Today in Campaign 2016
Hillary Clinton faced a serious hurdle in the form of an inspector general’s report and Donald Trump made faces at protestors in California who compared him to war criminals - here’s a quick rundown of the biggest political news from the campaign trail today:
- The state department inspector general has issued a scathing report on Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email account and personal server for official business when she was secretary of state, calling the personal email “not an appropriate method” and highlighting the “security risks” in doing so. The 78-page investigation by the inspector general of the state department singled out several previously unknown breaches by Clinton while she was secretary of state, including the use of mobile devices to conduct official business without checking whether they posed a security risk.
- Although the report is potentially less damaging than a separate investigation by the FBI into whether she broke federal laws, it poses a significant challenge to the Clinton campaign, which has recently slipped behind Donald Trump in opinion polling.
- At a rally in Anaheim, California, Donald Trump said that the report was proof that Clinton did not have the judgment to serve as commander in chief. “She’s got horribly bad judgment, and that was stated by none other than Crazy Bernie!” Trump said. “Now, if you look at the war in Iraq, if you look at Libya, which is a total catastrophe, and by the way, with Benghazi and with our ambassador - remember? That’s all Hillary Clinton, folks.”
- In a speech at the Center for Popular Democracy’s annual gala last night, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren opened up with both barrels on Donald Trump, calling him a “money-grubber” who rooted for families to get thrown out of their homes in the housing market crash, a tool of the Wall Street banks and a tax delinquent.
- A top Trump staffer was abruptly let go on this evening under mysterious circumstances, after a dispute with the campaign’s Florida director. Rick Wiley was the presumptive nominee’s national political director and a close ally of Paul Manafort, a veteran political operative who has been in the middle of an ongoing and well-publicized power struggle with campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Manafort, who was recently promoted to be the campaign’s chief strategist, was brought on by Trump in March after Ted Cruz ran up a number of victories in the delegate selection process.
Representative Xavier Becerra did little on Wednesday to play down speculation that he is in contention to be Hillary Clinton’s presidential election running mate.
“I make of it what everyone else makes of it,” he told the Guardian, laughing. “No one knows and the only person who knows is Hillary Clinton and she’ll get to make that decision when she’s the nominee. I have full faith she’s going to make a fabulous decision.”
Becerra, who as the number four Democrat in the House is the highest-ranking Latino in the party, added: “Right now I’m doing a lot of work here to help a lot of Democrats from Secretary Clinton to a lot of my colleagues to get election. We need a president who’s not only going to get things done but have a Congress that will work with her to get things done.”
But Becerra stopped short of calling on Clinton’s rival Bernie Sanders to drop out of the primary race. “I love to have vigorous, spirited debates,” he said during a press conference outside the Democratic national committee headquarters in Washington. “That’s what democracy is about for me. So we have had that and we have inspired a lot of folks to come out. A year ago people were saying Democrats aren’t enthusiastic about going to vote. I think that’s absolutely not the case today.”
Speaking at the same event, Representative Hakeem Jeffries noted that at this point in the 2008 campaign, 40% of Clinton’s supporters said that they would under no circumstances back Barack Obama. “In 2008, Democrats came together to defeat John McCain,” he continued. “It is certainly the case that in 2016 we’re going to come together to defeat Donald Trump, the most dangerous threat to democracy as we know it that the United States has seen in recent history.”
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus lined up to condemn Trump over his 2006 comments hoping for the housing crisis because he could profit from it.
Becerra said: “I think people are beginning to wise up to what Donald Trump is. We don’t need a parasite to be our president. We don’t need a a predator to be our president. We need someone who will bring us together and work hard for everyone, not just for those who will make some money off the misery and desperation of our fellow Americans.”
Representative Linda Sánchez described Trump as “the personification of heartless greed”. Representative Gregory Meeks added: “When he [Trump] said that the financial crisis and failure would be a good thing, what was he talking about? Was it a good result for African American families? Was it a good result for average, everyday families? The answer is loud and clear: no.
“By the end of 2009, recent African American borrowers were 76% more likely to have lost their homes to foreclosure than those similar white borrowers. And between 2007 and 2012, African Americans lost over half of their net worth due to job loss and declining homeownership.”
The Associated Press reports:
R&B singer The Weeknd and rapper Belly have canceled their performance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” because Donald Trump was set to appear on the episode. The Oscar-nominated musicians were slated to record their performance Wednesday in Los Angeles for the late-night ABC show.
Belly said he canceled because he didn’t want to share a stage with Trump and disagrees with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s views and beliefs.
“I feel like the way I was raised was to be able to see through all the titles in this world from religion to race,” Belly said in a statement. “I just didn’t want to feel like I was a part of a celebration for somebody who has beliefs that majority of us don’t agree with.”
Trump has been criticized by some political rivals and voters for his comments on topics including women, refugees, immigrants and Muslims, such as when he said some Mexican immigrants in the U.S. illegally are “rapists” and when he called for a ban on Muslim immigration into the United States.
A Trump spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on The Weeknd and Belly.
The Jimmy Kimmel show had no comment, a representative said. Representatives for The Weeknd didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The Weeknd won two Grammy Awards earlier this year, including best urban contemporary album for “Beauty Behind the Madness.” Belly has co-written many of The Weeknd’s hits, including “Earned It,” “The Hills,” “Into the Night” and “Often.” The Weeknd appears on Belly’s song “Might Not,” which they were set to perform on Kimmel’s show.
Belly, who’s signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation management, will release a new mixtape, “Another Day In Paradise,” on Friday.
Updated
The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs has more on the departure of Donald Trump’s national political director:
Wait, did Trump just fire Rick Wiley? pic.twitter.com/zof371i8i4
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) May 26, 2016
A top Trump staffer was abruptly let go this evening under mysterious circumstances, after a dispute with the campaign’s Florida director.
Rick Wiley was the presumptive nominee’s national political director and a close ally of Paul Manafort, a veteran political operative who has been in the middle of an ongoing and well-publicized power struggle with campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
Manafort, who was recently promoted to be the campaign’s chief strategist, was brought on by Trump in March after Ted Cruz ran up a number of victories in the delegate selection process.
Wiley, unlike many others on the campaign, had a well-established pedigree in Republican politics. The former campaign manager for Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s presidential campaign, Wiley was a former political director for the RNC and had longstanding ties with many party leaders.
Wiley’s departure came amid a disagreement with Karen Giorno, the campaign’s Florida director. The clash, first reported by Politico, led to Giorno being given sole responsibility for the Sunshine State.
As one campaign source told the Guardian: “Karen is rightfully held in high regard [on the campaign]. She won Florida for us.” The source noted that Giorno was not only well-connected and well-respected in the state but that she was “clearly dedicated to Trump” as well.
The description of Wiley being on a short-term contract as a consultant didn’t jibe with the campaign’s announcement of his hiring less than six weeks ago. At the time, the campaign said Wiley would handle the real estate mogul’s “statewide field operations” and Trump touted him as “a seasoned political expert with a very successful career in winning elections. He brings decades of experience, and his deep ties to political leaders and activists across the country will be a tremendous asset as we enter the final phase of securing the nomination.”
A campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for clarification as to whether Wiley had been fired and, if he was on contract, when his contract would have expired.
In a scathing editorial, the Washington Post has called Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state “inexcusable,” calling her actions “disturbingly unmindful of the rules.”
In its closing paragraph, the paper’s editorial board calls on the FBI to finish its investigation of Clinton soon, before the general election campaign is underway:
The department’s email technology was archaic. Other staffers also used personal email, as did Secretary Colin Powell (2001-2005), without preserving the records. But there is no excuse for the way Ms. Clinton breezed through all the warnings and notifications. While not illegal behavior, it was disturbingly unmindful of the rules. In the middle of the presidential campaign, we urge the FBI to finish its own investigation soon, so all information about this troubling episode will be before the voters.
Donald Trump’s national political director, Rick Wiley, is leaving the campaign after just six weeks.
The campaign’s statement on his departure:
“Rick Wiley was hired on a short-term basis as a consultant until the campaign was running full steam. It is now doing better than ever, we are leading in the polls, and we have many exciting events to go, far ahead of schedule, while Hillary continues her long, boring quest against Bernie. We would like to thank Rick for helping us during this transition period.
Top Trump advisor on Muslim ban: 'He’s already started moderating on that'
In a wide-ranging interview with the Huffington Post, top Donald Trump advisor Paul Manafort said that the candidate has “already started moderating” on one of his signature policy proposals: a ban of indeterminate length on entry into the US by foreign-born Muslims.
“He’s already started moderating on that,” Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman and chief strategist, said. “He operates by starting the conversation at the outer edges and then brings it back towards the middle. Within his comfort zone, he’ll soften it some more.”
“He’ll still end up outside of the norm, but in line with what the American people are thinking.”
On Trump’s other signature issue, however, the candidate will not shift his policy.
“He is going to build a wall. That is a core thing with him,” Manafort said. “He will push it strongly, and he will push for the immigration changes just as strongly.”
Other tidbits from the interview:
- Manafort doesn’t think Trump will ever release his tax records. “I will be surprised if he puts them out. I wouldn’t necessarily advise him to. It’s not really an issue for the people we are appealing to. His tax returns are incredibly complicated. I wouldn’t understand them, so how are the American people going to? The financial disclosure he put out gives the salient points,” Manafort said. “The only people who want the tax returns are the people who want to defeat him.”
- He still sees Latino voters siding with Trump. “The message is going to be jobs, national security, terrorism, family values and education,” Manafort said. “In that order.”
-
Trump’s terrible numbers with women are no big deal. “Our numbers even now are not that far out of whack,” Manafort said. “We’re down 12 among women, but up 20 among men. Hillary is the one who’s got a gender gap. And while we are behind among women over all, we’re ahead among white women even now. We’ll get some black and Hispanic women as we go along.”
As “build the wall” is chanted in Anaheim, Hillary Clinton has other suggestions for the $25 billion it would cost:
So, @realDonaldTrump's wall would cost $25 billion.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 26, 2016
Here's what else we could do with that money.https://t.co/LeDSdcpySI
New Mexico governor Susana Martinez’s office has responded to criticism from presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, releasing a statement declaring that the governor “will not be bullied” into endorsing him.
“Governor Martinez doesn’t care about what Donald Trump says about her,” press secretary Mike Lonergan said. “She cares about what he says he will do to help New Mexicans. She’s disappointed that she didn’t hear anything about that last night.”
During a rally in her home state last night, Trump railed against the nation’s first Latina governor, who has declined to endorse him for president.
“She has to do a better job, okay? She’s not doing the job,” Trump said. “We’ve got to get her moving. Come on, let’s go governor.”
Updated
Can Elizabeth Warren unite a divided Democratic party to stop Trump?
Hopes are turning to the anti-establishment senator to heal the wounds of the Democratic race, the Guardian’s Dan Roberts reports, and help the party build a united front for the general election.
With polls warning that Hillary Clinton could lose the presidential election if she does not find a way to unite Bernie Sanders supporters behind her, hopes are turning to another champion of American progressives to heal the wounds of their long Democratic nomination battle.
Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts senator who rose to prominence fighting Wall Street, has so far carefully avoided taking sides in the ongoing struggle between Sanders and Clinton, declining to endorse either candidate after resisting intense pressure to run herself.
While this left her overshadowed during the flowering of popular support for a similar anti-establishment message from Sanders, the leader of the so-called “Warren wing” in Congress has shot back into the spotlight in recent days.
First came a war of words with Donald Trump, who remains by far the best source of unity for Democrats and who returned fire with trademark diplomacy by simply calling her “goofy”.
But it continued on Tuesday with a speech at the Center for Popular Democracy’s annual gala, in which Warren adopted many of the same talking points employed by Clinton against her likely opponent – slamming the property investor Trump for once welcoming a US housing crash.
“What kind of a man roots for people to get thrown out of their houses? What kind of a man roots for people to get thrown out of their jobs? To root for people to lose their pensions?” Warren asked.
The Daily Beast has a cracker of a story about The Trump Network’s Privatest, a multi-level marketing scheme that used urine tests to create customized vitamins for those who subscribed to the service for a small monthly fee.
The product, endorsed by Donald Trump, eventually failed, but not before being derided as a “scam.” The whole story is worth a look, but here’s a good slugline:
Pieter Cohen, a Harvard doctor and expert on supplements, thinks the paper uses polysyllabic scientific words’ to confuse people into thinking it’s real. ‘If you don’t have experimental data that has been vetted by experts, you don’t have any evidence of anything,’ said Cohen. ‘This chapter is not worth the pixels it takes up on our monitors.’
Wasserman Schultz: 'I am focused on doing my job'
Florida representative and Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz told Bloomberg today that she’s ignoring calls from some within her party that she step down from her position as head of the DNC.
“I am focused on doing my job,” Wasserman Schultz said. “We are 60 days from the Democratic National Convention, and we are singularly focused on putting on the best political convention America has ever seen, that will launch our eventual nominee to the White House.”
Jeff Weaver, Bernie Sanders’ campaign manager, has been particularly critical of Wasserman Schultz, telling CNN that “I think someone else could play a more positive role.”
“There’s been a pattern of conduct which calls into question whether she can really be the kind of unifying force we need in the Democratic Party.”
A petition on MoveOn.org to remove Wasserman Schultz from her position has garnered nearly 84,000 signatures.
The 390,000-strong United Auto Workers Union (UAW) today endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for president.
“Hillary Clinton understands our issues on trade, understands the complexities of multinational economies and supports American workers, their families and communities,” said UAW president Dennis Williams in a statement.
“Now is a time for unity, a time to focus on what lies ahead in November,” Williams said. “Bernie Sanders has brought to this campaign a dialogue that has been needed for far too long. He has been, and remains, a great friend of the UAW, and of working men and women in this country. But, the fact is, Hillary Clinton has shown under pressure her ability to lead and get elected in November.”
“We are a family of over 1 million active and retiree members with strong opinions. Now, we have to choose between two very good UAW friends and move forward as a united membership,” Williams said.
According to the union, which represents autoworkers in the US and Canada, candidates in both parties were sent questionnaires by the UAW - although none of the Republicans responded, including presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“Mr. Trump clearly does not support the economic security of UAW families,” said Williams.
“For many reasons, the UAW supports Hillary Clinton as the best choice for our members and our nation in the November election,” said Williams.
One of the leading counter-terror chiefs in the US warned against the blanket political denigration of Muslims, saying the integration of American Muslims into the country “has been a major boon to the law enforcement and intelligence community in disrupting the terrorist threat”.
John Carlin, the assistant attorney general for national security, made his remarks in London when asked if the recent attacks on Muslims by presumptive Republic nominee Donald Trump hindered his counter-terror work. Trump has suggested all Muslims should be banned from coming to the US, but has partially retracted the remark saying it was merely “a suggestion”.
Carlin said he was not going to discuss specific presidential campaigns, but then added: “It is key to the work of American law enforcement that it has retained the trust of the Muslim community.”
He said the fight in the US against Islamic State is “a difficult complex problem for us to face. The fact that we don’t have a community that feels in its entirety it has not been able to assimilate, the fact that as communities Muslims – along with other religions – feel quite integrated into American culture has been a major boon to law enforcement and the intelligence community in disrupting in this threat.”
South Carolina Republican governor Nikki Haley signed legislation today that immediately outlaws most abortions in South Carolina at 20 weeks beyond fertilization.
The only exceptions are if the mother’s life is in jeopardy or a doctor determines the fetus cannot survive outside the womb.
Doctors face up to $10,000 in fines and three years in prison for each violation; prison time is mandatory on a third conviction.
These bans are now in effect in at least 13 states and blocked by court challenges in several others. South Dakota’s ban takes effect on 1 July.
Women nationwide have the right to obtain abortions under the US supreme court’s 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, which said states could restrict abortions after viability – the point when a fetus has a reasonable chance of surviving outside the uterus. “Viability is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks,” the ruling said.
The supreme court has yet to rule on bans that would limit even earlier abortions.
As in other states, South Carolina’s law ties the fetus’s age to conception, rather than a women’s monthly cycle. But since this date cannot be scientifically pinpointed, the ban actually refers to what doctors consider a gestational age of 22 weeks.
Reports of rock-throwing by protestors in Anaheim, California, following Donald Trump’s rally there.
Watch: Protesters throw rocks at police, officers respond by tossing smoke canisters, using pepper spray. pic.twitter.com/BEpSXb1XSh
— Jacob Rascon (@Jacobnbc) May 25, 2016
Disney CEO Bob Iger has lashed out against Vermont senator Bernie Sanders after the presidential candidate criticized him by name for receiving a high salary while overseeing low-paying jobs at the entertainment giant, slamming Sanders in a private Facebook note asking “How many jobs have you created?”
According to The Wrap, Iger, a supporter of Hillary Clinton, implied that Sanders has contributed nothing to the US economy:
“To Bernie Sanders: We created 11,000 new jobs at Disneyland in the past decade, and our company has created 18,000 in the US in the last five years. How many jobs have you created? What have you contributed to the US economy?”
At a speech in Anaheim - home of Disneyland - earlier today, Sanders singled out Disney for low wages while paying its corporate leaders exorbitant salaries.
“Anybody make a living wage working for Disney?” Sanders asked. “It’s an example of what we’re talking about when we talk about a rigged economy.”
“Disney pays its workers wages that are so low that many of them are forced to live in motels because they cannot afford a decent place to live,” he continued. “People are asking is it right that at Disneyland you have a CEO making $46 million while they’re paying their workers starvation wages.”
House speaker Paul Ryan has released a statement following a report from the office of the inspector general that criticized Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she served as secretary of state.
“This report underscores what we already know about Hillary Clinton: she simply cannot be trusted,” the statement reads (all SIC). “Think about this, the highest ranking diplomat in the United States - the secretary of state - deliberately broke agency policy to serve her own interests. Her use of a private email server not only violated department policies, but it was also a clear security risk.”
“Whether it’s Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, this county simply cannot afford a third-term for President Obama’s failed progressive agenda,” the statement continues. “They offer a continuation of policies that have failed to jumpstart our economy and turn our country around. Fortunately there is a better path forward for Wisconsin and our country. In the house of Representatives, we are preparing a series of bold reforms that will get our country back-on-track. We will be rolling out this agenda in the coming weeks to the country - making the case why our ideas are better.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts unloaded on Donald Trump in a speech last night, calling him a “money-grubber” who rooted for families to get thrown out of their homes in the 2008 housing market crash.
Warren was referring to remarks Trump made in 2006 and recently unearthed by Hillary Clinton’s campaign, in which Trump appeared to cheer a potential market crash as a chance to make money.
Updated
A voting bloc of one, perhaps? pic.twitter.com/fKiJt5xm7P
— Maria La Ganga (@marialaganga) May 25, 2016
Protestor in empty balcony seats tears a Trump sign in half. Booooos from crowd. Trump: 'loser, loser'. pic.twitter.com/fJxaJrxebw
— Maria La Ganga (@marialaganga) May 25, 2016
Should Clinton ignore 'Crooked Hillary'?
Donald Trump – whose name appears emblazoned on buildings across the world – knows the power of branding, and he is currently attempting to use it on his likely general election opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Since he first used the term “Crooked Hillary” in a speech on 16 April, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has returned to the insult at least 50 times.
In the last week alone, he has called Clinton “Crooked Hillary” on Twitter 17 times – plus in numerous rallies and interviews – and he also unveiled an additional nickname at the NRA convention on Friday, dubbing the Clintons “heartless hypocrites”.
“That’s why we’re going to call her Heartless Hillary,” said Trump, before adding: “Somehow I like Crooked Hillary better.”
This is not a new tactic for Trump, whose Republican opponents “Lyin’ Ted” Cruz, “Little Marco” Rubio and “Low-energy” Jeb all found their insulting nicknames difficult to respond to. How should the Clinton campaign handle it now Trump is trying the same approach with her?
“Ignore it,” said Bob Liff, a Democratic strategist and senior vice-president for George Arzt Communications, a political public relations firm in New York. Liff points out that as soon as Rubio, Cruz and Bush started getting as personal and aggressive in their insults as Trump, they lost ground, partly because, as elected officials, they were held to higher standards than Trump. “When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas,” he added.
The world according to Donald Trump: Bobby Knight, great. Hispanics, 'phenomenal people.' Media, 'dishonest.' Protestor, 'baaaaaad person'
— Maria La Ganga (@marialaganga) May 25, 2016
Donald on Hillary: She doesn't have temperament to be president. That was stated by none other than Crazy Bernie. pic.twitter.com/NFSzYIVkM4
— Maria La Ganga (@marialaganga) May 25, 2016
Donald Trump on Benghazi terror attacks: Hillary Clinton 'was sleeping'
“She doesn’t have the temperament to be president,” Donald Trump says of Hillary Clinton. “She’s got bad judgment. She’s got horribly bad judgment, and that was stated by none other than Crazy Bernie! Bernie said that Hillary Clinton has bad judgment!”
“Now, if you look at the war in Iraq, if you look at Libya, which is a total catastrophe, and by the way, with Benghazi and with our ambassador - remember? That’s all Hillary Clinton, folks.”
“Lemme tell you something - if she wins, and I hope she doesn’t - but if she wins, you better get used to it,” Trump says. “You’ll have nothing but turmoil, you’ll have nothing but four more years of Obama, and our system can’t take that.”
“She was sleeping!” Trump shouts, referring to a famous advertisement from the 2008 Democratic primary in which Clinton said that she would be able to take “the 3 am call” in an emergency. “They called! They kept calling! Hundreds and hundreds of emails and calling, and she was sleeping, folks. She was sleeping!”
It’s unclear if Trump is referring to metaphorical phone call or actual phone calls.
“I don’t sleep much, folks,” he reassures the crowd. “I don’t sleep much!”
Trump on violence: last night we were in NM. It was beautiful. Inside that arena was like a lovefest. Outside they showed some other thing
— Maria La Ganga (@marialaganga) May 25, 2016
Donald Trump, on his hair:
It’s my hair. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s my hair.
Next, Donald Trump, in an aside, launches an attack on US senator Elizabeth Warren, or as he calls her, “Pocahontas.”
“That’s Elizabeth Warren,” he reminds the crowd. “I call her Goofy. She gets less done than anybody in the US Senate, she gets nothing done. She’s got a big mouth and that’s about it.”
Speaking of women speaking, Trump says of likely opponent Hillary Clinton’s voice: “I’ll be honest with you - I cannot listen to her. I cannot listen to her.”
Updated
Donald Trump sums up the inspector general’s report about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as: “Not good!”
“But I wanna run against Hillary,” he assured the crowd. “Look, I dunno if you’re gonna be able to - it could be that we’re gonna run against Crazy Bernie! He’s a crazy man. But we like crazy people.”
“The system is rigged against Bernie, I gotta say. The system is rigged,” Trump said, before being interrupted by the second protestor of the speech. “Do not hurt him, even though he’s a bad person, folks. bad person. Baaaaad person.”
“Is there anyplace more fun to be than a Trump rally?” he asked the crowd. “Even one at like 12:30 in the afternoon, I mean, there’s just nothing like it.”
After assuring the audience that “women do like me - I’m telling you!”, Donald Trump welcomed two Trump affinity groups up to the dais: three women and three Chinese Americans.
“God bless America!” the women’s group representative said. “Thank you, God, for sending us Donald J Trump to be our next president of the United States of America!”
“He’s a job-creator, he’s a father, he’s an American patriot,” another chimed in.
When the Chinese American duo came onstage, Trump reminded the crowd that “it’s our leaders’ fault! It’s not the Chinese leaders’ fault,” apparently referring to trade deficits with China.
Donald Trump holds campaign rally in Anaheim
Watch it live here:
The Guardian’s Maria L La Ganga is inside Trump’s Anaheim event:
Pastor Mark Burns prepping Anaheim crowd for #DonaldTrump. Venue 1/2 full. Says #HillaryClinton "belongs in jail." pic.twitter.com/NbVRepHlst
— Maria La Ganga (@marialaganga) May 25, 2016
Also warming up #DonaldTrump crowd is a "Liberty loving Latina" who introduces women whose children were killed by illegal immigrants.
— Maria La Ganga (@marialaganga) May 25, 2016
Here in Anaheim — a majority Latino city — Trump supporters inside chant “Build that wall. Build that wall” as protesters gather outside
— Maeve Reston (@MaeveReston) May 25, 2016
A video snippet of sparse protests and counter-protests outside Trump’s Anaheim event. @timcast sighting in background. Warning: the Trump supporter who comes in at the end may haunt you.
Barely any protesters outside Trump Anaheim event. Trump supporters just rolled up w/ megaphone: "can't stop Trump." pic.twitter.com/CPUBW4oqsX
— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) May 25, 2016
Writers reject Trump
Hundreds of writers have signed an open letter inveighing against the Donald Trump candidacy. Signatories include Stephen King, Ha Jin, Rita Dove, Claire Messud, Tobias Wolff, James Wood, Francine Prose, Dave Eggers (the list is very long). The letter begins:
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Because, as writers, we are particularly aware of the many ways that language can be abused in the name of power;
Because we believe that any democracy worthy of the name rests on pluralism, welcomes principled disagreement, and achieves consensus through reasoned debate;
Because American history, despite periods of nativism and bigotry, has from the first been a grand experiment in bringing people of different backgrounds together, not pitting them against one another;
Because the history of dictatorship is the history of manipulation and division, demagoguery and lies;
[...]
It culminates:
For all these reasons, we, the undersigned, as a matter of conscience, oppose, unequivocally, the candidacy of Donald J. Trump for the Presidency of the United States.
Hillary Clinton is hosting a rally in Orange County, California – and some fans in attendance have partially disrobed:
Two guys near the front of the Clinton rally have their shirts off: Clinton: "You know what, as long as they don’t take anything else off."
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) May 25, 2016
Two guys take off their shirts (one has a big "H" on his chest). HRC laughs & calls it "a little distracting" pic.twitter.com/bPAhSJdYO1
— Monica Alba (@albamonica) May 25, 2016
Here's part of Clinton's response to the two shirtless men at her event pic.twitter.com/yjx2OCK8Gh
— Liz Kreutz (@ABCLiz) May 25, 2016
WATCH: Jamie Lee Curtis gets fired up for Hillary Clinton at Orange County, CA rally https://t.co/MW7lb2ctJQ
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 25, 2016
Updated
Trump calls Albuquerque protesters 'thugs'
Donald Trump says that demonstrators outside his Tuesday night rally in New Mexico were “thugs who were flying the Mexican flag”:
The protesters in New Mexico were thugs who were flying the Mexican flag. The rally inside was big and beautiful, but outside, criminals!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2016
Anaheim police warn against violence at Trump rally
Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Anaheim, California, in one hour – and the local police department has warned against violence of the kind that broke out in Albuquerque last night, in which demonstrators threw burning T-shirts, plastic bottles and other items at officers, and police responded by firing pepper spray and smoke grenades into the crowd.
“While we recognize and respect the First Amendment rights of all individuals to express their viewpoints and protest peacefully, we will not tolerate violence or disobedience of the law during the upcoming rally in Anaheim,” said Anaheim police chief Raul Quezada in a statement. “Everyone has the right to participate without fear of violence or disorder, and we are prepared to take swift and decisive enforcement action should it become necessary.”
The Guardian’s Maria L La Ganga (@marialaganga) will be reporting from the event. The LA Times’ James Queally reports some uncomfortable face-offs outside the event between Trump supporters and protesters, but says a large protest has yet to materialize:
Ppl getting in one another's faces in Anaheim. "Are you an illegal?" Asks Trump supporter #TrumpRally pic.twitter.com/hKrvSeXuZQ
— James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) May 25, 2016
“Breaking news”: nothing has changed.
House speaker Paul Ryan confirms what his spokesperson told us earlier today, that he’s not preparing to endorse Trump.
BREAKING: House Speaker Ryan says he is not yet ready to endorse Trump
— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) May 25, 2016
ABC News reported Wednesday morning, citing unnamed “senior Trump officials,” that the endorsement was in the offing.
Is this basically what happened with the Ryan endorsement story? https://t.co/V15ONp6Xq5 pic.twitter.com/p5GoUki3NF
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) May 25, 2016
Clinton camp claims vindication in inspector general report
The Hillary Clinton campaign has issued a reply to the internal state department report finding that she had incurred “security risks” by using private email as secretary of state. Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon points to the report’s comparision of Clinton’s email hygiene with that of past secretaries: “the Inspector General documents just how consistent her email practices were with those of other Secretaries and senior officials at the State Department who also used personal email.”
Here’s the statement:
While political opponents of Hillary Clinton are sure to misrepresent this report for their own partisan purposes, in reality, the Inspector General documents just how consistent her email practices were with those of other Secretaries and senior officials at the State Department who also used personal email. The report shows that problems with the State Department’s electronic recordkeeping systems were longstanding and that there was no precedent of someone in her position having a State Department email account until after the arrival of her successor. Contrary to the false theories advanced for some time now, the report notes that her use of personal email was known to officials within the Department during her tenure, and that there is no evidence of any successful breach of the Secretary’s server. We agree that steps ought to be taken to ensure the government can better maintain official records, and if she were still at the State Department, Secretary Clinton would embrace and implement any recommendations, including those in this report, to help do that. But as this report makes clear, Hillary Clinton’s use of personal email was not unique, and she took steps that went much further than others to appropriately preserve and release her records.
Updated
State department watchdog issues scathing report on Clinton email practices
The state department inspector general has issued a scathing report on Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email account and personal server for official business when she was secretary of state, calling the personal email “not an appropriate method” and highlighting the “security risks in doing so.”
The report, obtained in advance of its release by the Washington Post, “says she should have printed and saved her emails during her four years in office or surrendered her work-related correspondence immediately upon stepping down in February 2013,” the Post reported. “Instead, Clinton provided those records in December 2014, nearly two years after leaving office.”
The Post report continues:
The 86-page report reviews email practices by five secretaries of state and generally concludes that record keeping has been spotty for years.
It was particularly critical of former secretary of state Colin Powell — who has acknowledged publicly that he used his personal laptop to write emails — concluding that he too failed to follow department policy designed to comply with public-record laws.
The Republican national committee said the report showed Clinton’s “bad judgment” and accused her of endangering national security. “Hillary Clinton hasn’t been telling the truth since day one,” an RNC statement said:
RNC criticizes Clinton's "bad judgment" after State Dept report on email practices released: https://t.co/VkJzJuHph4 pic.twitter.com/OZjcIN4QsQ
— ABC News (@ABC) May 25, 2016
Hillary Clinton is ready for an all-female election ticket, but unfortunately the vice-president she had in mind prefers her day job, writes the Guardian’s Lauren Gambino:
Talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres declined the generous offer to be Clinton’s running mate after learning that the vice-president doesn’t get to live in the White House.
“You’ll live in the vice-president’s house … but it’s a nice house,” Clinton said during her most recent appearance on the show, taped on Tuesday in its Burbank studios and scheduled to broadcast on Wednesday.
“No, I have a nice house. I’m fine,” DeGeneres replied.
Trump camp says Ryan to endorse Trump; Ryan camp says that's news to them
A spokesperson for House speaker Paul Ryan has knocked down a report that Ryan planned to endorse Donald Trump for president.
The report came from ABC News, which cited unnamed “senior-level Trump campaign sources” as spreading the word that a Ryan endorsement was in the offing.
But when Ryan spokesperson AshLee Strong was asked about it, she told reporters, “There’s no update and we’ve not told the Trump campaign to expect an endorsement.”
“He’s also not told anyone he regrets anything,” Strong said of Ryan.
Separately, Ryan strikes a blow for intellectual honesty in a new video disseminated by the speaker’s office that feels like a campaign video (Ryan is running for reelection in Wisconsin’s first congressional district).
Ryan, whose party is on the verge of nominating a man known for flourishes of vulgarity, broad-brush insults of entire nationalities and support for a religious test for US entry, says the “bitterness” in politics today is the fault of both parties – not just the Democrats:
I've not seen the kind of bitterness in our politics like we have today, & I've got to say, I think it's both sides.https://t.co/FsthtCngiz
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) May 25, 2016
(h/t: @batterdippin)
Warren calls Trump 'a small, insecure money-grubber'
In a speech at the Center for Popular Democracy’s annual gala Tuesday night, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren opened up with both barrels on Donald Trump, calling him a “money-grubber” who rooted for families to get thrown out of their homes in the housing market crash, a tool of the Wall Street banks and a tax delinquent.
Here’s the video:
Tonight I called out @realDonaldTrump in not-so-subtle terms. Watch this. https://t.co/5tpKNIjVdt
— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) May 25, 2016
Here are selected passages:
We need to stand up now more than ever.
[Trump] was quote “excited” for the real estate market to crash, because quote “I’ve always made more money in bad markets than good.”
Donald Trump was drooling over the idea of a housing meltdown... what kind of a man does that? What kind of a man roots for people to get thrown out of their house?
What kind of a man does that? I’ll tell you exactly... it is a man who cares about no one but himself. A small, insecure money-grubber who doesn’t care who gets hurt so long as he makes a profit off it.
What kind of man does that? A man who will never be president of the United States. ...
Donald Trump is worried about helping poor little Wall Street. Let me find the world’s smallest violin to play a sad, sad song....
He’s kissing the fannies of the poor, misunderstood Wall Street bankers.
Take the hint, Donald. The time for letting big banks call all the shots in Washington – it’s over. And I just want to make one more point about Donald Trump. ... His taxes.
We don’t know what Donald Trump pays in taxes because he is the first presidential nominee in 40 years to refuse to close his taxes. Maybe he’s just a lousy business man and he’s not as rich as he claims to be...
The last time his taxes were made public, Donald Trump paid zero... Two weeks ago, he said he was more than happy to dodge taxes... Donald Trump likes being a billionaire. But he doesn’t think the rules that apply to everyone else should apply to him. ...
Let’s face it: Donald Trump is about exactly one thing: Donald Trump.
Trump needs 28 delegates to clinch nomination
Twenty-eight: that’s Trump’s magic number for crossing the 1,237 delegate majority threshold, after he picked up at least 40 delegates last night in the Washington primary:
If you deny Trump the 65 unbound delegates he currently claims, 28 becomes 93. A total of 303 Republican delegates will be awarded in five contests on 7 June (and visit our state-by-state delegate tracker here).
Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House. Protests outside a Donald Trump rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico, turned violent on Tuesday night as demonstrators threw burning T-shirts, plastic bottles and other items at officers, and knocked down barricades.
Police responded by firing pepper spray and smoke grenades into the crowd:
Read further here:
Trump – whose win in the Washington primary last night was overshadowed by the violence in New Mexico – Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders are all in California today ahead of the 7 June primary there, which is likely to wrap up the nominations for both party’s candidates. Trump is in Anaheim, Clinton in Orange County and Salinas, as well as attending a fundraiser in the San Jose area, and Sanders is making two California stops, in Cathedral City and Lancaster. Bill Clinton is in Albuquerque.
Elsewhere on the politics horizon, Neil Young, a Sanders supporter, has dropped his objection to Trump’s using his song Rockin’ in the Free World at rallies. Young said:
He actually got a license to use it. I mean, he said he did and I believe him. So I got nothing against him. You know, once the music goes out, everybody can use it for anything. But if the artist who made it is saying you never spoke to them, if that means something to you, you probably will stop playing it. And it meant something to Donald and he stopped.
The fact that I said I was for Bernie Sanders and then he didn’t ask me to use Rockin’ in the Free World doesn’t mean that he can’t use it.
Thanks for reading and as always please join us in the comments.
