Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

Cal Thomas, Stephen Gutowski, Fox 5’s Lindsay Watts, Susan Ferrechio and Charles C.W. Cooke joined WMAL on Wednesday!

5am – A/B/C – Preview today’s impeachment hearing and discuss the Schiff impeachment report:

• First hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee as part of an impeachment inquiry into President Trump. The hearing on “The Impeachment Inquiry into President Donald J. Trump: Constitutional Grounds for President Impeachment” is scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) beginning approximately at 10:00 a.m. (ET). Testimony is expected from several legal experts.

The scheduled witnesses testifying before the Judiciary Committee will be:

*Noah Feldman of the Harvard Law School

*Pamela S. Karlan of Stanford Law School

*Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina School of Law

*Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University Law School

• Phone records obtained by impeachment investigators show “considerable coordination” among WH officials Adam Schiff. (Washington Examiner/Susan Ferrechio) — A 300-page impeachment report issued Tuesday afternoon includes records of calls between President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and White House officials. Schiff said the calls mirrored the impeachment inquiry’s determination that the Trump administration coordinated to bribe Ukraine into investigating Trump’s political opponents by dangling $391 million in security aid. The records in the report include several calls between Giuliani and the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes of California. “I find it deeply concerning, at a time when the president of the United States was using the power of his office to dig up dirt on a political rival, that there may be evidence of members of Congress complicit in that activity,” Schiff said. AT&T provided the call records, likely under subpoena.
• Rudy Giuliani @RudyGiuliani  6m6 minutes ago The mere fact I had numerous calls with the White House does not establish any specific topic. Remember, I’m the President’s attorney.
• A House impeachment report says President Trump seriously misused the power of his office for political gain by seeking foreign intervention in the American election process and obstructed Congress by hindering it’s efforts to investigate the alleged offenses. The findings will serve as the foundation for debate over whether the 45th president should be removed from office. The report does not render a judgment on whether Trump’s actions rise to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” But it details “significant misconduct” by the president that the House Judiciary Committee will begin to assess today.

5am – D         KAMALA EXITS 2020 RACE:

• In Kamala Harris’s bowing out email: “I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my own campaign. And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete.”
• CHARLES COOKE wrote “Good Riddance to Kamala Harris”: “Everything that is wrong with American politics is summed up in Kamala Harris. She’s a weather vane. She’s dishonest. She’s a coward. She’s condescending. And she’s a phony. … She has nothing of value to offer America.”
• Tulsi Gabbard ‏@TulsiGabbard  15h15 hours ago: Sending my best wishes to @KamalaHarris, her family & supporters who have campaigned so hard. While we disagree on some issues, we agree on others & I respect her sincere desire to serve the American people. I look forward to working together on the challenges we face as a nation

5am – E Peloton dropped as much as 10% on Tuesday as its holiday ad gets slammed online. (Bloomberg) – Online outrage over a Peloton Interactive Inc. holiday ad drove down shares and prompted calls for the stationary-bike maker to pull the commercial. The TV spot, which depicts a woman showing a video diary to her male partner of a year spent on the Peloton he gave her, struck some viewers as sexist. Critics on social media said the ad made it seem like the woman was being pressured to keep her weight in check. Peloton dropped as much as 10%, the most intraday in about two months. The backlash to the ad, called “The Gift that Gives Back,” is “worth monitoring,” as is Peloton’s response, said Justin Patterson, an analyst at Raymond James. He said he expects the ad will be pulled, and the controversy will eventually die down once the late-night shows do their “inevitable” parodies.

6am – A/B/C TRUMP AT NATO:

• President Trump is huddling with NATO leaders as House Democrats prepare to resume their impeachment inquiry. Trump is meeting today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
• Trump drama turns NATO gathering into a diplomatic soap opera. (CNN) – London (CNN) If allied leaders had hoped that US President Donald Trump’s presence at a summit in the London area marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance this week would promote unity among old friends they probably left disappointed. Trump’s visit was marked by showdowns between leaders, lengthy and freewheeling appearances by the President before the media, an abrupt news conference cancellation and an extraordinary row over a viral video.  Trump has long challenged and pushed NATO members to spend more on defense and has even suggested the alliance is obsolete. Ahead of the summit he successfully cut the US contribution to NATO’s budget.At this year’s gathering Trump seemed to play good cop-bad cop on NATO’s role. Before his opening breakfast with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday he complained “NATO has not treated us fairly … they pay far too little.” However, at times he seemed to defend the alliance. He was especially vocal about French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent description of NATO as suffering from “brain death,” due, in part, to a lack of US leadership under Trump. Alongside Stoltenberg Trump called Macron’s comments “dangerous,” “nasty” and “insulting.” He also suggested France may exit NATO. There was another tense moment during their meeting when Trump was asked whether France had committed to taking back foreign fighters from Syria. Trump said the matter hadn’t come up yet but jokingly asked Macron, “Would you like some nice ISIS fighters? I could give them to you. You could take every one you want.” “Let’s be serious,” Macron responded, adding that the number one priority is to defeat ISIS. “It’s not yet done. I’m sorry to say that.” Later that evening, though, the pair were spotted arriving together at a reception hosted at 10 Downing Street. Macron had evidently hitched a ride with Trump in his motorcade vehicle.
• In meeting with Trudeau, Trump says Canada is “slightly delinquent” with NATO contributions.
• Trump presses Trudeau on how much Canada puts into NATO.

6am – D         INTERVIEW – CAL THOMAS – Syndicated columnist — discussed President Trump’s performance at NATO, Kamala Harris dropping out of the 2020 race and thoughts on the upcoming impeachment hearing.

6am – E         U.S. homeland security proposes face scans for U.S. citizens. WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) – The Trump administration intends to propose a regulation next year that would require all travelers – including U.S. citizens – to be photographed when entering or leaving the United States, according to the administration’s regulatory agenda. The proposed regulation, slated to be issued in July by the Homeland Security Department, would be part of a broader system to track travelers as they enter and exit the United States. The plan has already drawn opposition from some privacy advocates. Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union, blasted the idea in a written statement on Monday. “Travelers, including U.S. citizens, should not have to submit to invasive biometric scans simply as a condition of exercising their constitutional right to travel,” he said. The Trump administration contends in its regulatory agenda that the face scan requirement will combat the fraudulent use of U.S. travel documents and aid the identification of criminals and suspected terrorists. The public typically has 30 to 60 days to comment on a proposed U.S. regulation. The federal agency then needs to review and respond to comments, a process that can be time-consuming for major regulations. The Trump administration also said in its regulatory agenda that it plans to issue a separate fast-track regulation this month that would allow the entry-exit project to move beyond a pilot status. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is part of DHS, has already conducted pilot programs that collect photographs and fingerprints from foreign travelers.

6am – F         Rush Limbaugh producer ‘Bo Snerdley’ founds new PAC for black conservatives. With partner Autry Pruitt, he promises to ‘make Black Americans Republican again.‘  (Washington Times) – He is well-known on the air waves as “Bo Snerdley,” the senior producer for Rush Limbaugh’s daily talk radio show, heard by an audience of 14 million. His real name is James Golden, however — and he is now on a mission to “make Black Americans Republican again.” With fellow black conservative Autry Pruitt, Mr. Golden has founded New Journey PAC,  a political action committee that promotes conservative values among black Americans — and everyone else for that matter. The organization includes MAGA.BLACK, a new online destination for one and all, they say. “For 80 years, the Democratic Party has taken the black vote for granted. Under the leadership of President Trump, Black-Americans enjoyed the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded. The Trump approach has produced an economy that works for all Americans, yet Democrats are promising more of the same — votes for crumbs. It is simply not enough to stand on the sidelines and hope for the best,” the two founders say in their mission statement. “The concept was not to build a destination solely for black conservatives or to solely promote black conservatism, but to be a destination for all conservatives. Frankly, we founded this destination out of frustration. We are fed up with the racial narratives that the left uses to paint conservatives as bigots and racists, simply because we have a different view of public policy and politics,” the statement said. Among the goals of the new PAC is to “debunk the phony liberal narrative that Republicans, conservatives, libertarians, evangelicals and even conservative Democrats are racist.” Mr. Golden believes the Republican Party’s historical ties with black Americans is ‘inarguable’ — but has been “purposefully ignored by academia, and the main-stream media” for the last five decades.

7am – A         INTERVIEW – STEPHEN GUTOWSKI – Free Beacon firearms policy reporter — shared what was discussed in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting and how hundreds of people calling for the county to adopt a Second Amendment sanctuary resolution came out to the meeting.

• Dozens of Virginia counties pass Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions. Counties across the state of Virginia are passing Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions in anticipation of strict gun control measures planned by the majority-held Democratic Virginia General Assembly. Northam has made gun control a priority of the upcoming legislative session, and Democratic lawmakers have proposed bills to restrict firearms purchases and implement controversial “red flag” legislation giving officers the right to disarm individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
• Stephen Gutowski @StephenGutowski Dec 2: There will be 2A sanctuary meetings in Gloucester, King George, Tazewell, Middlesex, Alleghany, Fairfax, Norton, Orange, Pulaski (Town), Culpeper (County), Roanoke (County), Virginia Beach, and Page on Tuesday.
• Stephen Gutowski @StephenGutowski: There’s an overflow crowd here for the Fairfax County board of supervisors meeting which will consider a resolution to make the county a Second Amendment sanctuary. Many of the attendees are wearing “Guns Save Lives” stickers. – at Fairfax County Government Center

 

7am – B/C     Preview today’s impeachment hearing and discuss the Schiff impeachment report

7am – D         INTERVIEW – LINDSAY WATTS – Reporter for Fox 5 DC – reported on the latest increase in violence around the National Zoo.

• Multiple incidents in and near National Zoo lead to enhanced security during ZooLights festival. Security enhancements are in place at and around the ZooLights festival at The National Zoo in D.C., after scares on zoo grounds and nearby Saturday night. Those security boosts include extra screening to get inside the zoo. “On our projected higher visitation nights, such as the weekends, we will implement a screening to do bag checks and [security] wanding — as appropriate,” said Pamela Baker-Masson, National Zoo spokeswoman. The screening “will be very similar to what we’ve done over the past five years during our spring high visitation time,” Baker-Masson said.
• New video shows chaos erupting near National Zoo. (Fox 5 DC) — WASHINGTON – New video shows the chaos near National Zoo on Saturday before two juveniles were shot. A group of young people mobbed an ice cream shop and assaulted the owners. “There were like 50 people in the store, some as young as 10 or 12, some 20 (years old),” said Kevin McMahon, who owns FrozenYo on Connecticut Avenue, across from the zoo. His surveillance video shows dozens of juveniles walking into the shop, knocking over furniture and other items. McMahon said they were there to pick a fight with two girls. As he tried to get everyone out, he was assaulted and then a young child jumped on his back. As his wife, Carole, tried to help him, the boy punched her in the face with a closed fist. “I didn’t know it-my wife came out of the kitchen and tried to pull him off my back,” said McMahon. “He punched her a couple times in the face and this girl punched my wife two, three, four times in the face.” Carole had to get stitches and tells FOX 5 this was the scariest experience of her life.

7am – E         GRETA THUNBERG NOW DOCKED IN PORTUGAL: “If they want us to stop being angry, then maybe they should stop making us angry.”

• Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg docked in Lisbon after a 20-day Atlantic crossing ahead of the COP25 climate summit in Madrid. She has arrived in Portugal after traveling across the Atlantic on a catamaran ahead of the COP25 climate conference. She will lead demonstrations in Madrid on Friday, and has called for another protest the following week.

8am – A         INTERVIEW – SUSAN FERRECHIO – the chief congressional correspondent for the Washington Examiner – previewed today’s impeachment hearing and discuss the Schiff impeachment report.

8am – B/C     ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ Bullying Scenes Blasted by Viewers. (Popculture.com)  – It’s December which means all your favorite Christmas specials are set to be broadcast. On Monday, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer will find itself in primetime.  The 55-minute long special will air at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. As many know, the film spotlights Rudolph and his journey from an outsider to being the hero of Christmas and leading Santa’s sleigh. It’s what happens in between, though, that causes some viewers to feel uneasy. “As an adult, Rudolph is the saddest thing ever with the bullying and shaming and mean Santa. Probably not as bad as Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey! Where his mom like, freezes to death or something? And these are children’s shows. No wonder we’re all messed up!” — Phyllis (@jerseydevil729) December 3, 2019 // Early on in the episode, Rudolph finds himself needing to wear a fake black nose to hide his “different” red nose per his parent’s request. He does so to avoid embarrassment, and ultimately is the center of the joke when it feels off and the other reindeer, besides Clarice, make fun of him. At one point, even Santa Clause gets in on the joke. Mike Timko-Lantern @Oh_TheHorror: Ultimately, you have to blame Santa for the bullying culture at the North Pole. Donner is just middle management. Santa put pressure on his reindeer, so they felt like they had to have the perfect children. #Rudolph #RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer

8am – D         INTERVIEW – CHARLES C.W. COOKE – the editor of National Review Online

• Good Riddance to Kamala Harris. (National Review/By CHARLES C. W. COOKE) — Per Edward-Isaac Dovere, Kamala Harris is no longer running for president. This is excellent, welcome news — the cause for celebration. Good riddance! May Harris’s failed attempt to find higher office destroy her career and sully her reputation for all time. I’m told that I’m not supposed to feel like this — or, at least, that if I do feel like this, I’m not supposed to say so in public. People worked on that campaign, you see. People tried really hard. But that, I’m afraid, is a load of old nonsense. Harris was running for the presidency, which is another way of saying that she was running to acquire power. I did not want her to have that power. It is true that some people tried their best to help her gain that power. They’re probably upset today. But they’ll get over it. She’s not that special. On the contrary: She’s a would-be tyrant whose primary contribution to American life thus far has been to fight “tooth and nail to uphold wrongful convictions that had been secured through official misconduct that included evidence tampering, false testimony and the suppression of crucial information by prosecutors”; who has openly promised to act without Congress; and who showed us exactly who she is during the Kavanaugh hearings, at which she implied that she knew something terrible about the nominee for the sole purpose of sharing the insinuation on her Twitter feed. Harris is a woman who, if successful (“successful”), would have overseen the mass confiscation of millions of firearms, the seizing of patents, the federalization of abortion law, and, depending on the polling, the elimination of (her word) the private health insurance plans of 180 million people. Everything that is wrong with American politics is summed up in Kamala Harris. She’s a weather vane. She’s dishonest. She’s a coward. She’s condescending. And she’s a phony. She’s the answer to no useful or virtuous question. Nothing good has come from her election. She has nothing of value to offer America. Goodbye. Bad luck. That’s all, folks.

8am – E         Trump calls Trudeau ‘two-faced’ after hot mic catches NATO leaders speaking candidly. The Canadian prime minister and others were heard speaking about the president. The 25-second clip, first reported by Canadian Broadcasting Corp., begins with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking Macron why he was late. “Is that why you were late?” Johnson asked. Macron nodded, as Trudeau replied, “He was late because he takes a … 40-minute press conference at the top.” Trudeau admitted Wednesday that he and other leaders in the conversation were speaking about Trump’s lengthy press availabilities during the summit. At another point in the conversation captured on the recording, Trudeau said, “You just watched his team’s jaws drop to the floor.” The Canadian prime minister said that in reference to Trump’s announcement during their bilateral meeting that the upcoming G7 summit will be hosted at Camp David. “Every different leader has teams who now and then (had) jaws drop at unscheduled surprises, like that video itself, for example,” Trudeau said. Johnson also weighed in on the recording Wednesday, saying it was “nonsense” to suggest the jokes made in the video indicated he didn’t take Trump seriously. “I don’t know where that’s come from,” he added. Reacting to the video, Trump called Trudeau “two faced,” and canceled a scheduled news conference at the end of Wednesday.At an event following those comments, Trump was caught on a hot mic of his own, saying, “Oh, and then you know what they’ll say. ‘He didn’t do a press conference. He didn’t do a press conference.’ That was funny when I said the guy’s two-faced, you know that.”