Raw Story

National security expert Marcy Wheeler is probing a report recently released by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) that targets the intelligence officials who discounted the Hunter Biden laptop story during the 2020 election as Russian interference.

While those intelligence officials agreed that the laptop had been tampered with, Jordan feared a "deep state" conspiracy — and dug into every aspect of the officials' identities and responsibilities in contracts with U.S. intelligence agencies.

In the interviews with the officials, Wheeler found a number of details previously unknown to the public. At one point in the questioning, former U.S. Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Michael Morell revealed he was concerned about Donald Trump's "deep narcissism."

Read Also: A neuroscientist explains why Donald Trump’s narcissism is now a major threat

Speaking to the House Judiciary Committee on April 4, 2023, Morell had already retired from government but was questioned about signing onto an intelligence letter dismissing the laptop concerns, along with a number of other communications he had despite being a private citizen.

At one point, the committee asked about an email that he sent to others who signed the letter in which Morell called the 2020 election, "The most important election since 1860 and 1864 when the very existence of the country was on the ballot."

"You know, it's funny, reading the letter from the generals supporting President Trump, I agree with a number of the points that they make," Morell said when asked why he thought the election was so important. "I'm as concerned about the defense budget. I'm a pretty conservative guy when it comes to national security.

"But I have to tell you that, you know, spending 33 years at CIA and watching literally hundreds of world leaders during that time, President Trump's personality traits deeply concerned me, what I believed to be deep narcissism, what I believed to be deep paranoia, what I believe to be a type of sadism where you — not sexually, of course, but a type of sadism where you, you know, are happy when your opponents have been injured in some way — I'm talking politically — that those were all traits that I saw in foreign leaders who did significant damage to their country and significant damage to the democracies of their country," Morell continued.

He specifically cited leaders he felt match that kind of Trump personality: Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Vladimir Putin in Russia.

"So, I was deeply concerned about the potential impact of President Trump on our democracy," Morell explained. "And, you know, my fear, in my view, was borne out by his failure to act on January 6, 2021. So that's what I meant when I wrote that. That's what I was thinking."

Read the full transcript of the interview here.

A discussion about how the press is covering President Joe Biden's poor debate performance grew combative on Friday morning when MSNBC host Joe Scarborough went back and forth with Axios founder Jim VandeHei, accusing the New York Times of flooding the zone with Biden attack stories while ignoring Donald Trump's debate lies.

According to VandeHrei, the Biden White House has been threatening reporters if they report on Biden's health, and now the Times is in overdrive on Biden stories.

With the Times' reporting coming under new scrutiny that dates back to their breathless coverage of Hillary Clinton's emails just weeks before the 2016 election that put Trump in the White House, Scarborough stated the venerable paper is back to giving the convicted felon ex-president a pass.

"They're in a massive panic," VandeHei said about Democrats. ""The New York Times has a story picking apart almost every sentence of the two radio interviews he [Biden] did; He did say some weird things in there. Imagine, even if you're at the top of your game, someone is scrutinizing everything you say. That's his reality if he stays in. "

"Jim, let me, I want to interrupt," said Scarborough. "You're so right. Again, everything, especially after that debate, is valid. But you go through the New York Times articles and look at that WAUK interview. I mean, when I ran [for office] at 31, you get on there and start talking fast, get a lot of stuff on your mind, and it's all over the place, you know? I wouldn't want to see the transcripts of my interviews."

"Right," the Axios founder agreed.

ALSO READ: 'Everyone is miserable': White House insiders describe staffers' despair amid uncertainty

"The fact they're going through the interview saying, well, here, he sort of stumbled and went to this or that, and there was a little stream of consciousness, I think it is absolutely ridiculous," the Morning Joe host continued. "Especially, again, when you look at the crazy s--t Donald Trump says every day. And the papers have already — including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal — they just say, 'Oh, yeah, he's crazy.'"

"Stack that up with what Biden is saying in these interviews, his Wisconsin interview, what he said Fourth of July, all of these other things, and as far as — you know, now they're seizing on, 'Oh, he said this. Forgot Mayorkas' name," he continued. "Do you know how many times I do this, I do this show and forget Mayorkas' name? This is at 7:30 in the morning instead of 8 at night."

"Again, I don't want to go on, I'm not carrying the guy's water," Scarborough clarified. "I said what I said last Friday. But I went to Ireland to interview the guy, we did two or three things in Ireland, events in a day, I went back to the hotel wiped out. I read the paper the next morning and saw Biden did seven. It is a constant, steady schedule."

"This idea that we're going to hold Joe Biden to one standard and Donald Trump to another standard, which is really no standard at all if we're getting into the syntax and the crazy things he says," he added. "I want to see the New York Times write that story the next time Donald Trump gives a speech if his people ever allow him off the golf course or away from the Dunkin Donuts shop."

Watch below or at the link.

MSNBC 07 05 2024 07 19 32 youtu.be

Former President Donald Trump bragged Friday that he never called a group of neo-Nazis "very fine people" — but cited a controversial fact-check that has been partially disclaimed as proof.

Trump published his boast to Truth Social in the form of a quotation which he attributes to a report from the conservative tabloid the New York Post, but actually originates with a Fox News post.

"Left wing fact checker admits Trump never called Charlottesville neo-Nazis ‘very fine people’," Trump wrote, quoting the Fox News headline.

"While Trump did say that there were 'very fine people on both sides,' he also specifically noted that he was not talking about neo-Nazis and white supremacists."

ALSO READ: Republicans weaponizing ignorance is a dangerous game

The fact check in question came from Snopes late last month and almost immediately drew criticism that resulted in an updated editor's note.

The claim Snopes declared false was that "On Aug. 15, 2017, then-President Donald Trump called neo-Nazis and white supremacists who attended the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, 'very fine people.'"

Snopes acknowledged Trump had said of the rally — which turned violent when neo-Nazis and white supremacists clashed with counter protesters — "there were "very fine people on both sides."

The false ruling was based on Trump's comment to a reporter that neo-Nazis and white nationalists should be "condemned totally."

"You had some very bad people in that group," Trump said. "But you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides...I'm not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists."

The New Republic immediately slammed Snopes take, arguing the fact-checking site had failed to recognize Trump's rhetorical doublespeak when he referenced people who had shown up the night before the rally to protest "innocently" and "quietly."

"The 'night before' that Trump was referring to included the infamous tiki torch march, the one with people chanting 'Blood and soil!' and 'You will not replace us!' and 'Jews will not replace us!'" wrote author Parker Molloy. "Those were the people Trump was specifically referring to in his defense of attendees."

ALSO READ: How Donald Trump could run for president — and lead the nation — from prison

Snopes responded to criticism with an editor's note:

"This fact check aimed to confirm what Trump actually said, not whether what he said was true or false," the note reads. "For the record, virtually every source that covered the Unite the Right debacle concluded that it was conceived of, led by and attended by white supremacists, and that therefore Trump's characterization was wrong."

Whom precisely Trump had in mind when he made the comment only Trump can know. But it's worth noting this is not the first report, or brushing off, of such praise.

One House Republican broke out in giggles when a Raw Story reporter asked about Trump's reported praise of Nazi Dictator Adolf Hitler, revealed this year by his former chief of staff John Kelly.

Kelly said the former president praised Hitler for his economic record and claimed he "did some good things."

And former executive vice president of the Trump Organization Barbara Res revealed last month that her former boss thought it was funny to make jokes about the Nazis around Jewish employees.

"Then he looked at a couple of our executives who happen to be Jewish, and he said 'Watch out for this guy, he sort of remembers the ovens,' and then smiled," Res said. "He was making a joke about the Nazi ovens and eating people."

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) lobbed an attack at President Joe Biden on Fox News attempting to swipe at his mental condition — but accidentally highlighted a quality about the former president that most would consider endearing.

"In Biden’s Oval Office, there are cookies," said McCarthy. "He offers you cookies every time you’re in there. And he goes and gets them. It is a depressing moment."

McCarthy may have intended to be taking a swipe at the president's submissiveness to guests, or compare him to a grandparent. But that's not how his anecdote came across to many commenters on social media, many of whom were quick to point out that they think offering cookies to people is actually awesome. Some others noted that McCarthy had his own history of trying to suck up to Trump with sweets.

"McCarthy is the best Biden surrogate. 'He goes and gets you cookies.' Trump eats em all," wrote former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).

"It's depressing to Kevin McCarthy that the President of the United States is a kind man?" wrote the account @leftcoastbabe. "Tells you all you need to know about today's GOP. (And who the bleep doesn't like cookies.)"

"How sinister does one have to be to think Cookies are depressing?" wrote the account @bdowney2338.

"Latest Biden scandal dropped...this one is a doozy... everything's crumbling now #cookiegate," wrote the account @Takuma1700.

"You know what’s a real depressing moment, is Kevin McCarthy was elected on the 15th try after four days of unsuccessful House votes…and even more depressing, Kevin McCarthy after just 269day speakership became the shortest in more than 140 years and the third shortest in history," wrote the account @MadeInCanada_eh.

"Remember when he said Biden was a tough negotiator? And then Biden got the best of him to keep the govt open? And then he was thrown out as speaker?? Good times!" wrote the account @DebbiePatrizi.

"The only time getting a cookie depresses me is when it is oatmeal raisin," wrote the account @JaredRyanSears.

"Remind me: Who was the pathetic sycophant that separated Trump’s favorite Starbursts into a special bowl for him?" wrote the account @SarahBCalif.

Watch the video below or click here.

Two dozen Democratic governors met Wednesday and emerged from the meeting unified behind President Joe Biden and his campaign, despite questions over his age and cognitive health following his fumbling debate performance.

Speaking with reporters, Gov. Tim Walz, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, gave a clear message.

"He has had our backs through COVID, through all of the recovery, all that has happened. The governors have his back and we're working together just to make very, very clear on that," he said. "A path to victory in November is the number one priority and that's the number one priority of the president."

Walz called the private meeting with Biden honest and open, and said they provided good feedback.

Gov. Wes Moore echoed Walz's comments and said the conversation felt candid.

"When you love someone, you tell them the truth," he said, noting they were honest with their feedback and concerns they've heard.

The president, Moore said, is "all-in."

"The thing that makes us most optimistic and most hopeful, is not necessarily that we're afraid of an alternative, but also is that we're hopeful for the future," he said.

Read also: Biden denies report he will 'discuss the future of his re-election campaign with family'

The governors united and pledged their support to Biden as they have a common cause — defeating former President Donald Trump.

Reporters then started shouting questions, including: "Do you feel he's fit for office?"

"Yes, he's fit for office," said Walz. The president has 3 1/2 years of delivering for us, going through what we've all been through. None of us are denying Thursday night was a bad performance. It was a bad hit, if you will on that. But it doesn't impact what I believe: he's delivering."

Answering more shouted questions, Moore reiterated the president is the nominee, the party leader, and that he's in the race to win.

The conference comes after some in the Democratic party have openly questioned whether the president ought to remain in the race.

Former President Barack Obama has publicly backed his ex-vice president even after a "bad debate" night, but behind closed doors, Obama has reportedly expressed concerns that Biden may have hurt his chances of winning re-election.

Watch the clip below or at this link right here.

Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts, the far-right figure at the helm of the "Project 2025" plan to reshape the entire federal government for the benefit of Republicans, was raked over the coals on Wednesday by MSNBC anchor Joy Reid and civil rights professor Sherrilyn Ifill.

"Should Donald Trump be re-elected and elected king, God help us all, he will be surrounded by people like this guy, the head of the Heritage Foundation, the folks behind Project 2025, who said the quiet part real loud and televised." She played a clip of Roberts speaking on the far-right Real America's Voice network.

"We are going to win," he said in the clip. "We're in the process of taking this country back. We're in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be."

ALSO READ: How The Onion’s founding editor finds humor in the dismal age of Trump

"When I heard that clip of that guy ... essentially issue a violent threat against Americans, I had two thoughts. Thought one, he's not going to do anything violent," said Reid. "He'll be at a country club somewhere golfing, while the real violent people, the other people, the Proud Boys types do the actual dirty work. So that man is a coward, and he likes to talk a lot of crap, but it is still a threat. And I took it as a declaration of war. How did you take it?"

"Well, the gloves are obviously off, and they are no longer afraid to say what their true intentions are," said Ifill. "What it made me was angry in a very particular kind of way. I'm not sure who these people think they are, but the idea of some second American Revolution — they are the Confederacy. They don't get the title of American Revolution, they're the Confederacy bent on destroying this country. If they think that what we have gone through, certainly as Black people in this country, as women, as gay people, as the disabled, as people who are poor trying to find their way up to make their children's lives better than theirs, if they think we are about to throw that all off and knuckle under to the likes of Stephen Miller and this man, and Donald Trump, they have got to be kidding."

"I am also from Queens," added Ifill, referencing Trump's birthplace. "I can tell you, the Donald Trumps of the world, we understood exactly who they were when I was growing up in Queens. No matter how much money he had, he was not fit, not worthy of the love and attention that these people have lavished on him. We will not go back."

Watch the video below or at the link right here.

Joy Reid and Sherrilyn Ifill discuss Project 2025 threats www.youtube.com