Michael Wolff tells a juicy tale in his new Trump book. But should we believe it?

WaPo  "Among the many things he’s been called — “blunt,” “pathetic,” “calculating” — the one thing Michael Wolff has never been described as is boring.

"A provocateur and media polemicist, Wolff has a penchant for stirring up an argument and pushing the facts as far as they’ll go, and sometimes further than they can tolerate, according to his critics. He has been accused of not just re-creating scenes in his books and columns, but of creating them wholesale.

"That’s some context for Wolff’s most explosive bit of reporting to date: A scathing new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” describing dysfunction and infighting in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the first year of his presidency, replete with damning criticism of Trump from within his inner circle.

"According to an unauthorized report in the Guardian newspaper and a lengthy excerpt in New York magazine, Wolff portrays Trump and his closest aides as astonished by his electoral victory in 2016, and wholly unprepared for office. Trump, he reports, had no idea who former House speaker John A. Boehner was when Roger Ailes, a campaign adviser, recommended him as chief of staff. Top advisers and allies doubted the president’s intelligence and openly mocked him.

"But Wolff’s sharpest revelations concern comments attributed to Stephen K. Bannon, Trump’s campaign chairman and former White House chief strategist. In on-the-record interviews with Wolff, Bannon called a meeting between the Trump campaign’s top advisers and Russian representatives in mid-2016 “treasonous” and “unpatriotic” — furthering the narrative of Trump’s harshest critics." . . .

Shred the Veil

In Iran, heroic women, "by risking their lives, have unmasked the faces of those trying to promote burqas and hijabs as supposed 'symbols of liberation.'"  Yet these shackles  are the very ones the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, and the likes of Linda Sarsour continue to promote.  Western women would do well to speak out against any individual or organization who wishes to impose sharia's anti-woman regulations, no matter how enticing the speaker sounds.

Eileen F. Toplansky  . . . "Female abuse is rampant.  Child marriages among migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa are escalating in Denmark, Sweden, and Germany with girls as young as eleven being married off.  Polygamy, while illegal in Europe, is proliferating as many immigrants bring multiple wives and children with them.  Britain's first female Islamic judge said, "[T]he [British] government cannot ... ask Muslims not to have more than one wife." 

" 'Disobedient" wives undergo beatings as well as being burned alive all in the name of sharia.  In 2017, an Iranian child bride was beaten by her husband and forced to give up her children.  She fled to Australia.  She revealed that "a person who [decides to convert] in Iran will be deemed an apostate and the punishment is death."  She explains that she "hated Islam and its regressive laws in Iran ... a religion with no value or respect for women.  It recogni[z]es women as only a means of sexual pleasure for men."

"Instead of speaking out against such repression and violence, the fashion world is now turning the Islamic veil into a "global garment."  Mattel "unveiled" the world's first hijab-wearing Barbie doll.  Dolce & Gabbana is producing a collection of hijabs and abayas to Muslim customers in the Middle East.  Playboy had a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.  Nike released a performance hijab outfit for athletes.

"Why should Western society in any way, shape or form promote any symbol of Islamic tyranny?  Would a Nazi doll have been promoted in the 1940s?  Greed, ignorance, and indifference aptly describe these corporate decisions."

DNC Deputy Chair Keith Ellison Poses with Antifa Book

Antifa is a far-left anarchist group that is known for smashing storefronts, punching "Nazis" (aka people who aren't left wing), and setting things on fire.  The group uses violence to intimidate political opponents throughout the United States but especially in liberal strongholds like Berkeley, Portland, Boston and Philly.

PJ Media   "The deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee seemed to endorse Anarchist violence on Wednesday, when he tweeted a picture of himself grinning approvingly with a pro-Antifa book.

"Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) posted a picture of himself holding “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook,” writing that the book would “strike fear in the heart” of President Donald Trump." . . .

"Antifa is a far-left anarchist group that is known for smashing storefronts, punching "Nazis" (aka people who aren't left wing), and setting things on fire.

The group uses violence to intimidate political opponents throughout the United States but especially in liberal strongholds like Berkeley, Portland, Boston and Philly.

The author of the book, Dartmouth professor Mark Bray, was also a spokesman for the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. He has come under fire from a New York City police union for expressing support for the virulently anti-cop group.

In his book, Bray makes clear that violence is in some circumstances justified, arguing that “militant anti-fascism is a reasonable, historically informed response to the fascist threat that persisted after 1945 and that has become especially menacing in recent years.”

In an appearance on C-SPAN last year, Bray defended Antifa's violence against fellow Americans by calling it "preemptive self-defense."

California, there we go.

Trump trumps global warming!

Snowflake's Safe Space & Buttercup Ranch

What if Churchill had todays Democrats behind him when he stood up to Hitler?

Why Don’t Liberals Support The Iranian Protests?

Out of the woodwork, liberals came crawling to tell the President to, as the New York Times put it, “be quiet,” or find other ways to try to ensure that if anything good comes from these protests that Trump get zero credit for it. The narrative is proactively being set to defend the Obama legacy, as much as failure can be spun as a victory

Derek Hunter  "As protests in Iran roll into a second week, liberals are very worried about one: they might work.

"It’s an odd position for Americans to be in, hoping an oppressive regime stays in power, yet that’s where they are. From the moment protests started the media was reluctant to cover them, basically ignoring them for the first few days. This could be blamed on the holiday, a lot of people were off for New Year’s Eve, but there were people working, newspapers were printed and live news programs were produced. So why the initial disinterest?

" One of the biggest failures of the Obama administration was their dealings with Iran. Not just the nuclear deal – which was a singular failure of historic proportions – but also all the lead up to that mistake.

"The Obama failures on Iran started with the “Arab Spring.” Remember that? People across the region rose up against their oppressive governments to demand change, to demand more freedom. And what did the Obama administration do? They expressed support for the protesters…in two countries that were zero threat to the United States – Egypt and Libya – and remained pretty much silent about the movement elsewhere, especially Iran.

"Yes, a few weeks later, after it was too late to matter, they did express support, which is like declaring yourself a New England Patriots fan after the Super Bowl. But the President said nothing when it could have mattered most. Why?

" Well, as it turns out, President Obama was afraid of speaking out because he feared it might derail his ambitions for an overall nuclear deal. The administration was hoping to cut a deal with the terrorist regime as a legacy item, and any support of opposition to their theocratic government might offend them to the point that the Iranians might walk away.

"This betrayal of the concept of liberty by President Obama wasn’t even his worst capitulation. As it turns out, there was no bottom to how low he would go to “win” an agreement, even obstructing criminal investigations into Hezbollah out of fear his legacy item might not come to pass.

"Imagine a President of the United States protecting a terrorist group engaged in money laundering and drug smuggling because he wanted a deal with their political patrons. Keep that in mind whenever you hear a Democrat decry the opioid crisis in this country." . . .

Democrats for fascism

Don Surber  "Barack Obama's refusal to lead his party to a peaceful transition of power a year ago has inspired an increasingly violent "resistance" both within and without the government. The best example is Sally Yates who refused a legal order as acting attorney general. That act of insubordination should disqualify her as a lawyer. But we no longer have a rule of law in this country. Witness Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin not being tried for their national security breaches.

"Now Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison, the No. 2 man in the DNC, has embraced the Antifa fascists."



"How alarming it is that the mainstream press has become a platform for these fascists.

"Since electing Barack Obama president, Democrats have seen their party decimated nationally and at the state level.

"Those remaining are bitter radicals. Ellison's embrace of violence is alarming. Americans rejected Obama's Marxism.Let's hope it rejects Ellison's Muslim Marxism -- especially as he has no problem promoting an increasingly violent movement." . . .

DNC Vice Chair Keith Ellison Holds Up Antifa Book, Says Should ‘”Strike Fear In The Heart” Of Trump

 "Supporting another terrorist group besides the Muslim Brotherhood"

Branded Fake News; Fire Dept: Clinton Room Full Of Servers, Hard Drives Destroyed

See the refutation below, including this from Business 2 Community:

Where did this conspiracy theory originate? YourNewsWire published the article (archived here) reporting that afire department discovered that a room full of servers and hard drives were destroyed in fire that engulfed the home of the Clintons. You can read the fake news below.

The People’s Voice

"A room full of servers and hard drives was destroyed in the Clinton house fire in Chappaqua, New York, on Wednesday, according to a Chappaqua Fire Department source, raising fears that incriminating evidence against the Clintons has been destroyed just days after a White House insider warned that Trump was preparing to prosecute their crimes.

“ 'I saw smashed up hard drives, melted memory cards and the charred remains of paper scattered all over the room and immediately knew the fire must have started there,” a Chappaqua Fire Department source told local news reporters, explaining that the house fire was “put out by Secret Service agents” before the Fire Department arrived.
“ 'I immediately called it a code 10-41 and requested a Fire Marshall.”
"Code 10-41 is firefighters’ code for a suspicious fire." . . .

Fake News: NO Room Full Of Servers, Hard Drives Destroyed In Clinton House Fire  . . . "The story fails to identify the "local news reporters" and lists no name for the "Fire Department source". The image of the "burned server" used to illustrate the story actually comes from the website of KrollOntrack, a company advertising data recovery services (including from fire-damaged computers). An actual news report from local news source lohud.com makes no mention of servers or papers and indicates the fire wasn't even in the actual Clinton house:" . . .

Room Full Of Servers, Hard Drives Destroyed In Bill And Hillary Clinton House Fire Is Fake News  . . . "However, there is no truth to the above story, according to Hoax Alert. For one thing, the above story fails to identify key information to support the claim such as who the “local news reporters” are and the name of the “fire department source.” Additionally, the image of the “burned server” used in the fake news actually comes from KrollOntrack, which is a company advertising data recovery services.

"Footage showed firefighters in the driveway and inside a smaller building next to the Clintons’ main residence. Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill tweeted that the fire occurred in a building used by the Secret Service on the property. He said the fire was “small” and the Clintons were not home at the time." . . .

It takes some nerve for liberals to lecture Trump about foreign policy!

Via American Thinker

By Jack Hellner  "We are being treated to endless warnings on how dangerous Trump's [tweets?] are on Iran and North Korea.

"It reminds me of the way liberals reacted to Reagan.  They said he would start the Third World War.  Instead, he brought peace and prosperity to the world for 25 years while ending the Cold War.

"Appeasement has worked so well with North Korea and Iran, hasn't it?  We appeased the North Koreans for over twenty years while they built up their nuclear arsenal and military, and Trump is being lectured that what he is doing is dangerous? 

"Obama and his administration ignored human rights abuse in Iran and lifted up the mullahs by giving them hundreds of billions, and Trump is being lectured on how to handle Iran?  It appears that Obama he also let Hezb'allah have a drug-running operation in the U.S. to fund terrorism to appease Iran, and the media are lecturing Trump that what he is doing is dangerous?

"It is a shame that so many supposedly bright people know so little about history.

"I suppose that when the little dictator from North Korea bragged about his nuclear button, it would have been a proper response for Trump to sit and quiver in a corner.

"It is pathetic when the serial liar with no accomplishments, Susan Rice, lectures Trump that he should be quiet about Iran.

"Obama handed off the more powerful No[rth] Korea, China, Russia, and Iran, and now Trump is being lectured that he doesn't know what he is doing?

"Trump is trying to solve the extensive problems Obama and other presidents left him.  Obama's policy was to lead from behind, and that is what he left Trump: the rear." 

If you want to know more about the left's role in the history of nations vis-a-vis murderous enemies, read Winston Churchill's account of the British pacifists in the 1930's and their resistance to any actions against Hitlers preparations for war. TD

Democrat States Refuse to Cooperate with Voter Fraud Investigation

Why the refusal to provide information if voting fraud allegations are indeed false?

Dave Martel

"Thursday Jan. 4th, President Trump signed Executive Order dissolving Voting Fraud Panel due to lack of state compliance. He, this morning in a tweet called for a need to implement Voter ID Laws.
"Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated in a News Press Conference that more than a dozen states refused to comply and provide basic information. Trump Tweeted:
“ 'Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.,"”
"The Voter Fraud Panel or “Commission of Voter Integrity” was led by VP Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to look into all 50 states as well as District of Columbia after uncovering evidence of widespread voter fraud. The Commission requested that states turn over information of Voter names, History and Party registration.
"States that refused included Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey and California. The list contains mostly Democrat controlled but Red states as well. This resulted in a complete dissolve of the Panel. Trump continued to focus on promoting Voter ID Laws in a Tweet that read:
“ 'As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do…except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!”

Thomas Lifson: Uncovering vote fraud: Plan B begins   "Before progressives start celebrating the dissolution of the Election Integrity Commission, they had better figure out what lies ahead.  President Trump announced late yesterday that the Election Integrity Commission, headed by Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, will be dissolved." . . .

If the left thinks it's home free, and that this announcement is a victory, it had better remember whom it is dealing with: a man who is accustomed to encountering obstacles and overcoming them – one way or another.  

When a North Korean Missile Accidentally Hit a North Korean City

"As North Korea’s production of now-proven IRBMs and ICBMs continues, it will have a large and diversified nuclear force spread across multiple hardened sites, leaving the preventive warfighter’s task close to impossible if the objective is a comprehensive, disarming first strike leaving Pyongyang without retaliatory options. The time is long gone to turn the clock back on North Korea’s ballistic missile program and its pre-launch basing options."

The Diplomat.  "What happens when a North Korean ballistic missile test fails in flight and explodes in a populated area? On April 28, 2017, North Korea launched a single Hwasong-12/KN17 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) from Pukchang Airfield in South Pyongan Province (the Korean People’s Army’s Air and Anti-Air Force Unit 447 in Ryongak-dong, Sunchon City, to be more precise). That missile failed shortly after launch and crashed in the Chongsin-dong, in North Korean city of Tokchon, causing considerable damage to a complex of industrial or agricultural buildings.

More photos at the link.

"According to a U.S. government source with knowledge of North Korea’s weapons programs who spoke to The Diplomat, the missile’s first stage engines failed after approximately one minute of powered flight, resulting in catastrophic failure. The missile never flew higher than approximately 70 kilometers. The location of the missile’s eventual impact was revealed exclusively to The Diplomat and evidence of the incident can be independently corroborated in commercially available satellite imagery from April and May 2017.

"The April 28 failure merits close analysis, especially as North Korea continues to carry out flight-testing of its various ballistic missile platforms from a range of new test sites. In 2017, North Korea has introduced new sites for missile testing, arguably to demonstrate the flexibility of its Strategic Rocket Force. It has even carried out ballistic missile launches from a restricted area at Pyongyang’s Sunan Airport, which also serves as the country’s primary civil aviation facility and the entrypoint for most non-Chinese foreign visitors to North Korea. The potential for similar accidents occurring over Pyongyang, the country’s capital, or other populated regions remains high, especially with untested systems." . . .

Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) is a senior editor at The Diplomat. Dave Schmerler (@DaveSchmerler) is a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. The authors are grateful to Jeffrey Lewis for imagery assistance and Curtis Melvin for geographical assistance and facility identification.