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By Roberta Rampton | WASHINGTON/LYNCHBURG, Va.

WASHINGTON/LYNCHBURG, Va. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he will move quickly to nominate a new FBI director, after he sparked a political firestorm by firing the man investigating possible collusion between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign.

Trump told reporters he might even be able to make his decision on who should succeed James Comey to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation before he leaves on his first foreign trip on Friday.

"Even that is possible," Trump said, speaking on Air Force One before departing for Lynchburg, Virginia, where he delivered a commencement address.

"I think the process is going to go quickly," he said, adding that the candidates under consideration were mostly well known. "They've been vetted over their lifetime essentially. But very well known, highly respected, really talented people. And that's what we want for the FBI."

Critics have assailed Trump for abruptly dismissing Comey, who was leading the agency's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and possible ties between Moscow and the Trump campaign..

Russia denies the claims and the White House says there was no collusion.

Trump made the remarks to reporters prior to speaking to about 50,000 people at Liberty University in Lynchburg, where he did not mention Comey or the controversy his dismissal on Tuesday caused. It was Trump's first public event outside the White House since Comey's ouster.

A White House official had said 11 people were under consideration - including acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Republican Senator John Cornyn, New York Appeals Court Judge Michael Garcia and former Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher - to replace Comey as FBI chief.

Two new names, however, emerged on Saturday: FBI special agent Adam Lee and U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson. A source familiar with the process said Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, had interviewed Hudson, Lee and five others on Saturday.

The FBI Agents Association, which claims more than 13,000 active and retired agents as its members, on Saturday endorsed another candidate: former Representative Mike Rogers, who had also worked as an FBI agent.

At Liberty, the nation's largest Christian college, Trump peppered his remarks with the kind of anti-establishment rhetoric that fueled his maverick presidential campaign, telling graduates to challenge "entrenched interests." He thanked the crowd for their support and repeatedly invoked his own unlikely election victory.

"Relish the opportunity to be an outsider," Trump said. "The more that a broken system tells you that you're wrong, the more certain you should be that you must keep pushing ahead."

He also had strong words that seemed aimed at his critics.

"No one has ever achieved anything significant without a chorus of critics standing on the sidelines explaining why it can't be done," Trump said. "Nothing is easier or more pathetic than being a critic, because they're people that can't get the job done."

Liberty's president, Jerry Falwell, Jr., was a key early supporter of Trump during his campaign and helped rally support among religious conservatives.

Trump, who has been preparing for his first foreign trip - one that will take him to the Middle East and Europe - also will deliver the commencement address to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton, Idrees Ali and Lucia Mutikani; Writing by James Oliphant and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Alistair Bell and Mary Milliken)

WASHINGTON A unit of the U.S. Treasury Department that fights money laundering will provide financial records to an investigation by the Senate into possible ties between Russia and President Donald Trump and his associates, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

WASHINGTON A review of President Donald Trump's tax returns from the past 10 years showed no income from Russian sources outside of a few exceptions, and indicated he did not owe money to Russian lenders, his lawyers said in a letter released by the White House on Friday.

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS U.S. and European officials will discuss airline security issues at a meeting in Brussels next week, including possibly expanding the number of airports that ban passengers from carrying electronic devices bigger than cellphones aboard flights, a European Commission spokeswoman said on Friday.

Originally posted here:
Trump pledges to move quickly to name new FBI director - Reuters

May 13, 2017, 7:29 p.m.

Gov. Jerry Brown said in a national TV interview on Saturday that President Trump was able to tap populist anger on the way to victory last fall, but dismissed his ability to do anything with it after taking office.

"He didn't have the answer, and he's demonstrated he doesn't have the answer," Brown said in a CNNinterview with political analyst David Axelrod.

The governor said Hillary Clinton faceddaunting odds, as voters too easily saw her candidacy as a third term of former President Obama's policies. Andin the wide-ranging conversation, he urged the Democratic Party to embrace the needs of working-class Americans.

Brown said he would have soundeda theme much closer to the one voiced by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, even though Brown endorsed Clinton during the bitter primary contest.

"You've got tosay, look,Wall Street is ripping us off. The fact is, the growth at the top is getting more and more. The middle and the lower realms of our society are suffering more insecurity," he said. "Hard to get their kids in college, hard to buy a house, hard to keep a job."

Brown admitted that the approachis reminiscent of his failed 1992 presidential campaign, whenhe ultimately lost the Democratic nomination to former President Clinton. In thatcampaign, Brown railed against the influence of money in politics. In the CNN interview, he said theproblem is back.

"Ithinkpeople are damn tired of it," he told Axelrod in the interview taped inside the governor's mansion in Sacramento. "And whatever a politician can do, I think they have to stay away from this whole association of being under the influence of the powerful."

Brown side-stepped direct commentabout the current controversy over Trump's firing of former FBI Director James Comey, except to say that Comey'sactions during the campaign in regard to theClintonemail investigation were"unprofessional" and that the timing of Trump's firing "smells" of something other than what's been publicly stated.

The governor has approached Trump's presidency in a more cautious manner than many California Democrats, though he has taken the president to task on the issue of climate change. Brown suggested Trump would do well to pick his battles.

"How many fights can you have? How many enemies can you make?" Brown said when talking about the president. "And the fact is, there's a limited quotient before you run out the score."

The governor admitted he's always been both "repelled and attracted" by politics. He did say, though, that he particularly enjoys campaigns. And while Brown said that he wouldn't have wanted to challenge Clinton in the primaries, the three-time presidential candidate said a general election against Trump would have been different.

"That would have been a pleasure," he said.

The governor, fresh off theunveiling ofa revised state budget on Thursday, took time to praise his efforts in helping stabilize the state's finances. And though he's termed out of office in less than two years, he said he's not yet ready to think about his long political legacy.

"Im not in memory yet.Im in action," Brown said. "AndI like being in action."

See more here:
Jerry Brown on Donald Trump: 'He doesn't have the answer' - Los Angeles Times

Pope Francis holds his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on May 27, 2015 in Vatican City, Vatican. Giulio OrigliaGetty Images

(ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE) Pope Francis says he won't try to convince U.S. President Donald Trump to soften his policies on immigration and the environment when they meet this month, but wants instead to find common ground and work for peace.

Francis said proselytizing isn't his style in politics or religion.

Speaking to reporters while traveling home Saturday from a trip to Portugal, Francis said he would say what he thinks sincerely to Trump and listen respectfully to what Trump has to say.

"I never make a judgment about a person without hearing him out," the pope said.

Speculation has swirled about what Trump and Francis will discuss during their May 24 audience, given Francis has already said anyone who wants to build walls to keep out migrants is "not Christian."

Trump, who made building a wall along the border with Mexico a signature campaign promise, responded by saying it was "disgraceful" that the pope would question his faith.

Francis said that in talks, he always tries to find "doors that are at least a little bit open" where common ground can be found, particularly in peace-building.

"Peace is artisanal. You do it every day," he said.

Asked specifically if he would try to soften Trump's policies, Francis said: "That is a political calculation that I don't allow myself to make. Also in the religious sphere: I don't proselytize."

Trump will call on Francis mid-way through his first foreign trip, after visiting Saudi Arabia and Israel and before attending a NATO summit in Brussels and a G-7 summit in Italy.

See original here:
Pope Francis Says He Will Try to Find Common Ground With Donald Trump - TIME

Portraits of Gilda Radner as Baba Wawa and John Belushi as Samurai Futaba, hand tinted by S.N.L.s longtime photographer, Edie Baskin.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Dan Aykroyd takes a call backstage while dressed as Beldar Conehead.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Chevy Chase in a wig and prosthetic nose, 1977.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Land Shark takes a bite out of John Belushi while Gilda Radner sits idly by.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Nerds Bill Murray and Gilda Radner take in the view, 1978.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Writer Erin Maroney, Chris Farley, Ryan Shiraki, and Billy Baldwin backstage during the 1990s.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

The fabled van down by the river, home of iconic motivational speaker Matt Foley, played by Chris Farley.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Party time! Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, coming to you live from Aurora, Illinoiss community access channel.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Inside the writers room: Executive producer Lorne Michaels sits at the head of the table, the host to his right, and the head writer to his left.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Will Ferrell as Harry Hugs for the sketch Happy Smile Patrol, 1999.

By Mary Ellen Matthews/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Thank you for smoking: Tracy Morgan observing workplace smoking regulations.

By Edie Baskin/Courtesy of S.N.L.

In the makeup chair: Garrett Morris as Idi Amin, Fred Armisen as Prince, and Dana Carvey as George Michael.

From left: by Edie Baskin, Mary Ellen Matthews, and Suzy M. Drasnin. Courtesy of S.N.L.

Face off: Special-effects experts rig busts of Kenan Thompson, Nasim Pedrad, and Bobby Moynihan with explosives.

By Alison Castle/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Photographer Mary Ellen Matthews shooting Will Ferrell ahead of his second stint as host.

By Dana Edelson/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Behind the scenes of Laser Cats 7 in Lorne Michaels office, with Steven Spielberg, Bill Hader, and Andy Samberg.

By Dana Edelson/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler at the Weekend Update desk during rehearsals, 2004.

By Mary Ellen Matthews/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Bob Dole and Norm MacDonald as Bob Dole, shortly after the 1996 election.

By Mary Ellen Matthews/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Playing politics: Alec Baldwin, Sarah Palin, and Lorne Michaels backstage with Tina Fey as Palin on the monitor. Amy Poehler and Hillary Clinton, 2008.

By Dana Edelson/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Barack Obama makes a cameo at Bill and Hillary Clintons Halloween party, 2007.

By Dana Edelson/Courtesy of S.N.L.

Saturday Night Live: The Book (Taschen), out February 25.

Courtesy of S.N.L.

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S.N.L.: Watch Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump Humiliate Paul Ryan - Vanity Fair

Donald Trumps unorthodox candidacy blossomed into an unorthodox presidency. In the White House, Trump carries with him all of the complex, tricky and fraught behaviors and tendencies that powered him through the 2016 campaign. He also carries with him the decisions and interactions that led him to victory including a staff that may have some nebulous ties to a Russian government that wanted to see him victorious.

Trumps sudden firing of FBI Director James B. Comey was an accelerant to the smoldering question of Russias role in the election. After various people emerged from the White House to insist that the termination had nothing to do with the investigation being conducted by the FBI, Trump on Thursday announced to all of America that, no, that was a big part of it. When the interview in which he said that became public, it took only minutes for observers to wonder how this didnt constitute obstruction of justice, given that Trump was essentially firing someone looking into what his campaign had done. And once you start wandering into the territory of crimes or misdemeanors, others will rapidly venture one step further and start speculating about impeachment.

The White House on May 11 continued to defend President Trump's dismissal of James B. Comey as FBI director. (Bastien Inzaurralde,Alice Li,Jayne Orenstein/The Washington Post)

Those engaging in such speculation, though, are warned: Theres one little number that makes such a move unlikely. That number is 84 percent, Trumps job approval rating among Republicans in the most recent weekly average from Gallup.

Whys that one number so important? Allow me to explain.

On Thursday, shortly before the interview with Trump aired, NBCs political team released numbers from a poll conducted with the firm SurveyMonkey. A majority of Americans disagreed with Trumps decision on Comey, it turns out, with 54 percent saying that Comeys termination was inappropriate. A majority also said that allegations that the campaign was in contact with Russian actors was a serious issue, and not a distraction.

But notice how those figures break down by party. On the Comey question, majorities of Democrats and independents think that the move was inappropriate but three-quarters of Republicans are fine with it.

On the question of whether the allegations are serious, theres a similar split. Republicans think its a distraction. Everyone else disagrees.

The initial excuse for the firing offered by the White House was that it was rooted in criticism from a deputy attorney general of Comeys handling of the investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. While a plurality of Americans believed that the firing was a function of Trumps concern about the Russia investigation, Republicans largely accepted the White Houses original argument.

That pattern Republicans being enthusiastic, while independents are skeptical and Democrats furious is consistent across views of Trump. No president has been more polarizing in Gallups history of approval polling, and no president has been viewed less positively at this point in his first term. That pattern is the reason why. Democrats loathe him and independents are something shy of lukewarm, which strong Republican support cant outweigh enough to keep him from record lows.

Whats more, this pattern holds on nearly every issue. On Thursday, Quinnipiac University unveiled new polling looking at signature policy issues of the Trump administration. The health-care bill that passed the House this month continues to be broadly unpopular, but almost half of Republicans view it approvingly.

Trumps nebulous tax plan is also broadly disliked again, except among Trumps own party.

Those issues, of course, overlap with the concerns of Trumps allies on Capitol Hill. Having Republican voters broadly approving of Trumps initiatives is important to Hill Republicans for a variety of reasons, including that they want those policy measures to pass, too. (The American Health Care Act, for example, was a bill developed by congressional Republicans that Trump championed with relative indifference.)

Keeping Hill Republicans happy is important for Trump, too, because they control the relative few points of leverage over his presidency.

If there is to be an independent investigation of the possible links between Trumps campaign and Russia, either Trump needs to appoint someone unlikely or Hill Republicans have to leverage their control of Congress to create a robust independent body, to change the law or to bring pressure against Trump. Those are the only options, and all come down to the will of Trump or members of his party. If things were to progress to the point of impeachment, same deal: A Republican Congress would need to move the process forward.

At this point, its not simply a coincidence that Republicans approve of what Trump is doing and of what is happening in Congress. Trumps popularity with Republicans is driving popularity of Congress. Since his election, views of Republican leaders in Congress have spiked among members of their party.

Quinnipiac asked how a House candidates demonstration of support for Trump might affect a voters support. Overall, it was a liability but among Republicans, support for Trump was seen as either unimportant or as a boon.

If Republican members of Congress are confident that their partys voters will support them if they ally with Trump, thats all that many will need to hear. The electoral fights in the GOP over the past eight years have been largely primary fights: Republicans battling each other for the right to dispatch a Democrat in November. The average general-election margin of victory for Republicans in 2016 was 33.2 percentage points, according to Ballotopedia. Last November, 216 Republicans won by 10 points or more, a function of the power of incumbency, of the informal movement of voters into politically similar regions and of gerrymandering.

But why are Republicans so much more favorable to Trump and his actions? Part of it is the increase in partisanship over recent years. Part of it, too, is that Trump is bolstered by positive coverage in outlets that more Republicans watch.

Last October, Suffolk University polled on the presidential race, including a question about the respondents most-trusted news or commentary outlet. Fox News was the most popular outlet overall thanks to the fact that more than half of Republicans and Trump voters said it was what they trusted most.

How did Fox cover the Comey firing? Slate said the network was covering it from an alternate reality. The Times wrote that the attitude on Fox toward Comeys firing was almost celebratory. The Post noted that Fox and other conservative outlets were closing ranks behind Trump on the subject.

This couples with new research published this week by Pew Research showing that Republicans are suddenly much less likely to say that the medias criticism of politicians helps keep those politicians in line.

The partisan numbers on that question always align with the party in the White House, but the gap between the parties has never been bigger.

Trumps current favorable numbers actually arent very good for Trump. In the 2016 election, nearly a third of the votes he got were from independents enough to give him the slight edge he needed to win the Electoral College.

If his support from independents stays as soft as it is now, its hard to see how he wins a second term.

But thats not the Hill Republicans problem. If Trump stays popular with Republicans, if that popularity continues to rub off and if conservative news outlets continue to help keep all of that in place, theres little political incentive for Republicans in safe (or safe-ish) seats to call for an independent investigation, much less an impeachment.

If that 84 percent approval starts to sag significantly? Trump moves from political asset to political liability. And nothing in this world moves as quickly as a politician looking for distance from something unpopular.

Read the original:
The one little number that so far is all the protection Donald Trump needs - Washington Post