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Comey Begins Press Tour, Hammers Trump
On Sunday, Former FBI Director, James Comey sat down for an hour-long “20/20” special with ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos. This interview was Comey’s first since he was fired by Trump, it is also the launch of his book tour, A Higher Loyalty.
A Higher Loyalty is set to be released this Tuesday. Flatiron Books moved up the release date of the book from May 1st to April 17th, citing high demand to hear Comey’s story as the FBI came under “intense scrutiny” during the Russia investigation.
Stephanopoulos and Comey also brought up the Super Bowl interview between O’Reilly and Trump which was left out of the edited interview.
During Sunday’s “20/20” interview, Comey made a bunch of controversial comments. A couple of highlights include, “I don’t think he is medically unfit to be president – I think he’s morally unfit to be president.” Comey went on to say, “A person who sees moral equivalence in Charlottesville, who talks about and treats women like they’re pieces of meat, who lies constantly about matters big and small and insists the American people believe it, that person’s not fit to be president of the United States, on moral grounds. And that’s not a policy statement. I don’t care what your views are on guns, or immigration, or taxes,” Comey said, insisting it’s far more important that “Our president must embody respect and adhere to the values that are at the core of this country. The most important being ‘truth’. This president is not able to do that. He is morally unfit to be president.”
White House Weighing More Russia Sanctions
The White House said a decision to impose new economic sanctions against Russia will be made soon, but they did not commit to an official date.
In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: "We are considering additional sanctions on Russia and a decision will be made in the near future." While the sanctions have not been finalized, the United States is considering economic sanctions aimed at companies it alleges have dealt with equipment related to chemical weapons, according to U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.
This would be the 3rd round of sanctions against Russia in the past four weeks. In March, the Trump Administration targeted Russian companies and individuals for intervening in the 2016 election and mounting cyberattacks against Western facilities. Earlier this month, penalties were placed against Vladimir Putin's inner circle, singling out some of Russia's richest men and top government officials.
The sanctions are repercussions on Russia for enabling the government of Syrian leader Bashar Assad to continue using chemical weapons. Haley said Russia has blocked six attempts by the U.N. Security Council to make it easier to investigate the use of chemical weapons. Haley made clear the United States won't be pulling troops out of Syria right away, saying U.S. involvement there "is not done."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov reacted to Haley’s comments saying, Moscow will not delay its response to new U.S. sanctions, according to Russian state news agency RIA. Ryabkov said that Russia's lower house of parliament is considering legislation that would give the Kremlin the power to restrict U.S. imports, RIA reported.
Thomas Jefferson Statue Branded With ‘Racist + Rapist’ On His Birthday
At the University of Virginia, a statue of Thomas Jefferson was vandalized with red spray paint that read, “Racist + Rapist”. The vandalism took place on Friday, April 13th, the day of Thomas Jefferson’s 275th Birthday. Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819, and the University celebrates “Founders Day” each year on Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday. The University authorities are further investigating the incident and they have no suspect at this point in time.
The university said that they are disappointed that individuals vandalized the statue of Thomas Jefferson on the Lawn on the day that we honor his contributions to our University and to our democracy. The university recognizes the complexities of Thomas Jefferson’s legacy and continues to explore them fully and honestly. UVA welcomes open and civil discourse on such important issues. However, acts of vandalism do not contribute to meaningful discussion.
The incident is not the first-time Virginia students have demonstrated an objection to a Jefferson statue. In September, students wrapped a statue of Jefferson in black during a protest condemning the college’s handling of white nationalist rallies held in Charlottesville, Va., several weeks prior.
Other statues have caused a problem in the community too. During the white nationalist rally in August, far rights groups rallied around a statue of Confederate Robert E. Lee in the state after it was announced it was going to be removed.
Barbara Bush In Failing Health, Won't Seek Further Treatment
On Sunday, it was announced that Barbara Bush will no longer be seeking medical care after various hospitalizations. At 92 years old, Barbara Bush has been suffering for some time and has been in and out of the hospital multiple times in the last year while battling with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, and congestive heart failure.
Most recently, she was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on Good Friday suffering from shortness of breath. Bush was doing better and had been released earlier this week, but her health started to deteriorate over the past couple of days.
Bush is being cared for at her home in Houston and has decided she does not want to go back into the hospital. She has been on oxygen for some time. Bush's office released a statement, confirming after a “recent series of hospitalizations,” she has decided against seeking additional medical help and will instead focus on “comfort care.”
The statement continued, “It will not surprise those who know her that Barbara Bush has been a rock in the face of her failing health, worrying not for herself — thanks to her abiding faith — but for others. She is surrounded by a family she adores, and appreciates the many kind messages and especially the prayers she is receiving.”
Mail Time!
- Perhaps the Inspector General's report was released late Friday afternoon because it was known that President Trump would be addressing the nation later that evening about the bombing of Syria, and that the Syria issue would likely monopolize the Sunday shows...What is your take on this?
- Thank you for taking time out on Saturday to offer us solid analysis on Syria and the Cohen raid. Your commentary is spot on, and I haven't found anything on network or cable news to match it. Since this is open to all, I'll share this with my non-Premium Member friends and invite them to sample it to encourage them to become Premium Members, so they can see firsthand the benefits of your analysis.
- Hi Bill, remember the last time we had a special prosecutor during the Clinton Administration? This country was so side tracked and damaged. Terrorist were in our country planning the 9/11 attacks. Special prosecutions are very dangerous and to prove this nonsense. The people will speak up at midterms.
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