Donald Trump: Reveal Classified Pages in 9-11 Report and ‘Saudi Arabia’s Role’

The Associated Press

by ALEX SWOYER19 Apr 2016Washington, DC1,256

GOP frontrunner Donald Trump says the public should see the 28 classified pages within the 9/11 Commission’s report on the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack.

“I think we should have seen it a long time ago,” the real estate mogul stated during an interview Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.”

The classified pages allegedly contain a link to Saudi Arabia, according to various media reports.

“I think I know what it’s going to say,” Trump speculated. “It’s going to be very, very profound, having to do with Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia’s role on the World Trade Center, and the attack.”

“And you know, I’ve said it for a long time. We attacked Iraq. And frankly by attacking Iraq – they were not the ones who knocked down the World Trade Center,” added Trump, who has long been a critic of President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. “Now I’ve been saying that for a long time. Let’s see what the papers say … I think they’re going to be finally, at least in some form, released.”

Commenting the rumor that Saudi Arabia may be linked to the attack, Trump said, “You know, It’s sort of nice to know who your friends are, and perhaps who your enemies are.”

“But you’re going to see some very revealing things released in those papers and I look forward to reading them,” he added.

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Paul Ryan and Obama Team Up To Block 9/11 Bill

Bipartisanship Breaks Out to Block 9/11 Bill

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A Senate bill that would allow families of those killed in the 9/11 attacks to sue the Saudi government has achieved a rare Washington distinction, by uniting the Obama administration and some of its fiercest GOP critics.

President Barack Obama, Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., are rallying to kill the bipartisan plan that would make it possible for American citizens to sue foreign governments believed to be linked to terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest warned the legislation could lead other countries to craft even broader versions that could do significant harm to the U.S. government.

“It certainly is plausible … that that other countries when they're implementing these laws would not tailor them so specifically,” Earnest said. “And that does open up the United States to a unique degree of risk, and putting our country, our taxpayers, our service members and our diplomats in legal jeopardy in that way is contrary to our interests.”

Earnest said it would be “unwise” for the Senate to pass the legislation, “particularly when there is an alternative mechanism for us to resolve these kinds of issues with other countries.”

That alternative, he said, is “the essence of diplomacy.”

Shortly before Earnest appeared in the White House briefing room, Ryan spoke out against the so-called '9/11 bill.'

“I think we need to look at it,” Ryan told reporters at the Capitol. “I think we need to review it to make sure we are not making mistakes with our allies and that we’re not catching people in this that shouldn’t be caught up in this.

“The White House is opposed to it. It’s received some opposition here. We’re going to let these things work the process,” he added. “We’ll see where it goes from there.”

Administration officials are “gratified” to have Ryan as an ally as they try to block the legislation.

There has long been speculation that some members of the Saudi ruling family provided support to the al-Qaida hijackers on 9/11.

The White House on Tuesday picked up another unlikely partner in Graham, a hawkish Armed Services member and former GOP presidential candidate who is a frequent critic of Obama on foreign policy and national security matters. Graham placed a hold on the bill, wanting to review changes that have been made.

In fact, the legislation appears to align the president with many more Republican members than Democrats. Such scenarios, save a handful like trade bills, have been few and far between during Obama’s presidency.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada says that in the Senate, it's Republicans that are more split.

"I support it, almost everyone in the caucus supports it," Reid said of his Democrats.

Earnest acknowledged that this White House’s alliances with GOP members “is rare.”

“But I think in this instance it is an indication of just how significant these questions are, and, you know, we're obviously gratified that there are other Republicans who have taken … a close look at this legislation and recognized the serious, unintended consequences that could result from its passage,” he said.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday declined to discuss prospects for the bill, which is sponsored by Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas and the No. 3 Senate Democrat, Charles E. Schumer of New York.

Graham appears to be "concerned with the way that this administration has treated our allies, and particularly Saudi Arabia as a result of the misguided Iran nuclear deal,” Cornyn told reporters. “And now the president seems to want to use the leverage of the 9/11 families in order to somehow mollify or cure that rift that the president has created.

"This is really narrow provision, which only has to do with terrorist attacks on our own soil," Cornyn said, adding that it wasn't necessarily the case that it would apply to Saudi Arabia. "Let's let the chips fall where they may."

Saudi leaders have threatened to sell $750 billion in U.S. assets should the 9/11 victims bill become law. Earnest, however, seemed to dismiss that threat earlier this week , saying the Middle East power is a "large economy" and has no interest in destabilizing the global economy.

On a related note, Reid said that he supported the position of members of the independent, bipartisan commission that investigated the attacks, who want to see 28 pages of their report that remain classified be made public. The material is believed to draw a picture of foreign support for the 9/11 hijackers.

White House officials are actively contacting members to make their case. Earnest said the administration would like to have “a dialogue” with lawmakers about the legislation.

Contact Bennett atjohnbennett@cqrollcall.com. Follow him on Twitter @BennettJohnT.

Contact Lesniewski atnielslesniewski@cqrollcall.com and follow him on Twitter at @nielslesniewski.

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COMMENTS

Cruz, Hannity Spar Over Delegates: ‘The Only People Asking This Question Are the Hardcore Donald Trump Supporters

by IAN HANCHETT19 Apr 20166,259

GOP presidential candidate Texas Senator

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

97%

 and talk radio and Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity engaged in a testy exchange over the delegate process on Hannity’s radio show on Tuesday.

Hannity began the interview by asking, “I think the number one question on the minds of Republicans right now is what is going on with the delegates. For example, if you can explain to people that your campaign, that you have every right, within the rules, to talk to candidates, that are pledged on a first ballot, to candidate A or candidate C, you being candidate B. And that — tell us what that process is.”

Cruz answered that isn’t what people are concerned about, and are instead concerned about policy issues and beating Democratic candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Cruz further stated that “the media loves to obsess about process. This process, and this whining from the Trump campaign is all silly. It’s very, very simple –.”

Hannity then cut in to say, “I’m on social media, with millions of people. I have 550 radio stations. And I have the top-rated cable in my hour, all across the board. And I am telling you, that people are telling me, that they find this whole process confusing.” He further stated that this wasn’t a “process question. It’s an integrity of the election question. And everybody’s asking me this question. So, I want — I’m giving you an opportunity to explain it.”

Cruz responded, “Sean, the only people asking this question, are the hardcore Donald Trump supporters.” Hannity again cut in to ask, “Senator, why do you this? Every single time you…you’ve got to stop. Every time I have you on the air, and I ask a legitimate question, you try to throw this in my face. I’m getting sick of it. I’ve had you on more than any other candidate, on radio and TV. So, if I ask you, Senator, a legitimate question to explain to the audience, why don’t you just answer it?”

Cruz then said, “Sean, can I answer your question without being interrupted?” Cruz then talked about the results in Utah, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Wyoming, all of which Cruz has won. He added, “Over 1.3 million people voted in those 5 states. We won all 5. All of this noise and complaining and whining has come from the Trump campaign, because they don’t like the fact that they’ve 5 elections in a row, that Republicans are uniting behind our campaign. So, they’re screaming, on Drudge, and it’s getting echoed, this notion of voterless election. It is nonsense. They are making it up. Over 1.3 million people voted. We won landslides in all 5.”

Cruz continued, “Now, there is a second component, beyond the elections, which is the individual delegates are elected by the people. Donald Trump’s campaign does not know how to organize on the grassroots. And so, when the delegates are elected, conservative activists, real conservative activists show up, and they elect delegates, and we are winning those elections over and over and over again. The Donald Trump campaign doesn’t know what they’re doing. They don’t show up. In Colorado, the Donald Trump team was handing out flyers asking their supporters to vote for a slate of delegates, they included Cruz delegates on their slate. They just — they didn’t even know how type up a piece of paper without getting it wrong. In Washington state, when Washington state elected their delegates, three days before the election, the Donald Trump campaign, in a panic, realized Washington state was getting ready to elect their delegates. They sent out an emergency email to their Washington supporters, but they screwed up, and sent it to their Washington, DC supporters, instead of their Washington state supporters. I cannot help that the Donald Trump campaign does not seem capable of running a lemonade stand. Elections are won by voters and grassroots activists showing up and voting for the candidate they support.”

He further argued that “[N]obody, as I travel the country, nobody is asking me this, other than the Trumpsters, and people repeating it.”

Hannity again asked Cruz to “explain what happens in these moments” with delegates after their states vote. Hannity added to the end of the question, “It’s a simple question. It’s not a Trump question. It’s a question about what’s going to happen. You’re arguing, Kasich is arguing, that this is going to be settled at the convention. And I think people need to understand it. Because, you know, most people don’t.”

Cruz responded by pointing to his recent victories in Utah, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Wyoming. He further stated that the Trump campaign was panicking because they were losing, and “Every time the people vote against them, they scream the election’s been stolen. No, when people vote against you, it means you’ve lost an election.” He then stated that delegates are elected by the people, “and if you want to elect delegates, your supporters come and vote. Every other presidential candidate knows that, and figured this out. And by the way, every presidential candidate has known how to figure this out in every prior cycle.”

He then declared, “The Donald Trump campaign doesn’t know what they’re doing. It’s a Kim Kardashian reality show. And so, in Georgia, they elected their delegates. And conservative grassroots activists showed up, and the conservative grassroots are overwhelmingly with us, so they elected Cruz delegates. That’s the democratic process.”

Hannity then asked, “What if the delegate selection doesn’t represent the will of the people in that particular district or area?” Cruz answered, “Sean, that’s why there’s an election.” Hannity then cut in to say he was asking about the event of a conflict, and “Senator, I don’t know why you’re mad. There’s no reason — I’m asking. I’m just trying to understand it. I’m really having a hard time understanding why you’re getting angry at this.”

Cruz said that he wasn’t mad at all. He then accused Trump’s campaign of trying to distract from real issues, and told Hannity, “And so, when you ask only about the nonsense, how about we ask — you know what people ask me when I travel around? How do we bring jobs back?”

Hannity cut in to say he’s asked Cruz those questions “more than anybody else.” Cruz countered by saying that Trump has refused to debate because he has no concrete proposals. He further stated that he doesn’t care about Trump, and doesn’t want to “talk about the nonsense that he wants to distract us from.”

Hannity again stated that he had talked more about substantive issues with Cruz more than anyone else, and that he’s merely trying to get Cruz to explain how the process him courting delegates in states that have already voted to vote for him on a second ballot, something Hannity said was within the rules, works so the audience can understand it.

Cruz then said, “Sean, it’s not a question of within the rules or not. It’s winning elections. These delegates are elected by the people, and when grassroots conservatives come out, we win. … And every time there’s an election that the conservative grassroots decide, we win.” Cruz further predicted that this dynamic would play out in Cleveland, and that he would get the majority of delegates.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter@IanHanchett

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GOP Establishment Plans to Vote for Hillary - The Rush Limbaugh Show

Fireworks After Your Host Says the GOP Establishment Plans to Vote for Hillary - The Rush Limbaugh Show

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RUSH: There is a story on the Trump side, somebody suggesting -- it's a media person, I forget exactly who, I didn't print it out. But it's simply one of these analysis pieces showing how Trump could get all the delegates in New York with only winning 40% of the popular vote. 

It was just an analysis, all coming under the theme of either everything's rigged or how in the world do states, party organizations, set up their processes here and how different they are from state to state.  And so it's my bad.  It's all about Pennsylvania.  It relates to nothing.  We'll save it for when the Pennsylvania primary comes around. 

Now, the latest on the polling data -- I mentioned that the momentum shift, some in the New York media, 'cause there are some in the New York media who really want Trump to be the nominee because they think Trump's gonna get shellacked in a landslide.  Remember, no matter where you go in the media, they want Hillary Clinton to win, and it's just like with the media and McCain back in 2008, softening him up and sucking up to him and had McCain thinking that the media was his base.  And of course they turned on him the minute there was a nominee on the Democrat side. 

So even now the media, New York-centric media, is, on balance, pro-Trump, but that's because they want Hillary to be elected.  And there is a bit of conventional wisdom throughout the media that Trump or Cruz, either one, will lose in a landslide to Hillary Clinton.  That's what they think.  I, of course, have stated often and will say again, I don't think it's true. 

You know, Hillary Clinton had another coughing fit.  There's something wrong with Hillary Clinton.  There's something wrong in the Hillary Clinton campaign.  She's gonna win New York.  Bernie's not gonna even get close.  If you want to talk about landslides, it looks like Hillary will have one in New York, maybe 10, 15 points, which is not gonna sit well with the Bernie people.  My point is that for all this talk of disjointed disunity on the Republican side, don't overlook what is happening on the Democrat side, 'cause it's a mess there. 

Now, the latest polling data from TheHill.com, Donald Trump now 40% nationally.  NBC News/Wall Street Journal.  Ted Cruz at 35%, John Kasich is at 24%, according to the poll.  Trump support's up 10 points from a March poll.  And in that poll, Cruz was at 27; Kasich was at 22.  So Trump is up after what has supposedly been a rotten two weeks for Trump on the delegate side.  Mitt Romney is saying that Trump's gonna win this if Cruz and Kasich stay in.  The explanation coming up with the audio sound bites in a moment, to hear why he thinks that. 

But let's go to the audio sound bites.  Martha MacCallum on Fox News this morning did something I think is kind of brave.  She played an audio sound bite of me from this program that you'll hear coming up in a moment and stood by it, in a sense, and she had a couple of guests. She had Rich Lowry from National Review and some Democrat that I have no idea who it was.  His name was Matthew Littman, a former speechwriter for Biden.  That's why I don't know who he is.  Anyway, here's the bite.  Here's how the segment opened, and you'll see what I'm talking about here as it unfolds.

MACCALLUM:  Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh argues that if either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz is the eventual Republican nominee, the party may be prepared to let Hillary Clinton win, and he explains why he thinks that is.

RUSH ARCHIVE:  The Republican establishment is prepared to vote for Hillary Clinton if it means holding on to their fiefdoms.  The party's primary objective is self-preservation, not winning the White House, in this cycle.  The dead giveaway for that is when you hear some of them openly, publicly say that they will vote for Hillary rather than Trump.  And some of them have even said that they'll vote for Hillary instead of Cruz.  It means they do not think the country's in crisis, they don't think anything of the sort.

MACCALLUM:  There's a lot of talk about exactly what Rush is saying in that sound bite.

RUSH:  Now, it's one thing for me to say it on the radio, and I have no problem.  It's true.  The only reason I said it is I have seen, and it's an increasing number of elected Republicans, some anonymously, some with names attributed, saying if it's Cruz, some saying if it's Trump, that they'd vote for Hillary.  And there's only one reason why, and that is they don't think the country's in crisis. They don't consider the Democrats and Hillary to be a real threat to their way of life, to the nation at large. They don't consider the Democrats to be a threat to the Constitution. And what's more important is holding on to what they have, keeping their establishment intact and their role in it intact.  And look, it's undeniable that they have said it. 

You've seen stories of these named Republicans, elected Republicans, a lot of senators -- I think five -- have said they're not even gonna go to the convention, even before we know who the nominee is 'cause everybody knows the nominee is gonna be either Trump or Cruz.  And they're not gonna go.  They're saying, "You know, I can do more for myself staying home with my voters.  Yes, I can stay and do a better job for myself back in my own constituency and dealing with people in my state."  It's not unprecedented, but it's weird. 

I mean, the focus of particularly this convention -- you know, if the Republican Party knows what it's doing -- you know, you've heard Trump talk about the need for this convention to have showbiz, that it's boring otherwise, you gotta find some showbiz aspects to the convention. They don't need to do anything other than let things --.  If you go to a contested convention and you have floor votes where the outcome is unknown, you're gonna have tune-in factor like they've never had for a convention, not since 1976.  The showbiz is built in if somebody doesn't get to 1,237.  The showbiz is simply drama, and the drama comes from an outcome not being known. 

So if the convention starts and there's not a nominee, I guarantee you the only place you're gonna want to be as an elected Republican is in Cleveland where this convention's gonna be because that's the only thing that's gonna be covered.  You're not gonna be covered back in your home state of Rhode Island or Maine or whatever while the action is hot and heavy in Cleveland. Even if there is a nominee, even if it's Trump at 1,237 before the convention, there's still gonna be fireworks.  The rules are still gonna have to be written.  Trump, as the nominee, is gonna be fighting for control of the convention, fighting for control of the logistics and of the agenda. 

So I don't know what kind of planning actually needs to happen here for there to be showbiz because it's built into this.  I mean, this whole campaign has been showbiz, from that standpoint, meaning the great unknown equaling drama.  Why do you think NFL games are the highest rated television programs in this country?  I'm talking about regular season, some 4:30 starts, some of the prime time starts, not playoffs, regular season, why do you think it is?  Because NFL games -- it's true of NBA and Major League Baseball, too, but the NFL right now happens to be the national pastime sports-wise.  It's the drama. 

It's the only thing on TV where you don't know the outcome.  You know how The Oprah show's gonna end. Somebody's gonna hug and somebody's gonna cry and their life's gonna get fixed.  You know how every crime drama on TV is gonna end.  The bad guy's either gonna get caught or he's not gonna get caught.  The bad guy's gonna get away with it and get caught the next episode or he's gonna get caught and everybody's gonna be sad. 

But there's no drama in terms of unknown. Depending on how good the program is if the writing is really good and the stories are good, they could overcome the fact that the outcome is known. But the NFL, I mean everything that happens in the game is unknown, everything playing out is drama.  And so that equals big tune-in.  Republican convention has the potential to have the same draw, without writing any showbiz into it.  Now, that's, again, if the convention is contested. 

Now, anyway, back to the sound bite here.  So Fox plays the sound bite here of me theorizing.  You don't see this discussed on TV.  We discuss it on radio.  It's just one of these things where that gap, the bridge to TV oftentimes this doesn't come up, something as open as, "Are Republicans actually going to vote for Hillary Clinton rather than vote for Donald Trump or Ted Cruz?"  Now, I'll let you hear Rich Lowry and this Democrat's reaction to it 'cause there's a couple more bites to it when we get back. 

 BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH:  Okay.  So after playing the sound bite where I say that it looks like I've heard of Republican establishment types saying that if Trump's the nominee or Cruz is the nominee, they will vote for Hillary or they will not vote. They just can't hold their nose and vote. The explanation for that is that it's only about one thing: Self-preservation.  If you can vote for Hillary Clinton... If you're Republican, establishment or otherwise, and you can vote for Hillary Clinton in this election cycle, then you can't possibly be in touch with where things are in this country. 

You cannot possibly understand how the vast majority of the people in this country feel and think about what has been done to their country in the past year, seven-and-a-half years.  You are solely into yourself, and that means all you care about is maintaining the Republican Party as it is no matter how insignificant it is related to the Democrat Party.  At least it's there and you have your spot in it. You're in the establishment, you've got your connections, and whatever it means to you, you're still in the club. The club still exists; and that's what's paramount, and that is our problem, one of many. 

Here's Rich Lowry reacting when Martha MacCallum said, "Do you agree with Rush, Rich?"

LOWRY:  Yeah, there's a lot of talk like that, but that has nothing to do with voting for Hillary Clinton.  And I think if Trump's the nominee, you would see the party establishment -- at least as it's exemplified in the RNC and most elected officials -- getting on board with Trump, even if tentatively and with a lot of hesitation.  It's only as clear if Trump is gonna crash and burn in a general election; then you would see everyone scurrying for cover. And the irony of what Rush is saying, actually, Trump is gonna be desperate for establishment support, and especially establishment money, if he's the nominee. Because he's not liquid enough, certainly, to fund his own campaign.

RUSH:  That happens to be true.  And Rich's point here that, yeah, he's heard talk of people voting for Hillary but it has nothing to do with voting for Hillary? That's precisely right.  That makes it even worse.  It's not that they're voting for Hillary. It is that they are voting for themselves, and voting for Hillary is what preserves themselves.  You know, I'm hit with this allegation all the time.  I have been hit with it for 27 years.  It comes at me, "You really want the Democrats to win, don't you?

"You'd much rather have the Democrats in the White House so you have something to talk about every day.  You'd much rather have the Democrats do a by do's you can stand up and oppose it.  Otherwise if your buds are in the White House, you have agree with 'em every day all the time."  You could not be farther wrong if anybody is of that opinion.  People like Obama win the White House twice, when Clinton wins it twice, I am maybe more devastated than the average voter is, because part of me takes it personally. 

And then I get myself back into focus and realize that it's not that, but it's bothers me to no end.  It still does.  I can't... What's happening to the country bugs the heck out of me, scares me, worries me, depresses me, angers me.  And that's why, folks, to me the objective here is beating Hillary Clinton or whoever they nominate. I don't care who. It's beating the Democrat Party.  When I tell you that I think the most destructive force in the country today is American liberalism, worldwide liberalism, it is.  The evidence is abundant.  It's all around us. 

And they have to be defeated politically.  And that's why I make a big deal of this when I hear Republicans say, "Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, if Trump's the nominee, if Cruz is the nominee, I'm voting a Hillary."  That just frosts me, I can't tell you how much.  Now, the next bite she talks to the Matt Littman, the former speechwriter for Biden. Martha MacCallum says, "Okay.  Let's get to the heart of what Rush is saying.  He's saying, Matt, not that they don't like these candidates. 

"What he's saying is they're so desperate to hang onto the establishment, the cartel, as Ted Cruz calls it, that they're willing to throw their lot in with Hillary because they don't like these guys.  They think Cruz and Trump are gonna shake up the system, and they don't want the system be shaken up."  I think that's a pretty courageous stand for her to take in explaining to these guys what I mean.  Here's this guy's reaction to it.

LITTMAN:  Rush Limbaugh is not the first person to say that anybody who disagrees with him must have nefarious motives.  We hear that a lot on both sides right now.  But Rush Limbaugh's wrong.  There are a lot of people who think that Donald Trump would be terrible for America.  A lot of those people are in office, that's true.  Some of those people are on the Democratic side; a lot of those people are on the Republican side.  They do not want Donald Trump to be president because of the things that Donald Trump says.  That seems very reasonable.  The other thing I would say is, "Why are people still listening to Rush Limbaugh?"

MACCALLUM:  Plenty of people are listening to Rush Limbaugh, I can assure you.

RUSH:  Let me tell you, the point he says here about, "Rush Limbaugh isn't the first person to say anybody that disagrees with him has nefarious." It's not because they disagree with me.  And listen to this.  Here's a guy saying, "Yeah, I can understand voting against Trump for what he says."  What he says?  How about voting against Hillary because what she's already done and what we know she will do more of? These guys run around...  Have you seen? There's a video that's gone viral.  A guy went to a college campus.  I'll get the details somewhere. 

He wanted to find out from students what he could do or say to make them judge him to be wrong, and he couldn't find anybody.  He's about five ten, 180, and he says, "I am a six-foot-five Chinese woman.  I'm telling you right now, I'm a six-foot-five Chinese woman.  What's your reaction?"  "Well, I can't condemn that, if that's what you think you are.  If you want to be -- if that's who you are -- it's not for me to tell you that you're not a six-foot five-inch Chinese woman."  And he gave example after example, and not a'one of these students would condemn him, judge him, say he was wrong. 

It has led to a great discussion.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH:  Politico headline: "Trump's Staffers Face Threat of Blacklist -- Some political operatives are shying away from working for Trump for fear of being shunned by the establishment."  Can anybody say See, I Told You So on this establishment stuff?  I mean, they're circling the wagons here, folks.  It's all... What we're learning is, that's not new.  That's what's been going on the last seven years and maybe longer.

Personal Letter From Donald Trump To The American People

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April 16, 2016 admin  World News

Trump asks America a question: “How has the ‘system’ been working out for you and your family? No wonder voters demand change.”

Donald Trump, president and chief executive of Trump Organization Inc. and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, stands for a photograph after a Bloomberg Television interview at his campaign headquarters in Trump Tower in New York, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. According to Trump, Janet Yellen’s decision to delay hiking interest rates is motivated by politics. Photographer: John Taggart/Bloomberg via Getty Images *** Local Capton *** Donald Trump

The following is a letter Mr. Trump released Thursday.

By DONALD J. TRUMP

April 14, 2016 7:18 p.m. ET

On Saturday, April 9, Colorado had an “election” without voters. Delegates were chosen on behalf of a presidential nominee, yet the people of Colorado were not able to cast their ballots to say which nominee they preferred.

A planned vote had been canceled. And one million Republicans in Colorado were sidelined.

In recent days, something all too predictable has happened: Politicians furiously defended the system. “These are the rules,” we were told over and over again. If the “rules” can be used to block Coloradans from voting on whether they want better trade deals, or stronger borders, or an end to special-interest vote-buying in Congress—well, that’s just the system and we should embrace it.

Let me ask America a question: How has the “system” been working out for you and your family?

I, for one, am not interested in defending a system that for decades has served the interest of political parties at the expense of the people. Members of the club—the consultants, the pollsters, the politicians, the pundits and the special interests—grow rich and powerful while the American people grow poorer and more isolated.

No one forced anyone to cancel the vote in Colorado. Political insiders made a choice to cancel it. And it was the wrong choice.

Responsible leaders should be shocked by the idea that party officials can simply cancel elections in America if they don’t like what the voters may decide.

The only antidote to decades of ruinous rule by a small handful of elites is a bold infusion of popular will. On every major issue affecting this country, the people are right and the governing elite are wrong. The elites are wrong on taxes, on the size of government, on trade, on immigration, on foreign policy.

Why should we trust the people who have made every wrong decision to substitute their will for America’s will in this presidential election?

Here, I part ways with Sen. Ted Cruz.

Mr. Cruz has toured the country bragging about his voterless victory in Colorado. For a man who styles himself as a warrior against the establishment (you wouldn’t know it from his list of donors and endorsers), you’d think he would be demanding a vote for Coloradans. Instead, Mr. Cruz is celebrating their disenfranchisement.

Likewise, Mr. Cruz loudly boasts every time party insiders disenfranchise voters in a congressional district by appointing delegates who will vote the opposite of the expressed will of the people who live in that district.

That’s because Mr. Cruz has no democratic path to the nomination. He has been mathematically eliminated by the voters.

While I am self-funding, Mr. Cruz rakes in millions from special interests. Yet despite his financial advantage, Mr. Cruz has won only three primaries outside his home state and trails me by two million votes—a gap that will soon explode even wider. Mr. Cruz loses when people actually get to cast ballots. Voter disenfranchisement is not merely part of the Cruz strategy—it is the Cruz strategy.

The great irony of this campaign is that the “Washington cartel” that Mr. Cruz rails against is the very group he is relying upon in his voter-nullification scheme.

My campaign strategy is to win with the voters. Ted Cruz’s campaign strategy is to win despite them.

What we are seeing now is not a proper use of the rules, but a flagrant abuse of the rules. Delegates are supposed to reflect the decisions of voters, but the system is being rigged by party operatives with “double-agent” delegates who reject the decision of voters.

The American people can have no faith in such a system. It must be reformed.

Just as I have said that I will reform our unfair trade, immigration and economic policies that have also been rigged against Americans, so too will I work closely with the chairman of the Republican National Committee and top GOP officials to reform our election policies. Together, we will restore the faith—and the franchise—of the American people.

We must leave no doubt that voters, not donors, choose the nominee.

How have we gotten to the point where politicians defend a rigged delegate-selection process with more passion than they have ever defended America’s borders?

Perhaps it is because politicians care more about securing their private club than about securing their country.

My campaign will, of course, battle for every last delegate. We will work within the system that exists now, while fighting to have it reformed in the future. But we will do it the right way. My campaign will seek maximum transparency, maximum representation and maximum voter participation.

We will run a campaign based on empowering voters, not sidelining them.

Let us take inspiration from patriotic Colorado citizens who have banded together in protest. Let us make Colorado a rallying cry on behalf of all the forgotten people whose desperate pleas have for decades fallen on the deaf ears and closed eyes of our rulers in Washington, D.C.

The political insiders have had their way for a long time. Let 2016 be remembered as the year the American people finally got theirs.

Mr. Trump is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

Shared from the Wall Street Journal

Breitbart California Primary Projection: Trump 106, Cruz 66, Kasich 0

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Sandy Huffaker / Getty

by JOEL B. POLLAK18 Apr 2016391

If the California primary, scheduled for June 7, were held today, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump would likely win 106 delegates — 93 from congressional districts, plus 13 for winning statewide — while

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

97%

would win 66.

Ohio governor John Kasich could win 6 delegates, all from districts currently allocated to Trump, in which case the projection would be Trump 100, Cruz 66, Kasich 6.

The new projections are slightly more favorable for Trump than Breitbart News’previous projection (94 – 72 – 6), and is based on available public polling data, demographic data and qualitative analysis.

That win would likely bring Trump close to the 1,237 delegates for a majority on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, but not quite over the threshold, leading to a contested convention.

Analysis by the Associated Press estimatesthat Trump would need to win even more decisively in California — capturing 130 delegates — to secure the nomination. That would require winning an additional eight congressional districts relative to what Breitbart News has currently projected.

It is not impossible for Trump to do so, but he will be facing stiff competition from a well-organized, data-driven Cruz campaign.

On the Democratic side, Breitbart News projects that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would win 189 delegates to 128 for rival 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

16%

 — before “superdelegates” are taken into account. With that majority, Clinton would likely clinch the Democratic Party’s nomination.

It should be noted that Clinton’s lead in California narrowed considerably, particularly among Latino voters, during the period when Breitbart News’ analysis was undertaken. Therefore it is possible her margin of victory would be somewhat lower than projected. Likewise, Trump’s lead may be less than projected, given that Cruz enjoys a structural advantage in California, where the primary is “closed” — i.e. limited to registered Republicans.

Because the contested delegates in the Democratic primary in California are allocated on a proportional basis within each congressional district, and some districts have more delegates than others, it makes more sense for Clinton and Sanders to concentrate on districts where they are already strongest.

In contrast, because Republican delegates are awarded on a winner-takes-all basis, with three delegates in each district, candidates must venture beyond their “safe” seats to win.

The breakdown of seats in the Republican primary is currently as follows:

Safe Trump (11 districts, 33 delegates): 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 43, 50, 51, 52, 53Safe Cruz (6 districts, 18 delegates): 4, 9, 10, 16, 21, 23Leans Trump (15 districts, 45 delegates): 2, 8, 11, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46Leans Cruz (11 districts, 33 delegates): 3, 7 22, 25, 30, 36, 39, 41, 45, 48, 49Possible Kasich (2 districts, 6 delegates): 6, 12Toss-up (8 districts, 24 delegates): 1, 5, 15, 24, 27, 31, 33, 47

The current Breitbart News projection is based on a particular characterization of the race. But it is possible to project different outcomes by varying those assumptions.

It is possible, for example, for Cruz to win the state if he wins all of the “Safe Cruz” seats (18 delegates) and “Leans Cruz” seats (33 delegates); wins all or most of the “Toss-up” seats (24 delegates); and either prevails in the statewide vote (13 delegates) or wins about half of the current “Leans Trump” seats.

Cruz’s task in the state is made easier by the fact that there are so many places where he can compete with Trump. His best targets are in the Los Angeles and Inland Empire regions, where he has been polling well.

To win a large enough majority to secure the nomination outright, Trump will have to win all of the “Safe Trump,” “Leans Trump,” and “Toss-up” seats, and win several of the “Leans Cruz” seats, while denying Kasich victories in the Bay Area.

Kasich could win two, and perhaps as many as four, districts. He would need to focus on the more liberal Bay Area, as well as in beachfront districts in L.A. and Orange County, where he might hope to slip past the frontrunners by presenting himself as an alternative. Winning at least one or two districts would strengthen his case at a contested convention. In the few districts where Kasich is strongest, he is competing directly with Trump, but he is probably a spoiler against Cruz more widely.

Initial district-by-district analysis follows (click for more):

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EXCLUSIVE: Mexican Cartel Hitmen Forced to Wear Women’s Lingerie After Capture

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Cartel Chronicles, Breitbart Texas

by CARTEL CHRONICLES18 Apr 2016392

Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas and Coahuila to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities.  The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by “M.A. Navarro” from Ciudad Victoria.  

A Mexican Marine has made a sport out of hunting top cartel bosses and has found an interesting past-time. The Marine began mocking top cartel bosses by dressing up recently arrested gunmen in lingerie while forcing them to kiss each other for the comedic entertainment of his team.

Breitbart Texas spoke with various top officials with the Mexican Navy to learn about the exploits of Erick “El Marino Loko — The Hammer or Sr.Thor” Morales Guevara, a marine that will sometimes bend the rules but will get the job done. A series of images leaked exclusively to this outlet reveal the handy work of the top operative who has found unique ways of getting under the skin of fearsome cartel bosses.

The small mallet held by the suspected cartel gunman is a reference to the Mexican Marine known as Sr. Thor or The Hammer

While the persons consulted for this article acknowledge that the “El Marino Loko’s methods are unorthodox, and some not exactly legal, the results speak for themselves. Morales’ team has been behind a series of important arrests along with cash, drug and weapon seizures, that severely impaired the operations of drug cartels, the sources said.   

In Mexico’s underworld, manliness and masculinity are synonymous with bravery. For a cartel gunman to be paraded in such a “humiliating way” is a sure way to become famous in their eyes, a naval officer said.

At a little over 5 feet 7 inches, Morales Guevara was assigned to the border city of Reynosa in early 2015 with orders to arrest Julian “Comandante Toro” Loisa Salina, the regional leader for the Gulf Cartel. Taking the nickname Thor or Hammer, Morales Guevara was close to capturing Toro, but was suddenly sent down to the port city of Tampico. Once there, he switched his sights on a new target, Silvestre “El Chive” Haro Rodriguez. In Tampico, El Chive had been the top leader for the Gulf Cartel drawing the attention of the Hammer and his team.

During one of the top operations, Morales raided the house of Juvenal Hernandez Llano, the former Mayor of Altamira, Tamaulipas. Hernandez and his son revealed the location of one of the properties that El Chive used in the region. While raiding that property, Morales found the ashes of the cartel bosses father as well as a photograph commemorating his recent passing. Keeping with his tactics of finding unique ways to get under the skin of cartel bosses, Morales’ team defaced the picture leaving his calling card and rumors point to them having taken the ashes.

As part of the operation, Morales raided a house belonging to a top cartel leader known as “El Mimido” there the team gathered the gunmen, dressed them up in women’s lingerie and mocked them as he had them kiss each other in public to humiliate them. In that property, the Mexican marines found a large weapons cache that had been hidden in drums buried throughout the property.

Morales’ run in Tampico ended when the Gulf Cartel publicly accused him of corruption for stealing their weapons, stealing the ashes of El Chive’s father and having taken bribes. The banners making the accusations was all the excuse that some leading Mexican naval officers on the cartel’s payroll needed to get rid of The Hammer. They asked for him to be transferred out. Despite getting rid of him, Breitbart Texas reported that the top cartel boss known as El Chive was captured at a local hospital in Tampico. Most recently, Breitbart Texas reported on the capture of El Chive’s brother Marco Antonio Haro Rodriguez last week by Mexican federal authorities.

Mexican military officers and other federal officials being on the payroll of drug cartels has become a common occurrance along the Tamaulipas border. Breitbart Texas has reported in the past about how captured cartel bosses are able to bribe their way out of capture, even after fierce gun battles.

Citing operational security, Mexican officials did not specify what Morales is actually doing, but they stated that he is currently “having fun” in the Mexican state of Michoacan where he continues to capture and cross-dress his victims. 

The leaked images of the Hammer’s handy work come at a time when Mexican authorities have drawn criticism from news outlets in that country over allegations of harsh treatment of cartel members. Last week, Breitbart Texas was the only U.S. outlet that, along with a few Mexican outlets, received and published a leaked video that captured the moment that a female soldier and female federal cop asphyxiate a female cartel member during an interrogation. The female has since been identified as Elvira Santibanez, who remains at a Mexican prison for her role as part of the Familia Michoacana drug cartel that had been operating in Guerrero.

The release of the video that shows a crying woman having her head wrapped with a trash bag during an interrogation caused an uproar in Mexico that resulted in Mexico’s Defense Secretary making a public apology.

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