Victoria Jones created and edits Quick Morning News. She is chief White House correspondent with Washington DC-based Talk Media News, where her insight and analysis are made available to over 400 news talk radio stations around the country and internationally.
• Hillary Clinton tore into Donald Trump’s foreign policy experience and temperament in a blistering speech in San Diego Thursday, arguing that “we cannot let him roll the dice with America.” “His is not just unprepared, he is temperamentally unfit,” Clinton said. “This is not someone who should ever have the nuclear codes.” Electing him would be a “historic mistake”
• “There’s no risk of people losing their lives if you blow up a golf course deal, but it doesn’t work like that in world affairs,” Clinton, a former SecState, said before about 300 people. “The stakes in global statecraft are infinitely higher and more complex than in the world of luxury hotels.” (sooo much better, speaking in plain language, hitting hard, going for it – can she keep it up?)
• “He is not someone who should ever have the nuclear codes because it’s not hard to imagine Donald Trump leading us into war just because somebody got under his very thin skin,” she said (aaand that got under his very thin skin – he claimed at his rally that he had “very thick skin”… big hands too?)
• “Bad performance by Crooked Hillary Clinton! Reading poorly from the telepromter! She doesn’t even look presidential!” Trump tweeted, (obviously not bothering with spellcheck again…)
• During a rally Wed, Trump claimed he saw a copy of Clinton’s speech, “And it was such lies about my foreign policy that they said I want Japan to get nuclear weapons,” he said. “Give me a break.” Trump suggested, however, during an April interview on Fox News that Japan should defend itself against North Korea, “including with nukes.” (has anyone verified this claim?)
• Clinton called Trump’s ideas “dangerously incoherent.” “They’re not even really ideas, just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies,” she said. “He is not just unprepared, he is temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability and immense responsibility.”
• Clinton accused Trump of having a “bizarre fascination with dictators and strongmen.” “I will leave it to the psychiatrists to explain his affection for tyrants,” Clinton said. “I just wonder how anyone could be so wrong about who America’s real friends are, because it matters.” She noted “he picks fights” with our friends, “the Mayor of London, Chancellor of Germany – and the Pope”
• Bernie Sanders has battled Hillary Clinton to a draw among all voters eligible for the Democratic primary, with 44% siding with him and 43% for Clinton, according to a new USC Dornsife/LAT poll. Among those most likely to vote, Clinton leads, 49%-39%, in the new pol (one question is whether only likely voters show up – or whether Sanders’ first-timers vote) (LAT)
• Trump raged against Hillary Clinton at a rally in San Jose Thursday night – protests outside, see below. “She’s a liar! She made up my foreign policy! She said Donald Trump is going to do this, I never said that. And Donald Trump is going to do that. A friend of mine was in the room and said, ‘You never said you were going to do that.’ I said that’s right – she makes it up.” (not really – but got under his skin)
• “And remember I said I was a counter-puncher?” Trump roared? “I am. After what she said about me today and her phony speech. That was a Donald Trump hit job. I will say this. Hillary Clinton has to go to jail. She has to go to jail.” (go to jail for the speech? really? taking a leaf out of new Philippines prez’s book. his First Amendment ideas are weird – see below)
• But Trump didn’t offer many direct rebukes of Clinton’s speech, though he criticized her claim that Russia and China were “jealous” of the U.S. relationship with its allies. “They’re not jealous; they think we’re stupid,” Trump said. He accused Clinton of lying when she said he would allow Japan to have nuclear weapons. In an interview this year, though, he said he was open to it
• And he once again proclaimed that he was against the Iraq invasion, although audio from 2002 has surfaced of Trump supporting the invasion. “Hillary said, ‘Oh, Donald Trump, his finger on the button,'” Trump said. “I’m the one who didn’t want to go in Iraq, folks.” (said on Howard Stern Show it would be OK to go in)
• A Donald Trump campaign staffer and a private security guard removed a Politico reporter from the rally for reporting at the event without the campaign’s permission (think- First Amendment) Campaign argues that its rallies are private events paid for by Trump. But American taxpayers foot bill for Trump’s Secret Service protection and local govts can pay for policing disruptions
• Protests outside a Trump rally in San Jose, Calif, descended into violence on Thursday night. Hundreds of protesters, many of them Latino students and a large contingent of union members, had gathered peacefully outside in the late afternoon, at times jeering at his supporters as they passed by (it’s been just waiting for a match to light it)
• But after the rally finished, the protests turned violent as anti-Trump demonstrators chased – and in some cases punched and attacked – departing Trump supporters, some of whom appeared intent on provoking and fighting as well, while other protesters tried to prevent the attacks. Eventually, riot police were deployed to control the crowd (police stayed out of it mostly)
• Clinton campaign chair John Podesta quickly denounced the violence, tweeting that “violence against supporters of any candidate has no place in this election.” San Jose’s Mayor Sam Liccardo placed the blame at Trump’s door, saying “At some point Donald Trump needs to take responsibility for the irresponsible behavior of his campaign.”
• As more fights broke out between pro- and anti-Trump people, the situation became chaotic, After being spat on and punched by a protester, one Trump supporter turned to hit back and appeared to accidentally hit a pregnant woman standing next to his attacker, which further angered the crown surrounding him (can’t go around spitting and punching – wrong. wrong. wrong)
• The crowd moved into the street and began blocking traffic, while police maintained their distance. Some Trump supporters waded into the crowd, seeming intent to provoke scuffles. Several protesters snatched red “Make America Great Again” hats from supporters, setting them on fire. Some burned small American flags and ripped up Trump signs
• Video from the scene showed a self-identified Trump supporter being struck in the head by a protester. He later had blood streaming down his face. Another Trump supporter was attacked with eggs and bottles. Video showed a protester punching a man in the head as he walked down a street. Eventually, police declared an unlawful assembly and began pushing protesters back
Ryan Comes to Heel (WaPo, Politico, TMN, me) • House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis) endorsed Donald Trump for president on Thursday in an op-ed published in his hometown newspaper. Ryan’s announcement ended weeks of drama over whether he would formally back Trump, who has seized control of the GOP en route to his party’s presidential nomination (was more when not whether – he’s a loyal party man)
• “It’s no secret that he and I have our differences,” Ryan wrote in the Janesville Gazette. “I won’t pretend otherwise. And when I feel the need to, I’ll continue to speak my mind. But the reality is, on the issues that make up our agenda, we have more common ground than disagreement.” (and Trump won’t listen at all)
• Ryan, who is slated to chair the GOP convention next month, said that he was encouraged by his conversations with Trump about the policy platform the speaker plans to unveil in the coming weeks and his SCOTUS possibles. “Through these conversations, I feel confident he would help us turn the ideas in this agenda into laws to help improve people’s lives,” Ryan wrote (whose?)
• Democrats pounced. “House Republicans will be inseparably tied to their toxic front-runner in November, case closed,” Democratic Congressional Campaign spox Meredith Kelly said. “Ryan’s dragged out decision underscores how truly vulnerable Donald Trump makes House Republicans in swing districts, but ultimately Ryan has only caused them further damage.”
• Trump tweeted: “So great to have the endorsement and support of Paul Ryan. We will both be working very hard to Make America Great Again!” Hillary Clinton’s spox Brian Fallon argued in a tweet that Ryan “never had the backbone” to stand up to Trump (would have been too awkward and ridiculous for convention to have ryan chair and not get in line)
• President Obama made his case for the role of the American military Thursday. “As we navigate this complex world, America cannot shirk the mantle of leadership. We cannot be isolationist. It’s not possible in this globalized, interconnected world,” Obama told graduating cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado
• Referring to his 2013 “controversial” decision not to conduct strikes against Syria after Bashar Assad used chemical weapons on his citizens, Obama said, “Because we seized on a diplomatic option backed by our threat of force, nations came together and we accomplished far more than military strikes ever could have.” – the removal of Syria’s chemical weapons
• The current situation in Syria is “gut-wrenching,” he said. “As a father, I see Syria’s children and I see my own.” Obama then tempered the statement, remarking that deeper military involvement has to be “fully thought through” and evaluated (so we got rid of chemical weapons but the situation is a complete disaster and the so-called political solution is nowhere in sight)
• “If Iran and Russia want to spill their blood and treasure trying to prop up their Syrian client and get sucked into a quagmire, that is their choice,” Obama said. “As president of the U.S., I’ve made a different choice. The only real solution to the Syrian conflict is a political solution, including a transition away from Assad.” (who to, exactly? never been spelled out properly)
• To “seize the possibilities of our time,” Obama said, all diplomatic and military tools must be considered. “Because we negotiated with Iran, we reached a deal that prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, and we did it without firing one shot. With diplomacy, not war.” (point. so far so good – though Khamenei tweeted this morning that “US is disloyal”)
• An Air Force Thunderbird jet crashed Thursday in Colorado just after a flyover at a graduation ceremony for Air Force Academy cadets where President Obama had spoken. The pilot ejected safely. President Obama later met the pilot and thanked him for his service. Separately, A Blue Angels F/A-18 fighter jet crashed near Nashville, killing the pilot, days before an air show
Carter in Asia: China’s Regional Sea Claims(TMN, me)
• SecDef Ash Carter arrived in Singapore Thursday to attend an Asia-centric security summit in the midst of rising tensions in the South China Sea. Carter, who is slated to speak Saturday at the 15th annual Shangri-La Dialogue, said he plans to strike a tone reflective of “principle and inclusion, as well as strength.”
• The U.S. and China continue to butt heads over maritime claims in the South China Sea. China is reportedly setting the stage to establish an aerial defense identification zone in the area – a move the Defense Dept said would be “provocative” and not be recognized militarily (China doesn’t give a toss – as long as it keeps building, it figures, eventually it wins)
• China has built up rocks in the sea into full islets, adding landing strips, aircraft and missile systems to some. Off these islets, Beijing has claimed territorial control into surrounding waters, prompting the U.S. to conduct “freedom of navigation exercises.” China says these patrols and the U.S.’s growing military relations with its neighbors that contribute to militarization of the region
• Last week, the U.S. lifted an arms embargo from one-time enemy, and China’s neighbor, Vietnam. Five trillion dollars of global trade passes through the South China Sea every year. The region is also a fertile fishing ground and is thought to be home to huge untapped gas and oil reserves
• Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines also have claims. A UN tribunal is expected to rule on a territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in July. Neither China nor the Philippines say they’ll accept the ruling. China insists that conflicts should be resolved between claimants
• Today’s jobs report from the Labor Dept is expected to show a slight deterioration from April’s reading. Economists surveyed by WSJ expect 158,000 jobs added in May with the unemployment rate steady at 5%. The headline number will be a key factor in whether the Federal Reserve considers raising its interest rate target this month (WSJ)
Prince Death: Accidental Overdose of Fentanyl(BBC, AP, TMN, me)
• Iconic singer Prince died from an accidental overdose of the powerful painkiller fentanyl, medical examiners have found. The report, from the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Minnesota, comes more than a month after the singer was found slumped in an elevator at his home on the morning of 21 April (gives a face to the dreadful national opioid epidemic)
• Detectives have already questioned a doctor who saw the 57-year-old twice in the weeks before he died. Prescription painkillers were in Prince’s possession following his death, officials told the media in May. The focus of the investigation will now probably turn to who supplied the fentanyl and whether the sources were legitimate or illegally
• A police warrant revealed that Dr Michael Schulenberg prescribed medication to the singer on 20 April – the day before he died. The warrant doesn’t say what was prescribed or whether Prince took the drugs. According to the autopsy report, Prince self-administered fentanyl, an opioid many times more powerful than heroin. Prince had hip pain from years of stage performances
• Prince died less than a week after his plane made an emergency stop in Moline, Ill, for medial treatment as he was returning from an Atlanta concert. Media reported that he was found unconscious on the plane, and first responders gave him a shot of Narcan, an antidote used in suspected opioid overdoses
• First responders tried to revive Prince with CPR when he was found in the elevator at his Paisley Park Studios, but he was pronounced dead at 10:07 am. Prince was cremated in a private ceremony on 24 April. The singer’s family are understood to be planning to stage a public memorial in August. Prince sold more than 100 million records (which says nothing about his genius)
• Includes: A dead skunk. A radioactive skunk. A dead squirrel. A mutant squirrel. A beaver’s tail. A very well-behaved guinea pig. A badger sitting atop his head. An actual, live woodchuck
• A dishrag that on closer inspection is alive with maggots. A dead, furry lobster. That thing. That construction. That curious thatch, which he wears longer than most men of his generation who are not in a 70s revival band
• A face on the top of his head, A twin, all but absorbed in the womb. The eyes move. The lips quiver. Best left to an architectural critic. A pancake hat. An omelet. Bread at the end of the loaf
• Decomposing pumpkin pie inhabited by vicious albino squirrels. A pumpkin having a nervous breakdown. Appears to be courting the women’s vote, combed on the left side of his head in the shape of a vagina. (last week, a fly landed on Trump’s hair during a rally and had a nice long rest – video in article)
• Rocking into the weekend with “Wolves of Winter” – Biffy Clyro – first single from their new album, “Ellipsis” – theme song for House Stark from GOT?
