Archive for the ‘Mike Pence’ Category

Trump contradicts Pence on Comey – Politico

Pence has said this week that Trump fired the FBI director following the recommendation of the DOJ, but the president himself said Thursday that wasn't the case.

By Matthew Nussbaum , Josh Dawsey and Tara Palmeri

05/11/17 01:58 PM EDT

Vice President Mike Pence has once again delivered the White House line, in the face of growing contradictory evidence, on a charged topic related to Russias possible connections to the Trump campaign.

In meetings on Capitol Hill and in interviews, Pence has said this week that Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

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Let me be very clear that the presidents decision to accept the recommendation of the deputy attorney general and the attorney general to remove Director Comey as the head of the FBI was based solely and exclusively on his commitment to the best interests of the American people and to ensuring that the FBI has the trust and confidence of the people this nation, Pence told reporters Wednesday.

But Trump said in an interview with NBC on Thursday that hed planned to fire Comey no matter what Rosenstein told him. I was gonna fire regardless of recommendation, Trump told Lester Holt. Regardless of recommendation I was going to fire Comey.

People close to the White House say Pence knew the president was thinking about firing Comey before he met with Rosenstein on Monday. Trump, these people said, was frustrated with Comeys testimony and the growing Russia investigation scrutiny into his campaign. He also disliked Comeys testimony last week on Capitol Hill, particularly the FBI directors use of the word nauseous to describe his reaction to the idea that he may have influenced the election.

Pence, who hasn't assumed the traditional role of power player in the White House but is liked by many, signaled support for the decision, said one adviser to the president.

Pence knew this wasnt about Rosenstein writing a memo, the president seeing it and suddenly deciding to fire Comey, said this person. He knows better than that.

Pence allies on Wednesday said the vice president was merely pointing to the factual turn of events: Rosenstein sent a memo on Tuesday recommending Comeys dismissal, Attorney General Jeff Sessions seconded the opinion and Trump made the move. Pence had not specifically addressed who initiated the whole process, one noted.

As any new manager would come in, youre going to review the operations, said Pence press secretary Marc Lotter.

On Thursday, Lotter acknowledged that Pence may have been privy to previous conversations about Trumps desire to fire Comey.

He meets with the president, consults with the president, multiple times a day, Lotter told POLITICO. His involvement on the Comey issue was no different, he said.

Im not going to get into the timeline, Lotter said, when asked when Pence was made aware of the presidents decision.

But Lotter defended the remarks Pence gave on Wednesday.

The vice president and the White House laid out how the actions took place, he said. And the vice president was speaking yesterday to the events that led to the presidents decision.

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The firing again put the mild-mannered vice president in a difficult position of defending the president amid uncomfortable facts and fallout. Pence, who often wears his Christian faith on his sleeve and has said he doesnt drink around women unless his wife is present, had to defend Trump after the president said he grabbed women by the genitals.

In February, Pence assured the American people that, contrary to news reports, national security adviser Michael Flynn had not discussed sanctions during phone calls with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the transition. The White House said Flynn was fired for misleading Pence.

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Trump contradicts Pence on Comey - Politico

Mike Pence is neck-deep in Donald Trump’s James Comey mess – Salon

This has been a week that makes Democrats feel as if the world might right itself once again. President Donald Trumps abrupt firing of FBI director James Comey supposedly because of his unfair treatment of Hillary Clinton in the private email server case was so laughably ludicrous on its face that the immediate reaction was that the Republican line of defense would finally break down and he would finally be subject to serious bipartisan condemnation.

Whether that will actually come to pass remains to be seen. There have been some cracks in the GOP wall but its too soon to know how far that will take them. The good news is that Democrats are unanimous in their outrage, even including such normally mild mannered types such as Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who was ferocious in his criticism. That is an important element of any congressional action and its never something you can count on with the Democratic Party.

Press secretary Sean Spicertold the mediaon Tuesday night that the firing originated entirely in the Department of Justice and when a reporter asked if that meant Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein he said, it was all him. The next day the deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sandersappeared on MSNBCs Morning Joeand backed up that claim:

Its real simple. The deputy attorney general . . .made a very strong recommendation. The president followed it, and he made a quick and decisive action to fire James Comey.

Apparently, sometime between that interview and the daily briefing, Rosenstein complainedto the White House about being the scapegoat when he hadnt actually recommended Comeys firing. Sanders scrambled for an explanation, sayingthat, actually, Trump had been thinking about dismissing Comey for some time but his thoughts had been validated by Rosensteins opinion. Nobody much bought it but she managed to get through two days of briefings insisting that she was making sense.

But the man who really made the case to the press that the president was simply following the recommendation of the Department of Justice was Vice President Mike Pence, who couldnt have been more emphatic whenhe went up to Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning:

As has been stated repeatedly and the President has been told, hes not under investigation. There is no evidence of collusion between our campaign and any Russian officials

Let me be very clear that the Presidents decision to accept the recommendation of the deputy attorney general and the attorney general to remove Director Comey as the head of the FBI was based solely and exclusively on his commitment to the best interests of the American people and to ensuring that the FBI has the trust and confidence of the people this nation.

Unfortunately for Pence,the presidents interviewwith NBCs Lester Holt on Thursday evening pretty much ended all speculation about why Comey was fired when Trump incriminated himself:

In fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.

Trumps stream-of-consciousness dissembling gave him away.

At this writing there is no word from Pence about his comments on Wednesday morning. Hell likely dance around the truth and the media will let him off the hook as usual. But they shouldnt. Pence has been in the middle of all this Russia business at least since the transition, which he headed.

And he was in the middle of Comeys firing as well.According to the New York Times,Pence was among the small group of staff members with whom Trump had mulled the decision after he became angry over Comeys testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. So Pence knew very well that Trump had decided to fire Comey for his own reasons when he went before the cameras and said that the president had merely accepted the recommendation of the Deputy Attorney general.

For reasons that have more to do with style than substance, Pence is often given the benefit of the doubt in these situations, as if hes the patsy and has no idea his boss is a notorious liar. His furrowed brow and treacly Midwesternsanctimony seems to cover for the fact that hes extremely close to Trump and is usually in the room when these lies are hatched.

Going back to the campaign, recall that Pencelied dramaticallyin the debate with Democratic vice presidential candidateSen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, even claiming that he had never contrasted President Vladimir Putin favorably with President Barack Obama, despite videotape of him saying it. More important, Pence ran the transition after Trump fired Gov. Chris Christie. And it was during that period that General Michael Flynn was making his inappropriatephone callsto the Russian ambassador,writing op-edson behalf of the foreign government that was paying him when he wasnt dodging complaints abouthis sons white supremacist activities.

Mike Pence was the man in charge when all that was going on anddespite his Sgt. Schultz routineit turned out he had been thoroughly awareat the time about Flynns questionable activities,such as his work for the Turkish government. He apparently didnt think it was something worth worrying about.

It has never been fully explained why Trump failed to mention to Pence that he was going on TV and misleading the public about Flynns contacts with the Russian ambassador after Acting Attorney General Sally Yates sounded the alarm. Supposedly Pence only found out by reading it in the paper which makes you wonder why he wasnt as angry at the boss as he was at Flynn.

The fact is that the vice president is not a victim in all this. Hes a loyal member of the Trump team involved in all the top decisions, and its important that people remember that. If Trump were to vacate the job for one reason or another (there are so many possibilities) Pence would inherit the presidency. One hopes that nobody will mistake him for an innocent in all this and give him a mandate to govern. Hes with Trump every step of the way.

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Mike Pence is neck-deep in Donald Trump's James Comey mess - Salon

Vice President Mike Pence Met Privately With Top Russian Cleric – TIME

Vice President Mike Pence addresses the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians as Franklin Graham watches, Thursday, May 11, 2017, in Washington. The summit is hosted by Franklin Graham, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.Cliff OwenAP

A top cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin met privately with Vice President Mike Pence Thursday morning and urged the U.S. to cooperate with Russia to combat terrorism in the Middle East.

Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Moscow, who chairs the Russian Orthodox Churchs external relations department, spoke with Pence backstage at evangelist Franklin Grahams Washington summit on religious violence against Christians .

It is only one united, international anti-terrorist coalition which can combat terrorism and win, Hilarion told TIME during an interview in a suite at the Trump International Hotel in D.C., a few blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. The two countries should put these political differences aside.

A White House spokesman confirmed Pence's meeting with Hilarion and said the cleric's comments also reflected President Trump's views. Hilarion says that after talking with Pence, he feels very positive about the future of the relationship between the U.S. and Russia.

Last month, the White House accused the Russian government of covering up the Syrian regimes role in a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of people in a rebel-held town. In response to the attack, the U.S. launched a military strike on a Syrian airfield . Putin, who has backed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, condemned the strike.

The situation in Syria is indicative of the different approaches of America and Russia, Hilarion says. Any change of political regime could be implemented after the terrorists are expelled from the country.

Pence addressed Grahams summit on Thursday morning. He told the crowd that the topic of violence against Christians was of enormous importance to this administration, and called ISIS guilty of genocide against people of the Christian faith. Hilarion says he found Pences speech exceptional, and expects to meet with Putin when he returns home to discuss his conversation with Pence.

The backstage conversation was two years in the making. In late 2015, as refugees fled the war raging in Syria, Graham huddled with Hilarion at the cleric's home in Moscow. By the fireside, they brainstormed a global conference to raise awareness of violence against Christians in the Middle Eastthe most burning issue of our time, Hilarion says. Graham also met on that trip with Putin, who promised he would do all he could to help their cause.

The men planned a summit to be held in Moscow. But shortly after Donald Trump won the Republican nomination for president, Graham moved the event to Washington at the Russian leaders suggestion.

The relationship between the American evangelist and the Russian President has been forged amid rising tensions between the two nations and as Russia cracks down on religious freedom. But Graham says the two men share a commitment to protecting Christians abroad. Putin, Graham says, sees himself as the defender of the Christian remnant in Syria, and Christians and other religious minorities are largely safe if they live in areas the Syrian government controls.

America used to defend the Christians around the world, Graham says. We dont do that anymore.

Hilarion and Graham share common cause beyond protecting Christians in the Middle East. Both support Putins push to impose ultraconservative policiesincluding staunch opposition to abortion and gay rightsat a time of increasing secularization in the West.

When Hilarion addressed the summit Thursday morning, he spoke out not just against the physical violence some Christians face, but also the curtailment of peoples rights to the public expression of their faith, and the legalization of euthanasia and abortion in Western countries. He criticized the U.S. for its ideology aimed at supporting sexual minorities and the propaganda of the homosexual life. His remarks echoed Graham, who in 2014 praised Putin for protecting his nations children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda when Russia passed a controversial anti-gay law ahead of the Sochi Olympics.

Not all evangelical leaders welcome the idea of a partnership with the Russian Orthodox Churchand, by extension, the Russian government. Last summer Russia passed a law that restricted foreign missionary work. In April, the Russian Supreme Court banned Jehovahs Witnesses . The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom then recommended for the first time that Russia be named in the top tier of the worst international religious-freedom offenders. Even on Thursday , during the Washington summit, a Russian blogger was convicted of religious hatred for playing Pokemon Go in a Yekaterinburg church .

To say these are the defenders of Christianity belies credulity, says former Republican congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Its bizarre. Putins is a gospel-fighting regime, says Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Conventions public policy arm.

Graham's four-day summit aims to forge new partnerships, both religious and political. Grahams Samaritans Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association spent $4 million on the event, flying in some 600 participants from 136 countries. Attendees received a swag bag with a customized iPad loaded with conference materials. Select VIPs, like Hilarion, got rooms at the Trump International Hotelnot at the Mayflower Hotel a few blocks away, where nearly all conference events occur.

In addition to Pence, Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma spoke Thursday at the summit. Several of Trumps evangelical advisors flew in to participate, including Bachmann, Orlando pastor Paula White, Baptist pastor Jack Graham (no relation to Franklin) and National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference president Sam Rodriguez. Grahams staff also arranged for select conference participants to meet State Department officials.

Hilarion is encouraged by Russia's growing ties with U.S. evangelicals. We will continue to work closely with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association but also with the larger evangelical community of this country, he says. We have many allies.

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Vice President Mike Pence Met Privately With Top Russian Cleric - TIME

Kid asks for apology after getting accidentally backhanded by Mike Pence during Marlon Bundo’s debut – Indianapolis Star

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A persistentyoung visitor to the nation's capitalgot an apology from Mike Pence Tuesdayafter the vice president accidentally "bopped" the boy's face with the back of his hand during an event.

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A staff member tries to stop a boy from attempting to remove the Vice Presidential seal from the podium as Vice President Mike Pence speaks in his Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, May 9, 2017, during an event celebrating National Military Appreciation Month and National Military Spouse Appreciation Day.(Photo: Susan Walsh, AP)

A persistentyoung visitor to the nation's capitalgot an apology from Mike Pence Tuesdayafter the vice president accidentally "bopped" the boy's face with the back of his hand during an event.

The brief and humorous interaction happened as Pence and his wife welcomed military families to theEisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., according to Newsweek.

After Karen Pence introduced Marlon Bundo, the Pence family rabbit and BOTUS, Mike Pence took to the podium to express his gratitude to the families in attendance, and the kids who joined them at the mic.

That is when Pence extended his arm just a bit too far and brushed the face of a boy standing to his right. A minor thing, but the boy wasn't about to let it go ignored.

After Pence gave his closing remark and gave the bopped boy a high-five, the boy politely tried to get the vice president's attention by following him near the podium andsaying, "excuse me." At one point the child leaned close to the microphone and said, "you owe me an apology."

As soon as Pence realized, he turned to boy and said, "Oh, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to bop you."

More from the Marlon Bundo debut:First bunny overshadows Mike Pence during first White House appearance

Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter:@justinlmack.

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Kid asks for apology after getting accidentally backhanded by Mike Pence during Marlon Bundo's debut - Indianapolis Star

Mike Pence, Connie Lawson to study ‘voter fraud’ as part of Trump commission – Indianapolis Star

David Jackson and Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today Published 4:09 p.m. ET May 11, 2017 | Updated 14 hours ago

Earlier this week, the president told congressional leaders he believes 3 million to 5 million illegal ballots cost him the popular vote. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

President Trump boards Air Force One before his departure from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on May 4, 2017.(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)

WASHINGTON President DonaldTrump signed an executive order Thursday to set upa commission to study his unproven allegations of voter fraud in last year's presidential election, as he continues to grapple with the fallout from his abrupt and controversial firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The commission will be chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, who will be joined by up to 15other members, including Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson.Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has advocated for some of the most restrictiveelection laws in the country, will serve as the commission's vice chair.

"The president's committed to the thorough review of registration and voting issues in federal elections,'' saidWhite House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders."And that's exactly what this commission is tasked with doing.''

Trump, wholost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by nearly 2.9 million votes, has claimed that last year's election included up to 5 million fraudulent voters butthere is no evidence to back this assertion.

Trump'sexecutive order creating the "Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity'' comes as Democrats and other critics accuse him of firing Comey to obstruct an ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russians who tried to influence last year's election.

Read more:

Comey's fired. Here's what we know about probes into Trump campaign and Russia

Senate Democrats seek Comeys testimony amid new questions about his ouster

Comey fired before Justice Department could complete internal probe into his election actions

The president is planning a visit to the FBI headquarters in the coming days to calm the waters, administration officials said. But the unexpected announcement of the new commission which was not on Trump's public schedule for the day might be seen as a way to distract from the firestorm unleashed by the Comey firing earlier this week.

Voting rights advocates blasted the new executive order, calling ita distraction that doesn't address pressing issues such voter suppression.

We hold grave concerns about this commission and the impact that it will likely have on minority communities across our country," said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.In our view, President Trump has launched this commission to create a distraction from actual threats to our democracy, including ongoing voter discrimination, voter suppression and Russias interference in the 2016 election.

Meanwhile, federal and state election officials from both parties have disputed Trump's claims of massive voter fraud. They say there have been few, if any, incidents of people voting when they were not registered or voting by people who were not American citizens.

"Every election is going to have issues, but I dont think that 3 to 5 million people voting illegally was one of those issues," said Thomas Hicks, then-chairman of the federal Election Assistance Commission said inJanuary in USA TODAY.

Election officials have said they worryTrumps claims could shake the faith of voters, particularly at a time when the FBI and Congress are investigating whether Russia interfered in last years presidential election.

For his part, Trump has stood by his claim.

"We'll see after the committee," Trump toldTimemagazine in March.

The ordercalls forthe commissiontostudy the "vulnerabilities in voting systems and practices used for federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations and improper voting, including fraudulent voter registrations and fraudulent voting.''

The advisory commissionset up to"promote fair and honest federal elections''will hold public meetings and meet with federal state and local officials as well as election experts, according to the order. The commissionis expected topresent a report to the president next year.

"The experts and officials on this commission will follow the facts where they lead,'' Sanders said.

But voting rights advocates expressed doubts.Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, called the commission a sham and a distraction.

Brennan released a recentnationalreport thatdisputed Trump's claims of massive fraud.Of23.5 million votes cast in 42 jurisdictionsin last year's general election,about30 were incidents ofsuspectednoncitizen voting, the report found.

"All studies, including our own, have shown that voter fraud is vanishingly rare,'' Myrna Prez, deputy director of the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, said in a statement. "And, the myth of voter fraud has been the justification for restrictive voting laws for years, serving to roll back access to our democracy for people all across the country."

Voting rights advocates say the administration should focus on making access to the polls easier instead of unfounded claims of voter fraud. They argue some lawmakers are using the claim to ramp up more restrictive election laws.

States, mostly controlled by Republican legislatures, have adopted more election laws, including voter ID laws, in recent years. Supporters say they help protect against voter fraud.

Voting rights advocates also tookaim atTrump's appointment ofKobach to the commission. Kobach, a conservative, has been in legal battles in Kansas over some ofthe state's election laws, including one requiring voters to prove their citizenship before voting.

"No commission with Secretary Kobach at the helm can be taken seriously," said Clarke, from the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Other commission members include Republicans such as Ken Blackwell, former Secretary of State of Ohio; and Christy McCormick, a commissioner on the Election Assistance Commission. Democrats include Bill Gardner, New Hampshires Secretary of State, and Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap.

Clarke said she's surprised to see Trump follow through on his promise to set upthe commissionconsidering the lack ofevidence. Its also disappointing that nowhere in this executive order is there any sensitivity to this administrations obligation to enforce federal rights law,'' she said. "There is no reference to voting discrimination or voter suppression. Those words simply do not appear."

Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, called the commission a waste of taxpayer money.

"Instead of supporting an investigation into fake issues like voter fraud that pose no threat to the country, the Trump administration should support an investigation into real issues that do,real issues like Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, campaign collusion and cover-up, and voter suppression and intimidation,'' Richmond said in a joint statement withMichigan Rep. John Conyers, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

Trump's order, however, could get support from some Republican lawmakers, who have welcomed a federal investigation into allegations of voter fraud.

Safeguarding our democracy requires fair and accurate elections, Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., chairman of the House Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal elections, said earlier this year.

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Mike Pence, Connie Lawson to study 'voter fraud' as part of Trump commission - Indianapolis Star