‘You Got to Be the Last Guy He Talks To.' The Rise and Fall of Trump Adviser Steve Bannon

 https://time.com/5882072/rise-and-fall-of-steve-bannon/

 After Donald Trump won the U.S. election in November 2016, some Republicans hoped that the new President would mellow in office and moderate his hardline campaign positions. Steve Bannon saw it as his job to make sure that didn’t happen.

 Bannon, a former investment banker and right-wing documentary filmmaker who served as one of Trump’s principal advisers during the final months of his campaign, moved into the West Wing in January 2017, taking over an office at a crucial hallway intersection steps from the Oval Office. His perch allowed him to see nearly everyone visiting then-chief of staff Reince Priebus on one side, and Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner on the other.

 Bannon’s official new title was chief strategist, and he saw himself as besieged by ideological rivals trying to slow-walk Trump’s controversial campaign promises to build a border wall, gut trade deals, and ban Muslims from entering the country. His ascent was seen by many as bringing the fringe voices of white nationalists and the alt-right directly into the West Wing. He spent hours on calls with GOP donors and reporters painting Priebus as beholden to the old Republican establishment and Kushner as a Democrat in Trump’s house. He lasted seven months, before being pushed out for leaking about palace intrigue and refusing to cede access and control to Trump’s second chief of staff, John Kelly.

Bannon’s time in the White House may have been short, but it was influential. Within a few weeks of moving in, Bannon helped launch Trump on the hardline policy path he has rarely deviated from since. Bannon, along with senior advisor Stephen Miller, pushed for the hasty freeze of the U.S. refugee program and the halt in immigration from seven majority Muslim countries, moves that were later challenged in court and required revisions. He kept a white board on the wall next to his desk and put green check marks next to actions that weakened international trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trump accuses Democrats of 'trying to steal the election' with insistence on mail-in voting

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-accuses-democrats-trying-to-steal-election

'This is going to be the greatest scam in history,' president says. 'This will be the most fraudulent election in history.'

In an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, President Trump argued Thursday that Democrats are "trying to steal the election" through their fervent support for and facilitation of mass mail-in balloting.

"They are talking about sending 51 million ballots out to anybody who, you know, nobody knows who is going to get them," the president said on "Hannity". "It's a horrible thing. It's a fraudulent election. Everybody knows it, you don't even have to know politics to know it.

 

 

America’s Closest Allies Reject Trump Administration's Iran Bid at U.N.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2020-08-20/americas-closest-allies-reject-trump-administrations-iran-bid-at-un 

 "That the closest Western allies of the U.S. unambiguously reject the legitimacy of using the snapback procedure set in [U.N. Resolution] 2231 confirms their commitment to the JCPOA, their opposition to the maximum pressure policy against Iran," Gerard Araud, France's most recent ambassador to the U.S., who also served as ambassador to the U.N. and Israel, tweeted shortly after the decision. "And says a lot about the world status of the U.S. today."

 The U.S. attempted last week to adopt a resolution that would have extended an arms embargo against Iran – set to expire in October – but failed to receive the support necessary in the Security Council. Only the Dominican Republic backed the U.S. resolution.

Judge rules against Trump in tax records subpoena fight

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/donald-trump-new-york-tax-records/index.html

 A federal judge on Thursday said New York state prosecutors could have access to President Donald Trump's accounting records for a criminal investigation, siding harshly against the President.

The ruling by US District Judge Victor Marrero follows a landmark Supreme Court decision this summer that appeared to set up potentially lengthy delays on subpoenas for Trump's records. Yet the ruling on Thursday snaps attention back to the ongoing criminal probe of Trump's business dealings, and revives the possibility that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance could reach the records before the presidential election.

"Justice requires an end to this controversy," Marrero wrote.

Trump has already appealed. He's asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals for emergency help as he tries to stop the subpoena from being enforced next week.

 

But Marrero rejected Trump's attempt to use the court system for more delays. He built into his ruling a prohibition for Trump to revise his lawsuit as a way to keep it alive even if he's lost additional rounds in court.

Trump's legal strategy to "enable the clock to run," Marrero wrote, "amounts to absolute immunity through a back door, an entry point through which not only a President but also potentially other persons and entities, public and private, could effectively gain cover from judicial process."

Bannon Indicted by SDNY for "Build the Wall" Fraud. Will He Flip on Trump or Await a Pardon?

Pompeo aims fury at Europe as Iran sanctions snapback bid rebuffed

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/pompeo-aims-fury-at-europe-as-iran-sanctions-snapback-bid-rebuffed/

 European powers rejected a US bid to reinstate sanctions on Iran and torpedo the 2015 nuclear deal, drawing an accusation from Washington that they were “siding with the ayatollahs.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also feuded with Russia, which responded to the US move by asking for an open Security Council meeting Friday to discuss the extension of sanctions relief under the deal.

 

Chris Wallace says Biden blew 'a big hole' in Trump's 'mentally shot' claim with DNC acceptance speech

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chris-wallace-reaction-joe-biden-dnc-speech

Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night with an "enormously effective" speech that "blew a hole" in President Trump's characterization of the former vice president, "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace said.

"Remember, Donald Trump has been talking for months about Joe Biden as [being] mentally shot, a captive of the left," Wallace said during Fox News special coverage of the Democratic National Convention. "And yes, Biden was reading from the teleprompter and a prepared speech, but I thought that he blew a hole, a big hole, in that characterization."

 

Kushner's secret push to sell F-35 jets to UAE causes frustration among US agencies and lawmakers

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/kushner-uae-israel-f-35-fighter-jet/index.html

 A secret push by President Donald Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner to sell advanced arms -- including F-35 stealth fighter jets -- to the United Arab Emirates has caused confusion and frustration among agencies and congressional committees that would normally be involved in such a sale but have been left in the dark.

Kushner is supporting the administration's discussions with the UAE about the potential advanced arms sale, which have been led by the NSC Senior Director for the Middle East, Miguel Correa, a senior administration official said. 

 Reports of a possible arms deal surfaced Tuesday when one of Israel's leading newspapers alleged there was a "secret clause" in Israel's deal to normalize relations with the UAE -- one that would allow the UAE to buy billions of dollars in advanced military hardware from the US, including drones, F-35 stealth fighters and other weaponry. 

 Kushner was directly involved in discussion with the Emirates and the Israelis in the lead up to the agreement last week, he told reporters.

Steve Bannon pleads not guilty after indicted in 'We Build the Wall' case

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/steve-bannon-pleads-not-guilty-after-indicted-in-we-build-the-wall-case

 Trump, hearing of the charges, tried to distance himself from his former adviser. Trump said he feels  “very badly” his former adviser was arrested for defrauding donors and called the project “inappropriate.” He said he hadn't dealt with Bannon, who also worked on his 2016 campaign, in "a very long time."

"I feel very badly. I haven't been dealing with him for a very long period of time," Trump told reporters. "I haven't been dealing with him at all."

The president said he didn’t “know anything about the project at all” but also said he “didn’t like” it.

“I thought it was being done for showboating reasons,” Trump said.

 

Steve Bannon, three others charged with fraud in border wall fundraising campaign

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/bannon-build-the-wall-indictment/index.html

 New York federal prosecutors on Thursday charged President Donald Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon and three others with defrauding donors of hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of a fundraising campaign purportedly aimed at supporting Trump's border wall.

Bannon, 66, was arrested on a boat Thursday off the Eastern coast of Connecticut by federal agents along with officials from the United States Postal Inspection Service, according to the agency and a law enforcement official. He will make his initial court appearance in New York later Thursday, according to the US attorney's office. Bill Burck, an attorney for Bannon, declined to comment.

The four men are indicted for allegedly using hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to an online crowdfunding campaign called We Build the Wall for personal expenses, among other things. Bannon and another defendant, Brian Kolfage, promised donors that the campaign, which ultimately raised more than $25 million, was "a volunteer organization" and that "100% of the funds raised...will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose," according to the indictment unsealed Thursday.

New COVID-19 cases in Orthodox communities elicit concern

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/new-covid-19-cases-in-orthodox-communities-elicit-concern-639273

 Over the past week, the reports have come fast and furious.

One overnight sports camp for boys in Pennsylvania had an outbreak of COVID-19, sending eight boys back to their home communities on Long Island and several more to Baltimore, where others had contracted the virus after attending weddings or coming into contact with those who did.

 

As the summer comes to a close and families prepare for a new school year and the High Holidays, government officials and leaders in the Orthodox community are monitoring new cases in Orthodox communities across the New York City area and down the East Coast. They say the cases, though small in number at the moment, could spiral out of control, derailing plans to reopen schools with in-person instruction and hold in-person services for the holidays.

The UAE and F-35s story isn’t over just because Israel doesn’t like it

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/the-uae-and-f-35s-story-isnt-over-just-because-israel-doesnt-like-it-639173

 The controversy over the possibility that the United Arab Emirates could purchase F-35 jets has continued despite a very firm denial by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And that’s because, well, Netanyahu doesn’t really have the final say here.

Following reports that such arms purchases will be part of the peace deal between the UAE and Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office released an unusually detailed statement, including a timeline of the multiple times that Netanyahu and Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer raised their objections to the F-35 being sold to any other country in the Middle East, even if it has a peace treaty with Israel.

Israel needs to realize UAE will use F-35 jets against Iran, not Israel

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/israel-needs-to-realize-uae-will-use-f-35-jets-against-iran-not-israel-639255

 Those jets are not meant to be used against Israel but, rather, against Iran, our common enemy - Israel has never been at war with the UAE.

Trump: UAE F-35 jets deal ‘under review’ despite Israeli concerns

 https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/trump-uae-f-35-jets-deal-under-review-despite-israeli-concerns-639318

 The US is considering selling F-35 stealth fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday night.

Trump’s comments came two days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu detailed multiple occasions in which he told US officials he opposes such a sale. Netanyahu denied reports the deal is part of the normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE, and a White House source confirmed it is not in the peace deal.