Subject: DAILY UPDATE - 5/18/16
From: "Sullivan, Erin" <[email-masked]>
To: "Sullivan, Erin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 18 May 2016 11:37:14 -0700

2016 DAILY UPDATE – 5/18/16

ROUNDUP

UPDATE

DONALD TRUMP ROUNDUP

TRUMP RELEASES LIST OF 11 POTENTIAL SUPREME COURT JUSTICES: “Trump's picks include Steven Colloton of Iowa, Allison Eid of Colorado and Raymond Gruender of Missouri. Also on the list are: Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania, Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, Joan Larsen of Michigan, Thomas Lee of Utah, William Pryor of Alabama, David Stras of Minnesota, Diane Sykes of Wisconsin and Don Willett of Texas.” [AP, 5/18/16<http://elections.ap.org/content/trump-unveils-list-11-potential-supreme-court-justices>]

THIS IS THE BAR HE SETS FOR HIMSELF - TRUMP TO MEGYN KELLY: YOU’VE BEEN “CALLED A LOT WORSE” THAN “BIMBO”: “In a much-hyped interview with the Fox News host — after nearly a year of slamming her — Trump acknowledged his attacks on her, but stopped short of apologizing…’You would be amazed at the ones I don’t retweet,’ Trump said. ‘Bimbo?’ Kelly asked, referring to tweets that had appeared on Trump's Twitter timeline calling her a bimbo. ‘Well that was a retweet, yeah. Did I say that?’ Trump asked. ‘Many times,’ Kelly said. ‘Oh, okay excuse me,’ Trump said. “Not the most horrible thing … Over your life Megyn, you’ve been called a lot worse. Isn’t that right? Wouldn’t you say?’” [USA Today, 5/18/16<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/05/17/trump-kelly-youve-been-called-lot-worse-than-bimbo/84519608/>]

IVANKA TRUMP ON FATHER DONALD: “HE’S NOT A GROPER”: “‘I'm not in every interaction my father has, but he's not a groper. It's not who he is,’ she said. ‘And I've known my father obviously my whole life and he has total respect for women. He was promoting women in development and construction at a time when it was unheard of. There was no trend towards equality in the real estate and construction industry back in the 1980s. And he was doing it because he believes ultimately in merit.’” [CBS News, 5/18/16<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ivanka-trump-defends-donald-new-york-times-article-attacks-against-women-business-working-woman/>]

WHITE NATIONALISTS SEE ADVANCEMENT THROUGH TRUMP’S RUN: “‘The main reason white nationalists support Donald Trump is that he is the real deal,’ said Mr. Johnson, the rejected California delegate. ‘I speak from the heart and so does he.’…‘It’s very encouraging when someone of the prominence of the Republican presumptive nominee says some of the same things we’ve been saying for years,’ Mr. Taylor said. ‘Who needs Muslims? Who needs Mexicans? Once you ask those questions, you think, “Who needs Haitians?” Mr. Trump is reacting in an almost visceral way to the idea of whites becoming a minority.’” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/article_email/white-nationalists-see-advancement-through-donald-trumps-candidacy-1463523858-lMyQjAxMTI2MDEzNzQxMTc2Wj>]

TRUMP WILL RELEASE POLICY PLAN TO DISMANTLE NEARLY ALL OF DODD-FRANK: “Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said he intends to release a detailed economic policy platform in two weeks that would dismantle nearly all of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, he said in an interview Tuesday with Reuters. ‘I would say it’ll be close to a dismantling of Dodd-Frank,’ Mr. Trump said, according to the Reuters report. ‘Dodd-Frank is a very negative force, which has developed a very bad name.’” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-says-he-will-release-policy-plan-to-dismantle-nearly-all-of-dodd-frank-1463523072?cb=logged0.06470843596398712>]

TRUMP IS WILLING TO MEET WITH KIM JONG-UN AND WANTS TO RENEGOTIATE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT: “In a wide-ranging discussion, Trump also said he disapproved of Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in eastern Ukraine, called for a renegotiation of the Paris climate accord, and said he would dismantle most of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations if he is elected president. The presumptive Republican nominee declined to share details of his plans to deal with North Korea, but a meeting with Kim would mark a major shift in U.S. policy toward the isolated nation. ‘I would speak to him, I would have no problem speaking to him,’ Trump said of Kim.” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social>]

RNC AND TRUMP SETTLE JOINT FUNDRAISING AGREEMENT TERMS: “Today, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus announced the RNC and Donald J. Trump for President have entered into joint fundraising agreements (JFAs)…‘The RNC is excited to team up with the Trump campaign to expand the robust ground, data, and digital operation we have in place to elect Republicans up and down the ballot,’ said Chairman Priebus.” [Donald J. Trump for President, Release, 5/18/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/rnc-and-donald-j.-trump-campaign-announce-joint-agreement>]

MANAFORT AND LEWANDWOSKI CANNOT AGREE ON THE USE OF A YET-TO-BE LAUNCHED SUPER PAC FOR MAJOR DONORS: “Top Trump adviser Paul Manafort has privately expressed support for a yet-to-be-launched super PAC that would be affiliated with a close friend of the billionaire. Multiple sources familiar with the matter said Manafort’s allies hope the PAC will become the favored vehicle for huge checks from mega-donors like Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who is believed to be considering spending as much as $100 million boosting Trump. But the sources said that Manafort’s chief internal rival, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who is close to Adelson’s advisers, is not on board with the plan for the new PAC. And they suggest that if Lewandowski doesn’t like the set-up, he may signal his support for a totally different outside spending vehicle — possibly one that hasn’t even been created yet.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-allies-rivalries-plagues-super-pacs-223300>]

TRUMP BOASTS ABOUT HIS “TREMENDOUS CASH FLOW” IN FINANCIAL REPORT: “Donald Trump on Tuesday boasted that he has filed a new personal financial disclosure report, one that shows – according to Trump’s campaign – ‘tremendous cash flow’ and income in excess of a half a billion dollars. The campaign added in the statement that Trump’s net worth has only grown since his first statement last July and that his net worth is now above $10 billion.” [Politico, 5/17/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trump-fec-financial-disclosure-223283#ixzz48xFM2x79>]

TRUMP’S PLAN TO REHABILITATE IMAGE IS TO EXPLAIN HIS PAST CONTROVERSIES: “In the face of a brutal new Democratic advertising assault, Donald Trump said he plans to rehabilitate his battered image in the coming weeks by publicly addressing head-on some of the most controversial episodes of his campaign.” [Washington Post, 5/17/16<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-plan-to-rehabilitate-his-image-explain-past-controversies/2016/05/17/de2225da-1c37-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html>]

BACK TO THE TOP

TRUMP DAILY UPDATE

HEADLINE: “Trump Unveils List Of 11 Potential Supreme Court Justices.” [Associated Press, 5/18/16<http://elections.ap.org/content/trump-unveils-list-11-potential-supreme-court-justices>]

Trump’s List Of Potential Supreme Court Justices Included: Steven Colloton Of Iowa, Allison Eid Of Colorado, Raymond Gruender, Thomas Hardiman Of Pennsylvania, Raymond Kethledge Of Michigan, Joan Larsen Of Michigan, Thomas Lee Of Utah, William Pryor Of Alabama, David Stras Of Minnesota, Diane Sykes Of Wisconsin And Don Willett Of Texas. “Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has released a list of 11 potential Supreme Court justices he plans to vet to fill the seat of late Justice Antonin Scalia. Trump's picks include Steven Colloton of Iowa, Allison Eid of Colorado and Raymond Gruender of Missouri. Also on the list are: Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania, Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, Joan Larsen of Michigan, Thomas Lee of Utah, William Pryor of Alabama, David Stras of Minnesota, Diane Sykes of Wisconsin and Don Willett of Texas. Trump said in March he planned to release the list of potential nominees to ease concerns about his conservative credentials in the Republican primary.” [Associated Press, 5/18/16<http://elections.ap.org/content/trump-unveils-list-11-potential-supreme-court-justices>]

Trump Said Oakland, California And Ferguson, Missouri Were More Dangerous Than Iraq: “The Crime Numbers Are Worse. Seriously.” “On the TV, Fox had moved on from the election to footage of the smoky aftermath of a bombing in Baghdad. Trump rose from his seat and walked over to the screen for a closer look. ‘Boy, this ISIS,’ he murmured. I asked Trump if he had ever been to Iraq. ‘Never!’ he said, sounding horrified by the thought. ‘What’s the most dangerous place in the world you’ve been to?’ He contemplated this for a second. ‘Brooklyn,’ he said, laughing. ‘No,’ he went on, ‘there are places in America that are among the most dangerous in the world. You go to places like Oakland. Or Ferguson. The crime numbers are worse. Seriously.’” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump: “There Are Places In America That Are Among The Most Dangerous In The World. You Go To Places Like Oakland. Or Ferguson. The Crime Numbers Are Worse. Seriously.” “On the TV, Fox had moved on from the election to footage of the smoky aftermath of a bombing in Baghdad. Trump rose from his seat and walked over to the screen for a closer look. ‘Boy, this ISIS,’ he murmured. I asked Trump if he had ever been to Iraq. ‘Never!’ he said, sounding horrified by the thought. ‘What’s the most dangerous place in the world you’ve been to?’ He contemplated this for a second. ‘Brooklyn,’ he said, laughing. ‘No,’ he went on, ‘there are places in America that are among the most dangerous in the world. You go to places like Oakland. Or Ferguson. The crime numbers are worse. Seriously.’” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump On Ted Cruz: “I Don’t Think He Has Much Of A Future.” “On the TV, the Fox News pundits were speaking consolingly of the soon-to-be-vanquished Cruz’s political future. Standing in front of the oversize screen, Trump scoffed: ‘I don’t think he has much of a future.’ He returned to his seat and proceeded to scratch out a few notes for what would be his final speech as a Republican competing for the nomination.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Before Retweeting An Unflattering Picture Of Heidi Cruz, Trump Told A Reporter He Had An Urge To “Knock The Crap Out Of Somebody.” “Sometime after 10, he and his wife rose from the table and said good night. Back in his bedroom just before midnight, he checked his Twitter feed, as he often did when, he told me, he felt the passing urge to ‘knock the crap out of’ somebody. Tonight, one of his eight million Twitter followers had tweeted a pair of photographs: a flattering image of Melania alongside one of Cruz’s wife, Heidi, with a sort of prune-faced expression, with the caption ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ and the hashtag #NEVERCRUZ. Trump retweeted it from his own account — his last public statement of the day.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump On “Liddle Marco” Rubio: “He Was Branded Beautifully.” “More astounding, he won Florida, beating its native son, Senator Marco Rubio, by nearly 19 points and forcing him out of the race. Less than two months earlier, the first-term senator was the Republican Party’s favorite son: precocious and upbeat but exquisitely calibrated, never in danger of wandering off-message — in short, the antithesis of Donald Trump. By early March, Trump had baited him into the tar pit, where he was reduced to questioning the penis size of the man who called him ‘Liddle Marco.’ ‘He was branded beautifully,’ Trump said, slouching contentedly in his chair. He turned to Lewandowski. ‘Did they ever announce the results of Missouri?’” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

3/23/16: Trump Cancelled A Scheduled Interview To Play Golf. “It was early on the evening of March 23 at the wood-paneled bar of Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private resort in Palm Beach, Fla.: an estate that was envisioned after the death of its original owner, the cereal magnate Marjorie Merriweather Post, as a winter presidential retreat and that could conceivably be, by next January, a Trump-trademarked Camp David. Trump strolled in wearing a navy blazer and white dress shirt — no tie — and appearing slightly tanner than usual. We were supposed to have met late that morning, to begin my several weeks of following the campaign. But his communications director, Hope Hicks, emailed shortly before the scheduled get-together: ‘Something has come up, and the boss is going to be occupied for a few hours.’ I deduced — correctly, as it turned out — that Trump had ditched me for a golf game. It was the first sunny day all week, and the previous evening the candidate had crushed Cruz in Arizona, which occasioned some celebration.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Corey Lewandowski Described Managing The Trump Campaign As “A Jockey On American Pharoah. You Hold On And Give Him A Little Bit Of Guidance. But You’ve Got To Let Him Run.” “What Lewandowski did have in common with David Axelrod, Karl Rove and other marquee strategists was a romanticized view of his candidate — one that even Trump, for all his self-regard, didn’t seem to share. Lewandowski saw him as a Braveheart-like hell-raiser tilting against a party elite that had not seen fit to embrace either of them. Though Lewandowski had kicked around in the political circles of New Hampshire for much of the past two decades, he had never seen thousands of people turn out to greet a candidate there the way they did his new boss. Nor had he expected the campaigns of more experienced candidates run by better-known consultants to collapse so quickly and spectacularly in the face of Trump’s challenge. Today, 15 months into the job, Lewandowski plainly admitted that he was not this campaign’s ‘architect.’ Instead, he described himself to me as ‘a jockey on American Pharoah. You hold on and give him a little bit of guidance. But you’ve got to let him run.’” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

March 2016: Trump Called Roger Stone For Advice About The Nomination Process. “But a small cloud was gathering in the otherwise unblemished sky over Palm Beach. That evening, a Wall Street Journal article by Reid J. Epstein was published online under the headline ‘Ted Cruz Gains in Louisiana After Loss There to Donald Trump.’ Epstein wrote that although Trump had won that state’s primary, Cruz’s team was exploiting the state party’s arcane rules to help draw many of the delegates their way. The man Trump called ‘Lyin’ Ted’ was running a campaign operation that, in the view of Trump World, wasn’t half as brilliant as the media had given it credit for. After all, who had won the evangelical vote in South Carolina? Who had swept nearly all of the South? Who had snatched victory in Missouri from the jaws of Cruz’s supposed wizard Roe? Still, Cruz’s campaign had found a different way to win. Trump read the story at Mar-a-Lago the next day. Unnerved, he called Roger Stone. ‘Can they really steal this thing from me?’ Stone later recalled Trump asking him. Stone told him that yes, such a feat was entirely possible.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump On “Deflategate” And Tom Brady: “He Should’ve Sued The N.F.L. In Boston At The Very Beginning.” “He perused some documents relating to a land deal he was considering, pausing to fret over the fate of his friend Tom Brady, the New England Patriots quarterback whose four-game suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal was upheld that morning by a federal appeals court: ‘He should’ve sued the N.F.L. in Boston at the very beginning.’ He asked Lewandowski whether his campaign schedule would allow him to attend the June 25 grand opening of his Turnberry golf resort on the coast of Scotland.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump: “Absolutely, I Have Regrets. I Don't Think I Want To Discuss What The Regrets Are, But Absolutely I Could Have Done Certain Things Differently.” KELLY: “So when you look back on the past nine months, from that first debate until now, any regrets?” TRUMP: “Absolutely, I have regrets. I don't think I want to discuss what the regrets are, but absolutely I could have done certain things differently. I could have maybe used different language in a couple of instances. But overall, I'd have to be very happy with the outcome. And I think if I didn't conduct myself in the way I've done it, I don't think I would have been successful. Actually, if I were soft, if I were ‘presidential,’ okay — in a way it's a bad word; there's nothing wrong with being presidential — but if I would not have fought back the way I fought back, I don't think I would have been successful.” [Megyn Kelly Presents, Fox, 5/17/16]

Trump: “If I Would Not Have Fought Back The Way I Fought Back, I Don't Think I Would Have Been Successful.” KELLY: “So when you look back on the past nine months, from that first debate until now, any regrets?” TRUMP: “Absolutely, I have regrets. I don't think I want to discuss what the regrets are, but absolutely I could have done certain things differently. I could have maybe used different language in a couple of instances. But overall, I'd have to be very happy with the outcome. And I think if I didn't conduct myself in the way I've done it, I don't think I would have been successful. Actually, if I were soft, if I were ‘presidential,’ okay — in a way it's a bad word; there's nothing wrong with being presidential — but if I would not have fought back the way I fought back, I don't think I would have been successful.” [Megyn Kelly Presents, Fox, 5/17/16]

Trump Said He Could Not Change His Positions From The Primaries Because Of “All The People That Are Counting On Me.” TRUMP: “I can’t go off my views and feeling because I’ve gotten more votes than anybody in the history of the primaries… I’m not going to take that, and all the people that are counting on me to have strong borders, and to have a strong military, and all the things we are talking about.” [Lars Larson Radio Show, 5/17/16]

Trump On Litigation: “It's Also A Tactic For Me, It's A Business For Me And I've Been Successful And I've Used Litigation And Sometimes I Use It Maybe When I Shouldn’t And Sometimes I Don't.” KELLY: “Let's talk a little bit about litigation because you have threatened to sue many people in the course of the campaign but, of course, if you wind up president, you're not going to be able to do that either. Can you go four years without threatening to sue anybody?“ TRUMP: “You do have methods of suing countries-- It's also a tactic for me, it's a business for me and I've been successful and I've used litigation and sometimes I use it maybe when I shouldn’t and sometimes I don't.” [Megyn Kelly Presents, Fox, 5/17/16]

Trump Said His Favorite Book Was “All Quiet On The Western Front,” And His Favorite Movie Was “Citizen Kane.” “Other topics Kelly and Trump discussed in the interview include his favorite movies and books — Citizen Kane and All Quiet on the Western Front, respectively — and his Twitter practices.” [BuzzFeed, 5/17/16<https://www.buzzfeed.com/jimdalrympleii/megyn-kelly-and-donald-trump-to-meet-for-interview-after-lon?utm_term=.eiP6KD6g2O#.ir3N6vNk42>; Megyn Kelly Presents, Fox, 5/17/16]

Endorsements

HEADLINE: “Phil Robertson Offers To Be Trump's Spiritual Adviser.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/phil-robertson-trump-spiritual-adviser-223315#ixzz4910PciT5>]

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson: “I’ll Make A Valiant Attempt Behind The Scenes, You Understand, To Sit Down With Donald [Trump] With A Bible In Between Us And I Might Can Help Him Along With Concepts Like Loving Your Enemies, Loving Your God, Loving Your Neighbor. Even Your Enemies, Forgive Them And Move On.” “Robertson added that he understood what Trump told Fox News host Megyn Kelly in an interview that aired Tuesday in which the billionaire said when he’s wounded he goes after people hard and tries to unwound himself, and he offered to advise Trump spiritually. ‘I’ll make a valiant attempt behind the scenes, you understand, to sit down with Donald with a Bible in between us and I might can help him along with concepts like loving your enemies, loving your god, loving your neighbor. Even your enemies, forgive them and move on,’ he said. ‘I may can help him in that area. I can see it now: Trump wins and the camera’s panning and his spiritual adviser is me. Is America ready for it?’” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/phil-robertson-trump-spiritual-adviser-223315#ixzz4910PciT5>]

5/16/16: Iowa Congressman James Lightfoot Endorsed Donald Trump For President. “Today Donald J. Trump received the endorsement of respected former Congressman James Lightfoot of Iowa. Mr. Trump has been endorsed by dozens of elected officials, including Congressmen, Senators, State Representatives and other key members of the Republican Party.” [Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 5/16/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-endorsed-by-congressman-james-lightfoot>]

Conspiracy Theorist

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump And Conspiracy Theories: What A Poll In 2011 Signaled.” [New York Times, 5/18/16<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/upshot/donald-trump-and-conspiracy-theories-what-a-poll-in-2011-signaled.html>]

In 2011, Trump Foreshadowed How He Would Use Conspiracy Theories In His Campaign. “Donald Trump has dominated polling among Republicans for the better part of a year, as he has delighted in reminding people. But there’s one poll that you probably haven’t heard about and that he doesn’t talk about. Not surprisingly, it shows him in the lead. But the twist is the time frame: It’s from April 2011, and it reveals a little bit about how we got here… But maybe more than anything, Mr. Trump showed in 2011 how he would deploy conspiracy theories, associating with conspiracy purveyors like Alex Jones, a syndicated radio host. Among many examples in the last year, The Times wrote in March, Mr. Trump ‘reposted information on Twitter from the website Infowars, hosted by Mr. Jones,’ to support his unsubstantiated claim that thousands of Muslims in New Jersey cheered the Sept. 11 attacks.” [New York Times, 5/18/16<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/upshot/donald-trump-and-conspiracy-theories-what-a-poll-in-2011-signaled.html>]

Media

Trump On Having Called Megyn Kelly A Bimbo: “Over Your Life Megyn You’ve Been Called A Lot Worse.” “During the conversation, Kelly pointed to Trump’s power and influence, then confronted him about his frequent attacks against her — attacks in which Trump referred to the host as a ‘bimbo’ and ‘crazy.’ Trump responded to the question by cringing, then saying ‘excuse me.’ ‘Over your life Megyn you’ve been called a lot worse,’ he added.” [BuzzFeed, 5/17/16<https://www.buzzfeed.com/jimdalrympleii/megyn-kelly-and-donald-trump-to-meet-for-interview-after-lon?utm_term=.eiP6KD6g2O#.ir3N6vNk42>; Megyn Kelly Presents, Fox, 5/17/16]

Trump Admitted Retweeting Some Bad Comments About Megyn Kelly “But Not The More Nasty Ones. You Would Be Amazed At The Ones I Don't Retweet.” KELLY: “You retweet some of those [nasty comments], it's not just the fans.” TRUMP: “Yeah, but not the more nasty ones. You would be amazed at the ones I don't retweet.” KELLY: “Bimbo?” TRUMP: “Uhh, well, that was a retweet. Yeah, did I say that?” KELLY: “Many times.” TRUMP: “Ooh. OK. Excuse me.” [Megyn Kelly Presents, Fox, 5/17/16]

The Trump Campaign Began Providing Daily Talking Points To Surrogates After Paul Manafort. “Manafort had managed to impose a veneer of Beltway respectability on the campaign. More field organizers were now materializing in states like Pennsylvania, where local volunteers had hitherto been left largely to fend for themselves. Supporters who previously received no direction from the campaign before going on TV to expound on the candidate’s policies — ‘I just make [expletive] up,’ Representative Duncan Hunter of California confessed to a Trump senior adviser — were now receiving daily talking points.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Congressman Duncan Hunter On The Prior Lack Of Direction From The Trump Campaign On Defending Trump’s Policies: “I Just Make [Expletive] Up.” “Manafort had managed to impose a veneer of Beltway respectability on the campaign. More field organizers were now materializing in states like Pennsylvania, where local volunteers had hitherto been left largely to fend for themselves. Supporters who previously received no direction from the campaign before going on TV to expound on the candidate’s policies — ‘I just make [expletive] up,’ Representative Duncan Hunter of California confessed to a Trump senior adviser — were now receiving daily talking points.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Longtime Trump Ally, Roger Stone, Said Trump Could Revoke CNN’s FCC License As President. “Over the weekend, Trump ally Roger Stone said the businessman could even shut down media companies like CNN once he wins the White House through the power of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent federal agency. ‘When Donald Trump is president, he should turn off [CNN’s] FCC license,’ Stone said.” [The Hill, 5/18/16<http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/280247-trumps-antitrust-threat-inflames-industry-fears>]

Trump Said A Front-Page New York Times Story About His Conduct Around Women Was Written “With Evil In Their Hearts.” TRUMP: “I’ve never seen anything like it… It just doesn’t stop. You read the ‘New York Times’ did this massive front-page story. And now all the women are coming out and saying it’s phony… Now today, the lady from Utah came out-- These were not very serious violations to be honest with you. In fact, somebody thought it was actually a good story. I don’t say good or bad. I say it was a nasty story, really written with a bad heart. The people are now saying it was false, falsely written. The New York Times, I call it the failing New York Times, because it is failing badly as a paper. Financially, it is going to be out of business in the near future. But they wrote it with evil in their hearts.”  [Lars Larson Radio Show, 5/17/16]

Bullying

Trump On Bullying: “You Know It Happens, Right? But You Got To Get Over It. Fight Back. Do Whatever You Have To Do.” KELLY: “Most kids between the ages of six and 16 have been bullied at some point in their lives. Were you ever bullied?” TRUMP: “No, I wasn't. But I have seen bullying. And bullying doesn't have to be just as a child, I mean, I know people bullied when they're 55-years-old.” KELLY: “It can happen when you're 45.” TRUMP: “You know it happens, right? But you got to get over it. Fight back. Do whatever you have to do. I've been saying during this whole campaign that I'm a counterpuncher. You understand that. I'm responding. Now, I then respond to times, maybe 10. I don't know. I mean, I respond pretty strongly. But in just about all cases, I've been responding to what they did to me.” [Megyn Kelly Presents, Fox, 5/17/16]

Trump Said He Was Never Bullied. KELLY: “Most kids between the ages of six and 16 have been bullied at some point in their lives. Were you ever bullied?” TRUMP: “No, I wasn't. But I have seen bullying. And bullying doesn't have to be just as a child, I mean, I know people bullied when they're 55-years-old.” [Megyn Kelly Presents, Fox, 5/17/16]

Republican Party

Trump: “Structurally, It’s Very Hard, Almost Impossible, For A Heavily Conservative Republican To Win, Because Of The Electoral College.” “Now, sipping his Coke, he cited his moderate-for-a-Republican view that Planned Parenthood was a valuable women’s health care organization, albeit one that should not receive federal funding as long as it performed abortions. ‘Frankly, for the general election I think that’s a very good issue for me,’ he said. ‘Structurally, it’s very hard, almost impossible, for a heavily conservative Republican to win, because of the Electoral College.’” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump: “One Thing I’ve Seen Over The Years Is That The Democrats Stick Together, And The Republicans Eat Their Young. That’s Why They Lose So Many Elections.” “It was no secret that many Republicans viewed Trump as an explosive device poised to obliterate in a single blast the party’s economic orthodoxy and its ability to project an image of tolerance. Trump himself had vowed to blow up the party’s ‘rigged system.’ And yet he remained somewhat puzzled as to why the party was so opposed to him. In his view, he had arrived on the scene as something of a gift to the G.O.P. He had attracted to the polls hordes of Americans who had previously given up on the party, or on politics as a whole. Viewers were tuning in to the once-boring Republican debates in ratings-smashing numbers — and this, he argued, was ‘100 percent Donald Trump.’ The party had become too obsessed with ideology. ‘One thing I’ve seen over the years,’ he observed, ‘is that the Democrats stick together, and the Republicans eat their young. That’s why they lose so many elections. You know, a normal, very nice, very likable Republican would be hard pressed to win.’” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Republican Convention

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump’s Gold-Plated Convention.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trumps-gold-plated-convention-223309>]

Trump Campaign On The Republican Convention: “This Is A Massive Television Production And He Is A Television Star.” “Donald Trump has shoved just about every tradition in modern presidential politics out the window, and now he’s preparing to trash one more – the dog-and-pony show known as the Republican National Convention. From speaking slots to prime-time moments reserved for himself, the television celebrity and Manhattan billionaire is dealing directly in the details of his coronation as Republican nominee to maximize the drama and spectacle of the party’s four-night convention. ‘This is the part of politics he would naturally enjoy, and he wants to control it 100 percent,’ said a high-level Trump campaign source. ‘This is a massive television production and he is a television star.’” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trumps-gold-plated-convention-223309>]

Trump Planned To Speak In Primetime All Four Nights Of The Convention, And Maximize Suspense By Not Announcing His Running Mate Until The End. “Donald Trump has shoved just about every tradition in modern presidential politics out the window, and now he’s preparing to trash one more – the dog-and-pony show known as the Republican National Convention… Indeed, Trump is viewing the convention as a showcase for the brand he built in entertainment over three decades and then melded with a political persona developed over the last year. It’s an opportunity to fill a vacuum created by longtime Republican standard-bearers, from Mitt Romney and John McCain to the Bush family who are opting not to attend, and to elevate a new coalition of conservatives and present a party refashioned, at least for the moment, in his own image. And Trump plans to create news events too, not just line up speeches by up-and-coming members of the GOP. He’s toying with unveiling a running mate at the convention rather than before. He’s even considering whether to announce his would-be Cabinet. ‘Announcing the vice presidential nominee before the convention is like announcing winner of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ before the final show is on the air,’ one Trump campaign source said. ‘This is one of the only opportunities to create tension and drama in the whole show. You better believe Mr. Trump understands that and is looking to maximize that.’ Whereas the vice presidential nominee has generally spoken on the third night of the convention and the presidential candidate has taken the stage on the fourth and final night, Trump is considering a scenario that puts him on stage, delivering remarks on all four nights, reaching millions of potential voters, and driving ratings, according to one source.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trumps-gold-plated-convention-223309>]

Trump Was Considering Announcing His Potential Cabinet At The Republican Convention. “And Trump plans to create news events too, not just line up speeches by up-and-coming members of the GOP. He’s toying with unveiling a running mate at the convention rather than before. He’s even considering whether to announce his would-be Cabinet… And as speculation continues to swirl around who is actually on Trump’s short list to be his vice presidential running mate, campaign operatives are talking about playing the drama to the hilt by also pulling on stage others who might fill out his administration – picks typically not announced until after the general election. ‘It’s not a bad idea, giving a fuller picture of what a Trump administration would look like,’ said Ed Goeas, a GOP operative who was John McCain’s convention program director in 2008. ‘It’s a tight venue, but they are going to have an entertainment stage [aside from the main stage where the candidate and others will speak].’” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trumps-gold-plated-convention-223309>]

The Trump Campaign Said The Convention “Will Not Be The Opportunity For People Who Have A Contrarian View To Come To The Convention And Start A Fight.” “Trump’s ongoing conversations with House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is currently set to serve as convention chairman despite having yet to officially endorse the likely nominee, are also likely to focus increasingly on the four day show in Cleveland, which Trump is intent on controlling. ‘If he wants control and to pick the speakers, then it's going to awkward, disjointed and an ugly convention,’ said another operative working with Trump’s campaign. ‘This will not be the opportunity for people who have a contrarian view to come to the convention and start a fight.’” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trumps-gold-plated-convention-223309>]

Environment

Trump Said He Would Renegotiate The Paris Climate Accord Because It Treated The United States Unfairly. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is willing to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, Trump told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. In a wide-ranging discussion, Trump also said he disapproved of Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in eastern Ukraine, called for a renegotiation of the Paris climate accord, and said he would dismantle most of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations if he is elected president… Trump said the United States is treated unfairly in the Paris climate accord, which prescribes reductions in carbon emissions by more than 170 countries. A renegotiation of the pact would be a major setback for what was hailed as the first truly global climate accord, committing both rich and poor nations to reining in the rise in greenhouse gas emissions blamed for warming the planet.” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Economic Policy

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Is Becoming Wall Street’s Best Friend.” [Yahoo News, 5/18/16<http://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-is-becoming-wall-street-s-best-friend-152323629.html>]

As Trump Began Soliciting Contributions From Wall Street Donors, His Rhetoric And Policy Views Toward Wall Street Also Softened. “The smart money on Wall Street bet on Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Marco Rubio to be the Republican nominee in the 2016 presidential election -- and came up empty. A month ago, it looked like the best bet for Wall Streeters hoping to back a candidate might be Democrat Hillary Clinton. His views toward Wall Street seem to be changing at the same time he’s hearing out wealthy Wall Street donors. Trump recently said that dismantling the Dodd-Frank banking reforms put in place after the 2008 financial crash would be one of his top priorities as president. That’s manna for bankers: Those rules were supposed to reduce risk in the banking system and prevent the need for future bailouts, but bank honchos complain they’ve slashed lending and profitability… Expect friendlier rhetoric from Trump toward the titans of finance from now on.” [Yahoo News, 5/18/16<http://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-is-becoming-wall-street-s-best-friend-152323629.html>]

HEADLINE: “Trump Pledges To Roll Back Wall Street Reforms.” [Politico, 5/17/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trump-wall-street-dodd-frank-223286>]

Trump Planned To Release A Detailed Policy Platform That Would Dismantle Nearly All Of The Dodd-Frank Financial Reforms. “In a wide-ranging discussion, Trump also said he disapproved of Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in eastern Ukraine, called for a renegotiation of the Paris climate accord, and said he would dismantle most of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations if he is elected president… Turning to the economy, Trump said he planned to release a detailed policy platform in two weeks. He said it would dismantle nearly all of Dodd-Frank, a package of financial reforms put in place after the 2007-2008 financial crisis. ‘I would say it'll be close to a dismantling of Dodd-Frank. Dodd-Frank is a very negative force, which has developed a very bad name,’ Trump said. The New York billionaire also said he perceived a dangerous financial bubble within the tech startup industry. He said tech companies were attaining high valuations without ever making money.” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Trump Said He Would Release A Detailed Policy Platform At The End Of May. “Turning to the economy, Trump said he planned to release a detailed policy platform in two weeks. He said it would dismantle nearly all of Dodd-Frank, a package of financial reforms put in place after the 2007-2008 financial crisis. ‘I would say it'll be close to a dismantling of Dodd-Frank. Dodd-Frank is a very negative force, which has developed a very bad name,’ Trump said. The New York billionaire also said he perceived a dangerous financial bubble within the tech startup industry. He said tech companies were attaining high valuations without ever making money.” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Trump Said He Thought Janet Yellen Was Doing A Good Job As Fed Chair And Agreed With Her Low-Interest Rate Policies, But Still Planned To Replace Her With A Republican. “The New York billionaire also said he perceived a dangerous financial bubble within the tech startup industry. He said tech companies were attaining high valuations without ever making money. Trump also said he eventually wants a Republican to head the U.S. Federal Reserve, but said he is ‘not an enemy’ of current chair Janet Yellen. ‘I'm not a person that thinks Janet Yellen is doing a bad job. I happen to be a low-interest rate person unless inflation rears its ugly head, which can happen at some point,’ he said, adding that inflation ‘doesn't seem like it's happening any time soon.’” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Trump: “I Happen To Be A Low-Interest Rate Person Unless Inflation Rears Its Ugly Head, Which Can Happen At Some Point.” “The New York billionaire also said he perceived a dangerous financial bubble within the tech startup industry. He said tech companies were attaining high valuations without ever making money. Trump also said he eventually wants a Republican to head the U.S. Federal Reserve, but said he is ‘not an enemy’ of current chair Janet Yellen. ‘I'm not a person that thinks Janet Yellen is doing a bad job. I happen to be a low-interest rate person unless inflation rears its ugly head, which can happen at some point,’ he said, adding that inflation ‘doesn't seem like it's happening any time soon.’” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Trump Warned Of A Financial Bubble In The Technology Industry And Was Worried About “Companies That Have Never Made Any Money, That Have A Bad Concept And That Are Valued At Billions Of Dollars.” “Trump said he perceived a dangerous financial bubble in the tech start-up industry, with some companies selling shares at high valuations without ever turning a profit. ‘I'm talking about companies that have never made any money, that have a bad concept and that are valued at billions of dollars,’ he said.” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Trump Said He Would Maintain The Current Level Of Benefits For Social Security Recipients, And Would Replenish The Trust Fund With Increased Tax Revenue From Economic Growth. “The real estate mogul said he would maintain the current level of benefits for Social Security recipients, a position championed by former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Trump said he would not raise the retirement age or impose a sliding scale of benefits depending on income levels. Some Republican lawmakers have pushed for structural reforms to Social Security to extend its solvency. The depleted Social Security Trust Fund, Trump said, would be replenished by the increased tax revenue that would flow into the government from the higher job growth spurred by his economic policies.” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Is Pulling A Scam On Wages. Here’s A Way To Call His Bluff.” [Greg Sargent, Washington Post, 5/18/16<https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/05/18/donald-trump-is-pulling-a-scam-on-wages-heres-a-way-to-call-his-bluff/?postshare=7571463587575748&tid=ss_tw>]

Trump’s Position On The Obama Administration’s New Overtime Pay Rule Would Illuminate Whether Trump’s Broader Position On Wages Falls More In Line With His Populist Rhetoric Or Traditional Conservative Ideology. “Donald Trump has fooled a lot of people into believing he might be more ideologically flexible than many Republicans are when it comes to government action to boost wages. This is based on interviews in which he seemed, kinda sorta, to be open to a minimum wage hike. In reality, all he said is that ‘people have to get more,’ while also saying we should not have any federal minimum wage. This only means that Trump intends to make wages higher by magically making America filthy rich again, which does not signal flexibility in any meaningful sense. So here’s a way to help establish where Trump really stands on wages: Nailing down whether he supports the Obama administration’s new overtime rule… Trump says ‘people have to get more,’ and many have credulously interpreted this to mean that Trump is more ideologically flexible than other Republicans when it comes to government action to boost wages. If Trump opposes the rule, you’d think that would induce observers to treat this supposed flexibility with a bit more skepticism. Whereas Hillary Clinton supports this effort, opposing it would put Trump — that supposedly iconoclastic warrior for working and middle class Americans — on record against an action that could raise wages for millions.” [Greg Sargent, Washington Post, 5/18/16<https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/05/18/donald-trump-is-pulling-a-scam-on-wages-heres-a-way-to-call-his-bluff/?postshare=7571463587575748&tid=ss_tw>]

Trump: “The Minimum Wage Should Be Set By States.” TRUMP: “I studied this long and hard and I was always pretty good at the Wharton School of Finance. It's an interesting problem, a real problem. The minimum wage should be set by states. For instance, if you go to Alabama and you're getting seven dollars and twenty-five cents that's one thing. I can tell you in New York you can't buy a hot dog for seven dollars and twenty-five cents. In other words, you have a whole different world. By the way, if you doubled it in New York, the person living in Alabama is going to live better at seven twenty-five than at fifteen dollars in New York. You understand? I actually think that the states should make the decision. Here's what's going to happen. Like you just mentioned the Wendy's case. All of a sudden in some cases states are going to become non-competitive and they're going to start losing maybe jobs and losing business and they're going to have to readjust. Otherwise they're just not going to have anything. Their tax base is going to go to hell and they'll start doing it. I'm really liking it. I have not heard that from anybody. I think I came up with the idea a few months ago--I was talking about it. People don't think in terms of minimum for states, but I will tell you I really think it should be a state issue. I think many things should be a state issue, John, if you want to know the truth. I think it should be a state run issue because you have such a different-- How can you set from Washington the minimum wage in Arkansas, Alabama, New York and Los Angeles?” [John Carlson Show, KVI AM 570, 5/18/16]

Trump: “How Can You Set From Washington The Minimum Wage In Arkansas, Alabama, New York And Los Angeles?” TRUMP: “I studied this long and hard and I was always pretty good at the Wharton School of Finance. It's an interesting problem, a real problem. The minimum wage should be set by states. For instance, if you go to Alabama and you're getting seven dollars and twenty-five cents that's one thing. I can tell you in New York you can't buy a hot dog for seven dollars and twenty-five cents. In other words, you have a whole different world. By the way, if you doubled it in New York, the person living in Alabama is going to live better at seven twenty-five than at fifteen dollars in New York. You understand? I actually think that the states should make the decision. Here's what's going to happen. Like you just mentioned the Wendy's case. All of a sudden in some cases states are going to become non-competitive and they're going to start losing maybe jobs and losing business and they're going to have to readjust. Otherwise they're just not going to have anything. Their tax base is going to go to hell and they'll start doing it. I'm really liking it. I have not heard that from anybody. I think I came up with the idea a few months ago--I was talking about it. People don't think in terms of minimum for states, but I will tell you I really think it should be a state issue. I think many things should be a state issue, John, if you want to know the truth. I think it should be a state run issue because you have such a different-- How can you set from Washington the minimum wage in Arkansas, Alabama, New York and Los Angeles?” [John Carlson Show, KVI AM 570, 5/18/16]

Trump On The Export-Import Bank: “Everybody Wants Me To Reject It. The Standard Conservative Thought Is To Reject It, But I'm Going To Look At It.” CARLSON: “The Export-Import Bank makes low interest loans to customers of American products overseas. Our friends at Boeing and a lot of other companies call this a trade stimulant. Critics say the Export-Import Bank is ... Choose your label, corporate subsidy, crony capitalism, corporate welfare. What does Donald Trump think?” TRUMP: “Everybody wants me to reject it. The standard conservative thought is to reject it, but I'm going to look at it, because I have had people from General Electric and from others that say it's very hard to compete because other countries do give these credits and they do this type of financing. I'm going to actually take a look at it. You understand what I mean by that? "The standard conservative, and I'm conservative--  But the standard conservative doctrine is immediately end that, but I'm going to take a look at it because I have heard from different companies that if they don't do it ... There was one deal that we were going to get and that ended up going to Canada because Canada provided the better financing. We don't want too many things like that happening, so I'm going to take a look at it, a very strong look at it, and I'll make a decision in the not to distant future.” [John Carlson Show, KVI AM 570, 5/18/16]

Trump On Trade: “I Am A Protectionist In The Sense That I Want Our People To Be Treated Fairly, But I Have A Much Better Definition. Basically It's America First.” TRUMP: “A lot of people can't get their products into other countries. It's very hard to sell product into Japan, and yet they sell their cars by the millions into this country with no tax. There are many, many things that are going to happen. No, I'm not a protectionist. I am a protectionist in the sense that I want our people to be treated fairly, but I have a much better definition. Basically it's America first. We're going to take care of ourselves for a change, because our country-- Look at the deficits that we have and that we're running. Look at the deficit with China. This year, John, it's going to be five hundred and five billion dollars of trade deficit with China. I mean that's insane. We have rebuilt China. We're going to make it much better for the state of Washington and we're going to make it much better period for everybody.” [John Carlson Show, KVI AM 570, 5/18/16]

TSA

Trump Supported Privatizing The TSA. CARLSON: "While we're talking about airplanes, you've seen these headlines about nightmare lines, three and four hours long at the TSA checkpoints. You owned an airline. Let's promote you. You're already president. You hear about these long lines. What does President Donald Trump do about them?” TRUMP: “First of all, I was just reading about it this morning. It's terrible. I see it on television, where people are waiting four or five hours. It's never been worse. It has to do with two things. Number one, terrorism. I'm going to knock the hell out of them. We have to do so much stuff around terrorism, otherwise it's going to stymie the whole world. Number two, and I really view it in that order--  Number two, it's running like our country runs, a mess. We have people that have no idea-- We have people that shouldn't even be TSA agents. They shouldn't be a TSA agent. They shouldn't be working at this stuff, because in many cases they don't have the capacity or the capability to do it. You're looking for a finite object in a suitcase someplace. Now I will say with all of that we have to get that geared up, because you talk about Boeing, you're not going to need airplanes if this continues because nobody is going to want to move. It's going to ruin the industry. The industry is going to be ruined.” CARLSON: “The airlines are furious. Should basically TSA be fired? Should we allow private contractors to do what TSA apparently is not up to doing?” TRUMP: “In my opinion you probably should, because-- You have to be very strong with them though. You have to watch them very carefully, but you probably should, because what I'm hearing is the level of security or the level of checking is not what it should be. Despite that, how does the government run something so big? If you think about it, if you had an airline and they had three booths and they had people coming in, it would be I think a much more efficient system-- It should be a much better system. What you have to be careful is that they don't cut back.” [John Carlson Show, KVI AM 570, 5/18/16]

Trump On Long Security Lines At Airports: “You're Not Going To Need Airplanes If This Continues Because Nobody Is Going To Want To Move. It's Going To Ruin The Industry. The Industry Is Going To Be Ruined.” CARLSON: "While we're talking about airplanes, you've seen these headlines about nightmare lines, three and four hours long at the TSA checkpoints. You owned an airline. Let's promote you. You're already president. You hear about these long lines. What does President Donald Trump do about them?” TRUMP: “First of all, I was just reading about it this morning. It's terrible. I see it on television, where people are waiting four or five hours. It's never been worse. It has to do with two things. Number one, terrorism. I'm going to knock the hell out of them. We have to do so much stuff around terrorism, otherwise it's going to stymie the whole world. Number two, and I really view it in that order--  Number two, it's running like our country runs, a mess. We have people that have no idea-- We have people that shouldn't even be TSA agents. They shouldn't be a TSA agent. They shouldn't be working at this stuff, because in many cases they don't have the capacity or the capability to do it. You're looking for a finite object in a suitcase someplace. Now I will say with all of that we have to get that geared up, because you talk about Boeing, you're not going to need airplanes if this continues because nobody is going to want to move. It's going to ruin the industry. The industry is going to be ruined.” [John Carlson Show, KVI AM 570, 5/18/16]

Trump Supported Replacing The TSA With Private Contractors: “How Does The Government Run Something So Big? If You Think About It, If You Had An Airline And They Had Three Booths And They Had People Coming In, It Would Be I Think A Much More Efficient System-- It Should Be A Much Better System.” CARLSON: "While we're talking about airplanes, you've seen these headlines about nightmare lines, three and four hours long at the TSA checkpoints. You owned an airline. Let's promote you. You're already president. You hear about these long lines. What does President Donald Trump do about them?” TRUMP: “First of all, I was just reading about it this morning. It's terrible. I see it on television, where people are waiting four or five hours. It's never been worse. It has to do with two things. Number one, terrorism. I'm going to knock the hell out of them. We have to do so much stuff around terrorism, otherwise it's going to stymie the whole world. Number two, and I really view it in that order--  Number two, it's running like our country runs, a mess. We have people that have no idea-- We have people that shouldn't even be TSA agents. They shouldn't be a TSA agent. They shouldn't be working at this stuff, because in many cases they don't have the capacity or the capability to do it. You're looking for a finite object in a suitcase someplace. Now I will say with all of that we have to get that geared up, because you talk about Boeing, you're not going to need airplanes if this continues because nobody is going to want to move. It's going to ruin the industry. The industry is going to be ruined.” CARLSON: “The airlines are furious. Should basically TSA be fired? Should we allow private contractors to do what TSA apparently is not up to doing?” TRUMP: “In my opinion you probably should, because-- You have to be very strong with them though. You have to watch them very carefully, but you probably should, because what I'm hearing is the level of security or the level of checking is not what it should be. Despite that, how does the government run something so big? If you think about it, if you had an airline and they had three booths and they had people coming in, it would be I think a much more efficient system-- It should be a much better system. What you have to be careful is that they don't cut back.” [John Carlson Show, KVI AM 570, 5/18/16]

Trump: “We Have People That Shouldn't Even Be TSA Agents. They Shouldn't Be A TSA Agent. They Shouldn't Be Working At This Stuff, Because In Many Cases They Don't Have The Capacity Or The Capability To Do It.” CARLSON: "While we're talking about airplanes, you've seen these headlines about nightmare lines, three and four hours long at the TSA checkpoints. You owned an airline. Let's promote you. You're already president. You hear about these long lines. What does President Donald Trump do about them?” TRUMP: “First of all, I was just reading about it this morning. It's terrible. I see it on television, where people are waiting four or five hours. It's never been worse. It has to do with two things. Number one, terrorism. I'm going to knock the hell out of them. We have to do so much stuff around terrorism, otherwise it's going to stymie the whole world. Number two, and I really view it in that order--  Number two, it's running like our country runs, a mess. We have people that have no idea-- We have people that shouldn't even be TSA agents. They shouldn't be a TSA agent. They shouldn't be working at this stuff, because in many cases they don't have the capacity or the capability to do it. You're looking for a finite object in a suitcase someplace. Now I will say with all of that we have to get that geared up, because you talk about Boeing, you're not going to need airplanes if this continues because nobody is going to want to move. It's going to ruin the industry. The industry is going to be ruined.” [John Carlson Show, KVI AM 570, 5/18/16]

White Supremacists

HEADLINE: “White Nationalists See Advancement Through Donald Trump’s Candidacy.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/article_email/white-nationalists-see-advancement-through-donald-trumps-candidacy-1463523858-lMyQjAxMTI2MDEzNzQxMTc2Wj>]

Trump’s Support Among White Supremacist Groups Rivaled That Of Segregationist George Wallace And Pat Buchanan. “White nationalists are hailing Donald Trump’s elevation to presumptive Republican presidential nominee, while also trying to boost their own political profiles and activity. Although Mr. Trump has spurned these extreme groups’ support, the level of interest within them for the White House candidate rivals that for segregationist George Wallace, who won five states in the 1968 election, and for conservative Republican Pat Buchanan, who denounced multiculturalism in the 1990s. Mr. Trump is being heralded by these groups for his proposals to bar Muslim immigrants, deport millions of people living illegally in the U.S., and build a wall along the southern border.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/article_email/white-nationalists-see-advancement-through-donald-trumps-candidacy-1463523858-lMyQjAxMTI2MDEzNzQxMTc2Wj>]

Southern Poverty Law Center’s Potok: “Trump’s Candidacy Has Absolutely Electrified The Radical Right.” “Mr. Trump’s rejections have failed to deter support from leaders of what civil-rights groups label “right-wing hate groups.’
These groups’ websites, radio shows and podcasts are filled with praise for Mr. Trump’s views on immigration, appeals to vote for him and calls to volunteer for his campaign. Some white nationalist leaders have boasted online about attending his rallies, either as supporters or as journalists, and say the traffic on their websites is increasing since the rise of Mr. Trump. ‘Trump’s candidacy has absolutely electrified the radical right,’ said Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil-rights organization that tracks extremist groups.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/article_email/white-nationalists-see-advancement-through-donald-trumps-candidacy-1463523858-lMyQjAxMTI2MDEzNzQxMTc2Wj>]

White Supremacist Publisher Jared Taylor: “It’s Very Encouraging When Someone Of The Prominence Of The Republican Presumptive Nominee Says Some Of The Same Things We’ve Been Saying For Years. Who Needs Muslims? Who Needs Mexicans? Once You Ask Those Questions, You Think, ‘Who Needs Haitians?’” “Attendance at this coming weekend’s annual conference hosted by American Renaissance, which publishes a website on topics including eugenics and alleged IQ differences between races, is expected to double to 300 people, said editor Jared Taylor, in part because of Mr. Trump’s success… Exit polls show large majorities of Republican primary and caucus voters agree with Mr. Trump’s plan to ban Muslim immigrants, at least temporarily. Mr. Trump has said the ban is necessary to prevent terrorist attacks because the process of screening immigrants is inadequate. ‘It’s very encouraging when someone of the prominence of the Republican presumptive nominee says some of the same things we’ve been saying for years,’ Mr. Taylor said. ‘Who needs Muslims? Who needs Mexicans? Once you ask those questions, you think, ‘Who needs Haitians?’ Mr. Trump is reacting in an almost visceral way to the idea of whites becoming a minority.’ Mr. Trump’s allies say he can’t control who backs him, and he is wary of drawing more attention to their rhetoric, said the Rev. Darrell Scott, a black pastor in Cleveland and the chief executive of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump, a multiracial, multiethnic group of supporters.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/article_email/white-nationalists-see-advancement-through-donald-trumps-candidacy-1463523858-lMyQjAxMTI2MDEzNzQxMTc2Wj>]

American Way’s Montgomery: “White Supremacists And White Nationalists Have Been Marginalized In Our Political Discourse, But Trump’s Campaign Is Bringing Them Out Of The Woodwork And Making It Easier For Them Say Certain Things.” “Mr. Trump’s allies say he can’t control who backs him, and he is wary of drawing more attention to their rhetoric, said the Rev. Darrell Scott, a black pastor in Cleveland and the chief executive of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump, a multiracial, multiethnic group of supporters. ‘I don’t think he wants to make an issue of white supremacists,’ Mr. Scott said. ‘Any radical element of society that says they like Trump gets the opportunity for media coverage, and he doesn’t want to magnify that.’ Civil-rights groups say Mr. Trump, despite his disavowals, has sent signals to people who hold racist views. His posture toward immigrants also has been repudiated by many leaders in his own party.’ ‘White supremacists and white nationalists have been marginalized in our political discourse, but Trump’s campaign is bringing them out of the woodwork and making it easier for them say certain things,’ said Peter Montgomery, senior fellow at the People for the American Way, a liberal group.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/article_email/white-nationalists-see-advancement-through-donald-trumps-candidacy-1463523858-lMyQjAxMTI2MDEzNzQxMTc2Wj>]

Foreign Policy

Trump Said, As President, He Would Meet With North Korean Leader, Kim Jong Un. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is willing to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, Trump told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. In a wide-ranging discussion, Trump also said he disapproved of Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in eastern Ukraine, called for a renegotiation of the Paris climate accord, and said he would dismantle most of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations if he is elected president. The presumptive Republican nominee declined to share details of his plans to deal with North Korea, but a meeting with Kim would mark a major shift in U.S. policy toward the isolated nation. ‘I would speak to him, I would have no problem speaking to him,’ Trump said of Kim. ‘At the same time I would put a lot of pressure on China because economically we have tremendous power over China,’ he said in the half-hour interview at his Trump Tower office in Manhattan. China is Pyongyang's only major diplomatic and economic supporter.” [Retuers, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Trump On Putin: “The Fact That He Said Good Things About Me Doesn't Mean That It's Going To Help Him In A Negotiation. It Won't Help Him At All.” “On Russia, Trump tempered past praise of Putin, saying the nice comments the Russian leader has made about him in the past would only go so far. ‘The fact that he said good things about me doesn't mean that it's going to help him in a negotiation. It won't help him at all,’ he said. Last December, Trump said Putin was ‘highly respected’ and said the United States and Russia could work together to defeat terrorism. Putin responded by saying he welcomed Trump's desire for better relations and called the Republican candidate ‘very flamboyant, very talented.’" [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Disabled

HEADLINE: “Trump’s Plan To Rehabilitate His Image: Explain Past Controversies.” [Washington Post, 5/17/16<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-plan-to-rehabilitate-his-image-explain-past-controversies/2016/05/17/de2225da-1c37-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html>]

Trump Defended His Mocking Of Disabled Reporter Serge Kovaleski: “I Would Never Say Anything Bad About A Person That Has A Disability. I Swear To You It’s True, 100 Percent True… Who Would Do That To [The] Handicapped? I’ve Spent A Lot Of Money Making Buildings Accessible.” “Trump is taking other steps to recalibrate the impression he leaves voters. He sat down for a television special airing Tuesday night to make peace with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, with whom he has feuded for 10 months, and he has forcefully contested reporting that shows him to be callous and lecherous with women. The moment speaks to the core challenge for Trump: His incendiary behavior, both before and during his populist campaign, has sown doubts about his character and fitness for office. Trump put his tact to a test during an interview with The Washington Post here Monday afternoon. Unprompted, he delivered a five-minute soliloquy attempting to explain himself for making wild arm and hand gestures at a rally last November to discredit New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski. The act was widely seen as mocking the journalist’s physical disability and has been featured in numerous ads and videos designed to savage Trump. ‘I would never say anything bad about a person that has a disability,’ Trump said, leaning forward at his office desk. ‘I swear to you it’s true, 100 percent true.. . .Who would do that to [the] handicapped? I’ve spent a lot of money making buildings accessible.’” [Washington Post, 5/17/16<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-plan-to-rehabilitate-his-image-explain-past-controversies/2016/05/17/de2225da-1c37-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html>]

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump: I Love People With Disabilities So Much, I Follow Laws Protecting Them.” [New York Magazine, 5/17/16<http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/05/trump-i-love-the-disabled-so-much-i-obey-laws.html>]

Immigration

Trump: “Sanctuary Cities Are A Disaster,’ Trump Said When Questioned. ‘They’re A Safe-Haven For Criminals And People That Should Not Have A Safe-Haven In Many Cases. It’s Just Unacceptable. We’ll Be Looking At Sanctuary Cities Very Hard.” “Donald J. Trump, the billionaire businessman and presumptive 2016 GOP presidential nominee, told Breitbart News that he is shocked that San Francisco’s local government would entertain the possibility of expanding its sanctuary status for illegal aliens after what happened to Kate Steinle last year. ‘Sanctuary cities are a disaster,’ Trump said when questioned. ‘They’re a safe-haven for criminals and people that should not have a safe-haven in many cases. It’s just unacceptable. We’ll be looking at sanctuary cities very hard.” [Breitbart, 5/16/16<http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/05/16/exclusive-donald-j-trump-to-san-francisco-sanctuary-cities-unacceptable-a-disaster-creating-safe-haven-for-criminals/>]

Lobbyists

HEADLINE: “A Notorious Washington Lobbyist Wants To Raise Money For Trump.” [Huffington Post, 5/16/16<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lobbyist_us_573a36cee4b060aa781b04c8?rpvop7klh28en4s4i=>]

Semi-Notorious Republican Lobbyist Jack Burkman Planned A June 1st Fundraiser For Donald Trump. “What do you do if you’re a Republican lobbyist and your party’s presumptive presidential nominee thinks your industry is abominable? If you’re an enterprising influence-peddler like the semi-notorious Jack Burkman, you throw a fundraiser without the candidate’s consent, raise as much as possible, and hope it gets you in the door if the nominee becomes desperate for cash. Burkman will host what he calls ‘The First General Election Fundraiser for Donald J. Trump for President’ on June 1. He hopes to raise as much as $300,000. Burkman has a penchant for pursuing headlines with as much vigor as he chases clients. He is, among other things, infamous for spearheading a quixotic congressional effort to ban gay players from the NFL — a campaign made even odder by the facts that, one, his own brother is gay, and, two, lobbyists don’t get to openly introduce legislation… Apparently, enough people are of the same mindset to form a minyan. Burkman said he expects 150 to 200 government affairs professionals and about 100 defense contractors for his soiree. Ralph Palmieri, a defense contractor (formerly of Lockheed and Sytex), was one name Burkman’s spokesman sent as proof that others were indeed attending. Palmieri didn’t immediately return a request for comment.” [Huffington Post, 5/16/16<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lobbyist_us_573a36cee4b060aa781b04c8?rpvop7klh28en4s4i=>]

Burkman Expected 150-200 Government Affairs Professionals To Attend His Trump Fundraiser, As Well As About 100 Defense Contractors. “Apparently, enough people are of the same mindset to form a minyan. Burkman said he expects 150 to 200 government affairs professionals and about 100 defense contractors for his soiree. Ralph Palmieri, a defense contractor (formerly of Lockheed and Sytex), was one name Burkman’s spokesman sent as proof that others were indeed attending. Palmieri didn’t immediately return a request for comment.” [Huffington Post, 5/16/16<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lobbyist_us_573a36cee4b060aa781b04c8?rpvop7klh28en4s4i=>]

Lobbyist Jack Burkman Spearheaded A Congressional Effort To Ban Gay Players From The NFL. “Burkman has a penchant for pursuing headlines with as much vigor as he chases clients. He is, among other things, infamous for spearheading a quixotic congressional effort to ban gay players from the NFL — a campaign made even odder by the facts that, one, his own brother is gay, and, two, lobbyists don’t get to openly introduce legislation. When it comes to Burkman’s support of Trump, skepticism seems warranted. Burkman, after all, supported Jeb Bush early in the Republican primary — a candidate whose humiliation at the hands of Trump was so severe that Bush refuses to back him. Burkman even took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Daily News calling Trump a joke.” [Huffington Post, 5/16/16<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lobbyist_us_573a36cee4b060aa781b04c8?rpvop7klh28en4s4i=>]

Jack Burkman Originally Backed Jeb Bush And Took Out A Full-Page Ad In The Los Angeles Daily News Calling Trump A Joke. “When it comes to Burkman’s support of Trump, skepticism seems warranted. Burkman, after all, supported Jeb Bush early in the Republican primary — a candidate whose humiliation at the hands of Trump was so severe that Bush refuses to back him. Burkman even took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Daily News calling Trump a joke. But there’s politics, and there’s political business. And Burkman isn’t one to let emotional hang-ups get in the way of things like access. Asked if he was hosting the fundraiser as a means of opening doors during a Trump administration, he was refreshingly frank.” [Huffington Post, 5/16/16<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lobbyist_us_573a36cee4b060aa781b04c8?rpvop7klh28en4s4i=>]

Lobbyist Jack Burkman Said He “Of Course” Expected Access To The Trump Administration Because Of His Support For The Campaign: “That’s My Business.” “But there’s politics, and there’s political business. And Burkman isn’t one to let emotional hang-ups get in the way of things like access. Asked if he was hosting the fundraiser as a means of opening doors during a Trump administration, he was refreshingly frank. ‘Of course,’ Burkman said in an interview. ‘You bet. Of course we do. That’s my business.’ Apparently, enough people are of the same mindset to form a minyan. Burkman said he expects 150 to 200 government affairs professionals and about 100 defense contractors for his soiree. Ralph Palmieri, a defense contractor (formerly of Lockheed and Sytex), was one name Burkman’s spokesman sent as proof that others were indeed attending. Palmieri didn’t immediately return a request for comment.” [Huffington Post, 5/16/16<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lobbyist_us_573a36cee4b060aa781b04c8?rpvop7klh28en4s4i=>]

Lobbyist Jack Burkman Was Considering Launching A Super PAC With Money From Lobbyists And Defense Contractors If Trump Refused Their Donations. “Trump could, of course, simply refuse to take Burkman’s cash; or, more realistically, refund it should he not want to partake in the kind of influence-peddling scheme that he once denounced. But Burkman said he didn’t expect a rebuke like that. And he has good reason not to. After all, Trump went from lashing out at casino magnate Sheldon Adelson for funding Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to praising Adelson when he announced he’d put $100 million behind Trump’s bid. Even if Trump said no, Burkman said he’d consider launching a super PAC with money from lobbyists and defense contractors to aid the nominee. Trump, he admitted, was a potential meal ticket. But Burkman stressed that there were elements to the candidate that attracted him, too.” [Huffington Post, 5/16/16<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lobbyist_us_573a36cee4b060aa781b04c8?rpvop7klh28en4s4i=>]

Campaign Finance

Trump Criticized Sheldon Adelson For Funding Marco Rubio’s Campaign, But Later Praised Adelson After Adelson Announced He Would Put $100 Million Toward Trump’s Campaign. “Trump could, of course, simply refuse to take Burkman’s cash; or, more realistically, refund it should he not want to partake in the kind of influence-peddling scheme that he once denounced. But Burkman said he didn’t expect a rebuke like that. And he has good reason not to. After all, Trump went from lashing out at casino magnate Sheldon Adelson for funding Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to praising Adelson when he announced he’d put $100 million behind Trump’s bid.” [Huffington Post, 5/16/16<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lobbyist_us_573a36cee4b060aa781b04c8?rpvop7klh28en4s4i=>]

HEADLINE: “Trump Aides' Rivalries Plague Super PACs.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-allies-rivalries-plagues-super-pacs-223300>]

Trump’s Top Advisers Disagreed On Which Pro-Trump Outside Spending Vehicle To Support. “The power struggle inside Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is spilling over into the world of his super PAC allies, freezing wealthy supporters who want to write big checks to boost the presumptive GOP nominee over likely Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Top Trump adviser Paul Manafort has privately expressed support for a yet-to-be-launched super PAC that would be affiliated with a close friend of the billionaire. Multiple sources familiar with the matter said Manafort’s allies hope the PAC will become the favored vehicle for huge checks from mega-donors like Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who is believed to be considering spending as much as $100 million boosting Trump. But the sources said that Manafort’s chief internal rival, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who is close to Adelson’s advisers, is not on board with the plan for the new PAC. And they suggest that if Lewandowski doesn’t like the set-up, he may signal his support for a totally different outside spending vehicle — possibly one that hasn’t even been created yet.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-allies-rivalries-plagues-super-pacs-223300>]

Trump Adviser Paul Manafort Privately Expressed Support For A Super PAC To Be Launched By A Personal Friend Of Trump. “The power struggle inside Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is spilling over into the world of his super PAC allies, freezing wealthy supporters who want to write big checks to boost the presumptive GOP nominee over likely Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Top Trump adviser Paul Manafort has privately expressed support for a yet-to-be-launched super PAC that would be affiliated with a close friend of the billionaire. Multiple sources familiar with the matter said Manafort’s allies hope the PAC will become the favored vehicle for huge checks from mega-donors like Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who is believed to be considering spending as much as $100 million boosting Trump. But the sources said that Manafort’s chief internal rival, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who is close to Adelson’s advisers, is not on board with the plan for the new PAC. And they suggest that if Lewandowski doesn’t like the set-up, he may signal his support for a totally different outside spending vehicle — possibly one that hasn’t even been created yet.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-allies-rivalries-plagues-super-pacs-223300>]

Great America PAC Was Tacitly Blessed By Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski, But Was Denounced As A Scam By Allies Of Convention Manager Paul Manafort. “One of the few pro-Trump super PACs to gain any momentum, Great America PAC, was seen within GOP finance circles as having a tacit blessing from Lewandowski. While the group had struggled to raise cash and was $690,000 in the red at the end of March, it had begun establishing itself in recent weeks as the leading vehicle in a growing field of pro-Trump super PACs that features many entrants using the candidate’s name to raise money while spending little in support of his campaign. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled to participate in a donor conference call for Great America PAC on Wednesday, according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO, and the group announced a donor retreat at the ranch of billionaire Texas energy investor T. Boone Pickens. But as Great America PAC has gained credibility and started winning support from key donors, Manafort’s allies have stepped up their attacks on it as a scam, and some have expressed support for competing groups, including one launched last week called the Committee to Restore American Sovereignty.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-allies-rivalries-plagues-super-pacs-223300>]

Trump’s Top Adviser, Paul Manfort, Had Discussions With California Real Estate Billionaire Thomas Barrack About Forming A Super PAC To Support Trump. “A Trump campaign official said uncertainty about the universe of pro-Trump PACs and the “dark figures involved” is deterring major donors who previously supported Trump’s vanquished GOP presidential rivals including Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and John Kasich. ‘They’re all waiting for the right vehicle,’ said the official. ‘The fact of the matter is that we just have a hodgepodge. Nobody’s eager to throw their money down a rat hole.’ The official suggested that this problem could be solved by the entrance of a super PAC blessed by Manafort and affiliated with California real estate billionaire named Thomas Barrack. A close ally of Trump's, Barrack has had discussions with Manafort and others about becoming involved in a new super PAC, according to sources in and around the campaign. Barrack, who has praised the presumptive GOP nominee’s ‘charm and emotional intelligence’ and is set to host a fundraiser for Trump this month in Los Angeles, was traveling internationally Tuesday and could not be reached for comment. The Trump campaign official added: ‘Tom Barrack is one of Trump’s friends and there’s a lot of concerns about fingers that are in these pies . . . Nobody trusts anybody in these non-affiliated groups and Trump trusts Barrack implicitly.’ But even if Barrack — who has not previously been a major donor, scattering $67,000 among Democratic and Republican campaigns over the years — puts his full weight into an outside spending effort that has Manafort’s blessing, some Trump allies fear that may not quash the rivalries between the super PACs, which reflect deep personal tensions. Beyond the Manafort-Leandowski rift, Manafort and his allies have a tricky decades-long history with the leaders of Great America PAC and the Committee to Restore American Sovereignty.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-allies-rivalries-plagues-super-pacs-223300>]

Thomas Barrack Planned To Host A Fundraiser For Trump In Los Angeles. The official suggested that this problem could be solved by the entrance of a super PAC blessed by Manafort and affiliated with California real estate billionaire named Thomas Barrack. A close ally of Trump's, Barrack has had discussions with Manafort and others about becoming involved in a new super PAC, according to sources in and around the campaign. Barrack, who has praised the presumptive GOP nominee’s ‘charm and emotional intelligence’ and is set to host a fundraiser for Trump this month in Los Angeles, was traveling internationally Tuesday and could not be reached for comment. The Trump campaign official added: ‘Tom Barrack is one of Trump’s friends and there’s a lot of concerns about fingers that are in these pies . . . Nobody trusts anybody in these non-affiliated groups and Trump trusts Barrack implicitly.’ But even if Barrack — who has not previously been a major donor, scattering $67,000 among Democratic and Republican campaigns over the years — puts his full weight into an outside spending effort that has Manafort’s blessing, some Trump allies fear that may not quash the rivalries between the super PACs, which reflect deep personal tensions. Beyond the Manafort-Leandowski rift, Manafort and his allies have a tricky decades-long history with the leaders of Great America PAC and the Committee to Restore American Sovereignty.” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-allies-rivalries-plagues-super-pacs-223300>]

Roger Stone And Ed Rollins Criticized One Another’s Pro-Trump Super PACs. “During Ronald Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign, Manafort and his close ally Roger Stone worked together, sometimes uneasily, with Ed Rollins, the co-chairman of Great America PAC, and Doug Watts, the national executive director of the Committee to Restore American Sovereignty. Stone’s ex-wife Ann Stone also has discussed launching a super PAC that will work to win over women to vote for Trump, a source familiar with the effort told POLITICO. The source said Stone is working with Amy Kremer, who formerly was associated with Great America, and Kathryn Serkes, and that they have suggested their effort has an unofficial blessing from Trump’s campaign. Ann Stone, Kremer and Serkes did not respond to requests for comment, nor did a Trump campaign spokesperson. After Watts announced the creation of his super PAC, Rollins pushed back, releasing a statement this week predicting that his Great America PAC will be ‘the best-funded, most effective independent committee supporting Trump’s candidacy.’ Roger Stone lashed back, calling Great America a ‘scam PAC,’ and pointing out that one of its advisers was convicted of a campaign finance violation this month, while Rollins had worked as an adviser to a firm started by a former Bill Clinton aide. But Eric Beach, Great America’s co-chairman, pointed to Trump’s praise of Rollins as ‘tremendous’ earlier this month as a sign that the businessman views the group favorably, while the mega-donor Hubbard said having Rollins on board is a selling point. ‘He’s certainly had a lot of experience.’ A Rollins ally suggested that Stone helped create the Committee to Restore American Sovereignty as a way to undermine Great America PAC. And Rollins himself suggested that Stone is obsessed with him, asserting ‘I don’t spend my life tracking Roger Stone. He may spend his life tracking me but I don’t spend my life tracking him.’” [Politico, 5/18/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-allies-rivalries-plagues-super-pacs-223300>]

5/17/16: The Republican National Committee And The Trump Campaign Entered Into Joint Fundraising Agreements To Allow The Campaign To Raise Funds For The National Party. “Today, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus announced the RNC and Donald J. Trump for President have entered into joint fundraising agreements (JFAs). The agreements will allow the Donald J. Trump for President campaign to raise funds the national party will use to elect Republicans at all levels this cycle. ‘The RNC is excited to team up with the Trump campaign to expand the robust ground, data, and digital operation we have in place to elect Republicans up and down the ballot,’ said Chairman Priebus. ‘Donald Trump knows the importance of keeping our Republican majorities at the local, state, and national level and these joint fundraising agreements are another vital step in making that happen. Donald Trump has received millions more votes than any candidate in the history of the Republican Party and we are confident that will carry forward into the general election.’ Mr. Trump said, ‘We are pleased to have this partnership in place with the national party. By working together with the RNC to raise support for Republicans everywhere, we are going to defeat Hillary Clinton, keep Republican majorities in Congress and in the states, and Make America Great Again.’” [Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 5/17/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-files-personal-financial-disclosure-form-with-the-federal-e>]

RNC Finance Chairman, Lew Eisenberg, Was Finance Chair Of The Trump Victory Fund.  “RNC Finance Chairman Lew Eisenberg has been selected to be the Finance Chair of Trump Victory. Eisenberg will work closely with Trump Campaign Finance Chair Steven Mnuchin to ensure a successful fundraising apparatus through November. ‘Lew Eisenberg is going to do an outstanding job leading this effort,’ said Chairman Priebus. ‘Lew has already helped the RNC raise a record $135 million in support this cycle, and I have every confidence his track record of success will continue in this new role.’” [Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 5/17/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-files-personal-financial-disclosure-form-with-the-federal-e>]

Trump Victory Was A Joint Fundraising Committee Between The Trump Campaign, The RNC, And 11 State Republican Parties: Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, And Wyoming. “The Republican National Committee and Donald J. Trump for President are entering into two joint fundraising agreements that will establish two joint fundraising committees: Trump Victory and the Trump Make America Great Again Committee. Trump Victory is a joint fundraising committee between the RNC, Donald J. Trump for President, and the State Republican Parties in the following states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.” [Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 5/17/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-files-personal-financial-disclosure-form-with-the-federal-e>]

Trump Victory Could Accept Maximum Individual Contributions Of $449,000. “The Republican National Committee and Donald J. Trump for President are entering into two joint fundraising agreements that will establish two joint fundraising committees: Trump Victory and the Trump Make America Great Again Committee. Trump Victory is a joint fundraising committee between the RNC, Donald J. Trump for President, and the State Republican Parties in the following states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming… The max contribution an individual can give to Trump Victory is $449,400.” [Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 5/17/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-files-personal-financial-disclosure-form-with-the-federal-e>]

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump, Republicans Finalize Joint Fundraising Deal.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-republicans-finalize-joint-fundraising-deal-1463537455>]

The Trump Campaign Planned To Continue Raising Money By Selling Merchandise And Through The Donate Button On His Website. “RNC Finance Chairman Lew Eisenberg will serve as the finance chairman of Trump Victory. Under Mr. Eisenberg, the RNC has raised $135 million so far this cycle. A spokesman for Mr. Trump said the real-estate developer will continue to raise money for his campaign by selling merchandise and through the donate button on his website. He has raised $12 million through those means, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission report.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16<http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-republicans-finalize-joint-fundraising-deal-1463537455>]

Business

HEADLINE: “Second Trump University Suit Stalled Until After Election.” [Politico, 5/17/16<http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2016/05/second-trump-university-suit-stalled-until-after-election-223290>]

Trump Was Not Going To Be Forced To Testify In A Trump University-Related Fraud Case Until After The November Election. “The legal clouds hanging over likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's campaign parted further on Tuesday as a New York court effectively delayed until after the election any trial in a state fraud case over the Trump University real estate seminar program. It was the second time in a month where Trump appeared to be facing the threat of a distracting trial at the height of the presidential campaign, but seems to have escaped that surely unwelcome prospect. In Tuesday's decision, a four-judge panel agreed to allow Trump's lawyers to go to New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals, to challenge a ruling earlier this year allowing New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to go forward with his case over the defunct Trump University business. Some of the prospective real estate investors seeking who paid as much as $35,000 seeking advice and mentorship now say they were swindled. Cases brought to the New York Court of Appeals generally take a year or more to be resolved, meaning there will be no high-profile court showdowns in the Trump-related fight until well after the presidential contest is resolved.” [Politico, 5/17/16<http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2016/05/second-trump-university-suit-stalled-until-after-election-223290>]

A Four-Judge Panel Agreed To Allow Trump To Go The New York Court Of Appeals To Challenge Attorney General Schneiderman’s Fraud Case Against Trump University. “In Tuesday's decision, a four-judge panel agreed to allow Trump's lawyers to go to New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals, to challenge a ruling earlier this year allowing New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to go forward with his case over the defunct Trump University business. Some of the prospective real estate investors seeking who paid as much as $35,000 seeking advice and mentorship now say they were swindled. Cases brought to the New York Court of Appeals generally take a year or more to be resolved, meaning there will be no high-profile court showdowns in the Trump-related fight until well after the presidential contest is resolved.” [Politico, 5/17/16<http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2016/05/second-trump-university-suit-stalled-until-after-election-223290>]

Personal Finance

HEADLINE: “Trump Boasts About 'Tremendous Cash Flow' In New Financial Report.” [Politico, 5/17/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trump-fec-financial-disclosure-223283>]

Trump Filed A Personal Financial Disclosure Report Claiming A Net Worth Of Well Above $10 Billion And Annual Income Over $500,000. “Donald Trump on Tuesday boasted that he has filed a new personal financial disclosure report, one that shows – according to Trump’s campaign – ‘tremendous cash flow’ and income in excess of a half a billion dollars. The campaign added in the statement that Trump’s net worth has only grown since his first statement last July and that his net worth is now above $10 billion. While the 104-page document is not yet publicly available from the Federal Election Commission, Trump said it is the ‘largest in the history of the FEC’ – his prior one was 92 pages – and that his runaway business success is ‘the kind of thinking the country needs.’ The statement comes as Trump has come under fire for his refusal to release his tax returns, arguing that it wouldn’t be wise of him to do so because some of them are being audited.” [Politico, 5/17/16<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trump-fec-financial-disclosure-223283>]

Trump: “I Filed My PFD, Which I Am Proud To Say Is The Largest In The History Of The FEC… I Have Built An Incredible Company And Have Accumulated One Of The Greatest Portfolios Of Real Estate Assets, Many Of Which Are Considered To Be Among The Finest And Most Iconic Properties In The World. This Is The Kind Of Thinking The Country Needs.” “Yesterday, Donald J. Trump filed his Personal Financial Disclosure (PFD) forms with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), his second annual filing since announcing his candidacy for President of the United States in June of last year. Mr. Trump stated, ‘I filed my PFD, which I am proud to say is the largest in the history of the FEC. Despite the fact that I am allowed extensions, I have again filed my report, which is 104 pages, on time. Bernie Sanders has requested, on the other hand, an extension for his small report. This is the difference between a businessman and the all talk, no action politicians that have failed the American people for far too long. I have built an incredible company and have accumulated one of the greatest portfolios of real estate assets, many of which are considered to be among the finest and most iconic properties in the world. This is the kind of thinking the country needs.’” [Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 5/17/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-files-personal-financial-disclosure-form-with-the-federal-e>]

Trump: “Despite The Fact That I Am Allowed Extensions, I Have Again Filed My Report, Which Is 104 Pages, On Time. Bernie Sanders Has Requested, On The Other Hand, An Extension For His Small Report.” TRUMP: “I filed my PFD, which I am proud to say is the largest in the history of the FEC. Despite the fact that I am allowed extensions, I have again filed my report, which is 104 pages, on time. Bernie Sanders has requested, on the other hand, an extension for his small report. This is the difference between a businessman and the all talk, no action politicians that have failed the American people for far too long. I have built an incredible company and have accumulated one of the greatest portfolios of real estate assets, many of which are considered to be among the finest and most iconic properties in the world. This is the kind of thinking the country needs.” [Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 5/17/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-files-personal-financial-disclosure-form-with-the-federal-e>]

May 2016: Trump’s Personal Financial Disclosure Claimed Income In Excess Of $557 Million. “The newly filed PFD shows a tremendous cash flow, and a revenue increase of approximately $190 million dollars (which does not include dividends, interest, capital gains, rents and royalties). This income was utilized, among other things, for the funding of construction projects at various multi-million dollar developments, reduction of debt and the funding of the campaign. Mr. Trump’s income as reported in the PFD statement is in excess of $557 million (which does not include dividends, interest, capital gains, rents and royalties). Mr. Trump's net worth has increased since the last statement was filed in July of 2015. As of this date, Mr. Trump's net worth is in excess of $10 billion dollars.” [Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 5/17/16<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-files-personal-financial-disclosure-form-with-the-federal-e>]

HEADLINE: “In Trump University Book, Tax Avoidance Strategies Its Namesake May Love.” [CNN, 5/18/16<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/politics/trump-university-taxes/index.html?sr=twpol051816trump-university-taxes1132AMVODtopLink&linkId=24624700>]

Trump University Touted A 2007 Book On How To Avoid Taxes Called “Asset Protection 101: Tax And Legal Strategies Of The Rich.” “Donald Trump's opponents have posited no shortage of theories for why the New York billionaire would be wary of releasing his tax returns. High on the list? The likely use of extensive tax avoidance strategies. None other than Trump University -- the now-defunct education company named after the tycoon -- heartily touts a book explicitly designed to help people do just that: avoid taxes. The book, ‘Asset Protection 101: Tax and Legal Strategies of the Rich,’ lays out in extensive detail strategies to keep the U.S. government away from the readers' assets. It minces no words on its intent, at one point telling readers ‘the topic of asset protection is amazing, cunning, baffling, powerful and tricky.’ Trump wrote the foreward to the book, which was authored by attorney J.J. Childers and published in 2007 under the Trump University banner -- part of a series of books promoted as ‘practical, straightforward primers on the basics of doing business the Trump way -- successfully." [CNN, 5/18/16<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/politics/trump-university-taxes/index.html?sr=twpol051816trump-university-taxes1132AMVODtopLink&linkId=24624700>]

The 2007 Book, “Asset Protection 101: Tax And Legal Strategies Of The Rich,” Directed Readers How To Enroll In Trump University Courses. “Donald Trump's opponents have posited no shortage of theories for why the New York billionaire would be wary of releasing his tax returns. High on the list? The likely use of extensive tax avoidance strategies. None other than Trump University -- the now-defunct education company named after the tycoon -- heartily touts a book explicitly designed to help people do just that: avoid taxes. The book, ‘Asset Protection 101: Tax and Legal Strategies of the Rich,’ lays out in extensive detail strategies to keep the U.S. government away from the readers' assets… But it's not just a how-to manual. It's also a marketing vehicle for one of Trump's now shuttered educational businesses: Trump University. At the conclusion of the book is an advertisement for a series of programs, books and even an immersive retreat. The closing message: ‘The road to wealth is a choice, but only if you take these steps.’ It then provides contact information for to enroll in Trump University courses.” [CNN, 5/18/16<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/politics/trump-university-taxes/index.html?sr=twpol051816trump-university-taxes1132AMVODtopLink&linkId=24624700>]

Donald Trump Wrote The Forward For A 2007 Book On Tax Avoidance: “If You're Not Satisfied With The Status Quo In Your Career, Read This Book, Pick One Key Idea And Implement It. I Guarantee It Will Make You Money.” “The book, ‘Asset Protection 101: Tax and Legal Strategies of the Rich,’ lays out in extensive detail strategies to keep the U.S. government away from the readers' assets. It minces no words on its intent, at one point telling readers ‘the topic of asset protection is amazing, cunning, baffling, powerful and tricky.’ Trump wrote the foreward to the book, which was authored by attorney J.J. Childers and published in 2007 under the Trump University banner -- part of a series of books promoted as ‘practical, straightforward primers on the basics of doing business the Trump way -- successfully." [CNN, 5/18/16<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/politics/trump-university-taxes/index.html?sr=twpol051816trump-university-taxes1132AMVODtopLink&linkId=24624700>]

Trump: “I Pay As Little As Possible” In Taxes. “I Use Every Single Thing In The Book.” “Trump has repeatedly said he would be willing to pay more in taxes and a central component to his tax proposal is simplifying the jumbled, unruly and loophole-filled tax code. When it comes to tax policy, Trump has said, his focus is tax relief for the middle class. Yet Trump has also made clear that as it currently stands, the real estate mogul seeks to find as many ways to legally avoid paying more taxes as possible. ‘I mean, I pay as little as possible. I use every single thing in the book,’ Trump told supporters in Iowa in January -- a reference to loopholes that exist in tax code in general, not the Trump University book specifically. ‘And I have great people.’ He's also made clear those strategies often play a role in the deals he pursues. ‘It's a factor,’ Trump told the Wall Street Journal. "Sometimes, depending on what it is, it becomes an important factor. But taxes are always a factor for me and for everybody else.’" [CNN, 5/18/16<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/politics/trump-university-taxes/index.html?sr=twpol051816trump-university-taxes1132AMVODtopLink&linkId=24624700>]

A Former Chief Tax Counsel For The Senate Finance Committee Said She “Would Definitely Expect That [Trump] Is Making Use Of 1031 For Properties That He And His Companies Own.” “In that disclosure, which allows candidates to release their holdings in broad ranges, Trump lists his most valuable assets -- classified only as worth ‘over $50 million’ -- as his real estate holdings. Given that, according to Lily Batchelder, a professor at New York University School of Law, said it's only logical that Trump would've sought to benefit from the break. ‘I would definitely expect that he's making use of 1031 for properties that he and his companies own,’ said Batchelder, who formerly served as the chief tax counsel for the Senate Finance Committee. ‘It creates a big tax sheltering opportunity -- and is particularly generous for real estate.’" [CNN, 5/18/16<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/politics/trump-university-taxes/index.html?sr=twpol051816trump-university-taxes1132AMVODtopLink&linkId=24624700>]

Women

Trump Said The Allegations In A New York Times Story About His Conduct Around Women “Were Not Very Serious” And Some People “Thought It Was Actually A Good Story.” TRUMP: “I’ve never seen anything like it… It just doesn’t stop. You read the ‘New York Times’ did this massive front-page story. And now all the women are coming out and saying it’s phony… Now today, the lady from Utah came out-- These were not very serious violations to be honest with you. In fact, somebody thought it was actually a good story. I don’t say good or bad. I say it was a nasty story, really written with a bad heart. The people are now saying it was false, falsely written. The New York Times, I call it the failing New York Times, because it is failing badly as a paper. Financially, it is going to be out of business in the near future. But they wrote it with evil in their hearts.”  [Lars Larson Radio Show, 5/17/16]

In Rallies And Interviews, Trump Planned To Highlight His Company’s History Of Hiring Women For Senior Positions And Refute Specific False Claims About His History With Women. “Trump plans to counter the attacks personally. His campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said the candidate would respond in a series of rallies and media appearances and highlight, among other things, his real estate firm’s history of hiring women for senior positions. ‘This is deeply personal for Mr. Trump,’ Lewandowski said. ‘He will do anything he can to correct the narrative. He wants to point to specific things that are absolutely false about him and go out and talk about them.’ Unlike in typical campaigns, Trump will not hold staged events with women or make other overtures to coveted voting blocs, Lewandowski said. ‘I don’t think he’ll pander to anybody,’ he said. ‘The message will be the same to everybody’…In the coming weeks, Trump said, ‘I may explain this stuff during speeches.’ He added, ‘It may be old news, it may not be old news, but I’m just telling you.’” [Washington Post, 5/17/16<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-plan-to-rehabilitate-his-image-explain-past-controversies/2016/05/17/de2225da-1c37-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html>]

Ivanka Trump Defended Her Father, Donald: “I'm Not In Every Interaction My Father Has, But He's Not A Groper. It's Not Who He Is.” “Ivanaka also rejected a former colleague's claim that she had been groped by Donald Trump during a business meeting. ‘I'm not in every interaction my father has, but he's not a groper. It's not who he is,’ she said. ‘And I've known my father obviously my whole life and he has total respect for women. He was promoting women in development and construction at a time when it was unheard of. There was no trend towards equality in the real estate and construction industry back in the 1980s. And he was doing it because he believes ultimately in merit.’" [CBS News, 5/18/16<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ivanka-trump-defends-donald-new-york-times-article-attacks-against-women-business-working-woman/>]

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Used To Party At The Playboy Mansion.” [Page Six, 5/16/16<http://pagesix.com/2016/05/16/donald-trump-used-to-party-at-the-playboy-mansion/>]

Former Playboy Playmate Holly Madison: “It’s Kind Of Surreal Seeing Donald Trump Run For President Because I Used To See Him At Parties Sometimes And Run Into Him.” “Donald Trump may be headed toward the White House, but a few years ago, he was no stranger at another national landmark: the Playboy Mansion. ’I met Donald Trump a few times,’ Holly Madison, former Playboy playmate, told Page Six on Monday. ‘But I don’t know him well or anything. He was always polite and really nice.’ Madison, 36, lived at the Playboy Mansion and starred in ‘The Girls Next Door,’ a reality show on E! about life with Hugh Hefner, from 2005 to 2009. She has since gone on to pen ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ and ‘The Vegas Diaries,’ two memoir-style books about her time with Hefner and the consequential years performing in Las Vegas. ‘It’s kind of surreal seeing Donald Trump run for president because I used to see him at parties sometimes and run into him,’ Madison continued. ‘I was a judge at his Miss USA pageant when he used to own it so it’s definitely kind of surreal … and weird.’” [Page Six, 5/16/16<http://pagesix.com/2016/05/16/donald-trump-used-to-party-at-the-playboy-mansion/>]

Abortion

Trump: “Women Punish Themselves” For Having Abortions. “Then there was his interview the previous week with the MSNBC host Chris Matthews, who asked him whether his pro-life views meant that he also supported criminal penalties for a woman who had an abortion. Trump had replied that yes, there should be ‘some form of punishment.’ Now he argued to me, rather unconvincingly, that he had been misinterpreted: ‘I didn’t mean punishment for women like prison. I’m saying women punish themselves. I didn’t want people to think in terms of ‘prison’ punishment. And because of that I walked it back.’ A more believable explanation, furnished by a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, is this: Trump, a serial non-apologizer, initially saw nothing wrong with his remark and refused to walk it back.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump On Advocating “Some Form Of Punishment” For Women Who Receive Abortions: “I Didn’t Mean Punishment For Women Like Prison. I’m Saying Women Punish Themselves. I Didn’t Want People To Think In Terms Of ‘Prison’ Punishment. And Because Of That I Walked It Back.” “Then there was his interview the previous week with the MSNBC host Chris Matthews, who asked him whether his pro-life views meant that he also supported criminal penalties for a woman who had an abortion. Trump had replied that yes, there should be ‘some form of punishment.’ Now he argued to me, rather unconvincingly, that he had been misinterpreted: ‘I didn’t mean punishment for women like prison. I’m saying women punish themselves. I didn’t want people to think in terms of ‘prison’ punishment. And because of that I walked it back.’ A more believable explanation, furnished by a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, is this: Trump, a serial non-apologizer, initially saw nothing wrong with his remark and refused to walk it back. Only when every network chief executive and over 100 media outlets besieged the Trump campaign with requests for additional comment on how women should be punished for abortions did the Trump campaign turn to an ally: Chris Christie, whose tenure as the Republican governor of the blue state of New Jersey had given him experience placating both social conservatives and the moderate voters Trump hoped to attract in the general election. A member of Christie’s political team helped draft a statement that essentially repudiated Trump’s earlier one.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump Turned To Chris Christie And Christie’s Political Team For Help Writing A Statement To Walk Back His Comments Supporting Punishment For Women Receiving Abortions. “Only when every network chief executive and over 100 media outlets besieged the Trump campaign with requests for additional comment on how women should be punished for abortions did the Trump campaign turn to an ally: Chris Christie, whose tenure as the Republican governor of the blue state of New Jersey had given him experience placating both social conservatives and the moderate voters Trump hoped to attract in the general election. A member of Christie’s political team helped draft a statement that essentially repudiated Trump’s earlier one.” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Trump Said His Position On Planned Parenthood Was “A Very Good Issue For Me” For The General Election. “Trump did not accept the concern that his more incendiary statements had alienated women and minorities and thereby made him unelectable. ‘I’m going to be better to women on women’s issues than Hillary Clinton and everybody else combined,’ he would later tell me. Now, sipping his Coke, he cited his moderate-for-a-Republican view that Planned Parenthood was a valuable women’s health care organization, albeit one that should not receive federal funding as long as it performed abortions. ‘Frankly, for the general election I think that’s a very good issue for me,’ he said. ‘Structurally, it’s very hard, almost impossible, for a heavily conservative Republican to win, because of the Electoral College.’” [New York Times Magazine, 5/18/16<http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/donald-trump-primary-win.html?_r=0&referer=>]

Melania Trump

Melania Trump Said “People Find It Exciting” To Have To Go Through Security To Get Into Trump Tower. “We sit down on a cream-colored couch, and I mention the chaos in the lobby below, wondering aloud: Why would anyone come to a Starbucks that requires a security pat-down? ‘I think people find it exciting,’ Melania says in her hypnotic, heavily-accented English. ‘To be in the building and to go through that.’” [DuJour, 5/17/16<http://dujour.com/news/melania-trump-interview/>]

Barron Trump Liked Starbucks Frappuccinos. “We sit down on a cream-colored couch, and I mention the chaos in the lobby below, wondering aloud: Why would anyone come to a Starbucks that requires a security pat-down? ‘I think people find it exciting,’ Melania says in her hypnotic, heavily-accented English. ‘To be in the building and to go through that.’ Presumably Melania can avoid that agitation and have her morning Starbucks order sent up directly, right? ‘I don’t drink Starbucks,’ she says. You don’t drink coffee? I ask. ‘I drink coffee, but I don’t drink Starbucks. My son likes it, the what do you call it? The Frappuccino? He likes that.’ I don’t get the impression that Melania’s throwing shade at Americans who subsist on 10,000-calorie coffee drinks. This is more like something Gwyneth Paltrow would say on Goop and we’d all roll our eyes but secretly love it. Except this woman’s husband is running for president, and in today’s media environment, any off-script thought immediately becomes a scandal.” [DuJour, 5/17/16<http://dujour.com/news/melania-trump-interview/>]

Melania Trump On Objectifying Comments Made About Her: “I’m Not Only A Beauty, I’m Smart. I Have Brains. I’m Intelligent. I Would Just Say, Men Will Be Men.” “Earlier that day, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews was caught ogling her walk, accidentally muttering on-air: ‘My God, is that good. I could watch that runway show.’ ‘Unbelievable,’ she says of Matthews’ comment. ‘That’s what I’m saying! I’m not only a beauty, I’m smart. I have brains. I’m intelligent.’ She exhales, adding: ‘I would just say, Men will be men.’ She uses that same phrase—“Men will be men”—when asked about Donald’s old appearances on Howard Stern’s show, which recently resurfaced online. Stern once asked if Donald would stay with Melania if she suffered a horrific car accident, and he replied: “How do the breasts look?” A similar vibe was conveyed when Trump came out on stage at a town-hall meeting at the University of Pennsylvania in 1999 and shouted, ‘Where’s my supermodel?’” [DuJour, 5/17/16<http://dujour.com/news/melania-trump-interview/>]

Melania Trump Said She Frequently Challenged Her Husband, Donald, And Gave Him Advice. “She continues: ‘To be married to my husband, to someone successful as he is, he needs somebody who will tell him the truth. Somebody smart, you know. It’s not just like I’m there and I’m just doing things for him. People say I’m not on the campaign, [but] I’m very involved from home.’ She may DVR Empire (which she calls ‘interesting, something for fun’), but nightly she’s glued to CNN or Fox News. ‘I like to know exactly what’s going on,’ she says. ‘I give a lot of advice to my husband and tell him how it is and how I see it. I’m not backing off. I tell him the truth.’ She also reveals that she’s the one in the family who has his ear. ‘After a speech, the kids are calling me—Ivanka, [his] sons—saying, ‘Call dad and tell him this and that. He’s listening to you.’ They know I would talk to him and put him in the right direction. Sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn’t. He will decide what he does.’ When was the last time you challenged him? I ask. ‘This morning!’ she says, letting out a big laugh. Was it about something political? ‘No, something else,’ she says, almost giggling. “I cannot say. It’s too private. He was upset about some stuff, and I said, ‘Hey, wake up! You did it. Now deal with it.’ ” [DuJour, 5/17/16<http://dujour.com/news/melania-trump-interview/>]

1998: Donald Trump Met His Wife Melania At The Kit Kat Club At A Fashion Week Party Thrown By Paolo Zampolli. “Melania met Donald at the Kit Kat Club in 1998, at a fashion week party thrown by Paolo Zampolli, the founder of ID Models. She was friendly with Zampolli’s girlfriend, who invited her out that night, telling her they’d pick her up in the car on the way. Melania had no premonition that she’d meet her husband that night. In fact, Donald had arrived with another woman—and tried to get Melania’s phone number while his date was in the bathroom.” [DuJour, 5/17/16<http://dujour.com/news/melania-trump-interview/>]

Melania Trump On Her Husband, Donald: “He’s Not Hitler.” “The Muslim ban—which Donald had re-affirmed his support of that very morning—led Michael Bloomberg to call him a demagogue. When I mention that the comedian Louis C.K. flat out compared Trump to Hitler, Melania stares blankly back at me. Do you know who Louis C.K. is, I ask. ‘No,’ she says, shaking her head. But she continues: ‘We know the truth. He’s not Hitler. He wants to help America. He wants to unite people. They think he doesn’t but he does. Even with the Muslims, it’s temporary.’ She concedes: ‘Maybe he needs to say it in a softer way. He doesn’t go after religions. He feels like we need to know who’s coming to this country. If not, we don’t have a country. That’s how he feels. We see how he is, and he wants to unite the country and bring people together and bring jobs back.’” [DuJour, 5/17/16<http://dujour.com/news/melania-trump-interview/>]

·         Melania Trump: “We Know The Truth. He’s Not Hitler. He Wants To Help America. He Wants To Unite People. They Think He Doesn’t But He Does. Even With The Muslims, It’s Temporary.” [DuJour, 5/17/16<http://dujour.com/news/melania-trump-interview/>]

Melania Trump On Anti-Semitic Threats Received By A GQ Reporter Who Wrote A Profile On Her: “She Provoked Them.” “I can’t help but wonder what kind of hate speech her supporters might unleash on me for asking a few pointed questions. A GQ reporter who dug into her family’s past—turning up the existence of a secret 50-year-old half-brother in her native Slovenia whom her father has never acknowledged—was subjected to anti-Semitic threats online. Of the GQ article, Melania says: ‘I have thick skin. It doesn’t bother me if they write about me because I know who I am. But what right does the reporter have to go and dig in court in Slovenia in 1960 about my parents? They’re private citizens. If they go after me, it’s different. But to do that, it’s a little bit nasty, it’s a little bit mean.’ So if people put a swastika on my face once this article comes out, will she denounce them? ‘I don’t control my fans,’ Melania says, ‘but I don’t agree with what they’re doing. I understand what you mean, but there are people out there who maybe went too far. She provoked them.’” [DuJour, 5/17/16<http://dujour.com/news/melania-trump-interview/>]

Hillary Clinton

Trump Criticized Hillary Clinton’s Plan To Involve Bill Clinton In Economic Policy: “The Wife Wants To Make Him In Charge Of The Economy.” “Trump has been criticized for offering far fewer specific policy proposals than his likely Democratic rival for the Nov. 8 presidential election, Hillary Clinton. He took a dim view of Clinton's stated desire to put her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in charge of building up the U.S. economy. ‘The wife wants to make him in charge of the economy,’ Trump said.” [Reuters, 5/17/16<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Y82JO>]

Trump: “Wall Street Paid For Ad Is A Fraud, Just Like Crooked Hillary! Their Main Line Had Nothing To Do With Women, And They Knew It. Apologize?” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/17/16<https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/732717975090909185>]

Trump Said Hillary Clinton Should Drop Out If She Lost The Kentucky Primary. TRUMP: “Do you think Crooked Hillary will finally close the deal? If she can't win Kentucky, she should drop out of race. System rigged!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/17/16<https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/732716604027502592https:/twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/732717975090909185>]

Trump On Hillary Clinton: “She Needs The Women’s Card, And Of Course, She Needs To Ride On The Coattails Of Her Husband.” TRUMP: “If [Hillary Clinton] didn’t have the women card, she wouldn’t even be in politics. She needs the women’s card, and of course, she needs to ride on the coattails of her husband. But she needs the women’s card so badly.” [Lars Larson Radio Show, 5/17/16]

Trump: “If [Hillary Clinton] Didn’t Have The Women Card, She Wouldn’t Even Be In Politics.” TRUMP: “If [Hillary Clinton] didn’t have the women card, she wouldn’t even be in politics. She needs the women’s card, and of course, she needs to ride on the coattails of her husband. But she needs the women’s card so badly.” [Lars Larson Radio Show, 5/17/16]