WH Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo Suspended For Reportedly Threatening, Demeaning Female Reporter

Posted on February 12, 2021 by LifeZette

White House deputy press secretary T.J. Ducklo was given a one week suspension for allegedly threatening and demeaning a female reporter. This has led to accusations that Joe Biden lied weeks ago when he promised to fire people in his administration on the spot for offenses like this.

Ducklo Went Off On Female Reporter

Ducklo reportedly went off on Politico reporter Tara Palmeri, making “derogatory and misogynistic” comments towards her after she asked about his romantic relationship with Axios reporter Alexi McCammond.

Sources told Vanity Fair that in an off-the-record call on January 20, Ducklo threatened to “destroy” Palmeri and claimed that she only asked him about McCammond because she was jealous that an unidentified man in the past had wanted to “f—” McCammond and not Palmeri.

White House Resonds

Though White House officials suspended Ducklo, they also criticized Palmeri for breaking an off-the-record agreement with him.

“TJ Ducklo has apologized to the reporter, with whom he had a heated conversation about his personal life. He is the first to acknowledge this is not the standard of behavior set out by the President,” tweeted White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

“In addition to his initial apology, he has sent the reporter a personal note expressing his profound regret,” she said.

“With the approval of the White House Chief of Staff, he has been placed on a one-week suspension without pay,” she added. “In addition, when he returns, he will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico.”

TJ Ducklo has apologized to the reporter, with whom he had a heated conversation about his personal life. He is the first to acknowledge this is not the standard of behavior set out by the President.

— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 12, 2021

With the approval of the White House Chief of Staff, he has been placed on a one-week suspension without pay. In addition, when he returns, he will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico.

— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 12, 2021

Biden’s Pledge

This comes a month after Biden said that he would fire any of his appointees, “no ifs, ands,” or buts,” if he learned that they had disrespected their colleagues in any way.

The fact that Ducklo has not been fired has led many to say that Biden broke his pledge.

And we have a new definition of slap on the wrist,” Nevada-based journalist Jon Ralston tweeted.

“If what he said was reported accurately — and it is a secondary but interesting question about how an OTR convo got reported and when OTR can be breached — Ducklo should have been fired. What he said was repellent and sexist,” he continued.

This is, of course, not what Biden promised just three weeks ago.

He said specifically at that time he would fire "on the spot" anyone who treats "another colleague with disrespect" or talks "down to someone — no ifs, and or buts." https://t.co/GBSoeMg9Io

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) February 12, 2021

Backlash Grows

Others feel the same way:

This is, of course, not what Biden promised just three weeks ago.

He said specifically at that time he would fire "on the spot" anyone who treats "another colleague with disrespect" or talks "down to someone — no ifs, and or buts." https://t.co/GBSoeMg9Io

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) February 12, 2021

Did the White House know what was said when he penned the apology? If so, why are we getting the suspension only after the facts became public? https://t.co/gwUNDBU4yP

— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) February 12, 2021

So Ducklo is banned from working with any reporters at Politico, because of his misogynistic insults aimed at a Politico reporter, but he can still work with reporters at Axios, where his girlfriend is employed as a reporter covering the VP. https://t.co/2rFf9j5Tbk

— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) February 12, 2021

#BREAKING: The White House press shop says not only is T.J. Ducklo not going to lose his job, but he's only being suspended for a week without pay.

And he wrote a note to Tara Palmeri saying he's sorry, so it's all good. pic.twitter.com/0cyGGvRZ7A

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 12, 2021

Well it's a good thing his boss did not boldly declare three weeks ago that anyone in the administration who disrespects or talks down to others would be fired on the spot https://t.co/TdDuCD7Yik

— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) February 12, 2021

Despite her relationship with Ducklo, McCammond was reassigned to cover Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden himself has yet to comment on the situation.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 12, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post WH Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo Suspended For Reportedly Threatening, Demeaning Female Reporter appeared first on The Political Insider.

Melania Trump Reveals Her Post-White House Plans – She’s Going To Maintain ‘Be Best’

Posted on January 31, 2021 by LifeZette

The former First Lady Melania Trump has revealed some of her post-White House plans, as she is reportedly starting an office in Palm Beach, Florida, in part to “maintain ‘Be Best.'”

Melania’s Post-White House Plans

This was revealed in a CNN report, which stated that Melania’s post-White House staff will include three familiar staffers: Hayley D’Antuono, who previously served as her director of operations and trip supervisor; Mary Finzer, who previously managed Melania’s “gift closet;” and Marcia Kelly, a former unpaid senior adviser in the White House.

Sources said that the team is planning to initially work remotely and out of the Trumps’ private Mar-a-Lago Club, though Melania, 50, is looking for a separate office space in Palm Beach.

This comes days after former President Donald Trump announced that he is launching his own post-White House office.

Palm Beach Residents Attack Trumps

This also comes after the town of Palm Beach confirmed it was reviewing whether the Trumps could legally make their residence at Mar-a-Lago, in light of an agreement that the former president signed back in 1993, according to People Magazine.

This agreement, which Trump signed after he converted his former residence into the private club, stated that no members would stay there for longer than seven days at a time.

Residents of Palm Beach have been calling on local officials to examine the issue.

“It’s a legal matter. It’s a contract,” said Palm Beach Town Manager Kirk Blouin. “We have attorneys that prepared [the use agreement] for the town … obviously it was prepared many, many years ago. So because it’s a legal matter, it is being reviewed.”

After launching “Be Best,” Melania said that she was alright with criticism, explaining in 2018, “It is not news or surprising to me that critics and the media have chosen to ridicule me for speaking out on this issue, and that’s okay.”

“I remain committed to tackling this topic because it will provide a better world for our children,” she continued.

“And I hope that, like I do, you will consider using their negative words as motivation to do all you can to bring awareness and understanding about responsible online behavior,” Melania added.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 30, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Melania Trump Reveals Her Post-White House Plans – She’s Going To Maintain ‘Be Best’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

Biden White House Responds To Twitter Banning Trump – They Feel ‘Blessed’

Posted on January 28, 2021 by LifeZette

President Joe Biden’s White House reportedly feels “blessed” over the fact that Twitter banned Donald Trump earlier this month.

Biden’s White House Feels ‘Blessed’ Trump Has Been Banned From Twitter

“The President spent two years ignoring Trump’s distractions and staying focused on the message he wanted to deliver, and it paid off with a commanding win,” an unnamed White House official told Politico, which described Twitter banning Trump as a “priceless gift.”

The official went on to say that the Biden administration will stick to its communications strategy regardless of what Trump does in the future.

“Whether or not Trump slinks back into public view or opens up a Parler account isn’t going to make a difference in how we communicate with the American people,” the official said.

Another source who Politico described as an “outside adviser” said that Biden’s White House feels “blessed” by Trump not being on Twitter.

“Not having to deal with a deranged new tweet every hour? They feel blessed,” the adviser claimed.

Trump Banned From Twitter Earlier This Month

Twitter banned Trump earlier this month after accusing him of inciting the riots at the Capitol. Since then, Trump has remained almost completely silent after leaving the White House and heading to Florida.

“It has become abundantly clear since his absence on Twitter how much Trump was driving a media narrative,” said Paul Bentz, an Arizona-based Republican strategist and pollster.

Philip N. Howard, director of the Oxford Internet Institute, celebrated Trump being removed from Twitter as well.

“Trump had an amazing ability to distract from issues. He was able to plant seeds of doubt about entire institutions and regular democratic processes,” he said. “Having him off Twitter allows the conversation about climate change to stay on topic — and about evidence. The conversation about race and social inequality can stay focused on policy ideas.”

“He was a kind of sinkhole in the media ecosystem,” Howard added, “which often trapped professional journalists into covering inane stories or simply burned them out as individuals.”

Though Twitter banned Trump, however, support for him is not dwindling. A new Morning Consult poll found that an increasing number of Republicans, 50 percent, want Trump to play a “major role” in putting together the future of the GOP.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 28, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Biden White House Responds To Twitter Banning Trump – They Feel ‘Blessed’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

The Trump-Impeachment Farce

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Conrad Black

The Democrats’ late hit will only end up costing them.

WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki: Even With Impeachment, Biden Can Reach ‘Unity’ With Trump Supporters

Posted on January 27, 2021 by John Hanson

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told a reporter that President Joe Biden could still achieve “unity” with 74 million supporters of Donald Trump even while encouraging the Senate to move forward with an impeachment trial of the former president.

Ami magazine’s Jake Turx asked Psaki during the daily White House press briefing, “Does the president believe he can attain unity with the 74 million Trump voters while urging his allies in the Senate to hold an impeachment trial after his predecessor has already left office?”

Watch the exchange below.

Psaki: Biden ‘Is Speaking To All Of The American People’

Psaki responded, “Well, the president believes he was elected by 81 million Americans in part because they believed he was somebody who could help bring the country together, unify the country around addressing the crises we face.”

“And when he talks every day, nearly, about getting the pandemic under control, putting people back to work, he is not just speaking to people who voted for him,” she added.

Then Psaki addressed Biden’s approach to Trump supporters.

The press secretary said Biden, “is speaking to all of the American people, including the 74 million who didn’t vote for him.”

Despite calls for unity, @PressSec Jen Psaki, says President @JoeBiden won't ask Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi to drop the impeachment effort against Donald Trump.

She said Biden's view is "the way to bring the country together, is to address the problems we are facing." pic.twitter.com/fgJy639tZ7

— KUSI News (@KUSINews) January 21, 2021

How many of those 74 million voters honestly feel like Biden is speaking for or looking out for them?

Psaki continued, “And certainly addressing the pandemic, making, insuring people that don’t worry about the health and safety of their grandparents, of their sisters and brothers, getting kids back to school — that is not a partisan position.”

When asked if an impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump would undercut a message of unity, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said ignoring all that he did would be ‘harmful to unity’ https://t.co/rCj2idkF9i pic.twitter.com/ubQwsM6nfD

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 21, 2021

Psaki Does Not Seem To See A Problem

She then insisted the president was standing up for all Americans.

“That is a leadership position, and one he’s taking because he wants to make sure he’s delivering for all the American people,” Psaki finished.

The Senate proceeded with impeachment plans on Tuesday after a motion by Sen. Rand Paul to dismiss the trial failed 55-45 with five Republicans crossing over to vote with the Democrats.

Paul had raised a point of order on the constitutionality of the trial, given that President Trump is already out of office and is now a private citizen.

Watch Psaki’s comments here, beginning at 1:09:55

The post WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki: Even With Impeachment, Biden Can Reach ‘Unity’ With Trump Supporters appeared first on The Political Insider.

CNN: Biden Says Impeachment Trial ‘Has To’ Happen

Posted on January 26, 2021 by John Hanson

CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins reported on Monday that President Joe Biden said a Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump “has to happen.”

Collins reported that Biden made his comments earlier on Monday during an off-camera interview with CNN.

President Joe Biden has offered his most extensive comments since taking office on President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins, "I think it has to happen" https://t.co/2OfPOHhKcd pic.twitter.com/70HEpzEoZp

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 26, 2021

CNN Report On Biden’s View Of Trump Trial: ‘I Think It Has To Happen’

Collins also reports that Biden does not believe enough Republicans will vote to convict the former president.

As it stands, 17 Republicans would need to join the Democrats in order to reach the two-thirds threshold to convict.

Biden had previously appeared concerned that an impeachment process might distract Democrats from his agenda, but also reportedly said there would be “a worse effect” if it did not happen.

“The Senate has changed since I was there, but it hasn’t changed that much,” Biden said.

On Monday night, House Democrats delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate, accusing Trump of inciting the riots in and around Capitol Hill on January 6.

Trump is the first president to be impeached twice, though Republicans opposed to impeachment say the fact that he’s no longer president makes the push absurd, and perhaps unconstitutional.

The trial is scheduled to start Feb. 8.

Biden Concerned Impeachment Could Affect His 100 Day Agenda

Biden’s Monday comments to CNN come in the wake of a statement the president released earlier this month in which he called the House impeachment vote “a bipartisan vote cast by members who followed the Constitution and their conscience.”

NEW: Pres.-elect Biden releases statement on impeachment of Pres. Trump: "I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation." pic.twitter.com/cXpMtNIUiY

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 14, 2021

10 House Republicans joined the Democrats in voting to impeach.

“This nation also remains in the grip of a deadly virus and a reeling economy,” Biden said at the time.

He added, “I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation.”

But was Joe Biden right the first time – will Democrats’ seemingly relentless impeachment efforts distract them from getting on with the business of the nation?

Particularly when it is doubtful there would be enough Republicans to see this through?

The post CNN: Biden Says Impeachment Trial ‘Has To’ Happen appeared first on The Political Insider.

Trump’s Impeachment Trial Would Harm, Not Heal, the Nation

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Jeffrey J. Poelvoorde

It’s not too late to consider another path while still holding Trump accountable for his actions.

Megyn Kelly Blames CNN And Media For Capitol Riots

Posted on January 25, 2021 by LifeZette

In the weeks since the Capitol riots earlier this month, liberals have been placing all of the blame for what happened squarely on President Donald Trump. Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, however, is speaking out to place some of the blame on CNN and on the media.

Kelly Goes After The Media

Kelly argued that networks are to blame for “a complete lack of trust” in this country, according to Daily Mail.

“Part of the reason we saw what happened at the Capitol here two weeks ago is because there had been a complete lack of trust in the media, and people don’t know where to turn for true information, they don’t trust the media anymore. And it’s a major problem,” Kelly explained.

“They hated him so much, they checked their objectivity, and it wasn’t just CNN, all of them did. They just couldn’t check their own personal feelings about him,” she added. “The media destroyed itself, but Trump certainly helped. He sort of set a trap that walked right into and it worked really well.”

Kelly Doubles Down

Not stopping there, Kelly went on to say that lots of reporters followed the “Jorge Ramos theory of covering Trump,” by describing Trump’s remarks as racist and misogynist.

“I remember listening to all of [Trump’s] disparaging comments about CNN when he first became a national figure as a presidential candidate, and I watched a lot of CNN even though I was on Fox,” Kelly continued. “And I was like this is unfair. CNN may be a little boring, but it’s fair and it’s factual. It’s not biased against Trump. Then they spent the next four years proving him right – proving me wrong.”

“We could have a little less crazy rhetoric from the White House, but it’s not going to change how divided we are here in America because Trump was the symptom of those divisions, not the cause of them,” she added.

Kelly Gets Backlash And Support

Kelly has quickly been met with backlash on social media for her comments.

“I’m sorry but I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous as Megyn Kelly saying on BBC Newsnight that Trump mobs attacked the Capitol because they didn’t trust the media — not Trump lying that the election was stolen,” tweeted British journalist Hugo Lowell.

Others, however, have expressed support for Kelly and voiced their agreement.

“This from @megynkelly is so spot on. The media poisoned the faith in them to present unvarnished news thanks to their blatantly biased coverage of Trump. Now, with Biden, the opposite will be true. There will be no objective scrutiny and reporting,” one user tweeted.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 25, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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