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Trump call with Turkish leader led to US pullout from Syria — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria was made hastily, without consulting his national security team or allies, and over strong objections from virtually everyone involved …
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What should worry Trump most: Republican allies are turning on him — Another reason this is a historic week — and what President Trump should really worry about — is that lots of different Republicans have been turning on him over different topics. — Why it matters: A former Trump aide …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Washington Post, Joe.My.God., Hot Air, Mediaite, Politico, One America News Network, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story and The Gateway Pundit
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Pre-Christmas Trump: Rebuked, rampaging — The last member of an informal alliance of top Trump officials with enough swat or stature to stand up to President Trump — the Committee to Save America, as Jim VandeHei and I called these officials 16 months ago — resigned in epic fashion.
Discussion:
Reuters, Politico, Slate, New York Times, Associated Press, HuffPost, Althouse, NPR, The Daily Beast, The Defense Post, Mediaite, The Week and Wall Street Journal
Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Maggie Haberman: ‘Disgusted’ Republicans Now Privately Admitting They Regret Supporting Trump — New York Times reporter and CNN contributor Maggie Haberman appeared on New Day Friday morning and revealed insight into the current turmoil in Washington D.C. — In light of the many issues challenging …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog and The Week
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Brian Kilmeade Goes Off on Sarah Sanders Over Syria: Trump Just ‘Refounded ISIS’ By Leaving — Brian Kilmeade grilled Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday by saying President Trump essentially “refounded ISIS” if he pulls the U.S. military out of Syria. — The White House press secretary gave …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God., Taylor Marsh and Splinter
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Kurdish-led Forces Report ‘Huge’ ISIS Assault in Southeast Syria
Discussion:
Algemeiner.com
Washington Post:
‘A tailspin’: Under siege, Trump propels the government and markets into crisis
‘A tailspin’: Under siege, Trump propels the government and markets into crisis
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Monthly, The Atlantic, Breitbart, New Yorker, The Hill, Hit & Run, CNBC, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, Roll Call, Hullabaloo, Bloomberg, Axios, The American Spectator, National Review, KXLF-TV, NPR, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The American Conservative, Townhall, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, CNN and The Moderate Voice
Jamie Ross / The Daily Beast:
Trump Already Souring on Next Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney Over ‘Terrible Human Being’ Jibe, Says Report
Trump Already Souring on Next Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney Over ‘Terrible Human Being’ Jibe, Says Report
Discussion:
Shakesville, POLITICUSUSA and The Resurgent
Dan Crenshaw / Washington Post:
Why guys like me go to places like Syria
Why guys like me go to places like Syria
Discussion:
Townhall, Mediaite, Washington Times and Politico
The Daily Beast:
Fear Mounts as Mattis Quits Pentagon
Fear Mounts as Mattis Quits Pentagon
Discussion:
Defense One, The Guardian, Just Security, RedState and KTLA
Rick Wilson / The Daily Beast:
Jim Mattis Was the Only Thing Keeping Trump's Insane Clown Posse in Check
Jim Mattis Was the Only Thing Keeping Trump's Insane Clown Posse in Check
Discussion:
New Republic, New York Times, Washington Post and CNN
Rachael Bade / Politico:
'I'm OK with a shutdown': Inside the chaos of the House GOP's last days
'I'm OK with a shutdown': Inside the chaos of the House GOP's last days
Discussion:
New Republic, Fox News Insider, Washington Post, Raw Story, Outside the Beltway and The Democrats
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The budget breakdown of a 25-year-old who makes $100,000 a year and is excellent with money — Trevor Klee, he admits, is a “terrible employee.” But he's great at working for himself — and at taking tests. — So the 25-year-old entrepreneur started a thriving business of his own.
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg undergoes surgery — Washington (CNN)Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had two malignant nodules removed from her left lung Friday at a New York hospital, the Supreme Court announced. — There is no evidence of any remaining disease, says a court spokesperson …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, New York Times, Vox, Townhall, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway, Breitbart, Mashable, Hill Reporter, Glamour, The Week and Mediaite
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Justice Ginsburg had surgery to remove cancerous nodules — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery to remove two malignant nodules in her left lung, the Supreme Court announced on Friday, adding that there was no evidence of any remaining disease and that no further treatment is planned.
Discussion:
Axios, Washington Post, ABC News and Wonkette
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Undergoes Surgery For Lung Cancer — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery Friday for early stage lung cancer, a Supreme Court spokesperson tells NPR. Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in New York performed a lobectomy, removing one of the five lobes of the lung.
Discussion:
ABC News, RedState, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Splinter
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Mick Mulvaney in 2015: Trump's views on border wall ‘simplistic,’ ‘absurd and almost childish’ — (CNN)Incoming White House acting-chief of staff Mick Mulvaney once called President Donald Trump's views on a border wall and immigration “simplistic” and “absurd and almost childish.”
Discussion:
Political Wire
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Please don't wish me ‘Merry Christmas’ — It's impolite and alienating to assume I follow your religion. — 'Twas five nights before Christmas, and my Lyft driver was the umpteenth person to wish me a “Merry Christmas” that day. He probably just meant it the way most people do …
Discussion:
Hot Air and twitchy.com
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Billionaire megadonor Robert Mercer cuts back on support for GOP after being scrutinized for backing Trump — Yet people close to Mercer say he's “disappeared” and he's no longer playing as big a role in supporting the Republican Party as he used to. — “He's out,” said a former associate of Mercer.
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Mattis Always Understood Trump's Severe Defects — In the spring of 2016, not long after The Atlantic published an article I had written about President Barack Obama's foreign-policy record, I visited the Hoover Institution, a think tank on the campus of Stanford University …
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Week, The Daily Signal, The Root and Patterico's Pontifications
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David Frum / The Atlantic:
No More Excuses — For almost two full years, James Mattis …
No More Excuses — For almost two full years, James Mattis …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Guardian, Fox News, Vox, Fox News Insider, New York Times and CNN
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Michael Cohen discussed mysterious $1.8 million loan to pool boy that Jerry Falwell Jr and his wife befriended: report — Jerry Falwell Jr. confirmed that he loaned $1.8 million to a young pool attendant he and his wife had befriended while staying six years ago at a luxury hotel.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and BuzzFeed News
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Supreme Court denies Trump administration request to immediately enforce new asylum rules — The Supreme Court on Friday denied the Trump administration's request that it be allowed to immediately enforce a new policy of denying asylum to those who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border …
Discussion:
Political Wire
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Build a Giant Escalator Over the Wall — $1,658 of $200.0M goal Raised by 105 people in 21 hours — The wall is never going to be built but just in case it is we will build a series of giant escalators that are spaced out a half mile along the wall on either side and if that doesn't happen we'll …
Discussion:
The Week, Business Insider, Washington Times and Mashable
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Trump doesn't need 60 Senate votes to fix the border and short-circuit a shutdown — Last night, Chuck Schumer said at a press conference, “The Trump temper tantrum will shut down the government, but it will not get him his wall.” The truth is that if McConnell would actually lead and enforce …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Breitbart and United States Senator …
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In a normal administration, Whitaker would listen to government ethics experts — Why the acting attorney general should be recused from the Russia investigation. — President Trump's pick to serve as acting attorney general, Matthew G. Whitaker, asked his department's career ethics officials whether …
Discussion:
Just Security, BuzzFeed News and Washington Press
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DNI Coats Statement on the Resignation of Secretary Mattis — I was deeply saddened to learn the news that General Mattis will resign from his post as Secretary of Defense at the end of February. — DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE — WASHINGTON, DC 20511 — December 21, 2018
Discussion:
Politico
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In Defense of Philip Anschutz — The late William F. Buckley, Jr., published a book several decades ago titled Gratitude, in which, while making a case for mandatory community service, he argued that gratitude is one of the distinctively conservative virtues.
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Why Kirstjen Nielsen Sounds Like the Hulk — On a worrisome day in Washington—with a government shutdown looming and the defense secretary resigning—a clip of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen served as unexpected comic relief. Nielsen, speaking before the House Judiciary Committee …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Mother Jones
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Trump pans Beto 2020 talk: ‘I thought you were supposed to win before you run for president’ — President Donald Trump jabbed at Rep. Beto O'Rourke on Friday, wondering aloud during an exchange with reporters why the Texas Democrat has been suggested as a potential 2020 presidential candidate …
Discussion:
Political Wire
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Eliot Spitzer snuck me into his apartment in a suitcase: ex-mistress … She ain't heavy, she's my lover. — Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer used to smuggle his Russian-escort mistress into the luxury Upper East Side home he shared with his wife — by stuffing her inside a piece of luggage, she told The Post.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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A Top Aide's Exit Plan Raises Eyebrows in the White House — WASHINGTON — After weeks of discussions about his future, Zachary D. Fuentes, the 36-year-old deputy White House chief of staff, had a plan. — Mr. Fuentes told colleagues that after his mentor, John F. Kelly …
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Republicans are responsible for the Trump fiasco — Let's put aside for the moment the question of whether President Trump committed crimes in obtaining the presidency (conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws by hush-money payments or receipt of assistance from a foreign power) …
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What Does Trump Really Care About? What Ann Coulter Thinks — A president who cares only about his base will respond mainly to its voices. — Matt Lewis — BEAST INSIDE — What we've found out in the past 24 hours is that Ann Coulter matters more to Donald Trump than James Mattis.
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Glee in Russia Over Trump's Foreign Policy Largess — MOSCOW — A note of glee crept into Russian commentary and news coverage on Friday about the current turmoil in Washington around national security, with President Vladimir V. Putin seemingly checking off one item after another that he might have written on his wish list for Santa.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast and Daily Wire
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Barack Obama Joins Lin-Manuel Miranda on a ‘Hamilton’ Remix — In the early hours of Friday morning, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton,” released “One Last Time (44 Remix),” a gospel reworking of a song from the hit musical. Halfway through, Barack Obama — the 44 in question …
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The death of our Siemens factory is the result of another Trump lie — Trump has the power to tell companies such as Siemens to keep plants open. All he would have to do is sign an executive order — This week, days before Christmas, I will clock into my good, union job one last time.
Discussion:
Raw Story