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☆ A wargame simulated a 2nd Trump presidency. It concluded NATO would collapse.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

If Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House in November, NATO may fall apart, a recent wargame found. "What Donald Trump can do is just really hollow out what NATO does," Grimble told Business Insider. The UK has traditionally backed a transatlantic, America-Europe alliance rather than a purely European defense bloc. Yet in the game, it could neither persuade Trump to ease his demands, nor the European NATO members to spend more on defense. "Many NATO members — except for France mainly — thought post-Trump it could be salvageable," Grimble said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Finley Grimble, Grimble, John Bolton, —, SACEUR, Jens Stoltenberg, NICHOLAS KAMM, hadn't, I'm, Florian Gaertner, Russia doesn't, God's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, House, NATO, EU, US, Business, US National Security, Allied, Europe, Washington, Nato, Getty, European Union, Joint Expeditionary Force, Northern, —, European NATO, Trump, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Europe, Russia, NATO, Ukraine, China, American, United States, Finland, Romania, Poland, Baltic, France, Germany, French, America, Italy, Estonia, British, Turkey, Baltic States, Ukraine stalemated, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv . Europe, Beijing, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, European, Forbes

☆ European diplomats in DC scramble to gain access to Trump allies for insights
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“We are not that nervous because we know that with Trump it is all about relationships,” said one veteran European diplomat who has been in DC since the Trump administration. “The logic of doing it at Heritage was not lost on us,” said Victoria Coates, a deputy national security advisor to former President Trump who is now a vice president at the think tank. The comments sent European diplomats into over-drive, eager to understand exactly what Trump meant. “If they are worried about how President Trump is going to react to them, they hold it in their hands to do something about it,” Coates said. But European diplomats are not only worried about NATO.

Persons: Donald Trump, jostle, Trump, of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Mike Pompeo, Robert O’Brien, Keith Kellogg, Mike Pence’s, Hillary Clinton, they’ve, ”, –, David Cameron, Antony Blinken, Cameron, Jens Stoltenberg, Jim Lo Scalzo, Stoltenberg’s, Victoria Coates, Stoltenberg, ” Coates, nodded, James Carafano, “, it’s, “ He’s, Mike Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, White, NATO, Ukraine, Trump, of National Intelligence, National, European Union, Republican, Russian Central Bank, EU, British, Heritage Foundation, Heritage, GOP, Putin Locations: Washington, Russia, European, Europe, Ukraine, Brussels, West, Russian, South Florida, Brexit, ”, Washington ,, “

CNN —Donald Trump made an unexpected declaration Tuesday when probed about a six-week abortion ban that will soon take effect in his home state of Florida. “We’ll be making a statement next week on abortion,” the former president told reporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Other close advisers, however, have expressed concern that Trump will give further ammunition to Democrats by supporting any new restrictions on abortion. “It was bound to happen at some point where he needed to clarify his position,” a Trump adviser told CNN. Ron DeSantis was courting the state’s evangelical community by running to Trump’s right on the issue.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, ”, Trump, Roe, Wade, Kellyanne, Conway, Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, Ralph Reed, ” Graham, Joe Biden’s, ” Roe, greenlit, Sunshine State –, they’re, it’s, it’ll, ” Trump, Sid, Trump’s, Vincent Haley, Ross Worthington, Haley, Worthington, she’s, Lindsey Graham’s, Susan B, Anthony Pro, Brian Hughes, — I’ve, — Trump, Graham, Reed, Marjorie Dannenfelser, Ron DeSantis Organizations: CNN, White, US, Republican, Democratic, Trump, Lago, and Freedom Coalition, Florida Supreme, Sunshine State, “, Fox News, New York, Friends, Trump . Leaders, GOP, Republicans, SBA, Mar, Florida Gov Locations: Florida, Grand Rapids , Michigan, Kellyanne Conway, Mar, ”, Carolina, Trump, Graham’s, Michigan, Nashville , Tennessee, Roe, vocalize, Iowa

As the clock ticks down before next week’s Republican primary in South Carolina, Nikki Haley is looking for any way to undermine Donald J. Trump and his commanding lead, including trying a new spin on an old line of attack: that he has a history of being disrespectful to veterans. Ms. Haley, in her quest to close the 30-plus point gap between herself and the former president, has used his disparaging remarks about her husband’s National Guard deployment to revive the criticism that Mr. Trump has routinely disparaged military troops and veterans, a voting bloc that Republicans have long counted on for support. At recent campaign stops in the state, Ms. Haley has resurfaced a story about Mr. Trump in which he reportedly told his former chief of staff, John F. Kelly, that Americans who died in war were “losers” and “suckers” and, during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, reportedly said of soldiers who died abroad, “I don’t get it, what was in it for them?”Ms. Haley’s campaign has increased its focus on the subject as recent polls show her flailing in her home state, and there is widespread doubt, even among her supporters, that she will have a strong showing. Yet in raising Mr. Trump’s past comments about military personnel, Ms. Haley may be indirectly helping the Biden campaign by reinforcing an argument against Mr. Trump it made in the 2020 election — and one that is likely to return in the 2024 general election contest.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald J, Trump, Haley, John F, Kelly, Haley’s, Biden Organizations: Republican, National Guard, Republicans, Arlington National Cemetery Locations: South Carolina, Arlington

If the Supreme Court ultimately rules against Trump it would almost certainly end his campaign for another term. But because the court expedited the earlier stages of the Trump ballot case, it is likely the court will want to move quickly to decide the case, potentially within a matter of weeks. If Trump is removed from the ballot in Colorado, Roberts predicted that states would eventually attempt to knock other candidates out of future elections. Trump and his allies raised the case during their written arguments to the Supreme Court. “It’s by the chief justice of the United States a year after the 14th Amendment,” Kavanaugh said in a reference to Chase.

Persons: Donald Trump, John Roberts, –, Trump, Bush, Gore, George W, Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s eligibly, Roberts, “ It’ll, ” Roberts, “, United States …, Kavanaugh, Griffin, Salmon Chase, ” Kavanaugh, Chase, CNN Jackson, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Joe Biden, ”, ’, ” Jackson, Elena Kagan, ” Kagan, – Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, Kagan –, Jackson, didn’t, Jonathan Mitchell, ” Mitchell, Jason Murray, Jack Smith, Murray, Sharp, Kagan, “ It’s, Shannon Stevenson, Stevenson, Carlos Samour, could’ve Organizations: CNN, Trump, Capitol, United, Confederacy, Supreme, Union, Colorado, Colorado Supreme, Democratic Locations: Colorado, United States

☆ Henry Cavill says he’s ‘not a fan’ of sex scenes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —“Superman” star Henry Cavill has revealed that he’s “not a fan” of on-screen sex scenes. The British actor, who stars in newly released movie “Argylle,” suggested graphic love scenes can sometimes feel gratuitous. Appearing on the podcast “Happy Sad Confused” on Monday, Cavill said he felt that intimate scenes are sometimes “overused”. He said: “Sex scenes can be great in a movie, they can really help with the storytelling, but most of the time the human imagination is going to trump it. “Argylle,” which CNN reviewer Brian Lowry described as a “fun, highly stylized” spy thriller, was released February 2 in the United Kingdom and United States.

Persons: CNN —, Henry Cavill, ”, Cavill, Matthew Vaughn, Vaughn, ” Vaughn, Josh Horowitz, “, ” Matthew Vaughn, Kate Green, ‘, there’s, ” Cavill, …, Brian Lowry Organizations: CNN, Universal Pictures Locations: British, United Kingdom, United States

☆ Rupert Murdoch has become a 'frothing-at-the-mouth' enemy of Donald Trump and often wishes for his death, new Michael Wolff book claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rupert Murdoch has become a "frothing-at-the-mouth" enemy of Donald Trump, according to a new book. The Guardian obtained a copy of Michael Wolff's "The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty"Wolff claims in the book that Murdoch often fantasizes about the former president's death. Author Michael Wolff wrote in "The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty" that Murdoch has in recent times become a "frothing-at-the-mouth" enemy of Trump, per The Guardian's reporting on it. According to Wolff's book, Murdoch's anger has now escalated to the point where he has become fixated on the former president's demise. Wolff claims that Murdoch has made statements like: "'We would all be better off …?'

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Donald Trump, Michael Wolff's, Murdoch, Wolff, Michael Wolff, Joe Biden's, Murdoch's, Trump Organizations: Guardian, Fox News, Service, Street, Trump, New York Post, Trump White, CNN Business, News Corp Locations: Wall, Silicon, Trump, Arizona, Wolff's

☆ Judge Aileen Cannon asks about legality of using DC grand jury in Florida-based Mar-a-Lago case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Katelyn Polantz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Judge Aileen Cannon is asking the Justice Department and Donald Trump co-defendant Walt Nauta to weigh in on the legality of special counsel Jack Smith’s ongoing grand jury activity in Washington, DC, which relates to the obstruction portion of the Mar-a-Lago documents case before her in Florida. In an order Monday, Cannon said Nauta’s lawyers “shall address the legal propriety of using an out-of-district grand jury proceeding to continue to investigate and/or to seek post-indictment hearings on matters pertinent to the instant indicted matter in this district” by August 17. The special counsel previously told Cannon that “the grand jury in this district [in Florida] and a grand jury in the District of Columbia continued to investigate further obstructive activity,” which resulted in the latest group of criminal charges before her against Trump, Nauta and a third defendant, Mar-a-Lago employee Carlos De Oliveira. Taveras had been represented by the same attorney as Nauta, but received a target letter after the June indictment of Trump and Nauta. He Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Persons: Aileen Cannon, Donald Trump, Walt Nauta, Jack Smith’s, Cannon, “, Carlos De Oliveira, Stanley Woodward, Trump, Yuscil Taveras, Taveras, Woodward, Justice Department’s, Nauta, De Oliveira Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, District of Columbia, Trump, The Justice Department, Trump IT, Trump’s Save America PAC, Justice Locations: Washington , DC, Florida, District, Washington

☆ Trump complains DeSantis 'copied everything' from his immigration plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ron DeSantis' immigration plan is similar to his. The former president told reporters that DeSantis "basically copied everything I said." Ron DeSantis "copied everything" from Trump's own immigration plan. Trump's latest taunt of his closest GOP rival comes just after DeSantis rolled out his immigration plan during an event at the US-Mexico border. "Well, his plan is my plan," Trump told Semafor and ABC News reporters, according to Semafor's Shelby Talcott.

Persons: Trump, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, —, Donald Trump, Semafor, Shelby Talcott, Trump's, tweeting Organizations: Florida Gov, Service, GOP, ABC News, CNN, Trump, Fox News Locations: Mexico

☆ 'We Keep Electing Idiots': Liz Cheney thinks politics is broken and if the GOP nominates Trump again the party will crumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Liz Cheney said politics are so broken that 'we're electing idiots'The former congresswoman also argued the GOP will crumble if Trump becomes its 2024 nominee. Cheney made it clear that amid talk of a potential third-party bid, she has absolutely no interest in doing "anything that could help Donald Trump." A daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, the former congresswoman thinks the party of Lincoln will crumble if the GOP renominates Trump as its presidential nominee. "We're at a moment in our country where there is a tectonic shift going on in our politics," Liz Cheney said. "And, I think in particular if the Republican Party — I'm not sure if it is salvageable now — if the Republican Party nominates Donald Trump it will shatter and we will have a whole new politics, as we should."

Persons: Liz Cheney, Trump, —, Cheney, David Rubenstein, Parts Rubenstein, Donald Trump's, Donald Trump, Harriet Hageman, Kevin McCarthy, Trump's, Dick Cheney, GOP renominates Trump, Republican Party — I'm Organizations: Trump, Service, Republican, GOP, Republican Party Locations: New York, United States, Lincoln

☆ Trump Campaigns in Michigan, a Battleground That’s Tinted Blue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Anjali Huynh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In front of a sold-out crowd on Sunday evening in Novi, Mich., former President Donald J. Trump lamented the decline of the automobile industry under Democratic rule and said he “stood up to China” to save thousands of manufacturing jobs. It was a speech he might have given in 2020. But then the script changed. In his first campaign visit to the state this year, Mr. Trump paired rants about free trade and manufacturing with culture-war jabs against liberals and criticism of his main Republican rival, Gov. The latter remarks received the most raucous applause at the Oakland County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner, which was giving Mr. Trump its man of the decade award.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, “, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Gov, Oakland County Republican Party’s, Republican Party, Trump Locations: Novi, Mich, China, Florida

☆ Fact Check-No evidence Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about forgetting to ‘give back some paperwork’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There is no evidence that former U.S. president Donald Trump published a social media post on his Truth Social platform about forgetting “to give back some paperwork”, despite a screenshot circulating online. The screenshot appears to show a post published via Trump’s official Truth Social account (@realDonaldTrump). While Trump did call Smith a “thug” in a June 13 Truth Social post (here), there is no evidence the statement circulating online is real. There is no evidence that Trump published a social media post about forgetting “to give back some paperwork.” An online account said they created the screenshot satirically. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts (here).

Persons: Donald Trump, “, JACK SMITH, Jack Smith, Trump, Smith, ”, Liz, Harrington, Read Organizations: THE, TRUMP, Trump, Prosecutors, Reuters

☆ Scammers are conning Trump supporters out of thousands with 'Trump Bucks' they claim can be exchanged for real cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump supporters are reportedly being scammed out of thousands of dollars on items like "Trump Bucks"Some of the supporters were convinced by fake videos of Trump and Elon Musk promoting the products. A new report from NBC News shows some people thought buying the memorabilia would make them rich. Several companies are allegedly using advertising tactics including creating AI-generated videos of Trump and other figures like Elon Musk to claim the worthless "Trump Bucks" will make them rich, according to a new report from NBC News. Some of the people who bought the Trump memorabilia have attempted to exchange it for real US dollars at banks, and told NBC News that bank employees are reporting it as a growing issue. One ad for the "Trump Bucks" — featuring a seemingly AI-generated voice identified as "John" — states "most people believe that the presidential election interfered with the course of history" and identifies Trump as "the great leader."

☆ Inflation’s real benefits beat theoretical costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Yet economic theory has a remarkably hard time identifying the social costs imposed by a rising price level. A more serious charge is the uncertainty that rising prices introduce into financial planning. If the theoretical costs of inflation are elusive, the potential advantages it has to offer are more concrete. U.S. house prices, meanwhile, peaked last year at a full 45% higher in real terms than when Rogoff made his plea. In the end, the practical benefits of inflation will trump its theoretical costs.

"They've done nothing but harass this guy," said Gregg Hough, chair of the Republican party in Belknap County, New Hampshire, predicting the prosecution will boost Trump support "to the moon" if it fails to deliver a convincing conviction. In a statement on Thursday, Trump called the indictment "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," without providing evidence. John Feehery, a Republican strategist, described the Manhattan case as "silly" compared to the other probes hanging over Trump's campaign. At a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on Saturday, Trump likened the criminal investigations against him to a "Stalinist Russia horror show." Trump remains the front-runner in the 2024 Republican field, with the support of 44% of Republicans in a March Reuters/Ipsos, ahead of DeSantis' 30% support.

☆ If Trump's mugshot is made public it would cement him as an 'outlaw' and could make him a folk hero like Al Capone, presidential historian says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

If Trump's mugshot is made public, it could turn him into a folk hero, historian Douglas Brinkley says. New York law generally bars the release of mugshots but it's possible that Trump's could be leaked. During an episode of his YouTube show "Justice Matters" on Thursday, legal analyst Glenn Kirschner suggested that Trump's mugshot "will become publicly available pretty promptly." If the public does get a chance to see the mugshot, it would cement Trump's status as an "outlaw" among presidents and could make him a folk hero for some Americans, Brinkley said. "But Trump fits very easily into a narrative of folk heroes, like outlaw folk heroes like Al Capone and Dillinger, Billy the Kid."

Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. "I think this will strengthen the resolve of his supporters," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist who represented Trump in many media appearances during the 2020 presidential campaign. "It’s not good for Trump, the question is how bad for Trump it is," said Sabato. Trump has defied predictions of his demise numerous times since he launched his bid for the White House in 2015. Trump remains the front-runner in the 2024 Republican field, with the support of 44% of Republicans in a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday, ahead of DeSantis' 30% support.

☆ A 2nd Republican will soon declare a presidential run, but expect another lag before a 'clown car' of candidates make it official, seasoned operatives say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Trump is the only one who declared a presidential run for 2024. Campaign insiders call this presidential campaign period the "preseason," the "trial balloon season," or the "incubation period." And both could take advantage the spotlight of a presidential run because they don't currently hold office, in contrast to governors and US Senators potentially in the mix. Andrew Harnik/APThe field will be set by summerWhen it comes to planning a campaign, candidates don't have full control over their timelines. "If we go into the Iowa Caucuses with more than a dozen candidates," Kochel said, "then some part of the process has failed."

Former President Donald Trump described in great detail Thursday night how he purportedly delivered a 2018 election win to now-Gov. Ron DeSantis by sending FBI agents to stop "ballot theft" in a major Florida county. Her comment on Twitter was in response to Trump's statement about the Florida elections that year. “The Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office has no documentation of any federal law enforcement presence during the 2018 elections,” Ivan Castro, spokesman for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, told the newspaper. "We conclude that the November 2018 election was not efficiently and effectively conducted.

☆ GOP Insider readers: Dump Trump!
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Kayla Gallagher | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

Insider asked its Republican readers to send in their thoughts on Donald Trump following the GOP's dismal midterm performance. Subscribers to Insider's newsletter were asked two questions: Do you agree with the GOP insiders who blame Trump? Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Image— Joe S.I don't blame Trump per se. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images— Julia T.I think Trump, DeSantis AND the GOP are EXTREMELY dangerous for our Democracy. The Republican Party needs to get away from the extremists in the party or the Republican Party will no longer exist.

☆ Hope Hicks told Donald Trump he lost the 2020 election and that 'nobody's convinced me otherwise," book says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Longtime Trump aide Hope Hicks didn't buy into his false claims that he won the 2020 election. She told him to move on, according to the book "The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021." Hicks told Trump it was time to move on, according to the book set to publish Tuesday. Once, the authors wrote, when seeing Biden on television, he said, "'Can you believe I lost to this fucking guy?'" "'Obviously, I support you, but I can't help you on that,'" Kushner told Trump, as he related the story to another Republican at the time," the authors wrote.

☆ Trump's own former intel chief worried that Russia had compromising material on him, book says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dan Coats, former director of national intelligence, worried about Trump's relations with Putin. According to a new book, Trump's behavior at a summit with Putin sparked his concern. Trump's relationship with Russia has long been a subject of rumor and speculation. According to the authors, Trump's behavior as president raised alarm among top officials, including Dan Coats, then the DNI. Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to substantiate claims the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia in 2016.

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