Fox’s Peter Doocy, WMAL’s Redskins analyst Trevor Matich, Washington Post’s Elahe Izadi, Fox’s Bret Baier and guest host Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, August 17, 2018

Hosts: Vince Coglianese and Tony Shaffer

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C SECURITY CLEARANCES:

• Retired Adm. William McRaven asks Trump to revoke his security clearance (CBS News) — William McRaven wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post Thursday asking President Trump to revoke his security clearance in solidarity with former CIA director John Brennan, who had his security clearance revoked Wednesday. McRaven, a retired Navy admiral who served as commander of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014, oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. McRaven called Brennan “one of the finest public servants I have ever known,” saying “his honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don’t know him.” “Therefore, I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency,” McRaven wrote.
• Eleven former CIA chiefs and one former DNI head – who have served under GOP and Democratic presidents – issue joint statement tonight raising alarms at Trump’s move to strip Brennan of his security clearance, calling it “an attempt to stifle free speech.”
• Trump Trying To ‘Stifle Free Speech,’ 12 Former Intelligence Officials Say. In a joint statement Thursday, a dozen of the nation’s leading former intelligence officials slammed President Donald Trump’s recent decision to revoke former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance.The officials, who served under both Republican and Democratic presidents, include former CIA Directors Michael Hayden, Leon Panetta, William Webster, Porter Goss, David Petraeus and George Tenet, several of the agency’s former deputy directors and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. “We all agree that the president’s action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances ― and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech,” they wrote. “You don’t have to agree with what John Brennan says (and, again, not all of us do) to agree with his right to say it, subject to his obligation to protect classified information.”

5am – D         DETROIT CANDIDATE PUSHES RACIAL SLUR; APOLOGIZES

• Detroit Bettie Cook Scott on Asian opponent: ‘Don’t vote for the ching-chong!’ (Detroit Metro Times) — More than a dozen community groups have called on Rep. Bettie Cook Scott (D-Detroit) to apologize for a series of racial slurs sources say she used to describe her primary election opponent, Rep. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit). Scott is alleged to have referred to Chang as “ching-chang” and “the ching-chong” to multiple voters outside polling precincts during last Tuesday’s election. She’s also said to have called one of Chang’s campaign volunteers an “immigrant,” saying “you don’t belong here” and “I want you out of my country.”  Chang and Scott were running in the Democratic primary for state Sen. District 1. Chang won the election with 49 percent of the vote; Scott came in third with 11 percent of the vote.  “These comments are offensive to all Asian-Americans,” Chang tells Metro Times. “It isn’t about me. It’s about an elected official disrespecting entire populations, whether they be Asian-American, immigrant, or residents of Sen. District 1 or [Cook’s] own current house district.”  The various off-color remarks were heard by multiple people connected with Chang, including Chang’s husband, who spoke with Metro Times. Sean Gray says after overhearing Cook disparage Chang outside a precinct on the east side of Detroit, “I … asked her not to speak about my wife in that manner. At that time she said to the voter that ‘these immigrants from China are coming over and taking our community from us.’ Further, she said it ‘disgusts her seeing black people holding signs  for these Asians and not supporting their own people.'”  Gray, who is black, says Scott then went on to call him a “fool” for marrying Chang.
• Democrat apologizes after hurling anti-Asian slurs at her opponent (Fox News) — A Michigan state Democrat apologized Thursday after calling her opponent and the rival’s campaign staff “ching-chongs” – in reference to the candidate’s Asian heritage. State Rep. Bettie Cook Scott has come under fire after she hurled anti-Asian slurs at state Rep. Stephanie Chang during the primary election last week, the Detroit Metro Times reported. Scott also reportedly told a voter that immigrants from China were “coming over and taking our community from us” and that it “disgusts” her to see “black people holding signs for these Asians and not supporting their own people.” Chang and Scott were running against each other in the Democratic Party primary for Michigan’s 1st Senate District. Chang won the primary with nearly 50 percent of the vote. “These comments are offensive to all Asian-Americans,” Chang told Metro Times. “It isn’t about me. It’s about an elected official disrespecting entire populations, whether they be Asian-American, immigrant, or residents of Sen. District 1 or [Cook’s] own current House district.”

5am – E         MANAFORT TRIAL:

• Jury deliberations begin in Manafort trial: Manafort trial Day 13: No verdict as defense calls jury’s questions ‘a good sign’ Jurors in Paul Manafort’s bank- and tax-fraud trial ended their first day of deliberations without a verdict, but posed a set of questions to the judge overseeing the case that could indicate trouble for the prosecution. A note from the jury read aloud in court Thursday afternoon asked about the legal requirements behind four of the felony charges facing the former Trump campaign chairman: allegations that he failed to file reports on bank accounts located overseas. Jurors also asked U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III to provide clarification on what constitutes reasonable doubt. The queries could alarm special counsel Robert Mueller’s prosecutors because they suggest the jurors were not immediately convinced that the case against Manafort is a slam dunk. But it could also mean that jurors have not bought the defense’s central argument: that longtime Manafort deputy Rick Gates was the one actually responsible for Manafort’s alleged wrongdoing. After the brief, late-afternoon session, Manafort’s lawyer, Kevin Downing, called the queries from the jurors a positive development for his client. “I think it’s all a good sign, yes,” Downing told reporters and TV crews assembled outside the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. “We took out some good news. Jury’s been deliberating. It has some questions which the judge addressed. They’ve asked to come back tomorrow to continue deliberations. Overall, a good day for Mr. Manafort,” the attorney said.
• Jury in trial of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort sends note to judge with four questions; will resume deliberations this morning.
• Jury in Manafort trial has 4 questions:

1. Is one required to file an FBAR if they own less than 50% of the company and no signatory authority?
2. Define “shelf company?”
3. Redefine “reasonable doubt?”
4. Can the exhibit list be amended to include the indictment?

• Politico’s Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein: 19h19 hours ago: Funny moment just after jury was excused to deliberate on Manafort. Judge called out: ‘Mr. Trump, you’re here for what?’ Journalists and lawyers were startled–almost aghast. But judge was recognizing an EDVA prosecutor: Jim Trump. (1/2)

6am – A/B/C Schools cancel varsity football, cite lack of interest. The declines come amid concerns about injuries, rising equipment and participation costs and demographic shifts. MANASSAS, Va. (AP) — Three Virginia high schools are canceling varsity football programs, citing a lack of interest. Media outlets report that Charles City is canceling its entire program and other schools are canceling varsity schedules. Park View High School in Sterling canceled its varsity schedule after only 18 players reported for tryouts.  Manassas Park High School Principal Pamela Kalso told parents Tuesday that they’ll play a junior varsity schedule after practices routinely drew only 15 players. The Virginia High School League recommends against playing varsity football with fewer than 25 students. The declines come amid concerns about injuries, rising equipment and participation costs and demographic shifts.  The National Federation of State High School Associations says high school football enrollment dropped 4.5 percent nationwide from 2006 to 2016.

6am – D/E     OMAROSA – LARA TRUMP:

• Omarosa releases third recording of Trump campaign offering her a job (Washington Examiner) — A third audio recording released Thursday by Omarosa Manigault Newman appears to verify her previous claim that she was offered a $15,000-a-month contract with President Trump’s re-election campaign after being fired from the White House for “serious” ethical violations. Manigault Newman provided the recording to MSNBC on the condition that only certain portions of the recording be played for the public. Trump’s daughter-in-law and campaign adviser Lara Trump can be heard in the tape describing a position for Manigault Newman on the 2020 campaign that would allow her to continue living in Washington and “occasionally go do speaking engagements.” At the outset of their conversation, Trump appeared to address reports that Manigault Newman might have damning information about the president or his aides in her “back pocket.
• Lara Trump Responds To New Secret Tape Release As POTUS Dreams Of Omarosa Behind Bars. Iin a lengthy statement, Lara Trump described the airing of the tape as a “betrayal” — coming after Manigault Newman was “welcomed into our family as a trusted friend and confidant.” “When Omarosa was fired by the White House Chief of Staff in December of 2017, my entire family was concerned for her because we had no idea about the basis of her dismissal,” she said. “We still wanted her on our team because we cared so much about her personally.” She also challenged the significance and framing of the audio:  “Another one of Omarosa’s ‘bombshell’ tapes is a fraud. The discussions about a position with the campaign took place in numerous phone calls over the course of several weeks. “Woman to woman, I shared a connection with Omarosa as a friend and a campaign sister, and I am absolutely shocked and saddened by her betrayal and violation on a deeply personal level,” she said.

6am – F  VATICAN RESPONDS:

• Vatican calls clergy sex abuse outlined in report ‘criminal and morally reprehensible.’ The Vatican on Thursday called “criminal and morally reprehensible” the conduct of priests detailed this week in a blistering grand jury report on clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania. “Those acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith,” a papal spokesperson said in a statement released two days after the nearly 900-page report was made public. “The church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur.” Released in multiple languages, the statement did not quote Pope Francis directly, but said he “understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirit of believers, and reiterates the call to make every effort to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable adults in the church and in all of society. Victims should know that the pope is on their side.” The statement represented the first public reaction to the report from Rome, and comes as the Catholic Church has reeled from a fresh wave of clergy sex-abuse cases worldwide and questions over Francis’ response to them.
• The statement released Thursday by the Holy See: “Regarding the report made public in Pennsylvania this week, there are two words that can express the feelings faced with these horrible crimes: shame and sorrow. The Holy See treats with great seriousness the work of the Investigating Grand Jury of Pennsylvania and the lengthy Interim Report it has produced. The Holy See condemns unequivocally the sexual abuse of minors. The abuses described in the report are criminal and morally reprehensible. Those acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith. The Church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur. Most of the discussion in the report concerns abuses before the early 2000s. By finding almost no cases after 2002, the Grand Jury’s conclusions are consistent with previous studies showing that Catholic Church reforms in the United States drastically reduced the incidence of clergy child abuse. The Holy See encourages continued reform and vigilance at all levels of the Catholic Church, to help ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults from harm. The Holy See also wants to underscore the need to comply with the civil law, including mandatory child abuse reporting requirements. The Holy Father understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirt of believers and reiterates the call to make every effort to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable adults in the Church and in all of society. Victims should know that the Pope is on their side.”

7am – A         INTERVIEW — PETER DOOCY –  Correspondent, Fox News Channel @pdoocy – discussed latest news on the Manafort trial

• Jury in trial of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort sends note to judge with four questions; will resume deliberations this morning.

7am – B/C     NEWSPAPER COLLUSION

• Hundreds of newspapers tell Trump: We are not the enemy. Hundreds of news outlets joined a nationwide effort on Thursday to publish editorial pieces calling on President Trump to stop his attacks on the press. “The greatness of America is dependent on the role of a free press to speak the truth to the powerful,” the Boston Globe wrote in its editorial. “To label the press ‘the enemy of the people’ is as un-American as it is dangerous to the civic compact we have shared for more than two centuries,” the newspaper added. Marjorie Pritchard, the deputy managing editor of the Globe who oversees the paper’s editorial page, first called on newspapers earlier this month to publish editorials pushing back against the president’s rhetoric toward the media. More than 300 organizations have since pledged to join the effort, The Associated Press reported, including national outlets and local newspapers.
• LATIMES REBUKES ‘GROUPTHINK’…  The Los Angeles Times is not participating in today’s nationwide editorial page protest against Trump’s attacks on the press. Here’s why. (LA Times) — More than 300 newspapers around the country will participate today in a group protest of President Trump’s frequent attacks on the news media. Each of the papers will publish editorials — their own separate editorials, in their own words — defending freedom of the press. The Los Angeles Times, however, has decided not to participate. There will be no free press editorial on our page today.  The Los Angeles Times editorial board does not speak for the New York Times or for the Boston Globe or the Chicago Tribune or the Denver Post. We share certain opinions with those newspapers; we disagree on other things. Even when we do agree with another editorial page — on the death penalty or climate change or war in Afghanistan, say — we reach our own decisions and positions after careful consultation and deliberation among ourselves, and then we write our own editorials. We would not want to leave the impression that we take our lead from others, or that we engage in groupthink.
• THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country….BUT WE ARE WINNING! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2018

7am –C          Aretha Franklin, music’s ‘Queen of Soul,’ dies at 76. She won 18 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement nod, was the first female inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was anointed the No. 1 singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2008.

7am – D         INTERVIEW — TREVOR MATICH – WMAL’s Redskins Analyst @TMatich

• Redskins defeat the Jets, 15-13, as Alex Smith makes a short-lived debut (Fox 5) — In the end, the final score didn’t matter, but the outcome was more than enough to buoy a Washington Redskins locker room still learning to jell and a fifth-year head coach trying to make due with a depleted roster. Their starting quarterback, Alex Smith, played only one series Thursday night against the New York Jets, but he withstood a crushing blow on his first snap of preseason work and managed to show why the Redskins appear to be in capable hands. Their defense kept rookie quarterback Sam Darnold off his game and occasionally running for cover. And youngsters — such as wide receiver Cam Sims, who rebounded from a crucial drop-turned-interception to be a key contributor on offense — showed they can be trusted in key moments, even after glaring missteps. Preseason games are about evaluations and adjustments, Coach Jay Gruden said. But the victories taste just as sweet this time of year. “I don’t care what anybody says. It’s a heck of a lot more fun to win than lose, no matter when it is. Preseason or not,” Gruden said following the Redskins’ come-from-behind 15-13 win over the Jets at FedEx Field. “It’s great to see our guys come back.”

7am – E         Dems Perplexed On How To Handle Ellison’s Abuse Claims:

• KEITH ELLISON TO EX-GIRLFRIEND: ‘WE DON’T HAVE TO DESTROY EACH OTHER’ OVER DOMESTIC ABUSE ACCUSATIONS
• WAPO ON ELLISON: Democrats cautious about judging one of their own amid misconduct allegations

8am – A         MILITARY PARADE UPDATE:

• Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump 2h2 hours ago: The local politicians who run Washington, C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead…
• Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump: 1h1 hour ago: …attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!
• Trump’s military parade would cost about $92M, official says (AP) —A U.S. official says the Veterans Day military parade ordered up by President Donald Trump would cost about $92 million — more than three times the maximum initial estimate. The official — who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that haven’t been released yet — says about $50 million would cover Pentagon costs for equipment, personnel and other support for the November parade in Washington. The remainder would be borne by other agencies and would include security costs.
• The Pentagon postpones President Trump’s military parade. (CNN) The Department of Defense says the military parade originally scheduled for Veterans Day will be postponed. “The Department of Defense and White House have been planning a parade to honor America’s military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I,” Defense Department spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a statement Thursday. “We originally targeted November 10, 2018 for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019.”

8am – B/C   INTERVIEW —  ELAHE IZADI – pop culture writer for The Washington Post @ElaheIzadi – discussed the life and legacy of Aretha Franklin.

• Aretha Franklin, music’s ‘Queen of Soul,’ dies at 76. She won 18 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement nod, was the first female inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was anointed the No. 1 singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2008.

8am – D         INTERVIEW — BRET BAIER – Anchor, Special Report, Fox News Channel, weeknights at 6 PM and author of Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire” @BretBaier

• MANAFORT TRIAL: >> Jury in trial of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort sends note to judge with four questions; will resume deliberations this morning.
• SECURITY CLEARANCES: Retired Adm. William McRaven asks Trump to revoke his security clearance (CBS News) — William McRaven wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post Thursday asking President Trump to revoke his security clearance in solidarity with former CIA director John Brennan, who had his security clearance revoked Wednesday.
• Eleven former CIA chiefs and one former DNI head – who have served under GOP and Democratic presidents – issue joint statement tonight raising alarms at Trump’s move to strip Brennan of his security clearance, calling it “an attempt to stifle free speech.”
• OMAROSA: Omarosa releases third recording of Trump campaign offering her a job (Washington Examiner) — A third audio recording released Thursday by Omarosa Manigault Newman appears to verify her previous claim that she was offered a $15,000-a-month contract with President Trump’s re-election campaign after being fired from the White House for “serious” ethical violations.