, once Democrats subpoena him and he provides some glimmer of hope for a new impeachment hoax, he’ll be heralded as courageous and noble.

But for now, even the likes of one Adam Schiff (D-CA) has been highly disdainful toward Bolton.

“When Bolton was asked [to testify], he refused, and said he’d sue if subpoenaed. Instead, he saved it for a book,” Schiff whined. “Bolton may be an author, but he’s no patriot.”

Even that was too much for former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), who said his literary skills were suspect since he was “sitting in his pajamas pecking away on his iPad” rather than facing scrutiny before Congress.

The post McEnany Crushes Bolton: Takes The Title Of ‘Most Disliked Man In America’ From Comey appeared first on The Political Insider.

Trey Gowdy Mocks Bolton: Pecking Away In His Pajamas, Saving the Country For Only $29.95

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Former South Carolina congressman Trey Gowdy thoroughly shredded the integrity of John Bolton for thinking his book was a means to save the country from President Donald Trump.

Gowdy, with his usual rapier wit, pointed out what is true of most former administration members who are fired by the President – that he is seemingly only a threat when they’ve left the administration and have a book to sell.

James Comey and Omarosa come to mind.

Now Bolton joins the ranks of those former White House employees who have a story to tell, a story tainted by bitterness and the opportunity to make a quick buck.

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Calls Bolton Out

In an interview with Fox News host Martha MacCallum, Gowdy was asked just how ‘damning’ he thought revelations from Bolton’s book might be to the President.

He essentially called Bolton a coward.

“If you really think he’s unfit to be the leader of the free world, why didn’t you say anything?” he pointed out.

“John Bolton’s argument now is that Trump is unfit for office and should be removed, that he’s committed high crimes and misdemeanors,” Gowdy continued.

The former Rep. explained that Bolton had opportunities to testify before the House, the Senate, or to even tell his story long ago to the mainstream media.

“But no, for $29.95, he’s going to save you from this existential threat to our republic,” derided Gowdy.

RELATED: Tim Scott Rips Dick Durbin To Pieces After He Calls Republican Police Reform Bill A ‘Token’ Approach

Gowdy Continues Hammering Away

Gowdy proceeded to explain why it was an easier route for Bolton to publish a book rather than go before Congress and be hailed a hero by the left for his ‘courage’ in trying to take down the President.

And he did so with his usual sense of humor.

“He ain’t being cross-examined, he’s sitting in his pajamas pecking away on his iPad,” Gowdy ripped. “The power of cross-examination is you actually have to withstand the cauldron, withstand the heat of being questioned on it.”

“Anybody can write a book and make assertions,” he added.

In the book, Bolton, the former National Security Adviser, alleges that President Trump asked for help with his election from Chinese President Xi Jinping, that he was okay with him building concentration camps, and that he wanted to jail CNN reporters.

Again, if he honestly believed these things – why didn’t Bolton immediately resign and insist on testifying before Congress to save the country?

Even Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who wouldn’t dare turn his nose up at anything that he could possibly use to create another impeachment witch hunt wasn’t exactly praising Bolton.

“Bolton’s staff were asked to testify before the House to Trump’s abuses, and did. They had a lot to lose and showed real courage,” Schiff pecked away on his iPad.

“When Bolton was asked, he refused, and said he’d sue if subpoenaed. Instead, he saved it for a book,” he continued. “Bolton may be an author, but he’s no patriot.”

The post Trey Gowdy Mocks Bolton: Pecking Away In His Pajamas, Saving the Country For Only $29.95 appeared first on The Political Insider.

Rand Paul to Trump: Revoke John Bolton’s Security Clearance

Posted on by Guest Author

On Saturday, Republican Senator Rand Paul recommended that President Trump remove the security clearance of former national security adviser John Bolton.

‘No one… should be able to use their security clearance for profit!’

Paul tweeted, “No one, especially not John Bolton, should be able to use their security clearance for profit! I say revoke his clearance now ⁦@realDonaldTrump.”

RELATED: Rand Paul Slams Chuck Schumer, Says Trump Should Sue Him for Defamation

The senator’s tweet was accompanied by a RealClearPolitics article that analyzed how Bolton’s security clearance could be at risk once the impeachment trial is over. The article cites two anonymous government officials saying that the removal of Bolton’s clearance is an “almost certainty.”

Paul a Harsh Critic of Bolton

Paul has been a harsh critic of Bolton’s foreign policy ideas, which he believes go against Trump’s “America First” foreign policy, in which the U.S. is no longer the policemen of the world. Paul has called Bolton’s foreign policy agenda “naive,” and blasted the former ambassador in a witty tweet a few days ago.

“Why didn’t John Bolton testify to the US House? Apparently his book wasn’t quite finished yet for presales!” Paul tweeted Monday.

Many believe Bolton’s book contains damaging information that could hurt President Trump. The book is currently only a manuscript, and Bolton reportedly received a $2 million advance.

President Trump has referred to the book as “nasty” and “untrue.”

RELATED: John Bolton Has a New Career: Going After Donald Trump

Trump Could End Up Agreeing with Paul

Is John Bolton, the Democrats new hero, some sort of truth teller? Or is he smearing President Trump to make a buck as Sen. Paul alleges? $2 million is a lot of bucks.

Either way, someone who is a former national security adviser probably shouldn’t have national security clearance. It wouldn’t be surprising if President Trump ends up agreeing with Rand Paul on this issue.

The post Rand Paul to Trump: Revoke John Bolton’s Security Clearance appeared first on The Political Insider.

Trump Blasts Bolton Over ‘Nasty’ and ‘Untrue’ Book

Posted on by Guest Author

On Wednesday, President Trump blasted John Bolton, calling his former national security adviser’s upcoming book that reportedly reveals details about the Ukraine affair at the center of the president’s impeachment “nasty” and “untrue.”

Trump said Bolton “begged” him for a job and that his former top aide made “mistakes of judgment” during his time at the White House, citing a television appearance in April 2018 in which Bolton said the administration was considering the “Libya model” for North Korea regarding negotiations over halting nuclear weapons development.

RELATED: Top Republican Leader Sends Stern Message to GOP Senators Thinking About Caving To Democrats On Impeachment

‘If I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now’

Trump said Bolton was “fired because, frankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now.”

Trump wondered why Bolton would write a book about his tenure “IMMEDIATELY” after his firing, calling it “nasty & untrue.”

These tweets come in the wake of a report by The New York Times that Bolton wrote in his upcoming book that Trump told him he wanted to continue to suspend U.S. aid to Ukraine until the country agreed to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Trump has repeatedly denied Bolton’s accusation, as have allies of the president who continue to question Bolton’s credibility and motives.

Will Bolton Take the Stand?

Bolton’s revelations have had an impact on the ongoing Senate impeachment trial, raising pressure on Republicans to support calling him as a witness, something the White House would like to avoid.

The Hill reports, “The excerpt contradicts a key part of Trump’s defense — namely that he never tied security assistance for Ukraine to investigations, something House impeachment managers have alleged.”

“Trump’s defense attorneys addressed the issue during their opening arguments on Monday and Tuesday, with the president’s personal attorney Jay Sekulow citing Trump’s denial and urging senators to disregard the reported details of the manuscript by calling it ‘inadmissible,” noted The Hill. “Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz also argued Monday evening that even if Bolton’s reported account were true, the allegations would not rise to the level of an impeachable offense.”

Trump to GOP: Don’t Get Played By Democrats

Trump tweeted about Bolton and the impeachment trial a few times late night on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.

“Why didn’t John Bolton complain about this ‘nonsense’ a long time ago, when he was very publicly terminated. He said, not that it matters, NOTHING!” Trump wrote.

RELATED: John Bolton To Write Book About Trump Administration: Report

Trump continued, “Remember Republicans, the Democrats already had 17 witnesses, we were given NONE! Witnesses are up to the House, not up to the Senate,” the president tweeted. “Don’t let the Dems play you!”

Will Republicans let the Dems “play” them?

Stay tuned.

The post Trump Blasts Bolton Over ‘Nasty’ and ‘Untrue’ Book appeared first on The Political Insider.