Starting out that way. Homes of Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi Are Reported Vandalized Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, called the vandalism of his Louisville, Ky., home a “radical tantrum” taken from a “toxic playbook.” The homes of Senator Mitch McConnell and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the two most powerful members of Congress, have been reported vandalized, days after the contentious passage of a stimulus bill that has been criticized as inadequate by a broad coalition ranging from progressive activists to President Trump. More here Senator Mitch McConnell’s home in...
President Trump
11/13/20 Mark Perry: the Revenge of Colonel Douglas Macgregor
Pentagon reporter Mark Perry discusses the recent appointment of retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor to a senior advisory position under President Trump's new secretary of defense. Perry calls Macgregor one of the greatest military minds in America; after a distinguished Army career that included one ofAmerica's swiftest and most lopsided victories in the Persian Gulf War's Battle of 73 Easting, Macgregor became a military historian and scholar. He continues to openly share his sometimes unconventional views of the U.S. military, including the need to get out of our forever-wars as quickly...
New Defense Secretary Says ‘All Wars Must End’ (Even Afghanistan)
President Trump’s acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller sent a memo to his Pentagon staff that signals he could have been appointed to carry out troop withdrawals in places like Afghanistan or Iraq. In the memo, dated November 13th, Miller addresses his staff for the first time and makes a strong statement against “perpetual war.” “We are not a people of perpetual war—it is the antithesis of everything for which we stand and for which our ancestors fought. All wars must end,” the memo reads. “Ending wars requires compromise and partnership. We met the challenge; we gave it our...
Douglas Macgregor Joining Pentagon As Senior Advisor To Acting Secdef
Good news! From Axios: President Trump's newly installed acting Pentagon chief is bringing on a senior adviser in a sign the administration wants to accelerate the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East before the end of his presidency in January, three people familiar with the move told Axios. Why it matters: A senior administration official says a wave of firings at the Pentagon and the hiring of Ret. Army Col. Douglas Macgregor is in part a settling of Trump's personal scores — but senior White House officials also have made clear "they want them more publicly to talk about...
Election Interference? Trump and Deep State Claim Race Is Compromised
On Conflicts of Interest #30, Will and Kyle give the latest on the US presidential election, where a winner has yet to be determined. President Trump has leaned hard into claims of election-rigging and illegal ballots as he launches lawsuits across several states. The Department of Homeland Security issued a pre-election "alert" warning of Russian hackers meddling in the race, but an earlier document from the same agency debunks its own baseless conspiracy theory, journalist Gareth Porter shows in a new piece. Israeli home demolitions in the occupied West Bank are hitting record highs...
The Plot to Kidnap Michigan’s Governor
On Conflicts of Interest #18, Will and Kyle look at an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in order to try her for "treason," which the FBI claims to have unraveled with help from a number of confidential informants and undercover agents. The United Nations Security Council recently blocked testimony from the first director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who was set to speak on the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria in 2018. Several OPCW whistleblowers have challenged the organization's reporting on the...
Home for Christmas: Trump’s New Promise to U.S. Troops in Afghanistan
On Wednesday, President Trump made a new comment on the pullout of Afghanistan, saying that it is now his intention to have all remaining U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Christmas. That’s substantially sooner than previous statements on the matter. This seems to be a very recent policy change. Just hours before Trump’s comments, the national security adviser said that there would still be 2,500 US troops left in Afghanistan by early 2021. This is roughly in line with previous comments on the matter. Troop cuts in October and November are intended to get troop levels to around 4,500 in...
Trump Blasts the Pentagon for Following His Orders?
On Conflicts of Interest #5, Will and Kyle break down the DOJ's case against two 'Boogaloo Boys' charged for conspiring with Hamas. Entrapment or foiled terrorist plot? President Trump went on a tear against top Pentagon brass during a Monday press conference, accusing them of war profiteering for the arms industry. Julian Assange's extradition trial has resumed, as the publisher remains imprisoned and the US pushes ahead with a 17-count indictment for espionage. Links YouTube – Conflicts of Interest Facebook – Conflicts of Interest Twitter – Conflicts of Interest Apple Podcast –...
WSJ: NSA Says Russian Bounties Story is False
Journal: "The National Security Agency strongly dissented from other intelligence agencies’ assessment that Russia paid bounties for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the matter. "The disclosure of the dissent by the NSA, which specializes in electronic eavesdropping, comes as the White House has played down the revelations, saying that the information wasn’t verified and that intelligence officials didn’t agree on it. "Because of that, President Trump was never personally briefed on the threat, the White House said, although a key lawmaker...
As Raimondo Might Say: ‘Bwahahahahahahaha!’
As Biden struggles, Hillary waits for the call As the primaries roll forward, and especially with officials’ thumbs on the scales, Biden will almost certainly win the candidacy. In the absence of a brokered convention, how could Democrats replace their standard-bearer? One idea has been to convince Biden to step aside in favor of the very popular Michelle Obama, seen as a sure bet to beat Trump. So far, though, the former first lady has reportedly rebuffed all invitations to enter the fray. That leaves Hillary Clinton. Biden could choose Clinton as his running mate, and then step down...