Cal Thomas, Matt Bonesteel, Fenit Nirappil, Jon Miller and Nicholas Ballasy joined WMAL on Wednesday!

Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C Donald Trump slams Kellyanne Conway’s husband as ‘total loser.’ (Fox News) – President Trump has ensured some awkward dinner-table conversations at the Conway household, taking direct aim Tuesday at adviser Kellyanne Conway’s husband. “A total loser!” Trump tweeted, in response to a post from campaign manager Brad Parscale about George Conway — who despite his wife’s senior role in the administration has emerged as an outspoken Trump critic. “We all know that @realDonaldTrump turned down Mr. Kellyanne Conway for a job he desperately wanted. He barely worked @TheJusticeDept and was either fired/quit, didn’t want the scrutiny? Now he hurts his wife because he is jealous of her success. POTUS doesn’t even know him!” Parscale had tweeted Monday night. Conway himself responded shortly afterward, tweeting: “Congratulations!  You just guaranteed that millions of more people are going to learn about narcissistic personality disorder and malignant narcissism!  Great job!” The fiery tweets came after George Conway, who has frequently criticized Trump, questioned the president’s mental health. Conway elaborated early Monday, saying that Trump’s barrage of tweets over the weekend – including critiques of the late Sen. John McCain and “Saturday Night Live” – were a “product of his pathologies” rather than a “rational plan or strategy.” He then retweeted a post from “Duty To Warn,” which tried to demonstrate that Trump’s activities matched the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder.

5am – D         IMMIGRATION NEWS:

• Supreme Court: Criminal Aliens Cannot Escape Detention by Dodging Federal Agents. (Breitbart) – WASHINGTON, DC – Criminal aliens are not shielded from a federal mandatory- detention law when federal agents do not arrest them immediately upon release from state prisons, according to a 5-4 Supreme Court decision on Wednesday, rejecting arguments from the ACLU and left-wing politicians. The case involves a provision of federal law requiring federal detention of certain classes of aliens while the government seeks to deport them, both legal and illegal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit interpreted the law in a way that severely limited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s authority to detain those aliens while deportation proceedings are underway. “Aliens who are arrested because they are believed to be deportable may generally apply for release on bond or parole while the question of their removal is being decided,” Justice Samuel Alito began for the Court, citing 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which applies to most noncitizens. “These aliens may secure their release by proving to the satisfaction of a Department of Homeland Security officer or an immigration judge that they would not endanger others and would not flee if released from custody.”
• OVER 1 MILLION ILLEGALS WITH FINAL DEPORTATION ORDERS ARE STILL IN THE US. According to new data obtained by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) via a FOIA request, there are 644,488 illegal aliens remaining in our country who have already been served final deportation orders. And those are just from the top four countries of origin – El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. The IRLI shared much more data with CR. The total number of illegal aliens who remain in the country despite final deportation orders is 1,009,550.
• Concertina wire stolen from border fence and used for home security in Tijuana, authorities say. (San Diego Union Tribune) — The concertina wire installed under the Trump administration to reinforce the U.S.-Mexico border is now being stolen and used to protect Tijuana residences as the city grapples with a surge in crime, officials confirmed Monday. Thieves are stealing and selling the same concertina wire installed in November along the border by the Department of Homeland Security, and 15 to 20 arrests have already been made, city officials said. Contractors were seen Monday at a border fence on the U.S. side of the Colonia Libertad neighborhood of Tijuana, replacing some of the stolen wire. Some homes in the same area had identical wire installed in front of their homes, as an added layer of protection to their property lines and fences, but residents declined to comment about how they obtained the material. “I don’t actually live here in this house, so I have no idea how that wire got here,” said one woman who declined to give her name in Colonia Libertad at a house where the razor wire was visible in front.
• Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam vetoes ban on sanctuary cities. (Washington Times) – RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has again vetoed a bill aimed at preventing so-called “sanctuary cities” in the state. Northam, a Democrat, said he was vetoing the legislation Tuesday because it imposes an unneeded burden on local law enforcement officials and “sends a chilling message.” It was the same statement he issued last year when he vetoed the same legislation. A sanctuary city is a term without legal definition but generally means a locality that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement activities. Republicans said the legislation is needed to ensure federal immigration efforts aren’t hampered. The bill narrowly passed the GOP-led General Assembly along party lines. Northam also vetoed legislation requiring local law enforcement officials to notify federal officials when a person living in the country illegally is released from jail.

5am – E         Bernie Sanders hires Beto O’Rourke critic as top aide in 2020 race. WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders on Tuesday said he is hiring a well-known liberal journalist with a history of sharply criticizing other Democratic presidential candidates, including Beto O’Rourke. Sanders’ campaign said it is bringing in David Sirota, whose work has appeared in The Guardian and Newsweek, among other outlets, as a senior adviser and speechwriter. The move could stoke tensions within the Democratic field since Sirota has previously targeted O’Rourke, the former U.S. congressman from Texas who entered the presidential race last week, and other rivals. Sirota on Twitter and in published articles has accused O’Rourke of siding with President Donald Trump and Republicans while a member of the House of Representatives, as well as being overly friendly with the oil and gas industry. Sirota’s criticism of O’Rourke in December drew a warning from Neera Tanden, a top ally of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and president of the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank. “A supporter of Bernie Sanders attacking a Democrat,” Tanden tweeted. “This is seriously dangerous. We know Trump is in the White House and attacking Dems is doing Trump’s bidding.”

6am – A         D.C. Council reprimands Jack Evans for soliciting business from law firms that lobby city. (Washington Post/By Fenit Nirappil) — The D.C. Council on Tuesday reprimanded its longest-serving member, Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), and announced plans to dilute the power of his committee after he repeatedly used his government staff and email to solicit business from law firms that lobby the city, offering his influence and connections to help their clients. The unanimous vote came as the veteran lawmaker is also the target of a federal criminal investigation of his business dealings and faces the threat of a recall election. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) swatted away calls from activists, community groups and five of the council’s 13 members to strip Evans of his chairmanship of the Finance and Revenue Committee. “What is before us is discipline, and anyone who might suggest that this is not painful should put themselves in Mr. Evans’s shoes,” Mendelson said. “This is a public meeting. It is a specially called meeting. There is one item of business. I have repeatedly invoked Jack Evans’s name in condemnation of his conduct . . . We do this to make clear to the public that Mr. Evans’s actions do not reflect the council’s values.” Mendelson proposed to take away some of Evans’s responsibilities, shifting oversight of tax abatements, tax increment financing, the Washington Convention and Sports Authority/Events D.C., and the Commission on the Arts and Humanities to committees led by other lawmakers. But Evans would retain oversight of other key agencies, including the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the D.C. Lottery, which is set to regulate the city’s new sports betting program — a lucrative initiative he championed.

6am – B         Police investigating hit-and-run crash that allegedly involves DC councilmember’s car. WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) – DC Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that allegedly involves the car of Ward 8 councilmember Trayon White. A preliminary crash report obtained by FOX 5 says the incident took place Monday night along I-295 near the Malcolm X Avenue exit in Southeast Washington. A driver involved told police their car was rear-ended by another driver who took off before providing necessary documentation. That driver took pictures of the BMW allegedly involved with a license plate which read: “Councilmember Ward 8.” White was arrested in D.C. back in 2017 for driving with a suspended license. That case was dismissed.

6am – C         K-Cups for booze? Budweiser owner, Keurig’s single-serve cocktail machines officially roll out. Mojitos via a K-Cup pod? That will soon be a reality for customers in three states across the country. Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev SA are moving forward with its plan to launch a home bar K-Cup system after piloting the program in St. Louis, Missouri last November. The new machine, which is in partnership with Drinkworks, is officially rolling out throughout Missouri and Florida in the coming months as well as California in 2020. The Drinkworks machine works by using liquid-filled pods to prepare cocktails, brews and ciders with a touch of a button, just like coffee. Each pod contains a shot of alcohol along with its flavorings and is then fused with either water or carbonations to serve up drinks such as a Moscow Mule, Old Fashioned or beer. The companies said its drink portfolio already includes more than 24 different recipes. The machine is being sold for $299 on preorder and is currently on sale in St. Louis for $399.  A four-pack of pods are around $15.99.

6am – D         INTERVIEW – CAL THOMAS – Syndicated columnist – discussed his SNL idea for President Trump and the SCOTUS immigration ruling.

6am – E         Christopher Steele’s Former MI6 Boss Slams Trump Dossier As ‘Overrated.’ (Daily Wire) – The former boss of the ex-British spy who produced the uncorroborated, salacious dossier on President Donald Trump’s alleged Russian collusion says the document is “overrated,” and wouldn’t comment on the character of the man who wrote it. Sir John Scarlett, who was the chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 2004 to 2009, said after a recent national security panel in Washington, D.C. that the dossier Christopher Steele, who ran MI6’s Russia desk from 2006 to 2009, wrote was “overrated” and could never be corroborated. Scarlett had just finished speaking at the Jamestown Foundation’s 12th annual terrorism conference on a panel titled “2018 in Review and the Prospects for Terrorism in 2019.” Retired U.S. Marine Corps General John R. Allen was also on the panel moderated by Georgetown University professor Dr. Bruce Hoffman.

6am – F         BETO NEWS:

• Student Grills Beto O’Rourke over Running on ‘Platitudes’ Instead of ‘Actual Policy.’ Campaigning Tuesday at Penn State University, a student pressed 2020 Democrat presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke on when he will unveil “actual policy” instead of “platitudes” — echoing bipartisan criticism that the former Texas congressman is heavy on style, but light on substance.
• Report: Beto O’Rourke Ate Dirt with Fabled ‘Regenerative Powers’ After Losing to Ted Cruz
• Beto O’Rourke says “there’s a lot of wisdom” in abolishing the electoral college

7am – A         INTERVIEW – MATT BONESTEEL – Washington Post – discussed the beginning of March Madness.

7am – B/C     March Madness: Acosta Throws Tantrum After Joint Presser, Resents “Softball” Question from Daily Caller.

7am – D         INTERVIEW – FENIT NIRAPPIL – (fen-nit nair-rah-pill)  – D.C. City Hall reporter for the Washington Post

• D.C. Council reprimands Jack Evans for soliciting business from law firms that lobby city. (Washington Post/By Fenit Nirappil) — The D.C. Council on Tuesday reprimanded its longest-serving member, Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), and announced plans to dilute the power of his committee after he repeatedly used his government staff and email to solicit business from law firms that lobby the city, offering his influence and connections to help their clients. The unanimous vote came as the veteran lawmaker is also the target of a federal criminal investigation of his business dealings and faces the threat of a recall election. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) swatted away calls from activists, community groups and five of the council’s 13 members to strip Evans of his chairmanship of the Finance and Revenue Committee.
• Police investigating hit-and-run crash that allegedly involves DC councilmember’s car. WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) – DC Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that allegedly involves the car of Ward 8 councilmember Trayon White. A preliminary crash report obtained by FOX 5 says the incident took place Monday night along I-295 near the Malcolm X Avenue exit in Southeast Washington. A driver involved told police their car was rear-ended by another driver who took off before providing necessary documentation. That driver took pictures of the BMW allegedly involved with a license plate which read: “Councilmember Ward 8.”

7am – E         PAUL RYAN JOINS NEW FOX COMPANY BOARD

• MURDOCHS LAUNCH A NEW “FOX”: Murdoch family launches a new Fox, and former House Speaker Paul Ryan joins its board. (LA Times) — The freshly minted company unveiled its board members, including former House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.). Ryan, whose two decades in Congress ended in January, forged a working relationship with President Trump in recent years to advance a conservative agenda, including tax cuts. The new Fox is now “a standalone, publicly traded company,” the company said. Its shares are listed on the Nasdaq market; Tuesday marks their first day of trading.
• Paul Ryan joins board of Fox, new parent company of Fox News. Former House speaker Paul D. Ryan has landed his first post-Congress job as a board member for Fox, the new parent company of Fox News.Fox spun off from the larger 21st Century Fox, which Rupert Murdoch sold to Walt Disney Co. Ryan (R-Wis.), who retired from Congress last year citing his desire to spend more time with his family, was named to the board Tuesday. A Fox news release credited him for leading “efforts to revise the federal tax code, rebuild the national defense, expand domestic energy production, combat the opioid epidemic, and reform the criminal justice system.”

8am – A         INTERVIEW – JON MILLER – White House correspondent for The Blaze – recapped President Trump’s press conference with the Brazil president and Trump’s comments on McCain.

• Donald Trump Meets with Populist Conservative Brazil President at the White House.
• Trump: ‘I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be.’ President Donald Trump doubled down on his criticism of the late Sen. John McCain on Tuesday, telling reporters that he “was never a fan” of the Arizona lawmaker “and never will be.” Trump, during an appearance at the White House alongside Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, continued his posthumous broadside against his former foe, saying that he still found it “disgraceful” that McCain voted against repealing key parts of Obamacare in 2017.
• Acosta Throws Tantrum After Joint Presser, Resents “Softball” Question from Daily Caller
• Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump: George Conway, often referred to as Mr. Kellyanne Conway by those who know him, is VERY jealous of his wife’s success & angry that I, with her help, didn’t give him the job he so desperately wanted. I barely know him but just take a look, a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell!

8am – B         Koppel: Establishment Press ‘Out to Get’ Trump. (Breitbart News) — Earlier this month during a discussion with Marvin Kalb at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Ted Koppel, the former ABC’s “Nightline,” acknowledged the media were out to get President Donald Trump, saying Trump wasn’t “mistaken” in holding the belief. According to Koppel, some so-called media organizations made the decision Trump was “bad” for the country. “I turned to my wife, and I said [The New York Times] is absolutely committed to making sure that this guy does not get elected. So his perception that the establishment press is out to get him doesn’t mean that great journalism is not being done. It is. But the notion that most of us look upon Donald Trump as being an absolute fiasco — he’s not mistaken in that perception, and he’s not mistaken when so many of the liberal media, for example, described themselves as belonging to the Resistance.” “We’re talking about organizations that I believe have, in fact, decided as organizations that Donald J. Trump is bad for the United States,” Koppel added.

8am – C         Alex Ovechkin says he’s ‘excited’ to attend Capitals’ White House celebration Monday. (Washington Post) – NEWARK — The Washington Capitals will join President Trump on Monday to celebrate their 2018 Stanley Cup victory at the White House, according to a team spokesman. The visit will come nearly 10 months after the team won its first championship in franchise history, and the event is expected to be more low-key than some in the past, though plans are still being finalized. The Capitals will be the first Washington professional team to be honored at the White House since D.C. United in 1997. Visiting the White House has long been a tradition for many championship college and professional teams, but it has been mixed with some controversy during Trump’s presidency. In the week after they won the Stanley Cup, most Capitals players said they would visit the White House. Russian captain Alex Ovechkin confirmed that he will attend after the team’s 4-1 win at the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. “We just found out today, so I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I’m just excited. It’s nice.”

8am – D         INTERVIEW – NICHOLAS BALLASY – Political Correspondent/Video Journalist

• Christopher Steele’s Former MI6 Boss Slams Trump Dossier As ‘Overrated.’ The former boss of the ex-British spy who produced the uncorroborated, salacious dossier on President Donald Trump’s alleged Russian collusion says the document is “overrated,” and wouldn’t comment on the character of the man who wrote it. Sir John Scarlett, who was the chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 2004 to 2009, said after a recent national security panel in Washington, D.C. that the dossier Christopher Steele, who ran MI6’s Russia desk from 2006 to 2009, wrote was “overrated” and could never be corroborated. Scarlett had just finished speaking at the Jamestown Foundation’s 12th annual terrorism conference on a panel titled “2018 in Review and the Prospects for Terrorism in 2019.” Retired U.S. Marine Corps General John R. Allen was also on the panel moderated by Georgetown University professor Dr. Bruce Hoffman.
• Koppel: Establishment Press ‘Out to Get’ Trump. (Breitbart News) — Earlier this month during a discussion with Marvin Kalb at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Ted Koppel, the former ABC’s “Nightline,” acknowledged the media were out to get President Donald Trump, saying Trump wasn’t “mistaken” in holding the belief. According to Koppel, some so-called media organizations made the decision Trump was “bad” for the country.

8am – E         2020 NEWS:

• Kirsten Gillibrand says that illegal immigrants should be entitled to social security and citizenship.
• BETO says he can win Texas (even though he didn’t against Cruz)
• Student Grills Beto O’Rourke over Running on ‘Platitudes’ Instead of ‘Actual Policy.’ Campaigning Tuesday at Penn State University, a student pressed 2020 Democrat presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke on when he will unveil “actual policy” instead of “platitudes” — echoing bipartisan criticism that the former Texas congressman is heavy on style, but light on substance.
• At Penn State yesterday, Beto was asked about his defense of third-trimester abortion. He doubled down: “I think those decisions are best left to a woman and her doctor. I know better than to assume anything about a woman’s decision . . . when it comes her to reproductive rights.”
• Beto O’Rourke says “there’s a lot of wisdom” in abolishing the electoral college