memeorandum: President Trump on Syria Strikes: Full Transcript and Video (New York Times)

9:55 AM ET, April 14, 2018

Top Items:

Sources: Mueller has evidence Cohen was in Prague in 2016, confirming part of dossier — WASHINGTON — The Justice Department special counsel has evidence that Donald Trump's personal lawyer and confidant, Michael Cohen, secretly made a late-summer trip to Prague during the 2016 presidential campaign …

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New York Times:

Trump Sees Inquiry Into Cohen as Greater Threat Than Mueller — President Trump's advisers have concluded that a wide-ranging corruption investigation in New York poses a greater and more imminent threat to the president than even the special counsel's investigation, according to several people close to Mr. Trump.

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CNN:

Exclusive: FBI seized recordings between Trump's lawyer and Stormy Daniels' former lawyer — (CNN)The FBI seized recordings President Donald Trump's attorney made of his conversations with a lawyer representing two women who had alleged affairs with Trump, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Press, HuffPost, Vox and Mediaite

The Daily Beast:

Prosecutors Probing Michael Cohen Have Nailed Financial Frauds, Corrupt Pols, and Organized Crooks — “The searches are the result of a months-long investigation into Cohen, and seek evidence of crimes, many of which have nothing to do with his work as an attorney, but rather relate to Cohen's own business dealings,” the document says.

Wall Street Journal:

Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen Negotiated $1.6 Million Settlement for Top Republican Fundraiser — The 2017 deal was on behalf of Elliott Broidy, a businessman who faced allegations he impregnated a former Playboy model, and resembles one Mr. Cohen arranged with Stormy Daniels

Washington Post:
Criminal investigation into Trump lawyer's business dealings began months ago

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CNN:
Exclusive: FBI raid sought information on taxi owners linked to Trump's lawyer

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Kyra Phillips / ABC News:
Trump, Cohen spoke Friday as feds look into seized recordings, sources say

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Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:
The Real Investigation

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Aaron Katersky / ABC News:
Trump lawyer Michael Cohen under criminal investigation

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Wall Street Journal:
Elliott Broidy Quits RNC Post After Report on Payment to Ex-Model

Discussion: The Real Deal New York, Politico, Washington Press, NY State of Politics, Joe.My.God., Mediaite, Talking Points Memo and Mother Jones

New York Times:

U.S., Britain and France Strike Syria Over Suspected Chemical Weapons Attack — WASHINGTON — The United States and European allies launched airstrikes on Friday night against Syrian research, storage and military targets as President Trump sought to punish President Bashar al-Assad …

CNN:

US, UK and France strike Syria … CONTENT BY LENDINGTREE — Experts are urging Americans to refinance in 2018 — Pay off your house with this insane trick — How much could you save by refinancing? — Rates now at 3.75% APR - $225K mortgage for $1,636/mo — Crush your debt: refinance to a 15 yr fixed

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Washington Post:

U.S. launches missile strikes in Syria … President Trump ordered a military attack against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday, joining allies Britain and France in launching missile strikes in retaliation for what Western nations said was the deliberate gassing of Syrian civilians.

Discussion: New York Times, Associated Press, The Week, RedState, Raw Story, Hit & Run, Washington Free Beacon, Daily Kos, Mother Jones, his vorpal sword, Althouse and Outside the Beltway

CBS News:

U.S. launches military strike on Syria in response to chemical attack — live updates — The U.S. on Friday launched “precision” military strikes against targets inside Syria linked to recent chemical attacks, said President Trump in a statement from the White House.

Discussion: CNN, KTLA, RedState, The Gateway Pundit, CBS Pittsburgh, CBS New York and CBS Boston

GOV.UK:

PM statement on Syria: 14 April 2018 — The Prime Minister has made a statement on Syria. … Prime Minister Theresa May: — This evening I have authorised British armed forces to conduct co-ordinated and targeted strikes to degrade the Syrian Regime's chemical weapons capability and deter their use.

Discussion: Elysée, NPR, ABC News, HeraldScotland, HuffPost and Mediaite

Washington Post:

Damascus defiant as U.S. strikes prove more limited than feared … BEIRUT — Syria, Russia and Iran shrugged off strikes on Saturday by the United States and its allies against three Syrian chemical weapons facilities, which drew angry condemnations but no indication that there would be a wider escalation.

Discussion: TheBlaze

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:

Trump strikes Syria — President Donald Trump made good on his threats to attack Syria Friday night, launching what he called “precision strikes” against three chemical weapons sites in a military action certain to enrage Russia and raise new questions about his Middle East strategy.

Discussion: CNN, Breitbart, CNBC, One America News Network and U.S. Department of Defense

Wall Street Journal:

Trump Seeks Large Strike in Syria; Mattis Urges Caution — President and defense secretary differ on response to suspected Syrian chemical attack — WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump is prodding his military advisers to agree to a more sweeping retaliatory strike in Syria than they consider prudent …

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NBC News:
Trump announces strikes on Syria following suspected chemical weapons attack by Assad forces

Discussion: AOL and Informed Comment

Vera Bergengruen / BuzzFeed: The US And Allies Have Launched Military Strikes On Syria After A Chemical Weapons Attack

New York Times:
President Trump on Syria Strikes: Full Transcript and Video

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Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:
Trump supporters slam decision to launch strikes against Syria

Discussion: Politico, The Week and Joe.My.God.

Robin Wright / New Yorker: Trump Strikes Syria Over Chemical Weapons

Paul Sonne / Washington Post:
Trump's strikes on Syria risk retaliation, escalation in a war he wants to avoid

Discussion: Daily Kos

Kalina Oroschakoff / Politico:
Broad support from EU leaders for Syria strikes

Discussion: The Guardian, NATO, consilium.europa.eu and The Week

Ross A. Lincoln / The Wrap:
Rachel Maddow Raises ‘Wag the Dog’ Possibility as Trump Orders Syria Strikes

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Hill, IJR and Mediaite

Joyce Karam / The National: Trump at odds with Mattis on Syria military response, report

Bassem Mroue / Associated Press:
Thunder-like explosions rock Syrian capital amid strikes

Discussion: The Hill

Marcy Wheeler / New York Times:

Trump Pardoned Libby to Protect Himself From Mueller — “There is a cloud over the White House as to what happened. Don't you think the F.B.I., the grand jury, the American people are entitled to a straight answer?” — With those words, uttered over a decade ago, Patrick Fitzgerald …

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Jason Easley / POLITICUSUSA: Trump Is Trying To Save His Dying Presidency By Pardoning Scooter Libby

Peter Baker / New York Times:
Trump Pardons Scooter Libby in a Case That Mirrors His Own

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BuzzFeed:

A Former Russian Spy Worked On A Trump Moscow Deal While Trump Was Running For President — While Trump was running for president, his business team was trying to develop a Trump tower in Moscow — with the help of a former Russian military intelligence officer.

Discussion: Bipartisan Report

Brandon Morse / RedState:

The Left Needs to Chill Out About Christianity — There are things the left really hates, but it seems to me that they hate Christianity more than anything. — This has been demonstrated repeatedly throughout time. Be it booing God at the DNC, or their irrational hatred of politicians that openly show their faith.

Dan Piepenbring / New Yorker:
Chick-fil-A's Creepy Infiltration of New York City

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DOJ Alumni Statement:

DOJ Alumni Statement Regarding Rod Rosenstein, Robert Mueller, and the Rule of Law — We, the undersigned, are proud alumni of the United States Department of Justice. We served this institution out of a commitment to the founding American principles that our democratic republic depends upon …

Discussion: MSNBC, Shareblue Media, Washington Press, IJR, RedState and Talking Points Memo

CNN:

HHS official shared post saying ‘forefathers’ would have ‘hung’ Obama, Clinton for treason — (CNN)A political appointee at the Department of Health and Human Services shared an image in 2017 that said “our forefathers would have hung” Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for treason, a CNN KFile review has found.

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Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:

I'd Like to Offer This Sanity Quiz to All #NeverTrump Conservatives — Nicolle Wallace, David Frum, Joe Scarborough, Bill Kristol: Step right up. — I am told regularly by people I admire and respect to hold my cynical tongue about all the career conservatives and television flotsam …

New York Times:

Former F.B.I. Deputy Director Is Faulted in Scathing Inspector General Report — WASHINGTON — The Justice Department inspector general delivered to Congress on Friday a highly critical report that accused Andrew G. McCabe, the former F.B.I. deputy director, of repeatedly misleading investigators.