Mediaboss Marketing

These shenanigans came after Mr. Barr was revealed to have written a memo for Mr. Trump while a private citizen, a long document that concluded that, yes, you guessed it, the president was not guilty of obstruction of justice.

The Justice Department is the one cabinet agency that has a value in its name justice. Its iconography a blindfolded Lady Justice underscores the idea that everyone has to play by the same rules. Mr. Barr appears to have desecrated that cardinal principle. The public has a right to know what he and his Justice Department lawyers did and why they did it.

We already had one by-the-book official, the special counsel, Robert Mueller, try to apply regular principles to a deeply abnormal presidency, and we witnessed the result: a distorted impeachment and the nullification of potential criminal charges.

The problem for the new Justice Department is: What does it do now? Should it depart from ordinary rules because the last administration did so? If it doesnt appeal Judge Jacksons decision, isnt the department allowing a precedent to be set that private litigants can ask for and get all sorts of prosecutorial materials?

No. Good surgeons dont always operate, and good appeals lawyers dont always appeal. Here, Justice Department lawyers could have safeguarded the departments interests by saying they disagreed with the decision, but because it was a trial court decision, it was not precedential for other cases and not appropriate to appeal.

And the department then could have voluntarily released the memo without conceding that it was required by the Freedom of Information Act. When the Justice Department doesnt appeal a decision, that doesnt mean it agrees with it. Lawyers there decide not to appeal all the time for many reasons. In short, there were better solutions here that would have walked the tightrope between the publics need to know and the Justice Departments general need to protect prosecutorial interests.

In the end, there must be a zone of confidential government decision-making and privacy. Good government depends on it. But that zone is a two-way street: It also depends on government officials who behave as if they deserve to be there. The Justice Departments decision to appeal Judge Jacksons order treated this case like any other garden-variety case.

It wasnt.

Neal K. Katyal is a professor at Georgetown Law School, was an acting solicitor general in the Obama administration and wrote, with Sam Koppelman, Impeach: The Case Against Donald Trump.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

More:
Opinion | Release the Barr-Trump Memo on Obstruction of Justice - The New York Times

Michael Cohen, the former fixer and personal attorney for former President Donald Trump, appeared on the Raw Story Podcastto discuss the latest development in criminal investigations into his former boss. Cohen, serving time on limited home confinement stemming from federal convictions on tax evasion and campaign finance violations, was asked about Trumps actual feelings about LGBTQ people.

Cohen shared his belief that Trump doesnt care if youre LGBTQ, cause you dont mean anything to him, and hes basically repulsed by the community. He then shared a story where Trump remarked that he knew someone who hates having a gay son.

Related: Trump supporter screams racist & antigay slurs at Joe Biden at ice cream shop

First, Cohen details his run-ins while taking a walk (allowed under the restrictions of his home confinement sentence) when he was verbally accosted by a Trump supporter in Central Park. He brushed it off at first, but then the same woman would approach him a few days later in the park.

Next thing I know, right back into my face is this lady again, her second time this time I was listening to Bohemian Rhapsody, Cohen recalled. The Queen song spurred Cohen to respond to the womans curses and negative remarks, and recorded her tirade.

This is typical of what Trump does to people, Cohen remarked. Its almost like she became empowered to act a complete asshole.

He added, [she] interfered with Queen, and thats just unacceptable.

Podcast co-host Shannyn Moore remarked, Virtually everything you have predicted over the last couple of years has come true. Youre sort of a Nostradamus on all things Trump-y. The host ask Cohen what he thinks will happen next to Trump and his associates, with New York City opening a criminal-investigative grand jury investigating the business activity of Trump.

Its going to be like the Olympics gymnastic team, Cohen remarked, theres going to be flipping all over the place.

Podcast co-host Mike Rogers then asks Cohen, What does Donald Trump think of the Central Park Five, [Barack] Obamas nationality, and the LGBT community?

Cohen answers that he wasnt working for Trump at that time since he was in junior high school, or high school at that time, but that its well-documented that Trump is a racist.

On Trumps predecessor, Cohen said that Barack Obama is a thorn in Trumps large ass. There is no other way to put it. He cites Obamas race, intelligence, and the fact he is really universally loved.

As for LGBTQ people, Cohen said, He thinks about them as much as he thinks about yknow, nothing. He doesnt care about the community. In fact, hes basically repulsed by the community.

Cohen cites a time Trump apparently told him, Oh, you know, a friend of mine has a son, whos gay, and you know, hes really rich his father hates it.'

So its not true. I happen to know the family. The father doesnt hate it, Cohen remarked. Now, would the father prefer him to be, you know, heterosexual? I dont know. I never asked him maybe yes, no, I dont know. Its none of my business, its between them. But Trump then puts himself into the dead center.

This is proof to Cohen that Trump doesnt have any regard for anyone. He doesnt care if youre Black, right? He doesnt like you. He doesnt care if youre white, he doesnt like you really, either unless, of course, youre a Trump supporter. Right?

He doesnt care if youre LGBTQ, cause you dont mean anything to him. Thats the problem, the man lacks any relationships. I mean, its why Donald Trump has no friends.

He then compares how Obama used to have friends from college and his pre-Presidential days that would visit him and be welcomed at the White House, to how Trump didnt have any friends or people he welcomed. People say to me, Im a friend of Donald Trump,' Cohen said, to which he replied, I know youre lying.

Cohen then expressed that while he wasnt completely ignorant about Trump prior to working for him in 2007 when he was the face of the top reality show on network television, The Apprentice, and half-owner of Miss Universe he didnt foresee what he would become and how his Presidential administration would turn out to become.

He stressed how he didnt . Yeah, I worked for a monster, Cohen admitted.

My wife, my children begged me, begged me not to take the job they begged me to quit, he recalled, admitting that Trump was disrespectful to my daughter in front of him. He still didnt have the wherewithal to quit.

I almost felt guilty its weird: the cult of Trump is a cult. Plain and simple, hes no different than any other cult leader, and he is the Jim Jones.

Cohen later said the low hanging fruits indictments against Barry Weisselberg and Allen Weisselberg will come first. Barry Weisselberg was the manager of Central Parks Wollman Rink, operated by the Trump Organization from 2001 to 2021, and Allen Weisselberg is the Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization.

Cohen then said he believes Trump will be indicted after that, before summer. That will be the first time in his entire life that he will be held responsible for his dirty deed, remarked Cohen.

Cohen said he believes Trump will face a hybrid form of punishment from the judicial system as opposed to a prison sentence, as sending a former President to jail is unprecedented and could cause complex issues, such as with Secret Service protection and sensitive national security information.

Continue reading here:
Michael Cohen reveals what Donald Trump really thinks about the LGBTQ community - LGBTQ Nation

Former President Donald Trump has branded Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) "very weak" and questioned his ability to stand against President Joe Biden's agenda.

In an interview with One America News (OAN), Trump criticized GOP lawmakers who failed to push his claims that the presidential election was stolen from him through mass voter fraud to the extent he wanted them to, The Washington Post reported.

The former president added that there would be a "different president" in the White House had McConnell pursued his baseless claims about the 2020 election and fought for "election integrity."

"But other than fundraising, he's very weak," Trump said of McConnell. The Post reported that he later told OAN that Democrats can get "whatever they want approved," and said McConnell was "hopeless and he can't stop anything."

His criticism of McConnell follows a February statement in which he called the Kentucky Republican a "dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack" who was failing to deliver for the GOP.

"He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country," Trump wrote at the time. "Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership."

He also attacked "wayward Republicans" who voted in favor of an independent commission investigation into the January 6 Capitol riots on Wednesday, further exposing divides between the populist and so-called moderate wings of the GOP.

Thirty-five Republican lawmakers voted with House Democrats on Wednesday to establish a commission that would investigate how the fatal Capitol riots began, and delve into the Trump administration's response.

Most GOP representatives opposed the commission plans, which Trump has dubbed a "Democrat trap" an an unfair partisan probe.

"It is just more partisan unfairness and unless the murders, riots, and fire bombings in Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, and New York are also going to be studied, this discussion should be ended immediately," Trump said. "Republicans must get much tougher and much smarter, and stop being used by the Radical Left."

In spite of the criticism Trump has thrown at him, Sen. McConnell has opposed the commission plans and indicated that Democrats won't win the 10 Republican votes needed to pass the measure through the upper chamber.

"There is, has been and will continue to be no shortage of robust investigations," McConnell said in the Senate. "The facts have come out and they'll continue to come out."

Newsweek has contacted Senator McConnell's office and the officer of the former president for further comment.

Here is the original post:
Donald Trump Says Mitch McConnell 'Hopeless' Against Joe Biden: 'He Can't Stop Anything' - Newsweek

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Get the coronavirus news from around the world, read more about the investigation into Donald Trump and his business interests and see more stories trending online today.

Trump organization now under criminal investigation, New York attorney general says (AP)

Fact check: False claim from Trump about Maricopa County election database (USA Today)

Trump ditches Florida and heads north for the summer (CNN)

House to Vote on Independent Panel to Probe Jan. 6 Attack (NBC NY)

Gas prices highest in 6 years as panic-buying prolongs shortages (CBS News)

No sign of Israel-Gaza ceasefire as fighting rages (Reuters)

Gulf Arab citizens express anger at Israel (AP)

Senate China Bill to Add $52 Billion for U.S. Chip Making (Bloomberg)

Covid cases dropping by 5% or more in nearly every U.S. state, vaccinations continue to fall (CNBC)

McCarthy, GOP Doctors Caucus to introduce resolution for vote to roll back House mask policy (Fox News)

Uneven vaccination rates across the US linked to Covid-19 case trends, worry experts (CNN)

Teens can now get their COVID vaccines, experts say it wont impact fertility (ABC)

Back to normal? Psychologists warn the pandemic could have lasting effects (NBC)

CDC back under scrutiny after new mask guidance (The Hill)

Millions face eviction when moratorium ends (CBS)

Rudy Giulianis son, Andrew Giuliani, running for governor of New York (ABC)

Robert Durst murder trial opens with L.A. shooting scene (LA Times)

Demi Lovato Comes Out as Non Binary, Announces Pronoun Change (ET)

Its official: Lollapalooza returning in 2021, bands to be announced Wednesday (Chicago Tribune)

Spain, Morocco square off after 8,000 migrants arrive by sea (AP)

Famed Darwins Arch collapses due to erosion in Galapagos Islands (CBS)

Princess Beatrice Expecting Her First Child (People)

Bank of America to boost minimum wage to $25 an hour for its employees by 2025 (USA Today)

More here:
Donald Trump, coronavirus news & more: Whats trending today - cleveland.com

Former President Donald Trump's "From the Desk of..." blog crashed on Saturday. Users were greeted with an error message, saying "something has gone wrong and this URL cannot be processed at this time."

The hourlong outage came after Trump posted a message about the ongoing election recount in Maricopa County, Arizona, according to the Gateway Pundit.

The message included unverified statements about election fraud in Arizona, saying "seals were broken on the boxes that hold the votes, ballots are missing, and worse."

Trump launched the blog in early May as a way to talk directly to his followers and the media. He was previously removed from both Twitter and Facebook, his most-used social media networks.

The Twitter ban for @RealDonaldTrump was said to be permanent. Facebook has been wrestling with letting the former president back onto its platform. The company said earlier this month that it plans to revisit the decision in six months.

His blog had about 212,0000 engagements during its first week online, notably fewer than some of his most popular tweets.

Earlier this month, Peter Loge, an associate professor at George Washington University, told Insider's Thomas Colson that "Trump is just shouting into the void."

Loge added: "He isn't letting anyone shout back. Shouting at people is a less effective way to maintain celebrity status and keep selling new merchandise than finding ways to create the illusion of interaction is."

Trump's blog states that it's paid for by Save America, a joint fundraising committee paid for by political action committees Save America and Make America Great Again.

Continued here:
Donald Trump's new blog crashed after he posted an unverified claim about election fraud in Arizona - Business Insider