| | | | | President Donald Trump addresses a meeting Thursday with governors and members of Congress on agriculture at the White House. Credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images | | | GOP Planning Offensive for Comey Book Release: The plan aims to discredit the former FBI director
Diamond and Silk, Conservative Internet Folk Heroes: The sisters were name checked nine times at Zuckerberg hearing
President Trump, TV News Promoter: He promised Sean Hannity's show would be "big" | | | What the White House Is Talking About:
President Donald Trump gives remarks today on "tax cuts for American workers," per the official schedule, in the Rose Garden.
What the White House Press Corps Is Talking About:
Welp, here goes: There's Mike Pompeo's testimony on the Hill (which you can watch live here), a make-or-break day for him to get the votes needed to become secretary of state. Then there's the Syria issue and Trump's new tweet about it. Also, we've got the new info about a reported payout to a Trump Tower doorman. And speculation about whether Trump will fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
As of now, still no White House briefing on the schedule for today.
"Where Is Our 'Thank You, America?' "
Trump was just psyching us out Wednesday when he tweeted he was going to strike Syria, or something. Because today he tweeted, "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not soon at all!" Aw, man, good one, POTUS! You almost had me (and the National Security Council, and our allies, and Vladimir Putin, and Congress). In the same tweet, he went on to say he's done a great job ridding the region of ISIS and asking for thanks on that front.
GOP Planning Offensive For Comey Book Release:
CNN's Jeff Zeleny today had the exclusive details on how the GOP is prepping to protect the President for Tuesday's release of James Comey's book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership." It's taking several approaches, most of which attempt to discredit the ex-FBI director fired by Trump. The White House signed off on the plan, which is being overseen by the Republican National Committee, Zeleny says. Comey's interviews about the book start Sunday night with George Stephanopoulos; he sits down with CNN's Jake Tapper on April 19, and on April 25, CNN's Anderson Cooper leads a town hall with Comey from his alma mater, William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Website With a Nickname:
The RNC's attempt to tamp down damage from the Comey book includes bestowing him with a very Trump-ian nickname, and a nicknamed website. LyinComey.com is live -- here's a screen shot: | | Credit: lyincomey.com
Time's Cover of Trump in Stormy Waters:
People are talking about this new cover, which is even cooler when you click the link and watch the animation, which depicts stormwaters rising around Trump as he sits in the Oval Office. | | Credit: @time/Twitter
Another National Enquirer Connection:
The New Yorker's Ronan Farrow is reporting the tabloid paid $30,000 to a doorman at Trump Tower so he would keep quiet about rumors concerning Trump's extramarital love life. The payout to Dino Sajudin happened in late 2015 to prevent him from gossiping that Trump had fathered a child with a Trump employee in the late 1980s, according to The New Yorker. AMI, the Enquirer's parent company, denied The New Yorker story, which The Associated Press is also reporting. AMI is embroiled in another "catch-and-kill" controversy over Trump concerning former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who says she had a 10-month affair with Trump.
Powerful Media List Is Out:
And again Hunter and I are not on it. But it's still a good read ...
The BOTUS Merch is Off the Chain:
There are now, like, four or five different styles of Marlon Bundo merchandise you can buy. There's a Bible verse one, long- and short-sleeve seal options, and a graphically simple #BOTUS. They range from $15.99 to $25.99 on Amazon. The Pence family bunny is hopping all the way into this whole book thing by adding the clothing component -- and unlike with purchase of the book, there's no mention that any portion of the T-shirt sales go to charity. | | Dress Like the First Daughter:
Here's my thing: If you're going to spend $1,100 on a piece from Calvin Klein 205W39NYC collection, why this one? I just feel like it's a fairly generic-looking blue floral pencil skirt. I'm not saying the $2,900 bow dress version is any better, but at least it's interesting? Am I wrong? Tell me. Ivanka Trump wore this baby blue ensemble Wednesday at a bill signing at the White House. | | Credit: @ivankaupdates/Instagram, bergdorfgoodman.com
And Today ... Ivanka Lands in Peru:
Even though her dad isn't attending, an announcement Trump made this week, Ivanka Trump has, per her Instagram Story, touched down via government jet in Lima, Peru, to attend the Summit of the Americas and push her women's economic development agenda. Today she tells her Insta viewers that she's on her way to the Lima Stock Exchange to meet with female business leaders. | | | Credit: @ivankatrump/Instagram | | What Washington Is Talking About:
The confirmation hearing for secretary of state nominee Mike Pompeo is being held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a group of Democrats have written a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai expressing their concerns regarding Sinclair Broadcasting Group and its "fitness to hold its existing broadcast licenses."
What America Is Talking About:
Khloé Kardashian gave birth to a baby girl.
Poll of the Day:
The percentage of US Facebook users who are "very concerned" about invasion on privacy has risen 13 percentage points from 2011 to today, from 30% to 43%, according to Gallup. | | Credit: Gallup
Zuck Day II:
Bravo to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which did not completely embarrass itself when questioning Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday. Lawmakers did not let Zuckerberg get away with filibustering through long, meandering answers that didn't directly respond to their questions.
Zuckerberg told Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat who represents Silicon Valley and his home of Palo Alto, that his personal data was among that obtained by Cambridge Analytica (he wasn't asked if it was because he used the This Is Your Digital Life app himself or because a friend of his did). Eshoo asked some of the most pointed questions, which she said came from her constituents, and said she believes "our democratic institutions are undergoing a stress test. ... The damage done to our democracy, relative to Facebook and its platform being weaponized, are incalculable."
Oof.
Diamond and Silk Have Become Conservative Internet Folk Heroes:
Diamond and Silk, the internet famous Trump-supporting sisters, have become the face of accusations of suppression of conservative content on Facebook over the past two days because they claim Facebook told them their content is "unsafe." The duo was mentioned nine times during Wednesday's hearing by six members of Congress and once by Zuckerberg, who claimed the "unsafe" label was in error. Roseanne Barr even came out in support of the sisters. | | Credit: Diamond and Silk - The Viewers View/YouTube
Conservative Content is Actually Widely Available on Facebook:
According to the latest report from NewWhip, a company that tracks publisher trends on social media, conservative news outlets are among those with the highest level of Facebook interactions. Its March report found nonpartisan mainstream sources dominate -- CNN.com is No. 1 followed by nbc.com at No. 2 and nytimes.com in No. 4 -- but foxnews.com comes in at No. 3, dailywire.com at No. 11, and breitbart.com comes in at No. 21. | | Credit: NewsWhip
So What's Next with Facebook?:
Zuckerberg said throughout his two days of questioning that he was in favor of government regulations but declined to offer specifics. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a conservative Republican and chair of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, sounded like it was something she wanted to make happen, referencing HIPPA laws that protect patent privacy and the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which protects consumer privacy. Stay tuned.
President Trump, TV News Promoter:
Trump has long urged his followers on Twitter to tune into Fox News, including Wednesday night when he promised "Hannity" would be a "big show." What, pray tell, did Sean Hannity talk about on his show?
He used ABC News' tease about its upcoming interview with James Comey in which the ex-FBI director likened Trump to a mob boss to compare Comey, special counsel Robert Mueller and the Clintons to a "Deep State Crime Family." He literally used a conspiracy theory cork board as an onscreen graphic. You can watch the segment for yourself here. | | Credit: Fox News
Steph Curry Now Raffling Off His Obama MBK Sneakers for Charity:
The sneakers, which Curry wore in Washington in support of former President Barack Obama's My Brother's Keeper Alliance in February, are among six available to fans who donate $10 for Curry's Curry Family Foundation Charity Campaign. The campaign has as of this morning raised more than $21,000 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT Friday. | | Credit: StockX
Stormy Commercial Airs:
The ad was for Stormy Daniels' upcoming performances at Fantasies nightclub in Baltimore for three nights next week. I saw it Wednesday night on CNN. I wonder if our cable news-junkie President also saw it? | | Credit: Hunter Schwarz
Invasion of Privacy:
Thank you, Saint Hoax, for putting Zuckerberg's face on Cardi B's "Invasion of Privacy" album cover. | | Credit: @sainthoax/Instagram
Street Art Sighting:
Spotted on 13th Street and Park Road NW in Washington's Columbia Heights by Jackie Ramsay: a horror movie take on four members of Trump's administration/inner circle. It's by Robbie Conal, the famed street artist behind the 1988 "Contra Diction" print of Ronald Reagan. | | Credit: Jackie Ramsay
If you spot political street art, tweet me @hunterschwarz, tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com with your sighting so I can feature it in COVER/LINE.
P.S.:
A 26-year-old Taylor Swift fan from Connecticut has been arrested and accused of robbing a bank and throwing some of the cash over Swift's fence to impress her. | | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment