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Before he gets more deeply involved in Syrias civil war, Donald Trump will have to win one at home. The Republican Party was already divided after failing to repeal Obamacare. Now the conflict has spread to the White House, where Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner are at daggers drawn. Even Trumps most loyal grassroots and media supporters are in an uproar over the presidents evolving foreign policy, which has taken a turn toward the establishment as his domestic agenda sinks into the swamp he promised to drain.

How much damage has the Syrian attack done to Trump? Hes lost Ann Coulter, who took to Twitter to vent her outrage and retweet lesser-known supporters who felt equally betrayed. Hes lost Justin Raimondo of Antiwar.com and the sizable blocs of Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan activists who had flocked to Trumps America First banner. Hes even lost InfoWars, whose readers are overwhelmingly against the attacks, to judge from the sites self-polling and user comments. Commenters at Breitbart.com are not less outraged over Trumps move.

The president has lost his base, or is in grave danger of doing so. But he has also picked up new support: from John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Bill Kristol, all of whom praised the airstrike on Syria. Neoconservatism is suddenly back in fashion at the White House, or so it seems.

Trumps supporters had been growing restive over a litany of setbacks and reversals even before this. The presidents executive order to restrict immigration from countries with active Islamist revolutionaries has bogged down in the courts. Obamacare repeal turned into a fiasco, with the White House getting behind an unpopular plan that neither conservatives nor right-wing populists could get behind. Bannon, the tribune of the right-wing populists, appears to be losing ground by the day in the White Houses internal battles. Word that Reince Priebus may soon be replaced as chief of staff by a more moderate Washington insider led Laura Ingraham to quip on Twitter, Trump is going into the Swamp he promised to drain for his new Chief-of-Staff. (A former chief of staff to Sen. Arlen Specter is among those being considered)

Its Bannon whose dismissal would be a real call to arms for the right, however. Only anonymous sources have been willing to speak to the press about Bannons reputed power struggle with Trumps son in law, Jared Kushner. But outside the White House, establishment Republicans have started to go on the record calling for Bannons removal. Politico notes that Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has told a Miami radio station that Bannons downfall would be welcome news for the nation. She predicts his days are numbered in that administration. And I think profound changes will be coming.

This is the springtime of Republicans discontent. The failure of Trumps opening gambits in his first 100 days in office has created an opening for the establishment he vanquished during last years election to come to his rescue now: at least, thats how they would tell it.

Neoconservatives, in particular, have always been prepared to work with the personnel at hand: Kristol preferred John McCain as the Republican nominee in 2000, but he was glad to accept George W. Bush, especially once Bush placed Dick Cheney on the ticket. There are a lot of lesser-known Dick Cheneys ready to join the Trump administration just as soon as the Nationalists or Bannonitesas the supposed Kushner faction is said to call themare gone.

There are precedents for this: in 1980, right-wing conservatives from the West and South expected to staff the Reagan administration. They swiftly lost out to people they called the Eastern Establishment and to rising neoconservatives such as William Bennett, who was picked to head the National Endowment for the Humanities over the favored right-wing candidate, a University of Dallas professor of literature named M.E. Bradford. The conservative wars that have flared up from the 1990s to today have their roots in what the right experienced a betrayal of the Reagan Revolution. Reagan was personally popular enough with his own base, and with the whole country, that such conflicts didnt cost him re-election. But they did create splits that ultimate crippled George H.W. Bush in the 1992 primaries, when the right produced a challenger in the form of Pat Buchanan.

Trump does not have the same margin of safetyor any margin. He is the least popular of any president in modern times at this point in his administration. But he endured plenty of bad polls in the primaries and general election last year as long as his core activists and supporters stood by him, and those same voters have been steadfast during these troubled first 11 weeks. Trump would be well-served if he could expand his base of support. But demolishing his existing base and replacing it with one that appeals to Bill Kristol or John McCain does not seem like a smart political move. Even the less overtly neoconservative Republican brand represented by Paul Ryan proved to be politically leaden when Romney and Ryan shared a ticket in 2012. The neocons and the new center-right establishment were the winners of the old Republican civil warbut they never did stamp out the opposition, and they had the hardest of times winning national elections.

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Donald Trump's Biggest Problem - The National Interest Online

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Apr 8th 2017 1:05PM

Mark Hamill slammed Steve Bannon in response to seeing a photo of Donald Trump interrupting a screening of "Star Wars" film "Rogue One" while aboard Air Force One.

Photos surfaced of the moment on Thursday after President Trump spoke to members of the press on the aircraft as they were watching the most recent "Star Wars" movie.

SEE ALSO: As Trump defends O'Reilly, Fox uses 'Access Hollywood' tape in harassment seminars

Michigan journalist Brent Ashcroft took to Twitter with a screenshot of the moment being shown on ABC to ask Hamill what he thought about the moment.

"Hey @HamillHimself, what's your take on Trump watching #RogueOne while being interviewed on Air Force One?" he tweeted at the actor.

See photos of the moment:

6 PHOTOS

Donald Trump interrupts 'Rogue One' screening on Air Force One

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US President Donald Trump speaks to the press on Air Force One on April 6, 2017. Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump, hoping that a basket full of 'tweetable' deals will help avoid a public clash.Trump had yet to arrive to Florida, but the pair will gather later at his Mar-a-Lago resort -- which the US president likes to call the 'Winter White House' -- for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press on Air Force One on April 6, 2017. Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump, hoping that a basket full of 'tweetable' deals will help avoid a public clash.Trump had yet to arrive to Florida, but the pair will gather later at his Mar-a-Lago resort -- which the US president likes to call the 'Winter White House' -- for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press on Air Force One on April 6, 2017. Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump, hoping that a basket full of 'tweetable' deals will help avoid a public clash.Trump had yet to arrive to Florida, but the pair will gather later at his Mar-a-Lago resort -- which the US president likes to call the 'Winter White House' -- for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press on Air Force One on April 6, 2017. Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump, hoping that a basket full of 'tweetable' deals will help avoid a public clash.Trump had yet to arrive to Florida, but the pair will gather later at his Mar-a-Lago resort -- which the US president likes to call the 'Winter White House' -- for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump speaks to the press on Air Force One on April 6, 2017. Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump, hoping that a basket full of 'tweetable' deals will help avoid a public clash.Trump had yet to arrive to Florida, but the pair will gather later at his Mar-a-Lago resort -- which the US president likes to call the 'Winter White House' -- for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

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In response to the inquiry, Hamill responded with a quick-witted zinger of his own.

"#RogueOne?" he retorted. "I thought they were just screening Steve Bannon's home movies."

This isn't the first time Hamill has taken Trump to task, of course. He famously released recordings of himself reading the president's infamous tweets in the voice of "The Trumpster," as he calls the character that channels his version of The Joker from a 1992 animated show.

"As a voiceover actor, you recognize good dialogue -- and I haven't had dialogue this good since Paul Dini," he once said of his recordings.

See photos of Mark Hamill:

32 PHOTOS

Mark Hamill through the years

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Mark Hamill with his girlfriend at a theater; circa 1970; New York. (Photo by Art Zelin/Getty Images)

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 14: ROOM 222 - 'I've Got the Hammer, If You've Got the Thumb' - 9/14/73, Mark Hamill (as Matt Evans) and Phil Carey (as Benjamin Evans) in the 'I've Got the Hammer, If You've Got the Thumb' episode of the ABC series 'Room 222.', (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)

JUN 15 1977, MAY 30 1978, JUN 4 1978; 'Star Wars' has Given three Performers that 'All-Important Break'; Featured in the popular science fantasy movie are, from left, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.; (Photo By Steve Larson/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

CANADA - JUNE 23: Actor; Mark Hamill (Photo by Reg Innell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

American actor Mark Hamill, star of George Lucas' space saga 'Star Wars', 1978. (Photo by Maureen Donaldson/Getty Images)

Mark Hamill hitchhikes from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in a scene from the film 'Corvette Summer', 1978. (Photo by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images)

THE 50TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS - Show Coverage - Shoot Date: April 3, 1978. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images) BENJAMIN BURTT JR.;C3PO;MARK HAMILL

Mark Hamill (Photo by Tom Wargacki/WireImage)

FRIDAYS - Show Coverage - Shoot Date: May 8, 1981. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images) L-R: MARK HAMILL;MICHAEL RICHARDS;EXTRA

KIDS ARE PEOPLE TOO - Show Coverage - Shoot Date: July 24, 1980. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images) HOST MICHAEL YOUNG (C) AND MARK HAMILL (R) WITH AUDIENCE MEMBERS

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 11: Actor Mark Hamill, best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, and his wife Marilou York attend a premiere on February 11, 1989 in London, England. (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)

CANADA - NOVEMBER 18: 'Luke Skywalker' on Wellesley; Star Wars star Mark Hamill and Toronto actress Jessica Steen take a break on location at Jarvis Collegiate; where they're filming an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode for airing on TV in February. (Photo by Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Mark Hamill & Dean Cain (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 20: George Lucas ,the Film's Creator, [left] And Mark Hamill Who Played Luke Skywalker At The London Premiere Of The Film 'star Wars' (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Mark Hamill (center) and sons during 'Starship Troopers' Los Angeles Premiere at Mann Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)

Actor Mark Hamill and actress Carrie Fisher attending '10th Anniversary Gala for American Film Institute' on November 17, 1977 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

WESTWOOD, CA - AUGUST 15: Shannon Elizabeth, Writer/Director/Actor Kevin Smith, Mark Hamill and Jason Mewes attend the post-premiere party for 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' on August 15, 2001 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Mark Hamill during World Premiere Of 'The Hulk' - Hollywood at Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)

X-Men's Alan Cumming and Star Wars Mark Hamill (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

Meri Lou and Mark Hamill during 2004 Cannes Film Festival - 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers' Premiere at Palais Du Festival in Cannes, France. (Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage)

WESTWOOD , CA - MAY 12: Actor Mark Hamill (centre) and his daugter Chelsea (left) and wife Marilou arrive with C-3PO to the 'Star Wars Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith' Los Angeles Premiere at the Mann Village Theatre on May 12, 2005 in Westwood, California. The premiere benefits the charity Artists for a New South Africa and its comprehensive, ground-breaking program for South African children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

WESTWOOD , CA - MAY 12: Actor Mark Hamill and Chewbacca arrive at the 'Star Wars Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith' Los Angeles Premiere at the Mann Village Theatre on May 12, 2005 in Westwood, California. The premiere benefits the charity Artists for a New South Africa and its compreshensive, ground-breaking program for South African children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 12: Actor Mark Hamill (R) and Chelsea Hamill arrive at Spike TV's 7th Annual Video Game Awards at the Nokia Event Deck at LA Live on December 12, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 17: Director/Actor Mark Hamill attends the Black Pearl Photocall during the 63rd Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2010 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

THE NEIGHBORS - 'It Has Begun . . . . ' - The Weavers take the Bird-Kersees to Atlantic City, where Marty learns that Larry Bird not only counts cards, he can see through them, and Jackie admits that she's always wanted a human wedding. Meanwhile, Dick Butkus, in charge back home, gets an ominous call from his grandpa. Is it time for the Neighbors to return to Zabvron? Find out on the Season Finale of 'The Neighbors,' WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. The episode features two of science fiction's biggest icons as guest stars, George Takei as Grandfather and Mark Hamill as Commandant Bill. (Photo by Richard Cartwright/ABC via Getty Images) GEORGE TAKEI, MARK HAMILL

ESSEN, GERMANY - JULY 28: Actor and producer Mark Hamill (L), best known for his performance as Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, and actor Warwick Davis (R) attend the Star Wars Celebration at Messe Essen on July 28, 2013 in Essen, Germany. (Photo by Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Actor Mark Hamill attends the Midnight Mission's 100 year anniversary Golden Heart Gala held at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on September 30, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/WireImage)

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 16: (L-R) Actors Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Anthony Daniels speak onstage during Star Wars Celebration 2015 on April 16, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 10: Actor Mark Hamill (C) poses with Imperial Stormtroopers at the Lucasfilm panel during Comic-Con International 2015 at the San Diego Convention Center on July 10, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 10: Actors Harrison Ford (R) and Mark Hamill attend Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 10, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic)

HOLLYWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 14: Actor Mark Hamill attends the Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm's 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' on December 14, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Mark Hamill has scathing response to Donald Trump interrupting 'Rogue One' screening - AOL

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert mocked Donald TrumpDonald TrumpDocuments reveal how Manafort connected with Trump: report McConnell: Supreme Court vacancy helped Trump win Trump defends Syria strike on Twitter MORE Jr. late Friday following reports that he is considering a run for governor of New York, joking "we are screwed."

"Whats the lovable scamp up to? Colbert asked of Trump, 39. Is he inventing a new hair-slicking technology? Or sitting on a tree stump, daydreaming about a new endangered species to shoot? Who knows.

No, according to Page Six, Donald Trump Jr. is considering a run for governor of New York, Colbert said. Look, that is absurd and will never happen is what I would have said six months ago. Now, we are screwed.

Colbert joked that Trump should consider the fact that his "dad lost here by 90 points."

The eldest son of President Trump reportedly said earlier this week that he may be setting his sights on a future in politics, and could consider running for governor of New York.

Trump Jr. reportedly said returning to business became boring after joining his father on the presidential campaign trail.

See the article here:
Colbert mocks Donald Trump Jr. for eyeing NY governor run - The Hill (blog)

By Steve Holland | PALM BEACH, Fla.

PALM BEACH, Fla. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sat down together to dine on pan-seared Dover sole and New York strip steak on Thursday, spending some social time before digging into thorny bilateral security and trade issues.

Trump has said he wants to raise concerns about China's trade practices and urge Xi to do more to rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions during his first talks with the Chinese leaders, though no major deals on either issue were expected.

The summit at Trump's Spanish-style Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, got off to a cordial start. Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, joined Trump and his wife, Melania, at a long table in a candle-lit ornate private dining room festooned with red and yellow floral centerpieces.

Trump, a New York real estate magnate before he ran for office, joked before dinner: "Weve had a long discussion already, and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing, but we have developed a friendship - I can see that - and I think long term we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it."

The fanfare over the summit on Thursday was overshadowed by another pressing foreign policy issue: the U.S. response to a deadly poison gas attack in Syria. A U.S. official said on Thursday the White House and Pentagon were discussing military options.

Trump and Xi were expected to get into more detailed discussions about trade and foreign policy issues on Friday, concluding their summit with a working lunch.

Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China and rebuild the country's manufacturing base. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory in November and Trump wants to deliver for them.

"We have been treated unfairly and have made terrible trade deals with China for many, many years. Thats one of the things we are going to be talking about," Trump told reporters ahead of the meeting.

Trump is still finding his footing in the White House and has yet to spell out a strategy for what his advisers called a trade relationship based on "the principle of reciprocity."

He brought his top economic and national advisers to Florida for the meeting, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

"Even as we share a desire to work together, the United States does recognize the challenges China can present to American interests," said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, also in Florida for the meeting.

Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, who both work at the White House, also were among the dinner guests.

DIFFERING PERSONALITIES

Their summit brings together two leaders who could not seem more different: the often stormy Trump, prone to angry tweets, and Xi, outwardly calm, measured and tightly scripted, with no known social media presence.

What worries the protocol-conscious Chinese more than policy clashes is the risk that the unpredictable Trump could publicly embarrass Xi, after several foreign leaders experienced awkward moments with the new U.S. president.

"Ensuring President Xi does not lose face is a top priority for China, a Chinese official said.

The most urgent problem facing Trump and Xi is how to persuade nuclear-armed North Korea to halt unpredictable behavior like missile test launches that have heightened tensions in South Korea and Japan.

North Korea is working to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States.

Trump has threatened to use trade to try to force China to exert influence over Pyongyang.

I think China will be stepping up, Trump told reporters on Thursday. Beijing says its influence is limited and that it is doing all it can.

The White House is reviewing options to pressure Pyongyang economically and militarily, including secondary sanctions against Chinese banks and firms that do the most business with Pyongyang.

A long-standing option of pre-emptive strikes remains on the table, but despite the tougher recent U.S. talk, the internal review de-emphasizes direct military action, the U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Analysts believe any military action would likely provoke severe North Korean retaliation and massive casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops stationed there.

NO GRAND BARGAIN ON TRADE

On trade, U.S. labor leaders say Trump needs to take a direct, unambiguous tone in his talks with Xi.

"President Trump needs to come away from the meeting with concrete deliverables that will restore production and employment here in the U.S. in those sectors that have been ravaged by China's predatory and protectionist practices," said Holly Hart, legislative director for the United Steelworkers union.

A U.S. administration official told Reuters that Washington expects to have to use legal tools to fight for U.S. companies, such as pursuing World Trade Organization lawsuits.

"I dont expect a grand bargain on trade. I think what you are going to see is that the president makes very clear to Xi and publicly what we expect on trade," a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Trump has often complained Beijing undervalues its currency to boost trade, but his administration looks unlikely to formally label China as a currency manipulator in the near term - a designation that could come with penalties.

(Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick, Roberta Rampton, Ayesha Rascoe and Mohammad Zargham in Washington, Gui Qing Koh in New York, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and William Mallard in Tokyo; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and James Dalgleish)

WASHINGTON/PALM BEACH, Fla. U.S President Donald Trump said on Thursday he ordered a targeted military strike against an airfield in Syria from which a deadly chemical attack was launched this week.

WASHINGTON A Chinese fighter plane has been spotted on a Chinese-held island in the South China Sea, the first such sighting in a year and the first since U.S. President Trump took office, a U.S. think tank reported on Thursday.

CARACAS Venezuelan opposition protesters and security officers clashed on Thursday as the country's fragmented opposition gained new impetus against a socialist government it blames for the country's social and economic collapse.

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Trump, China's Xi dine ahead of talks on security, trade - Reuters

Image: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

The press along for the ride on Air Force One today decided to take advantage of the fact that Rogue One was just released on DVD. And they kind of forgot to pause the movie while President Donald Trump addressed the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government.

We know that they didnt pause the video because the images of the flight show a variety of Rogue One moments upstaging whatever nonsense was being said. And theres clock counting down how much longer the flight is below the video.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

According to this CNN video, the video played while Trump was answering questions about what should be done about events in Syria:

Theres nothing here about whether or not, after saying that Something should happen in Syria, Trump stayed to watch the movie featuring a lead who rediscovers her ideals and takes on a suicide mission to fight a corrupt and evil totalitarian government.

The rest is here:
Donald Trump Interrupts Star Wars to Provoke Actual War - Gizmodo