Red Maryland’s Greg Kline, The Daily Caller White House correspondent Saagar Enjeti, National Review columnist John Fund, and Diamond & Silk joined WMAL on Tuesday!

Mornings on the Mall

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C Maxine Waters Backlash By Dems:

• Democratic congresswoman criticized after telling supporters to harass White House officials (WYFF Greenville) – Maxine Waters called on her supporters to publicly confront and harass members of the Trump administration in response to the “zero tolerance” policy that led to the separation of families at the border. The California Democrat and vehement critic of President Donald Trump made the comments on Saturday, first at a rally in Los Angeles and later in a television interview.  “Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere. We’ve got to get the children connected to their parents,” Waters said at the Wilshire Federal Building, according to video of the event.   
• Nancy Pelosi rebukes Maxine Waters over calls to harass Trump officials (Daily Beast) – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Monday issued a rare direct rebuke of one of her own members. Pelosi took aim at Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), who has called on anti-Trump resistors to harass Trump administration officials and “tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.” On Twitter, Pelosi responded: “In the crucial months ahead, we must strive to make America beautiful again. Trump’s daily lack of civility has provoked responses that are predictable but unacceptable. As we go forward, we must conduct elections in a way that achieves unity from sea to shining sea.”
• Sarah Sanders decries ‘calls for harassment’ citing Maxine Waters, restaurant episode
• Nancy Pelosi: Called Waters’ response “predictable but unacceptable.”
• Schumer on Waters: Calling for harassment ‘not American’
• Cory Booker: “We’ve got to get to a point in our country where we can talk to each other… some of those tactics that people are advocating for, to me, don’t reflect that spirit.”
• Arne Duncan: “No matter how much we dislike or disagree with someone, we should not deny them the chance to have a meal.”
• David Axelrod: “Rousting Cabinet members from restaurants is an empty and, ultimately, counter-productive gesture that won’t change a thing.”
• Carlos Gutierez, a former Bush administration Secretary of Commerce, downplayed Sanders’ denial and said he’s more concerned about children seeing “a different America” where children are being separated from their families.
• David Cole, the national legal director of the ACLU, told the Post he thinks its wrong to deny service to a person because of their politics, but said it hasn’t been made illegal yet. “Probably because it rarely happens.”

5am – D The art of the hustle: 37% of Americans have a side gig – and Republicans are more likely than Democrats to have a second source of income, study says (Daily Mail) – Whether it’s selling jewelry on Etsy or driving for Uber on the weekends, nearly 40 percent of Americans – including more than half of Millennials – have a side hustle, according to a new report.  A majority (59 percent) of those who have a side gig on top of their regular job do it to have extra cash on hand, while 38 percent said they have an extra job just to make ends meet, according to a survey by Bankrate.com.  ‘People do side gigs for all kinds of reasons and economics is only one of those reasons,’ said Diane Mulcahy, author of ‘The Gig Economy’ and adjunct lecturer at Babson College. ‘For the most part, particularly among Millennials, it’s become a kind of expected normal thing that they do. I work a lot in the entrepreneurial space and it’s very much the norm that you do some side gigs.’

5am – E Former top McCain staffer urged Lois Lerner to audit non-profits ‘Until it becomes financially ruinous’ (PJ Media) – Senator John McCain’s former staff director in 2013 urged top IRS officials — including then-director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner — to “audit so many [501 (c)(4) groups] that it becomes financially ruinous,” internal IRS documents obtained by Judicial Watch reveal. Lerner, for her part, said that it was “her job to oversee it all.”  Henry Kerner, who is currently special counsel for the United States Office of Special Counsel (OSC), made the shocking suggestion during an April 30, 2013, meeting between Kerner, Lerner, and other high-ranking IRS officials.

6am – A New York Times bombshell on own reporter reveals Ali Watkins dated second potential source (Fox News) – The New York Times published a damaging feature about its own reporter, revealing new details of Ali Watkins’ affair with former Senate Intelligence Committee aide James A. Wolfe in addition to the bombshell that she dated another Intelligence Committee staffer.  Earlier this month, a shock indictment revealed that prior to joining the Times, Watkins, 26, had a three-year romantic relationship with Wolfe, 58, who was accused by federal prosecutors of lying about leaks of sensitive information to journalists. The indictment strongly suggested he was a source for Watkins and others, though Watkins reportedly has denied using her relationship for scoops.  The New York Times has since announced it is investigating Watkins’ conduct. But, in the meantime, it published a scathing report that strongly implies Watkins rose to journalistic fame while using her married boyfriend as a source.

6am – B Harley-Davidson to shift motorcycle production out of US due to EU tariffs (Independent) – Harley-Davidson said on Monday that it will move production of EU-bound motorcycles out of the US in a bid to combat costs linked to tariffs on various American products.  The EU is Harley-Davidson’s second biggest market in terms of revenues outside of the US.  The motorcycle maker said the tariffs, which came into effect on 22 June in response to levies imposed by Donald Trump on steel and aluminium imports, had risen from 6 per cent to 31 per cent.

6am – C Russell Crowe to play former Fox News head Roger Ailes in Showtime series (The Hill) – Academy Award–winning actor Russell Crowe has been tapped to play late Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes in an upcoming Showtime limited series, according to the premium channel.  Crowe, 54, will star in the eight-episode series based on the 2014 book by then-New York magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman, “The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News — and Divided a Country.”  The role will mark Crowe’s first feature role in television.   

6am – D INTERVIEW – GREG KLINE – RED MARYLAND – co-founder of “Red Maryland”, a popular conservative blog about Republican politics in the Free State of Maryland. KLINE is also an attorney in Maryland @RedMaryland @GregoryKline

• The 2018 Maryland gubernatorial primaries are June 26 and the election is November 6. Maryland voters heading to the polls face potential ballot overload, as they weigh in on the governor’s race, U.S. House and Senate seat contests and crowded local races in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. At the top of the ticket, several Democrats are aiming to challenge Gov. Larry Hogan, the popular Republican governor in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1. In addition, veteran Sen. Ben Cardin faces an upstart, and eight Democrats and four Republicans are vying for an open House seat in a western Maryland district that’s currently the subject of a contentious Supreme Court battle over gerrymandering. Further down the ballot, voters are weighing in on House of Delegate and state Senate seats. And at the local level, voters in Montgomery County will sift through nearly three dozen candidates for four at-large seats on the County Council in addition to a closely watched six-person contest for succeeding long-serving County Executive Ike Leggett. In Prince George’s County, voters will make their selections in the hard-fought race for county executive and County Council seats.
• MD DEM GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES:
  • REPUBLICANS: Gov. Larry Hogan (incumbent)
  • DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
  • Prince George’s Co. Executive Rushern Baker  
  • Baltimore Co. Teacher Ralph Jaffe
  • Former NAACP President Ben Jealous
  • Business owner James Hugh Jones II
  • Md. State Sen. Rich Madaleno
  • Author Alec Ross
  • Attorney Jim Shea
  • Former State Dept’s Krish Vignarajah

6am – E STRZOK NEWS:

• Peter Strzok testimony before Judiciary Committee will be closed to public. (Washington Times) — The congressional testimony of anti-Trump FBI agent Peter Strzok will be closed to the public, a spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee confirmed Monday. Mr. Strzok, the FBI agent whose Tweets disparaging President Trump raised questions of bias in the bureau, is scheduled to testify on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. He will appear before the House Judiciary and House Oversight and Government Reform committees as part of their joint investigation into the Justice Department’s decisions regarding the 2016 election. The hearing will be closed to the public and press. However, a public hearing may happen at a later date.

• WEDNESDAY at 10 AM….
• TRUMP TWEET: The hearing of Peter Strzok and the other hating frauds at the FBI & DOJ should be shown to the public on live television, not a closed door hearing that nobody will see. We should expose these people for what they are – there should be total transparency!

6am – F Immigration latest:

• Immigration overhaul on life support in the House (The Hill) – House GOP leaders will push ahead with a vote Wednesday on their compromise immigration bill, making one last effort to pass the measure even as key lawmakers express pessimism they have any shot of success. Lead negotiators took the weekend to make changes to the bill in an effort to secure 218 Republican votes. But even the revised measure is expected to fall short.  “I would think [it would] fail right now,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), one of the chief negotiators on the compromise bill, told Fox News on Monday.  The GOP does now appear to have a Plan B, however.

• White House sets ‘temporary’ end to zero-tolerance of migrants bringing children (Breitbart) – Border officers are not referring migrants with children to the Justice Department for prosecution, she acknowledged June 25, adding: This is a temporary solution … We’re not changing the policy. We’re simply out of resources. And at some point, Congress has to do what they were elected to do, and that is secure our border, that is stop the crime coming into our country. The country has made extremely clear that they don’t want open borders. And Democrats need to understand that, and they need to work with Republicans and find some solutions.

7am – A INTERVIEW – Saagar Enjeti – White House correspondent for The Daily Caller – recapped Trump rally last night and the latest White House news         

7am – B/C Maxine Waters Backlash From Dems

7am – D  HIGHLIGHTS: President Trump rallies in South Carolina (CNN) – President Donald Trump is taking his trade policy on the road this week.  His next stop is on Wednesday in Fargo, North Dakota, where he’ll speak at a rally with Rep. Kevin Cramer.

• President Trump flew Monday night ostensibly to urge South Carolina Republicans to vote for Gov. Henry McMaster in the Republican primary Tuesday, repaying a political favor to one of his earliest supporters.
• ‘Go Home, Jim!’ Trump Supporters Heckle ‘Fake News Jim’ Acosta Ahead of Rally
• President Trump on Democrats: “This has become the party of Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi.”
• Trump says Stephen Colbert is a “low life” “Are these people funny?” Crowd: NOOOO!!! Trump: “This guy on CBS has no talent.”
• Trump gives Peter Navarro a shoutout at the rally for his love of tariffs. Says Navarro loves them more than he does
• Trump tells future candidates: ‘If it’s not your hair, don’t run for office’
• Trump told his assembled supporters that they were the “super-elite” because they were richer, smarter and more patriotic.

7am – E One last toy run! All Toys R Us stores will close on or before Friday (USA Today) – Toys R Us shoppers have been taking their last selfies with Geoffrey and making their final purchases.  All Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores will close on or before Friday, the iconic toy retailer announced.  Many stores nationwide won’t make it until Friday with some closing Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.  Just like the closing day, discounts vary by location. Some stores have markdowns of 60 to 80 percent and others are at 70 to 90 percent.

8am – A INTERVIEW – John Fund – National Review columnist – discussed immigration 

• John Fund op-ed: Why did Trump retreat on immigration? It’s all about the November elections
• White House Sets ‘Temporary’ End to Zero-Tolerance of Migrants Bringing Children
• Lawmakers worry immigration reform won’t pass. (The Hill) — House GOP leaders will push ahead with a vote Wednesday on their compromise immigration bill, making one last effort to pass the measure even as key lawmakers express pessimism they have any shot of success. Lead negotiators took the weekend to make changes to the bill in an effort to secure 218 Republican votes. But even the revised measure is expected to fall short.
• Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says WEDNESDAY is the day the House will vote on the compromise immigration legislation

8am – B TRUMP ADMIN TARGETED:

• DHS STAFF TARGETED: Department of Homeland Security employees are seeing violent threats with greater frequency because of the president’s immigration policy, according to an official with knowledge of a recent threat assessment
• A senior DHS official living in the Washington. D.C. area found a burnt and decapitated animal on his front porch
• The uptick in threats comes amid multiple protests directed at ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers, as well as the DHS secretary. It’s unclear exactly how much the threats have increased.
• STEPHEN MILLER
• LAST WEEK: Senior adviser Stephen Miller was also heckled at Espita Mezcaleria, a Mexican restaurant in Washington. Per the New York Post, a patron said: “Hey look guys, whoever thought we’d be in a restaurant with a real-life fascist begging [for] money for new cages?”
• LAST NIGHT: Immigration protesters target Stephen Miller’s home. NY Times reporter Maggie Haberman ‏@maggieNYT tweeted last night: Protestors of the administration’s immigration policies gathered outside Stephen Miller’s elite apartment complex in Washington DC tonight.
• Hunter Walker – White House Correspondent for YahooNews: @hunterw: Stephen Miller’s apartment cimplex has a Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and a (truly exceptional) Del Frisco’s steakhouse in the lobby.
• OTHER PROTESTER HECKLING LAST WEEK:
• Sarah Sanders decries ‘calls for harassment’ citing Maxine Waters, restaurant episode
• Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was heckled at MXDC, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Washington. The next day Trump signed an executive order stopping family separation at the border.
• Pam Bondi, the Florida Attorney general who has supported Trump throughout his tenure, was confronted by hecklers at a movie screening and had to be escorted out by law enforcement.
• CNN commentator and former Bernie Sander spokesperson Symone D. Sanders says that people who are calling for civility need to “check their privilege” and “Sarah Sanders thinks she’s Rosa Parks”

8am – C Caitlin Marriott, Congressional Intern Who Cursed At Trump Not Fired, Suspended Temporarily (IBTimes) — The congressional intern who made headlines last week after she yelled “Mr. President, f—k you” across the Capitol rotunda as President Donald Trump made his way to Paul Ryan’s office for a meeting with House Republicans, was identified on Monday. A spokesman for Sen. Maggie Hassan (Democrat-New Hampshire) confirmed that the woman who swore at the POTUS worked in their office. Although Hassan’s office did not confirm the identity of the female intern, sources told Fox News that her name was Caitlin Marriott. Aaron Jacobs, Sen. Hassan’s communications director, said Marriott, 21, was not terminated but was only suspended for a week for her behavior. She will continue to work for the senator’s office till August. “We are aware of the situation and have taken disciplinary action, including a one-week suspension and revoking her Congressional intern ID badge, thereby restricting her access to the Capitol, in response to her breach of office policies regarding respectful and appropriate conduct,” said Jacobs in a statement. “We also facilitated contact with Capitol police.” Reports that Marriott was not fired from her position infuriated a number of Twitter users. “How the heck does this behavior NOT get you terminated as an intern?” wrote one user, while another tweeted, “why not fired?  should be..much worse than Rosanne Barr.”Yet another Twitter user said: “Unacceptable! When you blatantly disrespect the office of the President, no matter who’s occupying it, you need to go. Shame on the NH Senator!!” After yelling the profanity, Marriott raced away from the spot, forcing the authorities to issue a “be on lookout” for the woman. However, they were soon able to identify and track her down and question her to determine if she posed a legitimate threat to the POTUS.

8am – D INTERVIEW – Diamond & Silk – YouTube sensations and President Trump supporters – discussed the liberal mob targeting Trump officials, their thoughts on Maxine Waters and their new film “Dummy-crats” coming out this Fall.

8am – E Sen. Mark Warner, overheard joking to the crowd at a Democratic fundraiser: “If you get me one more glass of wine, I’ll tell you stuff only Bob Mueller and I know.”

• Sen. MarkWarner reportedly joked about the Russia investigation at a high-dollar retreat on Martha’s Vineyard.
• President Trump responded: Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump: Why is Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), perhaps in a near drunken state, claiming he has information that only he and Bob Mueller, the leader of the 13 Angry Democrats on a Witch Hunt, knows? Isn’t this highly illegal. Is it being investigated?