| | | | Trump's 'shithole' comment is his new rock bottom | | On Thursday, in a meeting with a senators and House members on immigration, the President of the United States, asked this: "Why do we want all these people from 'shithole countries' coming here?"
Yes, he said "shithole countries" -- apparently in reference to the fact that immigrants from places like El Salvador, Haiti and Africa were being protected in a potential bipartisan deal to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and secure funding for border security.
What's even more appalling is that the White House didn't even try to deny that Trump used that slur, which was first reported in The Washington Post. In fact, in a lengthy statement from White House spokesman Raj Shah, the administration seemed to even defend the sentiment.
But it gets even worse. Asked about the "shithole" comments, a White House official told CNN's Kaitlan Collins this: "The President's 'shithole' remark is being received much differently inside of the White House than it is outside of it. Though this might enrage Washington, staffers predict the comment will resonate with his base, much like his attacks on NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem did not alienate it."
Stop. Read that again. Here's what it means: The President's voicing of a racist remark about the sorts of people whom we are letting into the country is actually a good thing because people who like Trump will agree with him. Make no mistake: This is the lowest ebb of a presidency defined by a series of low ebbs and defining of the presidency downward.
This is not only a President of the United States voicing racist sentiment in front of a group of people. It is also doubling down on those sentiments -- proudly! -- because it might advance his political power among his base. This is -- much like Charlottesville -- an abdication of the moral authority of the presidency, but it's more than that: It's saying, quite simply, that saying racist stuff is a-OK as long as it works politically. There are things that are -- or should be -- beyond politics. The most important of those things is the belief that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
It's right there in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. And, "we believe these truths to be self evident" because, well, they are. The progress to a more perfect union hasn't always honored this pledge as it should. But this is 2018. Can't we agree that discriminating against people based on what they look like -- or what country they might come from -- is wrong? Apparently not, according to President Trump.
Let me remind you in case you have forgotten: This is the President of the United States we are talking about. The President of ALL 300 million people -- not just the ones who voted for Trump and who might respond well to his "shithole" comments. The President of a country literally built on the idea of a melting pot of immigrants. Whether or not you voted for Trump, whether or not you still support him, whether or not you think this "shithole" comment will land well with his base, you need to acknowledge that voicing views like these is simply wrong. It is, quite literally, anti-American. Period. Full Stop.
Read my full take here.
--Chris | | | Since we already quoted the quote, we give you the chyron. | | Slow news day, am I right? Just kidding. Check out these reads if you need a breaking news break:
The Wall Street Journal's Sara Castellanos wrote about Harley, the adorable FBI Canine Agent Sniffing Out Cyber Evidence.
The Cut's "How I Get It Done" features the amazing Jodi Kantor, of the New York Times.
Also in The Cut: Moira Donegan penned a powerful first person 'I Started the Media Men List.'
Los Angeles Times' Amy Kaufman and Daniel Miller broke this today: Five women accuse actor James Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior.
Last but not least: Vulture ranked every "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" song. | | | Listen to Jack White's new single "Connected By Love." | | 'PROBABLY' A GOOD RELATIONSHIP | | CNN's Dan Merica also reported Thursday that "President Donald Trump would not say whether he has talked with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday, claiming that he 'probably' has a good relationship with the rogue leader.
'I don't want to comment on it. I'm not saying I have or haven't,' he said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday. 'I just don't want to comment.'"
Read more in Dan's article here. And for reference: in December, Saba compiled a timeline of all Trump's tough talk directed at North Korea. It dates back to a 1999 interview with the late Tim Russert on "Meet the Press," during which Trump said North Korea was "sort of wacko." Check out Saba's timeline here. | | CNN's Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju confirmed Thursday that former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon "has retained a top Washington lawyer to represent him in his closed-door interview with the House Intelligence Committee expected next week.
William Burck, a former White House special counsel during the George W. Bush administration and a former federal prosecutor, is helping Bannon prepare for questions from the House panel about the presidential campaign."
Read more here. | | MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS IN MISSOURI | | CNN'S Madison Park, MJ Lee and Rebecca Berg reported Thursday:
"Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens confronted bombshell allegations of sexual misconduct and blackmail Wednesday night -- salacious charges that forced a rising Republican star to acknowledge that he had had an extramarital affair but also vehemently deny that he had resorted to blackmail.
CNN affiliate KMOV published an investigation alleging that Greitens, who is married, had a sexual relationship with an unidentified woman. The woman's ex-husband cooperated with KMOV, providing what he said was a recording from 2015 of his former wife describing in detail disturbing interactions she had with Greitens. Greitens was elected to office in 2016.
In a series of statements Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Greitens pushed back on key allegations from the woman's ex-husband. Greitens' lawyer, James Bennett, said in a statement, 'There was no blackmail and that claim is false.'"
Read more in their full story here; and check out Chris' Q&A with Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis Public Radio about Greitens here. | | | CNN's Deirdre Walsh and Ashley Killough report: "The House of Representatives passed legislation reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is a key tool of the US intelligence community, despite President Donald Trump's tweeted criticism of the government's surveillance program. The vote was 256-164. It now goes to the Senate for consideration." The vote came after President Donald Trump's sunrise tweet casting aspersions on the domestic surveillance program his own intelligence officials have called essential, as CNN's Kevin Liptak, Jamie Gangel and Deirdre reported earlier.
But, "at 9:14 a.m. ET, the President, in a tweet, appeared to walk back his earlier criticism. He wrote: 'With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today's vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!'"
The White House claimed there was no contradiction in Trump's FISA tweets. | | | It's been a long day! Don't forget to tell your friends and family to subscribe to The Point. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | | | | |
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